NorthernBoy
Registered user
And boy, was it a silly one.
Coming home through the middle of London, I was filtering up the outside of the traffic, on The Highway, past Wapping. Given the very slow nature of the traffic there, it is pretty normal to go around the wrong side of the traffic island when the other side of the road is empty. I was just starting to do that when my brain pointed out to e that there was a police van 20 metres back that I had just passed, so I stopped, halfway into the move, just before I crossed the line onto the other side of the road.
The bike behind did not, so hit me at about 30, I think.
So, I found myself punted up the road, and off the bike. When I stood up, nice Mr Policeman had emerged from his van, with several colleagues, and politely explained "You are both idiots". It was hard to argue.
He made the point that if we both accepted that there were no injuries or damage, no accident had happened, and so we did, and went on our way.
Anyway, the damage is minimal, I think. Right hand side plastic cylinder guard snapped, mirror slightly scraped, old battered luggage from the last bike probably has a new mark or two, but that's about it.
I now just have to decide if it is worth buying a new one, or if the old one should just be glued.
Oh, and despite wearing Sidi Crossfires, it feels like someone whacked my bare shin with a hammer. I suspect that I might not have been laughing so much on the way home if I had had my short boots on.
Oh well, my record of fifteen years without going down in London has been broken, so we are back now to two miles, and a half an hour incident free.
Coming home through the middle of London, I was filtering up the outside of the traffic, on The Highway, past Wapping. Given the very slow nature of the traffic there, it is pretty normal to go around the wrong side of the traffic island when the other side of the road is empty. I was just starting to do that when my brain pointed out to e that there was a police van 20 metres back that I had just passed, so I stopped, halfway into the move, just before I crossed the line onto the other side of the road.
The bike behind did not, so hit me at about 30, I think.
So, I found myself punted up the road, and off the bike. When I stood up, nice Mr Policeman had emerged from his van, with several colleagues, and politely explained "You are both idiots". It was hard to argue.
He made the point that if we both accepted that there were no injuries or damage, no accident had happened, and so we did, and went on our way.
Anyway, the damage is minimal, I think. Right hand side plastic cylinder guard snapped, mirror slightly scraped, old battered luggage from the last bike probably has a new mark or two, but that's about it.
I now just have to decide if it is worth buying a new one, or if the old one should just be glued.
Oh, and despite wearing Sidi Crossfires, it feels like someone whacked my bare shin with a hammer. I suspect that I might not have been laughing so much on the way home if I had had my short boots on.
Oh well, my record of fifteen years without going down in London has been broken, so we are back now to two miles, and a half an hour incident free.

Whatever next
.
