Ugo51
Retro Guru
Hi guys,
I just wanted to write a few words about what happened to me last Thursday. I'm a bit sad because I spent some time reading how often cyclists are mistreated by the justice system and how hard it is to make our voices heard when we are involved in an accident.
I read all this because after the crash I thought about buying a GoPro to have on my bike at all time, but now I'm not sure I will, as it seems that it's not always as useful as I would have hoped it to be
Thursday evening I got lucky. Very lucky. A van driver (an overworked Amazon driver, to be precise) didn't see me coming and he cleared the junction exactly as I was approaching his van. I don't remember seeing the van move, even if I had my eyes on it. He must have moved just as I was passing. I remember tumbling on the pavement, disoriented, and then getting very angry with the driver.
He was very sympathetic and apologized profusely, so much that my rage quickly evaporated as I was staring at my bike...which was surprisingly intact. The handlebar needed straightening, the front wheel came off the fork, but it was still remarkably straight, just a touch out of true.
I have a few bruises and what looks like a minor nerve injury to my left hand (which I could not move after the crash). I'm fine and I was on the saddle on Friday, but I'm sad and slightly scared because I what I read from stories and online reports suggests that if something bad had happened, I might not have been able to defend.
It's the first accident I am involved in with my bike, in 3.5 years of riding in London. There will most likely be more, I can only hope they will all be as "lucky" as this one.
I just wanted to write a few words about what happened to me last Thursday. I'm a bit sad because I spent some time reading how often cyclists are mistreated by the justice system and how hard it is to make our voices heard when we are involved in an accident.
I read all this because after the crash I thought about buying a GoPro to have on my bike at all time, but now I'm not sure I will, as it seems that it's not always as useful as I would have hoped it to be
Thursday evening I got lucky. Very lucky. A van driver (an overworked Amazon driver, to be precise) didn't see me coming and he cleared the junction exactly as I was approaching his van. I don't remember seeing the van move, even if I had my eyes on it. He must have moved just as I was passing. I remember tumbling on the pavement, disoriented, and then getting very angry with the driver.
He was very sympathetic and apologized profusely, so much that my rage quickly evaporated as I was staring at my bike...which was surprisingly intact. The handlebar needed straightening, the front wheel came off the fork, but it was still remarkably straight, just a touch out of true.
I have a few bruises and what looks like a minor nerve injury to my left hand (which I could not move after the crash). I'm fine and I was on the saddle on Friday, but I'm sad and slightly scared because I what I read from stories and online reports suggests that if something bad had happened, I might not have been able to defend.
It's the first accident I am involved in with my bike, in 3.5 years of riding in London. There will most likely be more, I can only hope they will all be as "lucky" as this one.