Not the day I'd hoped for....

[Pickers]

Well that didn't go the way I'd hoped...... Last Tuesday, Lockdown day one. Not been out for a ride for 5 or 6 weeks and having a weeks' leave (should have been in Spain but that was not happening).
I need to go out and ride.
Just for an hour.
Close to home.


What could possibly go wrong...?


45 odd mins in, everything going well. I'm slow (no change there), but happy to be riding, clearing my head a bit.
I remember hearing the car coming up behind.... and then it appeared right next to my right leg, same speed as me, front of the car facing into the verge to cut me off. Then, the hefty shove from the passenger, a short trip across the verge rapidly followed by a headfirst descent into the ditch and the water it contained about 3ft below the verge.

The car fxxked off.

I landed mainly on my shoulder, but clipped my helmet - now cracked and missing a chunk. Broken collarbone, shoulder blade, four ribs and a punctured lung for my meagre sins.

The folk in the next three cars all stopped and helped me, called the police and generally stayed with me until they arrived, kept traffic away from me and generally kept me safe. They were unreservedly brilliant.

Two of the wierdest days in hospital followed - I've spent a bit of time in hospitals over the last couple of years, but to go through one of the biggest local places where the corridors, offices, waiting rooms and wards are pretty much empty was quite sobering. They really are waiting for the sub standard to fall on us.

Stay safe out there folks, in every way if you can.

[whitestone]

Jeez.

Some real twats out there.

Hope you recover quickly.

[MuddyPete]

Unbelievable!

Let's hope they catch the soon and wishing you a full recovery.

[Jurassic pusher]

That`s awful, hope you recover well.
If you believe in Karma then there is a good chance those dickheads with become a Saturday night RTC statistic!

[99percentchimp]

The folk in the next three cars all stopped and helped me, called the police and generally stayed with me until they arrived, kept traffic away from me and generally kept me safe. They were unreservedly brilliant.

At least you can focus on this - the ratio of knobhead is still low but WTF.... Karma will call we hope. Good to know you're OK after a brief visit to hospital; not where anyone would be choosing to be at the moment.

[TheBrownDog]

Jesus mate ... no words other than hope you recover quick and they catch the pricks. Hope to catch up next weekend online.

[Pickers]

Cheers chaps, just spoken with plod - they’ve marked it as GBH; and I wasn’t the only one taken down down - up to three riders so far

[composite]

Pickers, you are in the Midlands right? This was posted on my club Facebook page this week.



I bet it's the same car.

[thenorthwind]

Jesus Christ, just when it was looking like this whole situation is bringing out the best in people

Hope you heal fast, Pickers.

Bringing back hanging, etc.

Not entirely related, but perhaps to try and bring some balance... The "secure" bike compound at a hospital up our way (Darlington?) was broken into the other day, and a few bikes stolen while their owners were slaving away inside preparing for the sh1tstorm and generally trying to keep people alive. It seems the police are taking this much more seriously than they might usually treat a couple of bike thefts, given the recent (deserved) focus on the heroics of NHS staff. I hope they treat these incidents just as seriously.

[Richard G]

Terrifying. When I was in hospital last year there was a guy that had similar done to him (as well as to some of his riding buddies at the same time), except the car literally drove into them all intentionally. Broke his back, femur, pelvis, multiple broken ribs. Was in a hell of a state.

I just wont ride on the road for significant distances any more, scares me too much.

I hope you have as comfortable / quick a recovery as it's humanly possible to have.

[Pickers]

Composite - Neil - PM’d
RG - Yeah, scary, almost more so when I run through it in my mind.
All my damage will heal though. Riding on the road again.... dunno..... we’ll see.

[Taylor]

That's proper **** pickers. Hope you heal well.
On a positive note at least you won't be missing out on everybody enjoying the good weather riding their bikes and biviing as everybody is on lock down.

[benp1]

That’s bloody awful, sorry to hear that

I hope they get what is coming

[BigdummySteve]

Get well soon Rich, unbelievable. Hopefully they will catch up with them.

[voodoo_simon]

Some absolute cocks out there, hope you get riding soon

Might be worth contacting CCTV if you cycled through a town, might be able to identify the car through them?

[RIP]

"CCTV" - yes that's what I asked Rich about too. A camera somewhere must have spotted these lowlifes?

[Cheeky Monkey]

That is truly pants.

Healing vibes and if there is owt you needs say.

[slarge]

Pickers there’s reports of a white BMW doing this around Bidford- the Leamington CC have had someone taken out also. Just need the ref plate.......

[Bearlegged]

Best wishes for a full and speedy recovery!

[macinblack]

Awful.

I'd be surprised if they weren't filming it on their phones, so those of you that do social media might like to keep tabs on facebook.

What road was it on?

[barney]

Sorry to hear that, hope you heal quickly.

Some people are absolute scrotes. My mate was doing a sportive in Cheshire a few years ago. A car full of chavs were driving up and down leaning out the car hitting riders with a baseball bat. Sadly my mate was one of the victims but luckily he wasn't badly hurt.

[jobro]

I'm sorry to hear that. Hope you recover quickly and it doesn't put you off your future riding.

The only consolation I can give you is the Covid-19 will pick off the idiots who can't maintain social distance or wash their hands regularly. Just like the twunts who pushed you off!

[techno]

Jesus man that's awful. Wishing not a speedy recovery and hopefully they'll catch the sh1theads that did it.

[Richpips]

I hope you recover swiftly.

[Bearbonesnorm]

May recovery be swift and vengeance slow