Harry_Palmer79
Guru
- Location
- Wet coast of Scotland
Irn-Bru? Scottish Blethering Thread
- Thread starter Louch
- Start date
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OP
OP
Louch
105% knowledge on 105
- Location
- Kingdom of Kinnard
At least no one said Jehovah
Harry_Palmer79
Guru
- Location
- Wet coast of Scotland
All I said was this cake stop is good enough for Jehovah....
E's not the messiah, e's a very naughty boy!
OP
OP
Louch
105% knowledge on 105
- Location
- Kingdom of Kinnard
Can see now why we where "advised"
To stop chatting in the ride threads
To stop chatting in the ride threads
Changing the subject entirely, isn’t it frightening how things can change in an instant!
I work from home, in front of a couple of computer monitors all day, so come 5 o’clock, usually twice a week, I like to jump on the bike and have a wee 20 – 30 mile ride to myself. I can get onto the cycle track of the A77 very easily, so generally head south towards Whitelees, Fenwick, or Stewarton, clear the stoor out of my lungs, and give the heart rate a bit of a fright.
Last night was no different, Fenwick was the target and it was one of those evenings when I was in the groove, bowling along in very little wind, and I could have kept going as long as I wanted. All was well with the world, plenty of other cyclists out, and I even passed two or three who were in the same sort of age and build bracket as me.
And then….heading back home, approaching the junction with Mearns Road, I saw another cyclist emerging from the junction, cross the main road to the cycle track and turn towards me. Not particularly close and no problem, but then I saw that he was being followed by another and as I watched, hoping to make eye contact to confirm that she had seen me, I realised that she wasn’t going to look up and so reached for the brakes. Had she turned sharp left onto the track there wouldn’t have been a problem, but as it was, she turned wide so that when I hit her, her bike was almost side on across the track, leaving me no escape. Although it seemed longer, the timescale for this paragraph was probably no more than two seconds, as Garmin tells me I was doing about 24mph at the time.
Next thing, I’d parted company with the bike and she and I were sprawled on the ground with the bikes on, beside and under us. Neither of us was seriously hurt thankfully, she not at all and I got off with a sprained hand and wrist and some bruising and scrapes down my right side. The bikes didn’t get off so lightly though, and though I haven’t looked closely at it yet, I know that my front tyre was ripped, the back wheel buckled, and I’m a bit frightened to look at the rear derailleur.
The poor girl though, was who I really felt for. Although she had no physical injuries, her bike was a brand new Merckx job, a lovely looking bit of kit, and was a present from her husband, the chap who she was riding with. At first it looked like it had survived unscathed apart from a few scratches, but when they got it up on it’s wheels, it looks like either the crank arm or the frame is bent as the arm is fouling on it. I’m pretty sure it’s the frame as the damaged area would tie in with the point of impact, roughly about the rear wheel hub, and 16 stones travelling at 24mph represent a fair amount of kinetic energy…..in 1971 I could have worked it out, needless to say, not now.
Anyway, they were both very apologetic and offered to pay for the damage to my bike, but I’m not a great fan of the blame and compensation culture, so I’ll look after that myself….if you go out on a bike, bad things will happen some times.
So, if any of you feel some sympathy for me, and would like to express it in a materiel way, chocolates or a wee dram for instance, just PM me and I’ll send a van round to collectJ
I work from home, in front of a couple of computer monitors all day, so come 5 o’clock, usually twice a week, I like to jump on the bike and have a wee 20 – 30 mile ride to myself. I can get onto the cycle track of the A77 very easily, so generally head south towards Whitelees, Fenwick, or Stewarton, clear the stoor out of my lungs, and give the heart rate a bit of a fright.
Last night was no different, Fenwick was the target and it was one of those evenings when I was in the groove, bowling along in very little wind, and I could have kept going as long as I wanted. All was well with the world, plenty of other cyclists out, and I even passed two or three who were in the same sort of age and build bracket as me.
And then….heading back home, approaching the junction with Mearns Road, I saw another cyclist emerging from the junction, cross the main road to the cycle track and turn towards me. Not particularly close and no problem, but then I saw that he was being followed by another and as I watched, hoping to make eye contact to confirm that she had seen me, I realised that she wasn’t going to look up and so reached for the brakes. Had she turned sharp left onto the track there wouldn’t have been a problem, but as it was, she turned wide so that when I hit her, her bike was almost side on across the track, leaving me no escape. Although it seemed longer, the timescale for this paragraph was probably no more than two seconds, as Garmin tells me I was doing about 24mph at the time.
Next thing, I’d parted company with the bike and she and I were sprawled on the ground with the bikes on, beside and under us. Neither of us was seriously hurt thankfully, she not at all and I got off with a sprained hand and wrist and some bruising and scrapes down my right side. The bikes didn’t get off so lightly though, and though I haven’t looked closely at it yet, I know that my front tyre was ripped, the back wheel buckled, and I’m a bit frightened to look at the rear derailleur.
The poor girl though, was who I really felt for. Although she had no physical injuries, her bike was a brand new Merckx job, a lovely looking bit of kit, and was a present from her husband, the chap who she was riding with. At first it looked like it had survived unscathed apart from a few scratches, but when they got it up on it’s wheels, it looks like either the crank arm or the frame is bent as the arm is fouling on it. I’m pretty sure it’s the frame as the damaged area would tie in with the point of impact, roughly about the rear wheel hub, and 16 stones travelling at 24mph represent a fair amount of kinetic energy…..in 1971 I could have worked it out, needless to say, not now.
Anyway, they were both very apologetic and offered to pay for the damage to my bike, but I’m not a great fan of the blame and compensation culture, so I’ll look after that myself….if you go out on a bike, bad things will happen some times.
So, if any of you feel some sympathy for me, and would like to express it in a materiel way, chocolates or a wee dram for instance, just PM me and I’ll send a van round to collectJ
Ugh, what a rubbish thing to happen. :-(
I know the spot very well (it's possible to get some proper momentum going there) but I've never encountered anyone coming out of Mearns Road before. There a couple of dodgy junctions on the cycle path where I've nearly come a cropper as a result of cars joining the A77 without checking to see if there's anyone on the path.
Hope your injuries heal soon and that your bike is not too bad shape.
GlasgowFinn
Guru
- Location
- The People's Republic of Cumbernauld
Col5632
Guru
- Location
- Cowdenbeath
Glad to hear your ok, least they did offer to pay for the damage 
Harry_Palmer79
Guru
- Location
- Wet coast of Scotland
Sorry to hear about your 'off' George... hope you're fit to get back on the saddle soon and the bike's not too tricky/costly to repair. You never know what can happen on the roads right enough. I nearly went into the side of a car last night that had decided to overtake me and another cyclist yards before turning left across our paths into a garage. I ended up having to take to the pavement while the dozy sod ended up stopped whilst still half in the road and a queue of cars that had had to jam on their brakes were beeping their horns at her 
threebikesmcginty
Corn Fed Hick...
- Location
- ...on the slake
Are non-scotchlanders allowed to say 'hope you feel better soon and good for you on your non-blame culture attitude' to GBC?
Thanks if I can and up yours if I can't!
Thanks if I can and up yours if I can't!
Col5632
Guru
- Location
- Cowdenbeath
I had somebody tell me to get off the road last night and a young woman in a corsa this morning thought we should both turn left at a roundabout at the same time, she's lucky the traffic lights went green before i got there 
but, but, but,......I'm still feeling a bit dazed, and anyway, my normal two fingered typing is now down to just one......cut an old guy a bit of slack won't you
Seriously though, many thanks for the kind thoughts and I'm feeling better already. I'll get the bike up on the stand tomorrow and see what's what and what isn't, but I may be back crying again
Does one express sympathy in a materiel way by letting off an artillery barrage?
P.S. FTFY
