Hit by a car yesterday...

[ianrauk]

I'll probably be on it in a week. Cycling's my life.

Good to hear.

 

[fossyant]

Do watch the shoulder. How old are you? I bounced better in my 20's than I do now in my 40's. you may have youth on your side, but do be careful with the shoulder. Details exchanged ?

 

[ianrauk]

Do watch the shoulder. How old are you? I bounced better in my 20's than I do now in my 40's. you may have youth on your side, but do be careful with the shoulder. Details exchanged ?

Indeed, if mine is still painful from my car/bike interaction in February I can't imagine how a dislocated shoulder would feel.
The Doc said he was very surprised that I didn't suffer a dislocation from the way I landed on the tarmac.

 

[fossyant]

You all know about my issues. Takes a long time and it is a number one injury cyclists and rugby players get. It is such an unstable joint that is held in place by muscles and tendons, these all are important. I'm now going to the gym regularly to build up my shoulders to reduce any future problems.

Dislocations aren't nice, and you can easily do it again. This then damages tendons and muscles again. Being young helps loads though.

 

[Davidc]

Lighting up like a Christmas tree won't help - the ones who aren't looking still won't see you.

What is useful for those drivers who are looking is to make sure at least one front and at least one back light have good side visibility, and to put extra reflectors on the side facing bits of the bike, using spoke reflectors and tape. I've had noticeably less near misses from the side since attending to those.

 

[TheLondonCyclist]

Do watch the shoulder. How old are you? I bounced better in my 20's than I do now in my 40's. you may have youth on your side, but do be careful with the shoulder. Details exchanged ?

I am 21. Details were exchanged, but sh*t happens and no lights are facing sideways, so it's very hard for a car to see a bicycle from the side at night.

 

[PaulB]

We're all feeling your (metaphoric) pain mate. Hope you have an uneventful recovery and you're back where you belong with a rapidity that surprises you.

 

[marshmella]

Get well soon tlc, i had a very near miss on Monday morning when a woman pulled out of a side road as i was turning into it.I got a SIDSY (she didn't bother saying mate) nor did she bother clearing the frost off her passenger window i suspect.

 

[fossyant]

She should have seen you approach. No excuses. Reflective tape etc. helps. Age is on your side, but do go to the GP if you get problems. TBH worth going to log injuries.

 

[ttcycle]

Take it easy, sorry to read about your off. Hope you feel better soon.

 

[Trail Child]

I hope you recover quickly!

 

[asterix]

I am 21. Details were exchanged, but sh*t happens and no lights are facing sideways, so it's very hard for a car to see a bicycle from the side at night.

My tyres have reflective walls. They are not, however, tyres upon which an aspiring TdF winner would care to be seen. (unless the only alternative was being hit by a motor vehicle)

I wish you a rapid recovery.

 

[HLaB]

GWS TLC. Its certainly No Excuse but that (London Cyclist?) article was interesting, if my understanding is correct, when people scanning quickly their brain pieces together a smooth image which may blank out the section the cyclist is in. The answer is to look properly but it may explain some of the SMIDSY's out there. Having said that I don't think the phenomena explains my last SMIDSY, she just didn't look. I was cycling westbound along Thorpe Road (If you know Peterborough). Anyway I was about to pass a minor road on my left and moved to a more primary position as I saw an estate approaching from the minor road at speed; he got about an 1/8 of the way before seeing me and giving way. However, I also noticed a car squeezing up his left and she wasn't stopping, the estate (un-wittenly) might have put me in a blind spot. Fortunately the road has a wide central hatched area and I was able to swerve into that and had already scrubbed my speed for the estate.

 

[jonny jeez]

Being young helps loads though.

Sure helps me.

*cough*

 

[Norm]

Sorry that you were hit, TLC, but you should consider getting some lights that can be seen from the side. My Exposure Flash and Flare both have about 245 degree lighting and a head torch will light up wherever you are looking.

Something that seems strange, though, is...

I am 21.

... which suggests that you must be something of a prodigy as you said elsewhere that...

I do a lot of graphics and have been teaching it for 5 years...