# Oil, accidents, punchures, getting dropped, getting lost.



## Mr Haematocrit (25 Jul 2012)

Today I went for a ride of the olympic cycle route, kindly organized by Sigma Sport in Hampton Wick.. Started off really well and in gorious sunshine until we were decending into a roundabout and I heard the loud clatter of some of the group hitting the tarmac. On the decent into the roudabout there was some oil which caught some of the group out. I never saw it or felt it.
There was road rash a plenty and various components, water bottles seperated from the bikes.
Some really kind motorist stopped and attended first aid to the needy while Sigma called a car fitted with a bike rack to ferry people back who no longer wished to continue.
Horrible sight and not one I will ever get used to. On one hand I have deep concern for those hurt and feel for them having their pride and joy damaged, but on the other hand I can not help but feel relief I was not included in the accident, This however makes me feel really bad, guilty and selfish. Do others feel this way when witnessing an accident?
Anyway everyone could walk afterwards, and bikes can be replaced so you have to be thankfull for this small mercy.
Before starting out, I brought some additional CO2 canisters and tempted fate. During the first climb I was really struggling and it soon became apparent I had a punchure, which resulted in me having to stop unfortunately nobody else noticed me stopping and my breathless shouts were not heard. So there I am fixing punchures in an area I am not really familiar with. After fixing the punchure I found some lovely lady who showed me to box hill, we had a great chat and nice time. After climbing box hill I was hot and bothered and a bit messy from punchure fixing so caught a train from Guildford to waterloo and rode home from an area I am familiar with but rarely cycle in.. Sure some of those mad men who communte in London could with the TDF, some are seriously quick, brave, stupid.. Although I noticed red traffic lights are optional for fixies.. Strange ride


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## biggs682 (28 Jul 2012)

not a great ride then .

and red lights are not always optional for fixed riders i stop at them


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## topcat1 (29 Jul 2012)

Did you have to pay to join that ride?


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## Mr Haematocrit (29 Jul 2012)

no charge the shop was running a number of rides over the olympic route for customers, you just went to the store on your chosen day and went with the group. Really cool way to meet other cyclists


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## Sandra6 (30 Jul 2012)

It seems really poor show for an organised ride that they left you behind! 
This is what puts me off these things. (That and the fear I'd hold everyone up and not make any friends!)


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## Globalti (30 Jul 2012)

I was riding in an event in Cape Town in March and while charging across the Cape Flats in a big tight bunch there was a massive crash just behind me; what really upset me was the mix of horror and outrage in the voice of the woman rider who screamed out as she fell, followed by the thumping of bodies on tarmac and the crash and clatter of bikes going down. It was really upsetting and it concentrated my mind rather on what my boss would say if I phoned in from a hospital bed to say I wouldn't be coming home for a couple of weeks because I'd been injured in a bike race... while out on a business trip....


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## Mr Haematocrit (30 Jul 2012)

Sandra6 said:


> It seems really poor show for an organised ride that they left you behind!
> This is what puts me off these things. (That and the fear I'd hold everyone up and not make any friends!)


 
To be fair you usually find that organized rides have people up front and people at the back from the organizers but equally I was disapointed in being dropped in an area I am not familiar with. imho I was not the best organized ride I have attended.
I really hope though that you give it a go, the best ones imho are usually club runs on a Sunday as these are at a nice social pace and often include a cafe stop. It remains a nice social way to cycle and in general everyone is so nice and helpfull on these events.
Talk to your local club, ride out to their meet place and say hello, you do not have to go with them if you do not wish to.


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## ufkacbln (30 Jul 2012)

A true cyclists never gets lost

They investigate alternative routes
They may be non-conformist and simply not wish to follow the designated route for personal reasons

However they are never "lost"


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## Globalti (30 Jul 2012)

That sounds like my Land Rover; it never broke down, it merely failed to proceed.


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## topcat1 (31 Jul 2012)

Cunobelin said:


> A true cyclists never gets lost
> 
> They investigate alternative routes
> They may be non-conformist and simply not wish to follow the designated route for personal reasons
> ...


 

we call them mouseketeers


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