Numpty nearly got squished

On the way home tonight some proper numpty on a Specialized Hardrock got away with his legs by the smallest amount.

Coming out of Regents Park, heading into Camden at the crossroads, this guy is filtering in the middle of the two lanes heading into Camden or around the top of the park, when he decides to move to where I am, on the outside and try to overtake the car that is at the front of the lights. I had already moved through the lights and heard a screech from behind. I looked back and saw the guy almost under the wheels of the car, so I turned straight back to see if I could help and saw that his back wheel had been hit by the driver of the 4x4 and had been crushed to the point that his wheel had popped out, his deraileur was fucked, disk brake was fucked, frame was cracked, rim was taco'd. Thing is, it was all his fault as he cut the car up as the lights turned green, a really stupid move that ended up with his new bike pretty much ruined.

I took a photo of the guys number plate for him but the main thing I said was that he fucking lucky to have got away with just a broken bike. He knew it was his fault really, I just hope that he learns from it, I could so easily have been watching someone come to terms with no legs for the rest of their life rather than a busted up bike. The 4x4 was fine of course.

oh well, lucky guy. very lucky. hope that teaches him a lesson.
Night riding in london is dangerous anyway for obvious reasons.

This was in daylight, about 1800. The guy was riding like a prat the whole way up the east side of Regents Park to be honest. He was sweeping in behind cars and then popping out to pass them at the last minute, which is a pretty good way of getting doored if you ask me because people aren't generally going to check their rear view mirror before opening a door, just the wing mirror. I wanted to say something but he was wearing an iPod and that sort of thing doesn't go down too well anyway.

I could so easily have been watching someone come to terms with no legs for the rest of their life rather than a busted up bike. The 4x4 was fine of course.

well, it wouldn't so much have been watching him come to terms with having no legs as simply watching a bloke with bloodied stumps screaming' AAARGHH! MY LEGS MY FUCKING LEGS! ARRRRGGGHH"

well, it wouldn't so much have been watching him come to terms with having no legs as simply watching a bloke with bloodied stumps screaming' AAARGHH! MY LEGS MY FUCKING LEGS! ARRRRGGGHH"

I would consider that the first stage of the coping strategy of a freshly christened amputee ;-)

7 stages of greaving and all that.
think he may have been watching to many youtube clips of messengers and thought he was doing it the same as them. silly boy. ho hum

i ride that every day. messy intersection when busy.

i ride that every day. messy intersection when busy.

Yep, and nearly a damn sight messier last night.

if the 4x4 hit him from behind its the 4x4s fault, legally.

If you cut a car up that is rightfully moving off from traffic lights then I think it could be easily be argued that the cyclist was to blame. The driver could even have checked his mirrors and not seen this guy due to the way that he came around the car from the other side. He tried to race the car off the lights and cut in front of it, the car caught him.

You are not allowed to overtake the front car in a line of stationary traffic at lights as far as I know.

Well I agree with Benanza, cutting across moving traffic is wrong and dangerous.

4x4s have to be treated like white vans and lorries, ie blind.

How did the 4x4 driver react?

He was pretty calm, jumped straight out of his car and checked out what was going on. I asked him what happened and he told me, the guy who got hit agreed that he had cut the driver up but was more gutted about his bike. The driver had to move his car and the cyclist had just confirmed his agreement with his assesmnet so the driver just left.

I couldn't see on what grounds I could make the driver stay and he was blocking one lane of a two lane, one way junction, so I took a photo of his plates and he drove off.

I made sure the guy on the bike was ok and then told him where to find Cyclesurgery in Camden and left him too.

well, it wouldn't so much have been watching him come to terms with having no legs as simply watching a bloke with bloodied stumps screaming' AAARGHH! MY LEGS MY FUCKING LEGS! ARRRRGGGHH"

I would consider that the first stage of the coping strategy of a freshly christened amputee ;-)

7 stages of greaving and all that.

isn't the first stage of grieving denial?

In which case he would have been saying "no, s'alright mate, I'm absolutely fine, honestly. I'll just walk home, I don't live far..."