First bike crash

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Jackswan

Well-Known Member
Location
Swansea
Out a few days ago on a new route, early in the morning. Sun just risen over a nearby hill to the right of me, just left the cycle path??? and riding along a road doing about 15mph, pavement to the right.
Next thing BANG!!!!. Remember some guy running up to me asking if I am alright, can't remember if I did answer him and my memory of what happened for next couple of minutes is blank.
I had just ridden straight into a gate positioned right across the road.
Can remember the same guy then saying that you are bleeding from somewhere and it is everywhere. Hands were cut up pretty bad.
Then led into a local leisure center alongside this road to have first aid. Very vague recollection of what had happened.
This is when I found my phone in my chest pocket bent like a banana and it dawned on me that I am really hurt here!!. The guy giving me fist aid said that a motorcyclist was fatally killed a year previously at the same gate and his own son had broken his jaw cycling into it previously, great to know.
Anyway ended up in A&E within half hour, urine sample, xrays on both wrists, fingers and chest. Then sent to an A&E department at another hospital as there was no one suitably qualified to read the xrays(unbelievable).
Ribs either cracked or badly bruised on left ribcage, two sprained wrists, multiple lacerations on hands and a badly bruised lower back where I must have eventually fell back.
Unbelievable the bike is undamaged, just handlebar knocked out of alignment slightly and a scuff on the saddle. Looks as though the bike went straight underneath and i went straight into it hitting my hands first then the left upper side of my body/chest.
Thinking now very lucky to survive that, even though my chest and wrists are killing me. :stop:

Been up to have a look at the road last night and it looks like a service road with a proper junction but no signs warning of any gate in the way. Hard to say why I did not see what is a swing barrier with roughly painted light yellow and silver stripes. Could have been the bright sun, who knows?

Just wish these ribs would heal, agony as my lungs keep trying to take a deep breath every 5 minutes, paracetamol or ibuprofen are not working very well.
 

Hacienda71

Mancunian in self imposed exile in leafy Cheshire
Ouch GWS :B)
 
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Jackswan

Jackswan

Well-Known Member
Location
Swansea
GWS. Go ask your GP for stronger painkillers if the OTC stuff isn't helping
Think I will have to do that tomorrow!!

Been looking for a road bike and I was going to pick it up (Giant Defy 1)on the morning of the crash, but the deal had fallen through the evening before so decided to get out on my bike instead. Great thinking back now and the wife is now telling me, that you are getting on no bike, even if I could.^_^
 
This is when I found my phone in my chest pocket bent like a banana and it dawned on me that I am really hurt here!!.
If it wasn't for the phone, that gate would have gone straight through your heart.

Ok, that's supposed to be funny. Thanks for the lively telling of a scary accident.


Glad you are kinda ok. Ouch and GWS. if you might have cracked ribs, stick with paracetamol and codeine. Anti inflammatories - eg aspirin and ibuprofen - delay bone repair.
 

Mr_Kipling

Über Member
Location
Berkshire
Care to post a link to google streetview? GWS.
I was thinking the same. Why is there a gate in the road?
 
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Jackswan

Jackswan

Well-Known Member
Location
Swansea
http://goo.gl/maps/uhqGg

Gate can be seen just above the red dog litter box. First time I have looked at this view and the gate is WIDE OPEN and a different colour. Looks as though it is all black in this image (would be easier to see). Now it has light yellow stripes painted onto silver. A lot harder to see when against the colour of the road.
 
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Jackswan

Jackswan

Well-Known Member
Location
Swansea
The car in the image is pointed in the same direction that I was coming. There are no warning signs on either end of that road that there is a gate closed.
 

swee'pea99

Squire
Ouch! I fractured a rib once and it was agony. The worst was feeling a sneeze coming on...

I really don't understand how these things happen. This is clearly not just an accident waiting to happen, but an accident which has happened, repeatedly, including a fatality, and yet there's still a barrier across the middle of the road, with clearly ineffective warning to road users. What does it take for people to think: we really have to do something about this? If a death isn't enough....?

GWS. Try not to laugh. Seriously.
 

Drago

Legendary Member
Christ on a bike, that sounds nasty. Glad you survived that one.

Well worth a complaint if people are repeatedly being hurt at the site and the owners have done nothing to mitigate the risk and warn people lawfully using the area.
 
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