This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Seems pleased with himself

Snapped my rear derailleur on the way to work this morning ... Oh well, turned back and worked from home.

Fractured my hand and clearly suffered a minor head injury on the commute this morning. I was cycling along the bike lane in London Fields when a dog ran out into the bike lane right in front of me, and then stopped dead. I braked, my front wheel locked, and I went over the handlebars.

A couple stopped and helped me, very kindly, and a few minutes after they left I started to have some pretty fearsome visual disturbances, so once they had subsided to the point where I could unlock my phone, I called an ambulance. The paramedics were super, as were the staff in A&E at Homerton Hospital.

Clearly my fault - I wasn't going that fast, but was not mindful of the fact that my view of the path was obscured by people on the ped side. The dog shot out from behind those people as I drew level, giving me too little space to stop safely.

Pesky dogs - don't feel bad - hope you recover 100% - Mel

The difference between the dog and me is that the dog doesn't have a choice about being an idiot...so maybe not such a big difference!

Glad you're OK. But yes, remember that no matter what those markings may indicate, it's a shared-use path in a park and pedestrians, whether human or canine, should be given priority.

I take it BobbyBriggs was referring to you and your bike here?

Saw a green single speed with a brown Brooks being loaded into the back of an ambulance just by the Pub in the Park entrance to London Fields - hope whoever it is is ok!

Yes if that was you, glad you're ok. Take it easy during the recovery.

I know that path is shared use, but it does dismay me that people can't keep their dogs under control sufficiently around it. https://www.hackney.gov.uk/dogs-in-parks

Yep, that was me! As I said, I didn't see the dog and didn't realise that I was looking at an unseen hazard - had I realised, I would have further moderated my riding. I'm usually very cautious around loose dogs, and of course it's only reasonable of dog-owners to expect that their dogs can run free in a park. As it is, I think my commitment to canine right-of-way has been sufficiently demonstrated!

To be fair Hackney Council have made deliberate attempts to make it look like a path and not a cycle route. If you don't cycle through there it could well come as a surprise that it's a signed cycle route.

Nothing as exciting as dogs and ambulances, but I had a pretty heated disagreement with a bus driver coming round E&C southbound this evening.

Cycle lane was congested, and being at the back of a wave through the first set of lights invariably ends in conflict with a bus pulling into the stops outside the shopping centre after the second set - so I take the lane behind one bus and in front of another.

Bus driver behind me does not like this at all - beeping and gesticulating. Don't know where he thinks he's going to go if I move out the way - there's another dirty great bus in front of me that he has to wait for. I hold my ground.

Decide to have words once he pulls into his stop (a task I've probably made much easier for him by not being on his left).I pull up to his cabin window - which is promptly slammed rather aggressively, so aggressively that it bounces back, leaving a gap for me to yell a quick "I've not slowed you down there, mate, have I? We were both in a queue."

Segregated lanes don't half create a stick to beat you with when you venture out of them...

I disagree - the dividing stripe and bike symbol make it pretty clear that you're looking at a cycle route. Now we clearly just need to teach dogs hieroglyphics.

Or teach their owners to keep them under close control when near a busy commuter cycle route.

I reckon we'd have more luck with my idea!

Yeah but a big splodge of green paint helped a lot more, a single white line can be pretty unobtrusive.

This on the way home last night. Silly cow coming in the opposite direction pulled a right and crossed my bus lane thru a gap in stationary traffic without checking. No matter how many segregated cycle lanes are built and lights installed people will still think it's OK to go even when it's not safe. This lady's excuse? Another driver in the stopped traffic flashed her out to go. I did a 3 or 4 meter stoppie but couldn't avoid the inevitable superman over the bars. Head hit first. Its all road rash and soreness. Police attended. Ambo too. But I cycled home. Probably the end of my Bell helmet. Saved my life. Seriously.

Did it really though?

If I was un-sighted I wouldn't be going fast enough to go over the bars in stationary traffic near a junction. Maybe the helmet made you risk-compensate?

^bit unfair. I've been taken out in exactly this way and you don't have to be going that fast cos you have zero time to react.

And i've hit my head on the deck without a helmet and with a helmet and i can assure you, one was a lot better than the other.

My gf broke her wrist taking evasive action during a similar situation (in Manchester).
Wrong thread, but are you making some sort of claim; new helmet, repair damages etc?
Driver in question in our situation just rolled down her window, said 'sorry', and drove off (we have witness contacts and a number plate). Kirann missed X weeks of work, hence X weeks pay. Been sitting on it/she hasn't pursued anything, but I'm quietly thinking that isn't quite right.

I was t-boned at a junction and pursued the driver through the CTC legal team. Initially I only wanted repairs - I wasn't really injured, but my front wheel was kaput. Then the driver started arguing it was my fault, so I threw the book at him. Slater-Gordon were very good, maybe chat to them and see what happens.

Get solicitors involved, will take a while, probably a year and counting but monetary payout will be worth it. Have a word with slater and Gordon or if you're a member of ctc or LCC you should have third party insurance with them and access to their legal team..

you don't have to be going that fast

I wasn't there.

You have to be going pretty fast to go over the bars in that situation. Line of stationary cars, junction coming up. It's pretty clear where the danger is, if you're unsighted then you slow right down. It's the driver's fault, obv.

Nor was I.

However "junction" covers a lot of situations. Mine was a cross over on the pavement leading to an alley to a garage.

If you hit a relatively immovable object such as the side of a car, I'd guess you'd go over the bars at 10mph and maybe less.

Edit: anyway, not meaning to have an argument; your pionts are well made. Just saying that ime, it's easy to get caught out and it can hurt alot. So stay safe everyone.

@hamrack @cornelius_blackfoot thanks for your suggestions.
Slater & Gordon was who she went through a few months earlier, when she was knocked off by an idiot OAP former taxi driver. Will probably go through them once again.

Also try Leigh day, think they are forum recommended as well..