Good news stories

In contrast to all the bad news we read about Coventry people these days, I'd like to share this with you. Yesterday morning cycling along Hipswell Highway I was hit by a car coming out of a side road. Immediately several people came over to ask me if I was alright and if I needed an ambulance calling. Fortunately my injuries were only superficial and when I said I was okay I was offered a lift home. One of them retrieved my bike and checked it over for damage which was only minor so I decided the best thing was to get back on my bike and cycle home. Three people stayed with me until I felt ready to continue my journey and when I set of one man got his bike out and insisted on accompanying me home. Incidentally, the person who hit me hadn't seen me (after all, I'm only 6ft plus on a bike and wearing bright colours). I know there is sometimes not a lot of love lost between motorists and cyclists but most of us do obey the Highway Code, so if you're about to pull out please look twice for cyclists and if you do see one remember he/she is probably travelling faster than you think. I'd like to say a big thank you to all the anonymous people who came to my assistance yesterday who helped to restore my faith in human nature.

Hello Old Lincolnian So sorry to read your post today. You say injuries & bike damage minor, yet this will be an awful experience for you to get over. Made a little easier by the kindnesses shown to you by locals. We all on the forum wish you well & hope that you won't suffer "if-only" & "what-ifs" nightmares & so on. Thank you for sharing, that itself took a lot of courage.

A bad news good news there. Fingers crossed you don't feel more bashed up today, bruises can feel worse in the morning. Hopefully there's someone there to cosset you. Thinking of you.

Hi Philip, Dreamtime and Helen Many thanks for those kind thoughts and yes I have been looked after since. As expected I have come out in lots of bruises and have got a very sore shoulder (cyclists tend to use collar bones as shock absorbers, so it is to be expected), but other than that everything is fine. When I was little I rode horses and was always told to get back on if you fell off, so the same applies to bikes. I've cycled past the same junction today so hopefully I've laid any lingering doubts to rest

Not wanting to steal Old Lincolnian's thunder, a similar thing happened to me 3 months ago. On my way home from the NEC on my Norton Atlas I was driving along the country lanes near Maxstoke, after that I can remember nothing, I was found unconscious in the road by a passing motorist. No one else was involved and damage to my bike was minimal, police seem to think that as it was sunny and early evening, about 5.30, I could have rounded a bend to be blinded by sunlight. I am sceptical about this. I was attended by the air ambulance but for some reason I was transported by road to the Uni at Walsgrave, where I was found to have suffered a ruptured spleen and 5 fractured ribs. After a week I was allowed home and now consider myself fully fit and last week went out on my bike for the first time, albeit tentatively . Now, I have been donating blood for nearly 40 years but, now, as a recipient I can no longer donate. When I see a collection box for the air ambulance now I don't think twice.

So pleased you're recovering from this horror

As I say to my wife, you can never have too many bikes. When I came to in hospital I couldn't remember which one I was on, I have a 1936 350cc BSA, a 1961 Triumph Trophy and a 2016 Triumph Street twin. I was relieved to find out it wasn't the latter.

Hello sir. I have never owned a bike that came from foreign parts. I think that I knew my way around the engines of most British bikes pre 1970. Now, I just look in wonder at modern bike engines, wouldn't know how to start working on them.

Norman - modern bikes are indeed highly complex bits of kit. I suspect that is why our unfortunate friend Matchle55 was grateful that it was one of his trusty old British bikes that he threw up the road. Had it been his 2016 Triumph he would have wrecked all the plastic components along one side and the bike would have had to go back to the dealer to be plugged into the computer so that they knew which other bits to change - all highly expensive. Matchle55 - I hope the aches and pains are getting better and that the Norton is also in fine fettle.

Not Local, you are exactly right, I shudder to think how much repairs to the new Triumph would have cost by comparison. As it was I repaired the Norton myself, cost about £300. My healing ribs dictate that I cannot kickstart a bike yet but they will allow me to ride the new Triumph. If the weather holds for tomorrow I'll be at Hoar Park on it.

Matchle55 - glad to hear you are on the mend. The old bikes bounce back just as well as ever, but unfortunately as we get older the ability to bounce back takes a bit longer. Old Lincolnian - I hope you are on the mend as well. Lots of us have bounced down the road after parting company with either a motorbike or a bicycle. Just thinking about it brings back the memories of the pain and discomfort. I once fell off an office chair, that was a bit painful but was more embarrassing given that it was in the middle of a very serious conversation.