saw your post while listening to radio lab podcast, the combination has made me really really really want that.

Woah... I never ride down that road, it's bloody awful. Way too many 17-21 year olds in modded up Polos, Puntos and Golfs trying to impress their mates. Well, way too many of them in the whole of Basingstoke. London is so much better to ride in.

Since when has Caterham been in London?

me??? never :p

...driven off the road by a transit and then got attacked by the driver and his two mates whilst I was on the ground. Managed to get up and then I kicked off :)
The story: He hit me with his wing mirror, so I removed his etc., anyway big chase, big crash, big fight - got the driver but his mates legged it. He's getting done for assault.

Perhaps I shouldn't have removed his wing mirror!

got took out this morning by a non-indicating left turner, smashed into the side of the car, knocked my front wheel out the drop-out, called him a wanker, fixed my wheel,
he said you seem remarkably calm, was ok. got to work and my phone was in my rear pocket, got a phone shaped black bruise on my arse, phone if fucked, should have checked at the scene.
got taken out last week by some fucker in a jag, on a round-about, my right of way was half way across, and he decides to pull out, called him a few names, ruddy faced fecker was probably drunk, dented his door and he just wanted to forget it and carry on.
got hit by a limo full of screaming young girls last year in piccadilly, knocked me over to the left, and some dodgy cab ran over my elbow, fucked by both ends of the social spectrum.
landed funny and smashed a lil' bone in my wrist, neither of them stopped.

Roundabouts in the uk are so badly made. In France they seem to made so that traffic coming on to them has to slow down. Many in the uk seem to be designed so that the traffic on the primary road can carry on at full speed.

I have a roundabout that I come out onto every morning where I have to turn right Every time I go on this roundabout I have to weight for people to stop, even though i t is my right of way. Most of them are going too fast but the design of the road which has a 30 mph speed limit does not encourage safe driving, it encourages dangerous driving and hence most people drive at about 40 + mph down the road and only slightly less on the roundabout. This same roundabout can be a bitch even if you are in a car due to it's idiotic design. This roundabout is also part of a small diversion for the river cycle paths just by the flood barrier.

What I want to know is how come road planners are so stupid but yet have such a responsible job? How come these simple mistakes in the design of roundabout keep on getting made? The planners do not seem to understand the purpose of a roundabout.

I can't beive there has not been a bad crash on this roundabout.

Other crashes in London, yes I have into lotts of stuff. Crashing sucks stay safe and look out for idiots.

I had three crashes in a week once.

1. Some cunt in a car run into the back of me when I was stopped at the lights on Camberwell Green. I toppled left, landed on some poor girl on a bike and took a chunk out of my left leg on her rear cassette. Cunt in the car laughed which incensed me so much that i kicked the fuck out of the front of his car. I sped off before he could retaliate.

2. Was cycling up Blackfriars Road when a guy coming the opposite way turned right into the Cut and didn't see me (it was a bright, sunny summer morning). He hit me sideways on and I ended up on his bonnet but it all seemed to happen in slow motion so damage was minimal. A guy walking past went nuts at the driver whilst I removed myself from the andy shaped dent in his bonnet. Front wheel was taco'd but the guy had extricated £100 from the very startled driver to replace it (Condor trued the wheel for me for nowt!). I think the guy must have been either uninsured or up to no good as he left in a hurry.

3. Was 100 yards from home when a guy walked out from behind a van and I was sent sprawling across the road. He was very apologetic but I didn't take his details. I should have as I damaged my neck/shoulder and still have restricted movement in it some 8 years later.

Since then, and this was 8 years ago, I've had nothing other than minor bumps. *crosses fingers*

Murt, I think that you fall off more than anyone else in London.

Actually, more than everyone else in London. Combined...

the best crash I ever had wasn't in london.
Nailing down a hill mid summer on an old road bike, wearing flip-flops and carrying a new tie (bought for a job interview) in a plastic bag, which got torn by the front wheel, and the tie then managed to locate itself in the wheel + lock it up. I fly over the handle bars, and land on the back of my neck/ shoulders/ back (not really clear bout this cos I had no head injury and road rash on the back of my neck and roll. end up with my legs in a weird position through the frame, and a handful of really quite worried spectators (tourists), including a policeman who ran across the road. Anyhow no serious injuries, just hurt pride.

3 x car (One T-Bone, one I went straight into the back of, one rear ender whilst cycling like a moron)
1 x OTB on roundabout (cut up by a merc)
1 x duck (Quack Quack)

i hate this thread. Makes me feel queasy.

duck? do tell

Not much to tell really,

One mallard gave me the eye of defiance, went left, then went right, then got hit by me (at speed).

It waddled off, not sure what sort of state it was in, after regainging my composure I did go back to see if it needed despatching - all I could find was a pile of downy feathers.

First roadkill I've ever had on a bike.

I've not come off for about 4 years. Last time was when I was going around a car that was turning left on my way up Holland Park Avenue - it slammed on the brakes when a pedestrian crossed in front of it and I clipped the car with my handlebar - sending my over the top of the bike. I ended up on the road, rolly-polly-ing alongside a moving bus. Loads of people came off the bus to see if I was ok - they said that when they saw what was happening they all shouted to the bus driver to stop. The woman driving the car was also very nice. I wasn't hurt and was able to ride home, I actually felt pretty good about the whole incident - how nice everyone had been. People surprize you sometimes.

I just had a bike land on my head, it fell off the shelf and the rear tyre hit me
does that count? now i have a pounding headache

numerous little bumps, minor crashes and doorings, but a couple stand out:

- pulling into the foyer at Bike Park in Covent Garden in front of a mechanic, then failing to unclip and falling sidways into a display of bikes. The mechanic looked at me and said "new pedals?"

- heading over the bridge where Marc Bolan crashed and deciding (like a twat) to attempt to adjust my mydguard whilst in motion. I hit a bump and my finger slipped into the moving wheel. The bike stopped dead and I went over the top, landing on the back of my neck. Handily, a junior doctor stopped and called the ambulance, then a surgeon cycled by, stopped and felt my spine for serious injury. I was rushed off and my head x-rayed, but the main damage was my finger which was broken at the knuckle. I had hooks coming out of my hand for a while after the first operation, but then it started setting in the wrong direction, so they had to rebreak it and try again.

1 x dooring by diplomatic immunity wanker
1 x over the bonnet of old boy turning left without indicating - freaked him more than me i think.
1 x cut up by twat on a brompton, coming down a hill at 20+ mph. somersaulted over his front wheel & broke my collarbone (handily cushioning bike from any damage). 1 yr on the arm is back in a sling having had a op last week to finally sort the mess out. never got his details either as my bike looked fine.

That's where I live(ish)!
but the rest of the story sounds nasty.

first morning back on the bike and hit side-on by a white van pulling out onto Shaftesbury avenue. He won't be doing it again in a hurry.

Yes cycling clearly is very dangerous. Everyone should stop riding bike and buy scooters.

I rode into a triangular "men at work" sign at 23mph, was stupidly looking at speedo instead of sign - Broken shoulder 3 places, luckily I'd just overtaken an ambulance who stopped and obliged. My first experience of morphine, didn't care for it.

I'm Aussie. England IS London :P

hit a ped. classic step out looking the wrong way and lots of drain cover front wheel wooparrr in the rain

Run over three times in my first three months of London commuting. Twice on Farringdon Road, both times by WMV's turning left w/out indicating and taking me out (second time was quite nasty - he went right over my front wheel and i was lucky to get away with it)

Also went over the bonnet of an OAP who was oncoming and turned to his right across me on Kentish Town Road. Just didn't see me at all. Quite a spectacular one with lots of blood from my legs, but no bones broken.

After that initial fun, haven't had an accident for a few years. Bit like WWII fighter pilots or Vietnam soldiers innit? Those with the hours under their belts are much more likely to survive than the rookies... You just need to learn those early lessons and then you're INVINCIBLE.

the poll needs a "wrecked without hitting anything/anyone" option. the rain and the metal at spitalfields market took me out at speed. my own fault mind. :P

yep me too. that part is evil wet.

Never ever turn your front wheel while going over a drain/manhole/anykinda metal cover. I learned that lesson very very early on in my cycling career and it was one I never needed to be given again

I was given morphine after the second finger operation - gave me nightmares.

Last Tuesday in Bermondsey - car does emergency stop. I go over handlebars just avoiding him and then skid on my head (thank christ I was wearing a helmet). Bars bent, new front and back wheel needed.

Other occasions: Wet grid action; diesel spill; pedal cleat issues; slippy ramp as work resulting in broken finger

the poll also needs cycling happly then was hit by car,ped general asshole etc.

broke some old guys leg couple weeks ago.he just walked out of nowhere.learnt to apply full body weight and let the obstacle take the full brunt.and for me i cracked some ribs.

afraid I have to select all four options and I have only been on fixed for 3weeks. Smashed into a van door which swung open, though van parked half-on half-off pavement, tore two fingers to pieces. Still a few days later back on the bike but hit pedestrian who was running for a bus on Mare Street. WORST is the bloody speed ramps. This I tarted over clipping the pedal, and bang off as well as my shoulder which is now pinned after a 4 month waiting list. The thing still hurts like ell for I dont really have a collar bone on one side but a chunk of metal. The scar is being treated with bio oil, my hair also fell out after the accident, but whilst in hospital I manged to arrange my bike to be ready for me to go home in. So all is well. I am hussy if you see me riding free wheel please do not scorn, somedays I am just too afriad. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx