BrumJim
Forum Stalwart (won't take the hint and leave...)
- Location
- Selly Oak, Birmingham
Just heard that someone I know was killed last night. Knocked off his bike by a car. We think this was the incident:
A46 Just South of Alcester
I used to work with him at Alstom in Birmingham (train builders), and then later he was the other side of the table when I worked for a Notified Body, and he was auditing us as part of his role with RSSB, the railway standards board.
Other than professionally, I used to see him a couple of times a year as a group of railway engineers on a real ale drinking and Desi pub session. I used to talk to him a lot about cycling, as that was his life outside work.
Martin Osman was a top-level cyclist. When he was studying at Warwick University he used to cycle in for his lectures. He sometimes used to follow the coach from the halls of residence to the Uni campus onto the dual carriageway, and then slip-stream it, cadence at over 200, knowing exactly when it was going to pull off onto the slip road and slow down. Once the coach overtook a Land-Rover, but Martin was fully committed, and had to follow it. And got a ticking from the driver somewhat surprised to be overtaken by a bicycle doing 60 mph. Something that he was not particularly proud of any more, but when he was younger, he was more casual about the risks.
Now in his late 40's, in his younger days he used to race and train with the very best in the UK - Jason Queally, a young Chris Hoy et al. However this was in the days before big money came into British Cycling, and he knew that to compete internationally he had to commit to cycling 100%. Having a family that relied on him and a promising career as an engineer ahead, he was aware that this was a big risk as only the top few do anything other than just scrape by. Nevertheless he continued to race, and his record can be found here.
Ever the engineer, he used to keep a spreadsheet of bike components, options, respective weights and prices, to make sure that his bike was as light as his budget would allow, and that he wasn't wasting pounds on titanium bolts that only saved a few grams when there were better options elsewhere.
He was a quiet person, not forthcoming about his cycling exploits unless pushed, but much loved and respected, and a valuable member of his church as well as an inspiration to many.
Sorry about the length of this. I've only just found out, so still processing the news.
He leaves a wife and three children, 14, 17 and 19ish.
Sh*t!
A46 Just South of Alcester
I used to work with him at Alstom in Birmingham (train builders), and then later he was the other side of the table when I worked for a Notified Body, and he was auditing us as part of his role with RSSB, the railway standards board.
Other than professionally, I used to see him a couple of times a year as a group of railway engineers on a real ale drinking and Desi pub session. I used to talk to him a lot about cycling, as that was his life outside work.
Martin Osman was a top-level cyclist. When he was studying at Warwick University he used to cycle in for his lectures. He sometimes used to follow the coach from the halls of residence to the Uni campus onto the dual carriageway, and then slip-stream it, cadence at over 200, knowing exactly when it was going to pull off onto the slip road and slow down. Once the coach overtook a Land-Rover, but Martin was fully committed, and had to follow it. And got a ticking from the driver somewhat surprised to be overtaken by a bicycle doing 60 mph. Something that he was not particularly proud of any more, but when he was younger, he was more casual about the risks.
Now in his late 40's, in his younger days he used to race and train with the very best in the UK - Jason Queally, a young Chris Hoy et al. However this was in the days before big money came into British Cycling, and he knew that to compete internationally he had to commit to cycling 100%. Having a family that relied on him and a promising career as an engineer ahead, he was aware that this was a big risk as only the top few do anything other than just scrape by. Nevertheless he continued to race, and his record can be found here.
Ever the engineer, he used to keep a spreadsheet of bike components, options, respective weights and prices, to make sure that his bike was as light as his budget would allow, and that he wasn't wasting pounds on titanium bolts that only saved a few grams when there were better options elsewhere.
He was a quiet person, not forthcoming about his cycling exploits unless pushed, but much loved and respected, and a valuable member of his church as well as an inspiration to many.
Sorry about the length of this. I've only just found out, so still processing the news.
He leaves a wife and three children, 14, 17 and 19ish.
Sh*t!
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