The badlands of Putney

[rogerac]

So, just how tough is a 1200 GS?

Last night on the way home through the wilds of Putney (on Hurlingham Road), I was following a van down the road, parked cars on each side, when suddenly he stopped, as I presume the car coming towards him wasn't going let him though.

As I said he stopped suddenly with me with me behind but not too close - and then he proceeded to slam the van into reverse - straight into the GS.

He stopped when he heard the horn and felt the GS up his backside, but not before the van had hit me - it took off the front mudguard protector (it was flapping around on the two screws as it's only stuck on at the from and sides) and it seemed to me that the back of the van - or at least his plastic bumper - was right on top of my front wheel.

I didn't drop the bike and there was no other damage to the bodywork at the front - it must have been inches from the beak under the protector

After a good look round and a lot of shouting I rode home a few miles over the river, took the protector off, had a another good look and a test ride and the bike felt OK at the front - wheel, brakes, suspension & steering feeling like they should. The ride to work was OK these morning as well, so I guess I've been lucky.

I'm going to nip round the the GS Shop on Saturday for a quick healthcheck, but I hope it's all good… fingers crossed.

Anyone else had a transit balancing on the front of their bike?!

 

[DutchBryn]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRmXotIg9qw


I think I've read (on here) of similar incidents. Bad luck.

Above is Dom Jolly's take on the species. Not that you'll need reminding.

 

[Tom]

You might have seen on BBC london news .. cyclists in london are wearing helmet cams just for this purpose. To clearly show the van/moron driver was trying to kill you.

Always thought helmet cam was a bit of a gimmick but I think now its worth investing in one.

 

[Demongroover]

I've had a car reverse onto my front wheel at a junction many years ago.
Luckily it was front wheel drive. Naturally he f**ked off without an apology.

 

[Wapping]

Always thought helmet cam was a bit of a gimmick but I think now its worth investing in one.

I have seen the future.....

 

[rogerac]

I have seen the future.....

Is that the new Arai?

 

[DutchBryn]

Is that the new Arai?

Nah. It's da new Dyson.

 

[Packer]

Nah. It's da new Dyson.

Definitely where Dyson got their design inspiration.

 

[davegs]

You might have seen on BBC london news .. cyclists in london are wearing helmet cams just for this purpose. To clearly show the van/moron driver was trying to kill you.

Always thought helmet cam was a bit of a gimmick but I think now its worth investing in one.

I saw that but I bet they don't film each other going through red lights, or turning left up the inside of lorrys!.

 

[tommygun]

Same thing happened to me late last year in the badlands of Balham. To be fair, I was following too close and he couldn't see me in his mirrors. No damage but enough of a shunt to close your eyes and brace for impact. I make it a rule now to keep my distance so I can see his mirrors.

The guy was overly apologetic which always helps to difuse a situation.

 

[Major Gadget]

Same thing happened to me late last year in the badlands of Balham. To be fair, I was following too close and he couldn't see me in his mirrors. No damage but enough of a shunt to close your eyes and brace for impact. I make it a rule now to keep my distance so I can see his mirrors.

The guy was overly apologetic which always helps to difuse a situation.

I resent that living as I do in Balham But Tooting..... now there's another world

 

[R17GSR]

Same thing happened to me late last year in the badlands of Balham. To be fair, I was following too close and he couldn't see me in his mirrors. No damage but enough of a shunt to close your eyes and brace for impact. I make it a rule now to keep my distance so I can see his mirrors.

Do you really believe they check mirrors.............what a wonderful world you live in.

Ride far enough behind to have an escape route..........

Ridesafe

Gary

 

[mr badger]

I have been rammed up the chuff by two nuns in a Metro. Buy a rear camera too.

 

[veefour]

I had a scales down version of the same thing - scaled down because I was on my old 650GS and was reversed into by an old bat in a Transit Connect (i.e the postman pat version) It was on a country lane and she never checked her mirror before reversing to let another car through. Her excuse for not hearing the horn was she had her new Daniel O'Donnell CD on too loud

Anyway needed a new front wheel, front disc, mirror and hand guard but not bad considering we had to drive the van forward to get it off the bike.

 

[Steptoe]

I'm going to nip round the the GS Shop on Saturday for a quick healthcheck, but I hope it's all good… fingers crossed.

Was it you that turned up mid afternoon on saturday, stopped, looked, rode off around the block then came back, stopped, looked. And then rode off.

No wonder people drive into you if you're always that indecisive

 

[shugie]

I have been rammed up the chuff by two nuns in a Metro. Buy a rear camera too.

Two nuns? Divine intervention at work.

As a van driver, I can add some words of wisdom here, especially when following a van, or any other commercial vehicle with no rear window. Bikes that get too close are invisible, the door mirror can not show what is directly behind the van, cars generally stick out enough to be seen, bikes often don't.

If you can, ride so that you can see down one side of the van or the other, then the van driver can see you, if he bothers to look. But even the best van driver in the world can't see through sheet steel.

There endeth the lesson, now please stand for hymn no. 337 "for those in peril on Balham backstreets".

 

[rogerac]

Was it you that turned up mid afternoon on saturday, stopped, looked, rode off around the block then came back, stopped, looked. And then rode off.

No wonder people drive into you if you're always that indecisive

Yep that was me - it looked like no one was home and I wasn't sure I had the right number... You must have been inside twitching the net curtains!

Maybe next Saturday??

 

[Steptoe]

Yep that was me - it looked like no one was home and I wasn't sure I had the right number... You must have been inside twitching the net curtains!

Maybe next Saturday??

You'll be lucky to get me in on a saturday, i have a life to lead .

 

[Wapping]

You'll be lucky to get me in on a saturday, i have a life to lead .

It is very dangerous to tell the world you are out!

 

[Steptoe]

It is very dangerous to tell the world you are out!

It's alright. I've hid the valuables in the back of the sofa.