I'd rather hit a car

[boydj]

– than a patch of diesel. In the last couple of years, I've been taken out by cars twice and suffered no more than a few bumps & bruises. Today, on the first right-hander, less than a mile into my regular journey home, doing no more than an easy 15mph, I suddenly found myself sliding along with my helmet bouncing off the tarmac (something to do with the extra weight I'm told). Lady who was behind me pulled over and a couple who were passing by helped me up and check myself over. All very caring and helpful.

End result – not a mark on the bike, some torn and dirty clothing and a break at the base of the thumb on the left hand requiring a cast, and broken bones below the pinkie on the right hand. It all happened so quickly I did not get my hands off the brake hoods. Did manage to cycle the 7 miles or so to the hospital very gingerly- it's very close to home, but it looks like no more cycling or golf (and that really hurts) for a few weeks.

 

[domtyler]

I came off on Diesel and hit my head on the road, it is amazing how fast you go down isn't it?

 

[Crackle]

Never yet done it on a cycle only on a motorbike at 40mph.

 

[Maz]

Unlucky boyd. Get well soon.
Maybe you should report it before some other poor soul comes a cropper.
Did the helmet help you?

(ducks for cover before BentMikey joins in)

 

[hackbike 6]

Bloody nasty I came off on that mini rounderbout near Wheelers Stratford.Couldn't see anything dodgy there but im sure that's what it was.

 

[thomas]

I nearly came off on this square roundabout (don't ask!) that's made with kerb stones. It was in the wet and they were really slippy. As I was going about 2mph around it I managed to hold on.

 

[Tynan]

cbt training three times over drummed into me the importance of watching out for diesel

there was miles of it today in a stream about two feet wide, the pretty stuff is apparently not dangerous really, it's the hard to spot black stuff that does the damage

I'd rather slide down the road and come to a graceful halt that smash into the side of a car

 

[Blackandblue]

Bad luck. That's a real bummer about the broken thumb and pinkie. They can take a while to heal.

 

[yenrod]

>I'd rather hit a car

I did once - god, how they made such a big deal about it !

I was trying to stay on the quick side of 25mph approaching some lights - i wouldnt mid i only touched the REAR bumper !



Whilst on for a 10min - 5ml trip back from the sisters !

 

[J4CKO]

It annoys me that people get away with sloshing diesel all over the road, there is a tipper depot not far from me and the road surface has been eaten away by the fuel spillage and tyres, also, farmers leaving mud all over the road, horse overs letting them crap everywhere, more of a danger to motorcycles due to the higher speed but still dangerous to cycles.

I had a little slide yesterday morning on a roundabout, had to turn abruptly due to a car not giving way to traffic from the righ, just straight lining the roundabout, front wheel budged a bit and i felt the back go, I put it down to the additional weight of the panniers slung out back Porsche 911 style.

Hope the fingers mend quickly !

 

[goo_mason]

Nasty - get well soon, boydj !

Incidentally, how do you recognise diesel on the road ahead ? I often see the pretty rainbow-coloured splodges on the road but I assume that it's petrol (that's what it used to look like when I was a pump attendant and it dripped off the nozzle onto wet tarmac).

 

[Tynan]

the coppers do clamp down on it now, truckers aren't allowed to drive around with a rag instead of a actual filler cap

but it has to be seen, theres a number to report spills in the road and supposedly they jump on them because they've got no defence if someone sues and they've already been informed

I'm told the pretty colours on a wet day is the lighter ingredients of old diesel rising out of the tarmac when rains, the dangerous stuff is newly spilt and flat matt black

hit some once a long time ago and came off in a split second, that was the day I learnt to never ride a bike without gloves, it really really really shaged the palms of my hands, like bug time

 

[fossyant]

Bad luck - yep diesel is the rainbow coloured stuff on the road - especially visible and lethal in the wet - loads of it on my commute this morning - big slicks of it.

 

[J4CKO]

Petrol does the colours as well doesnt it ?

 

[fossyant]

No - it evaporates..... it's diesel as it contains oil....