Happened a while ago but...

Only just got round to posting. As to be honest I wanted nothing to do with bikes for a while.

Put simply, I think was pretty much inches away from being killed a while back in a near miss that just was too much for me, so hung up my leathers for a bit.

The scene:
Travelling home at about 6:30 in glorious sunshine down a NSL single carriadgeway country road (Fleet bends), with double whites as they are quite twisty.

What happened:
Approaching a sharp right hand bend I lower my speed and get into the correct gear, it's a really sharp blind bend so no tomfoolery as you never know what will be around the corner.

To my horror as I am just about to turn in a van appears taking up the whole of my lane with a small car on the inside (correct lane). I'm doing about 40 at this point, I can only guess than van is doing about 50ish as it's tyres were screeching a bit.

At this point I honestly think this is it, the big one that will kill me and I'll never see my wife, family or friends again. It's weird almost like in slow motion. Somehow, and I just cannot tell you how, I manage to avoid being wiped out, the van doesn't even appear to brake and I even make out clearly what the guy looks like, I end up to the far left of my lane in the muddy, grimy stuff which sends the front end into a weird slidey/slappy manouvre and I end up in a small ditch. I'm still upright and still on the bike so I guess it could be worse.

Just before the bend (coming from the van's direction) is a huge long straight with no white lines. All I can guess is that the van went to overtake and the car accelerated stopping him from doing so. Seen it on that road so many times. But rather than pull back in the van decides to just go around a totally blind bend on the wrong side of the road. If I had been in a car I might also not be so lucky.

It's weird. Really shook me up and just wanted to give up biking for good. I used to love it, but with stuff like that it doesn't matter how good a rider you are, somethings you just cannot fully prepare for. I love bikes but I don't want to die on one.

That is all, just had to get it off my chest really.

Sympathise completely.

My small accident this year could have been so much worse if there was a car coming as I would have rolled into its path.

IF you want to ride again you will... until then enjoy the time off and polish it nicely

Thanks Alex, maybe I'm just a soft twit but it even made me cry. I don't mind admitting it. I just thought of my wife on her own and was too much. Really messed up my confidence.

That sounds horrific I'm not surprised your confidence took a knock. It's one of my greatest fears leaving my husband on his own if something bad happened to me. Good on you for posting and I hope it's made you feel better about things getting it off your chest.

[dirtydog]

Dan you cry at monsters inc though

Seriously though I think most of us have had very close shaves like that at some point or another in our biking lives and it normally knocks you for six a bit. All I would say is the confidence will come back if oyu want it to

Originally Posted by dirtydog

Dan you cry at monsters inc though

I think you must have me confused with Kwakadan, who was a right softie.

I guess what scares me is that there are times when you have no choice in the matter. I always lived under the illusion that I'll see things coming before they happen. Just scared the beejesus out of me.

[dirtydog]

and what is it with you and ditches?

Originally Posted by dirtydog

and what is it with you and ditches?

I think I even said that as I was sat in it.

Dan, top marks for getting it off your chest and knowing that we are not all invincible.
Good to hear that you will be on 2 wheels still.
If you feel like a gentle bimble drop the TVSF a line as we like going slow so that people we lost at unmarked junctions can find us. I thing Ogden and Tony K are trying to sort something out. Also there's the TVSF camping weekend coming up. Be good to see you there.
As a little incentive, Sarah will be bringing lots of cake.......

Glad you were ok.
It's all ifs 'n' buts ain't it. This mornin' someone opened his van door right in my path and closed it just in time, then 5 seconds later someone had turned onto the road i was on on my side and was about 15m away from headbutting my bike.