Just gathering some data

[wiggydiggy]

Science grade statistics are the collected personal experiences of many people. If I want to make the point you are trying to make I just point out that there have been 6 million Boris Bike journeys in London in the last year without a single serious injury. So if inexperienced unhelmeted (sorry) cyclists are that safe cycling in London's busy traffic.........

I'm sure someone raised the question out on the forums somrwhere as well that on a Boris drivers are more likely to assume your a less experienced cyclist and take more care around, don't know how true that is?

 

[julesdavis1965]

never fallen off bike, have a scar on top of foot because i elected to walk down a short steep bit of road that was very wet and strewn with slippery leaves instead of ride (theres a level crossing at bottom) as i thought i might not stop, i slipped bike landed on top and the two of us slid down hill- hence lovely scar, should've ridden after all !
Once a ball followed by a kid flew out in front of me i pulled both brakes as hard as i could, more in panic really, back of bike swung round a bit but i stayed on and didn't hit the kid. thats all in 2 years of commuting but to be fair ,first part of journey was at 6am and never saw another soul about.

 

[Red Light]

I'm sure someone raised the question out on the forums somrwhere as well that on a Boris drivers are more likely to assume your a less experienced cyclist and take more care around, don't know how true that is?

That is my anecdotal observation but there are other explanations that have been put forward - more upright riding position giving better visibility and vision, slower speeds etc - but nobody knows. It does seem to be a general feature of share bike schemes though. See Streetsblog for example

 

[Christopher]

as a kid, came out of a side road and was hit by a car (my fault). Result = busted left ankle, concussion. Knocked out for a while too, the poor driver thought she'd killed me.

as an "adult", over the bars after slamming on the front brake, result = concussion and a permanantly bent joint in my shoulder

as both, innumurable offs and faceplants resulting in cuts and bruises but no permanent damage or broken bones

 

[colly]

I can't remember what injuries I got as a kid because of cycling. SOOOOOOOO long ago.

However since I got into cycling in my early 40's injuries would be:

A few off's from hitting diesel/loose gravel/ice on the road................................Bruises, road rash, cuts.

Hit by cars twice on different occasions.............................................cuts, bruises to arms, chest, legs, face.
(Come close a few more times though)

Achey knees a couple of times because I did too much riding to soon after a lay off.

That's about it.

 

[wiggydiggy]

That is my anecdotal observation but there are other explanations that have been put forward - more upright riding position giving better visibility and vision, slower speeds etc - but nobody knows. It does seem to be a general feature of share bike schemes though. See Streetsblog for example

I'll have a look thanks and I'd agree with the other observations as well

 

[Midnight]

I've fully recovered from the worst of my injuries, but suffered permanent nerve damage which has affected my sense of smell and taste, and damage sinuses which make me more vulnerable to throat and chest infections, and I still get headaches in cold weather (accident was 6 years ago). One eye-witness said I was thrown 6 feet into the air, and landed 10 feet away from the point of impact knocking me unconscious. Considering what happened to Lauren's brother, I can't help thinking that I got got off lightly.

 

[Mackerel]

As a kid, accidents on the road...

Racing a friend on his bike down the main street of town and guy opened his car door - go knocked out and taken to hospital.

Running behind my bmx after flipping from a wheel-stand, jumped back on and caught my nads on the back of the seat. That was rough.

 

[raindog]

more upright riding position giving better visibility and vision,

Why does a more upright riding postion give better visibility and vision? If you're on the drops of a racing bike you're still facing forward with your eyes open just the same as someone on a sit up and beg.

I'm 62 and I've ridden all sorts of bikes since I was about 10, including three years as a Co-op delivery boy, and I've never had a serious injury. When I used to commute on a fixed wheel I had car doors opened on me twice, which left me sprawling in the road with pain around the thorax each time from the points of the doors. Another time a motorbike knocked me off while on a club run and rode over my front wheel but it didn't hurt me at all. I had the usual cuts and grazes as a kid and I've fallen a couple of times from mountain bikes and that's about it.
Maybe I'm on borrowed time.

 

[Zoof]

"What do women want?".....

That's one's simple “what they can't have”

 

[Oldlegs]

I've been riding (born again) for 7 years. Approx 35k miles.

Four offs all low speed. Worst injury - prickles in arse from landing butt first in a briar patch.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Why does a more upright riding postion give better visibility and vision? If you're on the drops of a racing bike you're still facing forward with your eyes open just the same as someone on a sit up and beg.

I'm 62 and I've ridden all sorts of bikes since I was about 10, including three years as a Co-op delivery boy, and I've never had a serious injury. When I used to commute on a fixed wheel I had car doors opened on me twice, which left me sprawling in the road with pain around the thorax each time from the points of the doors. Another time a motorbike knocked me off while on a club run and rode over my front wheel but it didn't hurt me at all. I had the usual cuts and grazes as a kid and I've fallen a couple of times from mountain bikes and that's about it.
Maybe I'm on borrowed time.

Really?

 

[Ibbots]

Hit by 4 cars, twice over the bonnet, once over the roof and landing on opposite side of the road and one rear wheel clip. All happened over 4 years ago and I was very luck each time with nothing worse than bruising and broken bikes.

A couple of slides on oil or something and long slide on black ice last Winter and several speed exceeding ability incidents leading to nothing more than road rash, bruises and nasty nettle rash the time I ended up half way through a hedge on the wrong side of the road

Worst injury was just over two years ago when my handlebars snapped at over 30mph leading to road rash all over left side of body, friction burn on hip and elbow opened up and grated to the bone, spent a week in hospital. Racelight TK and all clothes ruined.

worst injuries from dicking about is a permanently stiff neck from landing on my head and numb knee from hitting ice quite hard.

 

[TVC]

Broken right Humerus
Posterior dislocation of right shoulder
Removal of two front teeth through the upper lip
20+ Stitches to upper lip
Broken Nose
Facial abrasions
Broken fingers
Road rash, cuts and bruising to all extremities
Severe bruising to the back and abdomen


To my mind cycling isn't dangerous, suddenly stopping cycling when you're hit by a car is the dangerous bit.

 

[LabRatt]

I really think these are helping, I shared some over dinner and it seems to be getting the point across.