Hubris and a journey over the handlebars...

[deptfordmarmoset]

I've just had an off and it was 95% my fault. A car pulled out from the other side of the road without looking or indicating into my path and then proceeded to dawdle along. I swung out and pulled alongside the driver who was busy drinking a soft drink from a can. Unfortunately, just as I was about to give him an earful for not paying attention to the road, I neglected to pay enough attention to the road ahead myself. Or I neglected to pay any attention to the road ahead or the oncoming car! Queue emergency brakes, hit bonnet, over the handlebars, dust the bonnet and land inelegantly between the 2 cars.

Being an estate agent's car, the guy who'd pulled out in front of me simply drove off, and I was left looking for any injuries and exchanging details with the driver I'd collided with. Amazingly, I don't have even the slightest cut or abrasion though I did leave a couple of scratches on the oncoming car's bonnet. Bike was also fine - the only trace of the head-on was an upward-pointing front light and a shipped chain.

So, anyway, the big lesson: when people drive like idiots all around you, don't lose your temper and fix your attention on the idiot, you could end up being an even bigger idiot!

 

[GetAGrip]

OMG, that could have been so much worse for you. Glad you are all in one piece! I suppose you've got the bill for a spray job on the car to look forward to now .

 

[thom]

Wise words - hope you aren't too shook up after that

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

OMG, that could have been so much worse for you. Glad you are all in one piece! I suppose you've got the bill for a spray job on the car to look forward to now .

I'm afraid so! Experience comes with expenses....

 

[ianrauk]

sorry to hear this Chris. Glad it's only your pride thats injured.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Wise words - hope you aren't too shook up after that

Cheers. Shaken up enough to know that I have to have a good think about how I respond to other idiots: there's thinking and reacting, and there's blind reaction.

 

[coffeejo]

An expensive lesson, but better than broken bones. Or a broken bike

 

[CopperCyclist]

Out of interest, do you have third party cover with CTC (or similar), and if so how surprised was the driver to find this out?

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Out of interest, do you have third party cover with CTC (or similar), and if so how surprised was the driver to find this out?

Yes, I do via LCC (though I should check the renewal date - I can't remember whether it's an automatically renewed payment). I don't think it really registered with the driver - once he'd got over the shock of an approaching cyclicide, he spent a while examining his car's scratches and reflecting on the thought that he could have run over me.