Its decision time.

[ebikeerwidnes]

Maybe start on ride without cars

maybe take the bike to a path and ride on that if there is one nearby until you get your confidence back

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

After my Xmas '13 RTA on the Tricross Singlecross, it took me buying a Voodoo Wazoo fatbike in early '16 to make cycling fun again, I had two years where I really struggled to enjoy cycling even though the RTA was entirely my own fault (brake failure in the wet on a storm warning, into the back of a stationary rufuse collection lorry at ~20mph, turning my mouth/jaw plus my right hand into a jigsaw).

 

[fossyant]

After breaking my spine, I stuck to canals and bridleways for a long time, then started back on the road down at the caravan we had in North Wales as there were many quiet lanes. I got back to commuting 3 years ago but still use as much off road as I can (less so in evenings as my route has scallies on it when they can get out of bed).

My latest big accident was just unlucky, slow fall on black ice despite having studded tyres.

I was back once my consultant was happy with the bone healing (three months due to misdiagnosis).

I'll always say, mix up your cycling. If you just have road bikes, then I'd suggest an MTB or gravel bike depending on terrain locally.

 

[fossyant]

Cycling is my main hobby. Walking is OK but running is a complete no given the damage to my hip socket. I have no issues riding, but if I jolt my left leg, I get pain from the joint.

 

[fossyant]

I will add, I bought a full suspension MTB four months after breaking my spine.

 

[Venod]

Just an update, I started the claim via cycling UK, but the driver does not acknowledge he was in the wrong, he said I was overtaking him and lost control ! I was coming off a roundabout and he failed to give way and knocked me off, fortunately I had alerts activated on my Garmin and it sent an alert to my wife showing the exact location of the collision, I also put a post on the FaceBook group of the town where the incident occurred and received a very useful reply from someone who was coming the other way, who confirmed it was not my fault and the driver ran into the back of my bike and shunted my 10 meter's down the road, I have forwarded this helpful info to my solicitor so hopefully it helps, I can't believe he is trying to put the blame on me.

 

[DRM]

Just an update, I started the claim via cycling UK, but the driver does not acknowledge he was in the wrong, he said I was overtaking him and lost control ! I was coming off a roundabout and he failed to give way and knocked me off, fortunately I had alerts activated on my Garmin and it sent an alert to my wife showing the exact location of the collision, I also put a post on the FaceBook group of the town where the incident occurred and received a very useful reply from someone who was coming the other way, who confirmed it was not my fault and the driver ran into the back of my bike and shunted my 10 meter's down the road, I have forwarded this helpful info to my solicitor so hopefully it helps, I can't believe he is trying to put the blame on me.

With that information, the driver should lose his licence for good, it would be interesting to know what test of vision, or reaction times show, I hope this info acts as a wake up call to this driver

 

[fossyant]

Just an update, I started the claim via cycling UK, but the driver does not acknowledge he was in the wrong, he said I was overtaking him and lost control ! I was coming off a roundabout and he failed to give way and knocked me off, fortunately I had alerts activated on my Garmin and it sent an alert to my wife showing the exact location of the collision, I also put a post on the FaceBook group of the town where the incident occurred and received a very useful reply from someone who was coming the other way, who confirmed it was not my fault and the driver ran into the back of my bike and shunted my 10 meter's down the road, I have forwarded this helpful info to my solicitor so hopefully it helps, I can't believe he is trying to put the blame on me.

This is normal - been there, they lost, so don't worry.

 

[fossyant]

PS did 40 miles road today, mainly flat, sat on my dodgy left pelvis. Was OK - needed to get up out of a few climbs but a Selle SLR isn't the most comfy saddle.

Keep cycling !

 

[Venod]

PS did 40 miles road today, mainly flat, sat on my dodgy left pelvis. Was OK - needed to get up out of a few climbs but a Selle SLR isn't the most comfy saddle.

Keep cycling !

Fossyant I admire your resilience, when I had my last serious off 2015 you were laid up with back injuries, I realised from your posts then there is always someone worse of than yourself, my shoulder has never recovered, I hope your back has,

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good morning,

Sorry to hear about your accident.

I was knocked off if in what sounds like quite similar circumstances a little while back but in my case the car driver was genuinely sorry and I didn't bother following it up as it was a less severe hit than yours, just one ruined rear wheel.

As a youngster of 63 I am trying to persuade a few people that I know that it is time to hand in their driving licences but this is not going well. Their perception of what is going on when they are driving is so different to mine, for example the reversing/proximity sensors are beeping because they are so close to parked cars on the right as they can't percepulaise where the cars on the left are!

Whilst it is of course it is possible that it has been suggested to the driver that given his age it is in his best interest to say this, my experiences with these older drivers makes me think that it is quite possible that the guy who hit you believes what he is saying. In his mind he has not driven onto a roundabout without giving way, he may not even has "seen" the roundaout and he thinks he was driving down a straight unbroken road.

This may be relevant as it could affect the way that you phrase communications with him.

Whilst generally I am quite relaxed about these things and accept them as just part of life, in this case I think that I too would want to follow it up even though I think I have a good grasp of what giving up driving means and why people are so reluctant to do so. All the other things that you can no longer do as they need to be driven to, maybe in the centre of a big city no car is no loss but in smaller towns and villages no car means isolation and boredom.

Even after quite a few months I still feel a bit uncomfortable on some big roundabouts where cars are approaching the roundabout at 30-40 mph at 5:30 in the morning so probably not expecting to see a cyclist, even though I have two 500 lumen front lights, one solid and one flashing as a "hint" that I am there. :-) There is one roundabout that I now get off for and use the pedestrian crossing, it to has cars approaching it at 40mph+ and I need to do a right turn (3 o'clock exit).

So that is an adaption after a crash, whether or not it is rational it has kept me riding.

Bye

Ian

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Over-70s face driving ban for failing eye tests < That can't come soon enough, without knowing anything else I'd be willing to bet that 89 year old driver is probably not capable of keeping their licence under the new conditions.

Obvious questions but are the police involved, did you have accident insurance, have you got their details etc

All the best for a recovery, and yes do get back on.

Surely anyone at any age should face a driving ban if they fail an eye test? Limiting to it just over 70 would be madness.

 

[Vantage]

I was taken out on a roundabout once. Been wary of them ever since and that was over 20 years ago!
I lost interest in cycling a few years ago but I still get out and ride once in a while. It's my only form of transport so it's bike to appointments etc. I've a dog lead attachment on the bike too so me and muttley take some slow rides around.
Giving up cycling doesn't mean giving up cycling

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I can believe the driver is trying to blame you

I had a very minor incident this morning that illustrates things

I was approaching a T- junction
I was on the side road which was a narrow road
the "main road" was not a lot bigger by was enough to have a white line down the middle

anyway - I was turning right so I approached the junction I moved out from the kerb to about 1/4 out
heading for half way to turn right

As I approached a van appeared from the left and totall cut the corner
literally missed it by inches
If I had been turning left we would both had had to stop - and hope we both did

anyway - I stopped and he drove past me
and as he was doing so he was GLARING at me in a very angry manner

now he KNEW he had cut the corner
he knew he was in the wrong
so why was he angry and glaring AT ME

well - in my mind - there is a type of person who cannot accept they can be in the wrong
If they are in the wrong then it would destroy the fragile edifice that keeps them from realising they faults
and they cannot accept they have faults
so if something goes wrong then IT HAS TO BE the fault of someone else

and whoever is around will be blamed

they can end up as wife beaters or senior managers as I have seen both with this way of thinking

 

[Venod]

they can end up as wife beaters or senior managers

Apparently the old guy that knocked me off, was a retired bank manager, I hope he was a bit more honest with his customers accounts than he is with the account of this accident.