It’s been a while since I’ve had a near death cycle incident so I guess I was due one…
Pedalling along in my best mamil lycra on a nice south downs back road – one of those those twisty roads going nowhere in particular with high hedges either side and a lane marking in the middle but if two cars meet they take a little intake of breath as they go past as it’s a bit snug. I am just coming up to the apex of a long tightish left hander (tight enough to be blind, open enough to take fast) when I hear a high pitched whine of a sports bike engine from behind. You know when you hear an engine and you just know they are on the limit – well like that and then some. I moved over a few inches closer to the edge and cringed with nowhere to go then half a second later – thunk…..it must have been his shoulder that caught my upper arm. An IOM TT wannabe in full white leathers and matching bike. He must have been going over 90mph and in reality it was only a brush with my arm but a brush with a closing speed of 70mph still delivers quite a punch.
He must have made a big course alteration (I guess he was aiming to clip the apex – just I was there too) to only brush me as he went into a full tank slapper speed wobble. Christ knows how he kept it upright and on the tarmac – if a car had come the other way he’d have been toast. Obviously he didn’t stop and check I was alright – fortunately I stayed upright.
The hardest bit of the whole experience was getting back in control and waiting for his 6 mates to go past as there was no where to hide. Hearing the engines and cringing. Fortunately they were riding a bit more sensibly – I guess that’s why he was out in front.
I think keeping my ears open and my little last minute shimmy left saved me today – doggedly sticking to my rights and riding primary and I think I would have been typing this from the morgue. Off to wash my shorts.