Have you ever been knocked down?

bassman22

Most cyclists that I know (in Dublin) have been knocked down at some point, and usually it's not their fault either.

Interesting to see if many people have never had the experience of it! Myself, I've been knocked down twice, but luckily have never required a hospital visit!

Ciaran500

Never been knocked down, but I generally avoid cycling on the road and in traffic so thats to be expected.

Cabaal

Never been knocked down, I have run into the back of a car once but I was about 13 at the time and was going far to fast at the time with very bad breaks,

Long long time ago so I don't think it counts

mikemac

Fallen down? Many, many times- just after I got clipless pedals.
My knees and arms hurt but my pride was hurt more at falling at 0mph.:o
A few times on black ice too

Knocked down, just once
Coming down a big, clear cycle lane and a queue of traffic beside me to my right.

Young lad in the front passenger seat of an SUV obviously decided he’d hop off while the traffic was not moving and left me less than a second to avoid the door.
Down I went, buckled my wheel, my knee and hand cut and medium term, I had tendonitis in my finger for the next 6 weeks which made typing in work very painful.
Settled through insurance (for feck all realy)but my confidence is still wrecked and I haven’t cycled around the city since then. I walk to work these days.

bassman22

Both of the times I was knocked down i was in the cycle lane too, wasn't a door though, car(s) zipped through a gap in the traffic super fast without looking (first time was into a garage) and splat! strange experience
Both times got all the damage paid for no problem though

Doors are what I'm most afraid of though because there is absolutely nothing you can do, and most people just don't think when they do things like that. I know a bunch of people that have been taken down this way

Ghost Rider

Been door-ed, done that. (Ho ho.)

bassman22 wrote: »

Both of the times I was knocked down i was in the cycle lane too, wasn't a door though, car(s) zipped through a gap in the traffic super fast without looking (first time was into a garage) and splat! strange experience
Both times got all the damage paid for no problem though

Doors are what I'm most afraid of though because there is absolutely nothing you can do, and most people just don't think when they do things like that. I know a bunch of people that have been taken down this way

niceonetom

micmclo wrote: »

Fallen down? Many, many times- just after I got clipless pedals.
My knees and arms hurt but my pride was hurt more at falling at 0mph.:o
A few times on black ice too

Knocked down, just once
Coming down a big, clear cycle lane and a queue of traffic beside me to my right.

Young lad in the front passenger seat of an SUV obviously decided he’d hop off while the traffic was not moving and left me less than a second to avoid the door.
Down I went, buckled my wheel, my knee and hand cut and medium term, I had tendonitis in my finger for the next 6 weeks which made typing in work very painful.
Settled through insurance (for feck all realy)but my confidence is still wrecked and I haven’t cycled around the city since then. I walk to work these days.

my sympathies dude. think about giving it another go though, ay? i've come to really enjoy navigating my way across town, i like the concentration and bike handling skills it requires compared to endless road miles.

i've come a cropper several times but i was only konocked down once. by a pole of about 20, in blanchardstown village. he turned hard left without indicating or looking and my front wheel hit his wheel-arch and i went over the bonnet starsky-and-hutch-stylie, but landed badly. sprained ankle and considerable skin loss. i went ape-poopy. adrenaline is a powerful thing. next thing i knew i was dragging him out of the car window (it was left hand drive, polish reg.) . he apologized profusely. i calmed the fúck down. i wanted his insurance details, his name etc. etc. which he was ok with that but he was so shaken that he wanted to give me cash instead, there and then. we were right next to a bank machine and he went over to it and came back with €300. i took it, and off he went. the bike was ok, couple of broken spokes in the front wheel and a few more scrapes. the ankle was sore for a good month though.

rubadub

Knocked at slow speed when an idiot on a bike crossed the road in front of me, he was on a path and had a clear view of me, and just went out crossing direct like on foot. Was a slow safe fall.

next was on the most stormy day there was last year, with flash floods in sandyford. I was on the N11, some gob****e had pulled into a bus lane/cycleway, then took off as I passed, and then stopped. I was going really slow due to wind, and was forced up on a kerb and fell, again slow & safe.

cunnins4

I stupidly filtered between a bus and a lorry one time in static traffic. Then the lights went green but I was only a quarter way through the two of them. Off they went and the gap got smaller and smaller until the handlebar got pinned by the bus and over the bars I went. Right between both sets of wheels. I was very lucky that time. Both vehicles missed me somehow and the oncoming traffic too. Dragged the bike to the side of the road and licked my wounds. That would've been the end of me if I'd landed differently.

The luas tracks have claimed my dignity twice too-the second time ruined my, er, typing wrist for a few months. It still clicks sometimes!

Coming off the bike's never fun, micmclo ya should try to get going again, your confidence'll return eventually.

Edit: now that I remember, when I was on holidays in greece a foreign lad managed to lodge my handlebar in his passenger window and dragged me down the street for about 10 yards. Fúcker even tried to drive off! That one hurt, a lot.

neilled

Coming down from Ranelagh and over the bridge across the the canal. As I came down the bridge a BMW accelerated past me and just as he got past me be braked and turned left into the cycle lane.

Jammed on the brakes and glanced of the side of the car and went down like a sack of spuds.

Beamer driver hops out apologising profusely, taxi driver pulls to a halt behind me and drops down the window and shouts "I seen everything bud" and waves his business card out the window in case I wanted to put a claim in.

At this stage I got back on my feet, inspected the bike and felt I could continue on my way as I was late for work.

I didn't consider the possibility of unseen strucutural damage to the bike and now some years latter regret not lodging some kind of claim or a complaint to the Gardai. Hopefully the chap in question has improved his ways.

Speaking of which I had to bang on the back of a passat today - they were in a cycle lane, I couldn't get past and the 17 bus was looming large behind me!

Trampas

2 car doors. when people jumping out at lights a few cars back.

several other accidents

leeroybrown

Never knocked down but I once rear ended a car. The car pulled in abruptly going down a steep hill on a wet day. I was in single file behind another cyclist. I should have had just about enough time to stop but my front brakes failed. My friend stopped in time and I was left with a choice between ploughing into the back of him or the much smoother looking car so I picked the car. I landed on the back windscreen but luckily the only damage done was to my front wheel.

Thankfully being in Galway and not Dublin means that my daily commute is far safer.

Marathon Man

Never been actually knocked down as such. But I was 'doored' once at St. Patricks Cathedrael. Usual story- Door opened into cycle lane in static traffic. I bought a good bit of the kerb and the door wrecked my knee. Being the (idiot) man that I am I let the apologetic foreign woman away with it.
Also I rear ended a Mercedes on Lord Edward Street. A combination of bad brakes and the guy swerving into my path. Still, I managed to remain on my steed.

littlejukka

2 falls (my own fault, grease the first time, alcohol the second).

1 time knocked down, heading west on leeson street and at the junction with stephen's green i was overtaken by a car which then turned left onto earlsfort terrace and swiped me out of it. i landed on my knee, rolled, the bike flipped into the air and landed on her car. not happy, i reckon the woman in the car hadn't heard expletives like that in a long time. the scabs heal but the damage to your confidence in city centre cycling takes much longer to repair.

pete4130

Coming form Kevin St. thru the Aungier street crossraods, got to the T junction where Cuffe Street joins. No other vehicle on the road on a Saturday lunchtime, green volvo comes formthe side street to my left, I slow down, to give the car more time to see me and arc out wide to make sure the car see's me and give me some space to take evasive action.
The car slows down to an almost stop and then revs up and ploughs into the side if me.

I looked down as it was happening in disbelief as the drivers side front bumper hit my back wheel. In my head I'm thinking "SH1T, I'm actually being hit by a car here....how's this going to go!?".

Next thing I know I'm on the bonnet, then very quickly I'm on the windscreen and all of a sudden I'm flying through the air landing about 12 feet away in the middle of the road. Luckily there were still no cars coming as the lights were red at the crossroads.

Got away with a grazed/bruised elbow which was very very lucky considering the violent impact. It turns out the lady driver didn't even see me, despite me slowing down and moving out wide to the centre of the road to make myself more visible to her as she approached the T Junction. She just glanced, so no cars and didn't bother to stop.

I think the only thing that prevented me being more hurt is the fact I realised at the last second she didn't see me and braced myself for the impact a little. I was riding my BMX at the time too so my centre of gravity was alot lower and I was able to jump off the bike easily. Taking slams and crashes riding BMX ocer the years definitely helped me roll out of the fall on the ground too.

I was very nervous for the next months to come when I saw cars pulling out from side roads on my left.

Donny5

I'm afraid I've been knocked down twice.
#1 was by a car who accelerated from behind me, then turned left clipping my front wheel. He (or she) stopped, had a look in the mirror, and pissed off.

#2 was when I was cycling up Stradbrook road, a woman was driving from an apartment block on one side of the road to the rugby club on the other (100m distance!). It was at night, and despite lights and reflectors, she clipped the front wheel.

Both times wrecked the front wheel, although the woman in the second instance paid for it, which was nice of her, although he couldn't see how she was in the wrong!

I don't know if this counts a being "knocked down", but a range rover once started veering into the cycle lane on the Blackrock road out of town, and pushed me off. I was alright that time, just angry.

From reading this thread, the amount of accidents and near misses is frightful. It's a wonder there are so few fatalities!

cgf

Trice.

1st time by a car,

2nd time doored along the canal

3rd time by a kid (10ish) legging it across the road. just lept out straight into my front-wheel - very bizare incident as it was a stright road with no cars parked alongside the road. they just started running took a 90 degree turn, and voila :eek:

Capt'n Midnight

twice by car door opening in front of me, once driver side , once passenger on O'Connell bridge

car turned left in front of me , new set of forks
bus mounted the pavement on a bus/bike lane, bike totalled

Mint Sauce

fallen many times, usally when ridding my mountain bike on the edge or beyond my limits, couple of times on my road bike with my cleats

knocked off once,
























in a hospital car park

oobydooby

cunnins4 wrote: »

I stupidly filtered between a bus and a lorry one time in static traffic. Then the lights went green but I was only a quarter way through the two of them. Off they went and the gap got smaller and smaller until the handlebar got pinned by the bus and over the bars I went.

:eek: That's my nightmare. That and this:p

brando wrote:

I watched a snail crawl along the edge of a straight razor. That's my dream. That's my nightmare. Crawling, swiftly, along the edge of a straight... razor... and surviving ....

Not gonna tempt fate here, feel rattled just reading these.

pete4130

A friend cycling along the LUAS tracks and ends up between 2 passing LUAS trams...brushing off his shoulders. He was on a fixed gear to make it more scary so he couldn't stop. Another friend just after getting knee surgery and back on his bike for the first time had a pigeon fly into his front wheel and he went OTB.

KIVES

Unfortunately, I've had the unsettling experience of being knocked down 'in slow motion' as my cousin so aptly put it - it was an ordinary Saturday afternoon in July three years ago and little did I think that not 2 minutes into my leisurely cycle to the local gym, I would be lying on the side of the minor road I travelled, glaring at the ignoramous of a bus driver who had left me no room to work with, hence, my ungainly fall from grace. As the cretin squeeshed past me, my handlebars caught the side of the CIE advertising sticker around the letter 'E' if I recall correctly and off I went like a angry badger down a rabbit burrow. Thankfully I was grand and my only worry at the time was whether anyone had seen my embarrassing episode+whether I would miss the 4pm Workout. I was lucky but my lifelong aversion to bus drivers was merely reinforced on that sorry day...

Bicyclegadabout

Going through Fairview, there was a van indicating to park. He had been indicating for a good 200 yards. The cycle track there runs between the car lane and parking spots.
Anyway, as it was taking him so long to turn in to park, I somehow assumed he’d seen me and was waiting for me go past him on the cycle track to his left.
So when I went to shoot down the inside, he of course chose that moment to swing left and park. We didn’t collide but he forced me to the kerb, which I hit, and over I flipped.
Owey. I got up, looked at the driver. He had a look somewhere between fear and utter confusion on him.
I got into work ok, there was blood all over one of the handlebars but I felt fine. Then when I sat at my desk I pulled a whitey and almost passed out.

Legally I think it’d be a tough one to call. I don’t think I did anything wrong. But in reality, I was very naïve to try such a manoeuvre. Definitely a learning experience.

gillyfromlyre

This is off the point a bit but my brother Francie fell out of a taxi going down O connell st,he rolled about 20 metres before he hit a curb and eventually stopped, somehow he only managed to break his wrist and he said the worst part of the whole episode was the taxi driver kept asking him for the fare,what an arsehole

beans

Twice, once hit-and-run from behind on Parkgate St; once t-boned from the side by an elderly gent coming onto the Naas Rd who just plain didn't see me until my bike was at 90 degrees to my direction of travel. Both ended with hospital visits but no damage thank god. I land like a rag-doll it seems.

Raam

Once.
A driver overtook me, pulled into a lay by on the left of the road, then as I was continuing on the road, decided to execute a u-turn in the lay by just as I reached it and they pulled back out into the road. I tried to avoid it but couldn't so I hit the front wheel on the drivers side and took flight over the bonnet. I must have done a complete tumble in the air because I had cuts and bruises on my shoulders. My face came of worst though, huge road rash on the left side of it. I was wearing a woolly hat at the time, so I think that took some sting out of the fall, so it could have been much worse. Thankfully the rash has pretty much faded now. My knees and shin also had cuts and bruises. My hands were saved by my gloves.

I was lying on the road for a few minutes and I could hear people shouting "CALL AN AMBULANCE". Then I tried to move and I was told to stay still. Eventually I managed to get up and stumble to the side of the road where I sat on the kerb and waited for...well for nothing really because I was totally out of it. I just sat there.

A policeman on a motorbike came to the scene and the fire brigade arrived also and checked me out. Then an ambulance came and took me to hospital. Nothing was broken thankfully, but I was in a daze for about 3 or 4 days. For about a week I woke up feeling nauseous and with the most awful headaches.

I got on the bike after about a month and now I am much more vigilant on the roads, but I have not let the experience hold me back.

the boss of me

gillyfromlyre wrote: »

what an arsehole

That's not a nice way to talk about your brother

Cabaal

bloody hell Raam that sounds like an awful way to spend a week,

DavyD_83

Never been knocked down as such. All my incidents have involved stationary vehicles. All due to a mix of distraction and poor/no brakes. Been 'doored' a couple of times too.

paulksnn

Taken out once alright, by a car on a main road.
Cycling along, a car nosed out of the drive.
Saw him, and saw him stop, so continued to cycle past.
Idiot then pulled out straight on top of me.
This was about ten years ago, as far as I remember, the down bar ended up being bent.

I was heading for college, but he forked out for a new bike that evening.

beans

My biggest fear is hitting the business-end of a half-open door at speed. Always leave lots of room and attain a state of cat-like vigilance, and so far so good.

niceonetom

right, with 2/3 of us having had at least one vehicular misadventure i have an ancillary question:

do you wear a helmet? always? never? sometimes?

i bought one after a small off a few months ago, wore it for a couple of weeks (while cycling, not just around the house, honest) and since then it's been gathering dust. can't get used to it, and have nowhere to put it when i have to do errands etc.

ba

always. i got the Giro Atmos, which is really comfortable, light & cool, so i like wearing it.

Raam

niceonetom wrote: »

right, with 2/3 of us having had at least one vehicular misadventure i have an ancillary question:

do you wear a helmet? always? never? sometimes?

I didn't then, but I do now, in order to reduce the chance of getting more face rash.

blah

I always used to wear mine, and a luminous vest and use lights, even in the middle of the day. Which it was when I got hit by a car turning right, out of a minor road on my left. She stopped at the stop sign, looked both ways and accelerated into me just as I passed. Broke my collar-bone. Didn't get hit in the head, but I'm still glad I was wearing the helmet. She was nice enough to call an ambulance and give me her insurance details. Don't really like cycling any more though

Spook_ie

gillyfromlyre wrote: »

This is off the point a bit but my brother Francie fell out of a taxi going down O connell st,he rolled about 20 metres before he hit a curb and eventually stopped, somehow he only managed to break his wrist and he said the worst part of the whole episode was the taxi driver kept asking him for the fare,what an arsehole

And only right to, just too many people think they can avoid paying by trying to get out of taxis before they've stopped and legging it , or was it just a case of your brother messin around because it seemed like a bit of craic at the time? and if that was the case then why shouldn't the taxi driver ask him for the fare, hardly his fault from the sound of it..

MicraBoy

I have never been knocked down, but have had more near misses than I'd care to believe.

I had one spill but I have no idea what happened. I think the back wheel went out from under me as I came to a halt in the underground car park at work. I had just come down the ramp but wasn't flying it either. It was a same bit wet and the surface is that sort of polished concrete you see in car parks. It was totally unexpected and I did a total face plant. Hurt my hands and wrist but nothing broken.

By the by I always wear my helmet!

niceonetom

Raam wrote: »

I didn't then, but I do now, in order to reduce the chance of getting more face rash.

brain schmrain, just not my beautiful face. NOT THE FACE.

Ghost Rider

Bit by bit, little by little, all threads converge into one - that great thread that strings us all along, that wraps itself around the board until the posters are all garotted, the thread that ties up all the other threads into one great, indigestable logical hairball.

I am speaking, of course,... of THE HELMET THREAD.

unionman

niceonetom wrote: »

right, with 2/3 of us having had at least one vehicular misadventure i have an ancillary question:

do you wear a helmet? always? never? sometimes?

i bought one after a small off a few months ago, wore it for a couple of weeks (while cycling, not just around the house, honest) and since then it's been gathering dust. can't get used to it, and have nowhere to put it when i have to do errands etc.

ALWAYS. Like wearing a seatbelt in a car, you eventually get so used to it you feel naked without it. I tried going out on the bike a few months ago without the helmet, I couldn't find it or something, anyway, ended up turning round and going home cos it just felt wrong.

It has saved my bacon at least once, offed on Luas tracks and landed head and shoulder first. Other than that, it sends a message to (some) motorists that you take this cycling thing seriously (that and high viz, lights, and stopping at red lights - all other threads to garrot us with Ghost Rider).

I was knocked off a bike in 94 by an idiot young sales rep. All apologies but by the next day (after he'd had advice from his mates) was very self assured in his innocence cos 'I had no witnesses'. So I said fine, I'll talk to your employers (company car), coughed up the meagre amount of cash I was looking for (to replace the bike which was a write off). To this day, both knees carry a reminder, I was far too soft on him.:mad:

kona

learn how to manual, it saved me a "injury" in a collision with the aforemention gob****e opening door.
if you cant brake, lift the front and let the bike hit the car, you fall off but destroy the door:D

Raam

niceonetom wrote: »

brain schmrain, just not my beautiful face. NOT THE FACE.

I was like that lad from Batman for a couple of weeks, whatshisname...Two Face!
People would walk into the room and think I was fine, then they would see the other side.

cunnins4

niceonetom wrote: »

do you wear a helmet? always? never? sometimes?

Oh no, here we go again.







Where did I get that "eating popcorn" emoticon the other day....

kona

i do, i have 2!!!

but youd suprised the amount of people who will buy valve caps over helmets!

niceonetom

cunnins4 wrote: »

Oh no, here we go again.







Where did I get that "eating popcorn" emoticon the other day....

Ghost Rider wrote:

Bit by bit, little by little, all threads converge into one - that great thread that strings us all along, that wraps itself around the board until the posters are all garotted, the thread that ties up all the other threads into one great, indigestable logical hairball.

I am speaking, of course,... of THE HELMET THREAD.

i regret nothing.

ffs what's wrong with introducing the helm question in a thread about collisions. when was the last helmet thread btw? and if you can't stomach the limited number of topics that can legitimately raised in a cycling forum well, read a book instead or something.

i have successfully managed to restrain myself from interfering the in the now nearly daily "entry level road bike?" threads no matter how repetitive they become, so lads, why is it so hard to let one helmet question go? really?

Raam

niceonetom wrote: »

i regret nothing.

ffs what's wrong with introducing the helm question in a thread about collisions. when was the last helmet thread btw? and if you can't stomach the limited number of topics that can legitimately raised in a cycling forum well, read a book instead or something.

i have successfully managed to restrain myself from interfering the in the now nearly daily "entry level road bike?" threads no matter how repetitive they become, so lads, why is it so hard to let one helmet question go? really?

Someone touched a nerve there!

niceonetom

Raam wrote: »

Someone touched a nerve there!

ah, not really . but surely the only thing even stupider than a 'helmet' thread is an 'oh no not another helmet thread' thread. if you follow me.

cunnins4

niceonetom wrote: »

i regret nothing.

ffs what's wrong with introducing the helm question in a thread about collisions. when was the last helmet thread btw? and if you can't stomach the limited number of topics that can legitimately raised in a cycling forum well, read a book instead or something.

i have successfully managed to restrain myself from interfering the in the now nearly daily "entry level road bike?" threads no matter how repetitive they become, so lads, why is it so hard to let one helmet question go? really?

Ah Tom, I was only joking!:D

stolenwine

I haven't fallen yet touch wood, only been cycling 4 months. If cars seem to be slowing down to let me pass- if I don't have enough space I normally wait, I can't see them waving me on and really just don't want to take the risk. Human bone versus metal. Metal always wins!

midonogh

I got knocked down in Tooting Broadway, South London.

I was heading north in a bus lane while the traffic in the north bound lane next to me where static at traffic lights. A car in the south bound lane wanted to turn right across us into a side road. A van at the lights flashed the car to turn across him. I was coming up on the inside of the van just as the car was pulling blindly into my lane. Someone described it well above, that you moment when you realise that this is the real thing, that you are not going to get out of this one.

The car caught my front wheel and knocked me down but the driver paniced and kept the foot down. The car lurched along as it tried to go over my fromt wheel. I was dragged/pushed for 12ft with the headlamp of the car 6 inches from my head. For years afterwards there was a 12ft gouge in the tarmac where my pedal had ploughed into the ground. When it was over there were people coming up and squinting at me on the ground, saying that they expected to find me dead. I guy from Ballymena came to help me and I remember being mighty relieved to hear a familiar accent. Plenty of people offered themselves as witnesses, but all I wanted to do was get out of there and get home out of my lycra gear.

Was lucky enough to get away with some bad bruising and a wrenched knee. Bike needed new bars, wheel and forks. The old guy forked out for that but I did not pursue further as I had no witnesses.

I always wear a helmet and had the time to think to myself that this was an excellent policy as I was being dragged along.

Bicyclegadabout

niceonetom wrote: »

right, with 2/3 of us having had at least one vehicular misadventure i have an ancillary question:

do you wear a helmet? always? never? sometimes?

i bought one after a small off a few months ago, wore it for a couple of weeks (while cycling, not just around the house, honest) and since then it's been gathering dust. can't get used to it, and have nowhere to put it when i have to do errands etc.

Always wear a helmet, but it's a **** one.

When you're doing errands, you can either:
- lock the helmet to the bike and whatever the bike is locked to or
- If you wear any sort of backpack, clip it to the strap and let it hang there behind you. This is what I do.