# Cyclist attacked in Dagenham for a laugh



## HarryTheDog (17 Jan 2015)

I was cycling home on the cycle path in Dagenham which runs by the A13 near Ripple road last night. Seperated from the A13 by a 4 ft high wall with pavement 10 ft wide beside cyclepath. I became aware of a scooter just behind me. Yes, illegal but nothing unusual in this area They overtook me on the left, 2 youths on 1 scooter. As they went past the passenger kicked my front wheel so hard it pringled and shot sideways. I was doing around 20mph. I instantly went over the bars. I landed mainly on my right hand, head and face. I was winded and lots of pain in my neck,back and wrist. No witnesses unfortunately. Youths just rode off ( probably laughing a lot) A minute later a local cyclist on a MTB turned up and was very good, he rang the police, ambulance etc and sorted me and the bike out till the police and ambulance turned up. Damage to the bike a light and front wheel. Helmet did its job, dented and cracked right through. Me, broken wrist, huge red nose, whiplash, general bruising. Xray of neck and back, nothing broken but half my muscles in that area are screaming at me. Police tell they have had lots of problems with youths on scooters in that area lately, so if you cycle around there and hear a scooter just slam the brakes on and stop.


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## mustang1 (17 Jan 2015)

WxnXers. Hope you're better real soon. 

I think in a situations like this one might imagine what they would do but faced with that in reality, I would also take your advice and slam o the brakes. 

I suppose the good thing is the scooter dooshes didn't do anything worse.


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## Lilliburlero (17 Jan 2015)

Tossers...

Get well soon, HTD.


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## young Ed (17 Jan 2015)

crikey! glad to hear you're okay though 
but yeah just pull over and stop next time you hear or see any scooters 

shame these scum can't find anything better to do with their lives!
Cheers Ed


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## Saluki (17 Jan 2015)

Oh my word. Someone did that for a laugh  No CCTV cameras around or anything?
Get well soon and take care with your broken wrist. Mine took ages to heal properly.


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## Mrs M (17 Jan 2015)

Wishing you a speedy recovery, must have been pretty scary.
Hope the little dweebs on the scooter are caught and dealt with


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## young Ed (17 Jan 2015)

unfortunately the buggers on the scooter are unlikely to be caught/ dealt with 
Cheers Ed


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## Mireystock (17 Jan 2015)

Awful, I hope they're caught soon.


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## L Q (17 Jan 2015)

Sorry to hear that, hopefully it's was the 1st time they have done this and didn't expect you to come off your bike like that so hopefully won't be trying that again, lets hope.

GWS


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## ScotiaLass (17 Jan 2015)

Oh no! 
What a bunch of little b*stards! I hope the Police catch up with them at some point and they get what they deserve.
Heal soon


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## fossyant (17 Jan 2015)

Bloody Hell. Get well soon


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## si_c (17 Jan 2015)

That's awful  Get well soon!


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## Turbo Rider (17 Jan 2015)

Horrific! Cheers for the heads-up though and hope you mend up nicely.


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## Twinks (17 Jan 2015)

Brainless b*stards.

Hope you mend quickly.


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## Hitchington (17 Jan 2015)

Hope you're on the mend swiftly, Harry.


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## Pat "5mph" (17 Jan 2015)

Gws @HarryTheDog, what a horrid experience!


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## DCLane (18 Jan 2015)

That's awful. Get well soon.


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## slowmotion (18 Jan 2015)

Very best wishes Harry.


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## summerdays (18 Jan 2015)

GWS, and I hope the police manage to catch up with the thugs at some point.


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## HarryTheDog (18 Jan 2015)

Thanks for all the GWS's. The wrist is in a cast but is not bothering me as much as the whiplash in my neck and I seem to have done something nasty to my 
Rhomboids in my upper back. My red nose is quite comical but not painful, just swollen a bit. The knock on effect though is what it is going to cost in travel now as I cant even drive. My wife and I started going to dance lessons last week (jive swing/ Lindy hop) that's now going to be put on hold. Also my wife had started to cycle but was only going out with me. Me being pushed off and also the guy 3 doors away from us was attacked in Havering last weekend by some arse shoving him with a medical crutch from the passenger side of a passing car. ( he stayed upright) Is not exactly encouraging her. 


Saluki said:


> Oh my word. Someone did that for a laugh  No CCTV cameras around or anything?


No, no cctv they may pick them up on cctv a little further on, on ribble road, also how long did it take for your wrist to heal?


User13710 said:


> Will your story appear in the local paper?


I actually hope it wont, gives them kudos and some other little sod may copy it. My attack style seemed to be very similar to that video of someone on a bmx doing it to a commuter.


L Q said:


> hopefully it's was the 1st time they have done this and didn't expect you to come off your bike like that so hopefully won't be trying that again, lets hope.


I sincerely hope so, I having being doing that route for 7 years, and hope to do it for a few more. 
I may put up some pictures of my wheel and helmet later when I work out how to do it.


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## Pale Rider (18 Jan 2015)

I understand your view on local publicity, but in cases such as this often the only way the perpetrators can be identified is via a witness appeal.


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## Hitchington (18 Jan 2015)

Actually if you were to get this in the local newspaper it may prompt someone to come forward to info to give to the police and stop them doing it again. Just a thought.


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## Turbo Rider (18 Jan 2015)

For a broken bone to heal, I think you're probably looking at 6 weeks in a cast (or whatever they told you) and then another month or so of introduction of movement before you'd want to consider putting your weight on it for a short-medium distance ride. Can probably heal the other parts in that time as well, but it's a slow process and I imagine there'll be quite a bit of trial and error. Slow gentle stretches. Listen to your body is the key message though. 

Full sympathy, once again. Would definitely be inclined to go toward the local publicity thing, if at all possible and it fits in with your life, time wise, though. 
1, it will serve as a warning;
2, they may be identified and prosecuted;
3, it might actually make them think about the knock on effect to your life and the massive trauma they've had on it.


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## HarryTheDog (18 Jan 2015)

Picture of the wheel/bike,










hopefully


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## cyberknight (18 Jan 2015)

Nobbers.


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## Markymark (18 Jan 2015)

Someone I know, mid 20s female, was attacked not far from there nr canning town on A13. walking hone from tube early evening after work last week. No attempt to take anything, just knocked her over and a couple of kicks. cracked a rib, scratches snd bruised.

It's either just for fun or its an initiation thing.


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## Amanda P (18 Jan 2015)

That's more than enough injury that the police should be taking this very seriously. They probably have suspects in mind, and often these sort of folk are stupid enough to admit it when directly asked. I know you have other things on your mind just now, but you must make sure the police are actively investigating this, not shrugging it off with 'there's no CCTV, nothing we can do'.

I broke my wrist years ago and it was a long time before I was comfortable riding a bike, I'm afraid. It put my activities as a musician back several years too.


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## Saluki (18 Jan 2015)

HarryTheDog said:


> T
> 
> No, no cctv they may pick them up on cctv a little further on, on ribble road, also how long did it take for your wrist to heal?
> 
> .



I broke it on the 25th August 2010. When it gets better properly, I'll let you know.
I don't have any proper twist in my wrist now and I can only bend it a bit forward and back. I can't make a fist still and it's permanently a funny colour. In cold weather, even with gloves on it hurts. If it gets too cold I'll just sit and weep with the pain. I try not to knock it. I've lost about 5mm of bone length in my radius bone - hence not twisting or bending - and I've lost over 40% of the original bone density so need to be a bit careful with it.

Normal day to day living is fine though, as long as I don't want to try and turn a key, use a can opener or lift a mug of tea. My left arm does most of the work. I can play guitar but finger picking it too slow for anything but ballads.


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## Drago (18 Jan 2015)

Strewth, get well soon bud. Three cheers for the mtb'er that stopped to help - the Brotherhood does look after it's own sometimes.


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## lazy (18 Jan 2015)

HarryTheDog said:


> I was cycling home on the cycle path in Dagenham which runs by the A13 near Ripple road last night. Seperated from the A13 by a 4 ft high wall with pavement 10 ft wide beside cyclepath. I became aware of a scooter just behind me. Yes, illegal but nothing unusual in this area They overtook me on the left, 2 youths on 1 scooter. As they went past the passenger kicked my front wheel so hard it pringled and shot sideways. I was doing around 20mph. I instantly went over the bars. I landed mainly on my right hand, head and face. I was winded and lots of pain in my neck,back and wrist. No witnesses unfortunately. Youths just rode off ( probably laughing a lot) A minute later a local cyclist on a MTB turned up and was very good, he rang the police, ambulance etc and sorted me and the bike out till the police and ambulance turned up. Damage to the bike a light and front wheel. Helmet did its job, dented and cracked right through. Me, broken wrist, huge red nose, whiplash, general bruising. Xray of neck and back, nothing broken but half my muscles in that area are screaming at me. Police tell they have had lots of problems with youths on scooters in that area lately, so if you cycle around there and hear a scooter just slam the brakes on and stop.



very sorry to hear that i hope you are ok now, it saddens me that police wont do anything and they just fobbed you off, what were they doing when there were no CCTV cameras? there job is to catch these criminals.


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## Drago (18 Jan 2015)

You know Lazy, you're blummen well right. Now, what evidential trail should the local dibble start with first?


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## Blue Hills (18 Jan 2015)

Get well soo .
Thanks for the warning.


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## Arjimlad (19 Jan 2015)

Nasty.. hope you're better soon !


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## Oldbloke (19 Jan 2015)

Get well soon Harry....what evil horrible sh1tes


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## Katherine (19 Jan 2015)

That's quite shocking, Harry, I hope you mend alright.


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## HarryTheDog (1 Feb 2015)

Sorry Saluki that is just horrible, mine seems to be a very simple fracture in the wrist and hand. Does not seem to bother me so far.


Turbo Rider said:


> For a broken bone to heal, I think you're probably looking at 6 weeks in a cast (or whatever they told you) and then another month or so of introduction of movement before you'd want to consider putting your weight on it for a short-medium distance ride.


I think that will be the case for me, I have already started on the turbo doing a Sufferfest training plan. Upper back muscles are the only real bother.
As to publicity, only one reporter was interested but he wanted a whole life story and photos, I hate photos of myself at the best of times so declined.
The police tell me the CCTV in the pedestrian underpass before where I was atacked is a 1 second snap every minute and nothing was caught on it, the cctv further on is non-recording , so useless really.


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## Ganymede (1 Feb 2015)

Very sorry to hear about this. Awful. GWS.


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## The Jogger (1 Feb 2015)

Twits, ..........GWS


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## Trewblue (1 Feb 2015)

GWS


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## davefb (2 Feb 2015)

fook gws.... Some weird people out there...

Beggers belief the cctv, its one thing to have it, but what *is* the point of literally useless cctv ?

I guess the only "positive" is, could be worse :-/


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