2010-05-25 - Rider Down, Tower Bridge

Was waiting behind an AA van towing a car on a trailer at the bottom of tower bridge approach heading south this morning and spotted a guy on a hybrid on the nearside between the van and curb. As the lights changed the van set off, faster than the cyclist and the wheels of the trailer took out his bike and him. It ran over both his legs and totalled the bike. I jumped off and got the bike away, AA man stopped and cyclist was lying on the floor in agony. Called the ambulance and they turned up along with City of London Police despatch riders in minutes. Cyclist was alive, shaken up bad with suspected broken leg.
The cops interviewed me and another cyclist who stopped basically trying to find out who was at fault. In my opinion the rider shouldn't have been positioned where he was but on the other hand the driver should have checked his left mirror properly. Seemed to be a case of six of one and half a dozen of the other. Just goes to show that staying on the inside is never the way to go. I wasn't going to tell him that since i felt it might be a little insensetive after just being run over.......
Stay safe people

Shit, I must have literally just missed all that - I avoid Tower Bridge Road completely these days, it's a nightmare.
Hope all concerned are ok, well done for stopping and helping.

I'd like to avoid it but it's the best way for me to get across the river. Fuck the Rotherhithe and the approach to London bridge is just congested and slow not to mention full of potholes and temporary traffic lights. The dude seemed ok... Just shook up to fuck! Bike is a goner though

Tower bridge is a bit nuts at the mo', I may start going over Southwark again to avoid it... Hope the dude's OK...

Hope the guy has a speedy recovery.

Tower Bridge Rd more than most needs riding bang in the middle of the lane. Its narrow, has shite barriers on the insides. Riding the white line can be a bit dicey too as cars overtaking inside cyclists swerve out to the line.

Sounds pretty traumatic - hope the dude concerned heals up well
good work stopping and assisting

Yeah and motorcyclists heading straight towards you who refuse to budge.... I just trundle along it nowadays. Only risking an overtake if it is truly clear....20mph speed limit helps though

Ah he just text me saying thanks for stopping, being a witness etc.. Glad he's cool

Ouch, ouch, ouch. Best wishes to the rider to get well. Good work in helping, Sweaty. A broken leg is no joke.

You just have to hold the lane on Tower- it's to narrow to do anything else safely and anyway northbound there is a huge ridge of road that sticks up about a foot or so from the kerb. What's all that about?

Ouch! That sounds horrific - sorry you had to witness that and well done for doing the right thing by sticking around and giving statements etc; it takes up a lot of time but these things must be reported. On Tower Bridge proper and Tower Bridge Road I always ride wide - it's a total nightmare otherwise. Those blue railings on the bridge itself totally put me off keeping to one side. Hope the gets well soon.

Yeah and motorcyclists heading straight towards you who refuse to budge.... I just trundle along it nowadays. Only risking an overtake if it is truly clear....20mph speed limit helps though

not just motorcyclists, a cyclist saw me overtaking and still went to overtake at the same time coming the other way...fucking douche

Tower bridge is a bit nuts at the mo', I may start going over Southwark again to avoid it... Hope the dude's OK...

^this!

I use waterloo bridge which isn't great at each end (roundabout a bit hairy with all the lanes and cyclists doing mad things around them, north side is just too narrow beacause of the undepass, bus stops there don't help either) but the bridge itself is OK ish, plenty of room and just been resurfaced.

Yeah and fuck riding through rotherhithe, no thanks!

Terrifying to read

hope he heals fast

Hope this guy is ok.
All the bridges are a bit mental at the moment I have found

I have changed my route to avoid Tower Bridge Road completely - and just jump on the bridge at the last minute northbound. Southbound I don't have too many issues - but yes it's best to stay in with the traffic on tower bridge - it is generally slow moving anyway. There is a nasty camber on the side of the northbound lane that is nasty to ride in.
For anyone who's interested here's my northbound Elephant/Tower Bridge Road avoidance route.
It's a little longer, but goes through a couple of nice parks and is mainly traffic free
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3758507

Hope the fella heals up.

Like you clefty I only get on the bridge at the last possible moment but from the Jamaica way sprint section