Went on my first night ride in about 6/7 years tonight and I got an egg thrown at me from a Mondeo going the other way as I went through town to get home. Not as bad as it sounds - didn't even realise what had happened until I got home and found a piece of shell on my boot (much to my GF's amusement). Mondeo put his lights on full beam as he came towards me, I looked down to make sure my lights were on low (so I wasn't blinding oncoming traffic) and as he went passed I felt something hit my boot, and he put his foot down and raced away. At the time I wasn't sure if he had thrown a bottle out the window or I had ridden over a stone or bottle and it had flicked up. Anyway didn't spoil the ride, though it would have been annnoying if it had hit me anywhere other than my boot.
Also had the old 'Oi mate your wheels are going round' and a drunken reveller jump out behing me and try to scare me off my bike 'Boo!!' as he was crossing the road between pubs. Neither did any harm but it may have been better to avoid going through the town center on St Georges day evening. Funny thing is none of the above bothered me at all. I must be mellowing in my old age and I feel great after my night ride.
BTW I can recommend the Exposure Maxx D - very good first impression. Even better (value wise) was the cheapo P7 LED torch from Dealextreame I had helmet mounted. Just as bright as the Maxx D but spot rather than flood. Believe the hype, these P7 torches are just as good as expensive bike units at a fraction of the price. The downside is the low burntime, but thats why I got one to complement the Maxx D. Will be going out at night more often.
Free range?
thats a terrible yolk
Good that you weren't eggsasperated. Coat's on.
Eggsposure maxx d you say??
Following you sandwich
Have had glass bottles thrown at me on the road, though not at night. Not been egged before but it doesnt surprise me. It does anger me though, if you've seen the damage a thrown egg does to the face of someone not expecting it you wouldnt be so mellow.
Whereas the 20 of us riding out to the chaingang circuit tonight just got wolf whistles from a group of young ladies.
Buy a road bike, and you'll get eggstra special treatment.
(See what I did there?)
Unfortunately you allways get them-entertaining themselves on the way to MacDonalads
I was following a white van a few weeks ago and was horrified/dismayed to witness the passenger empty a bottle of cola over a roadie cyclist they passed. Just for a brainless laff, it appeared.
I had an unopened can of bud(500ml) thrown at me on a road ride !
tbh there is a serious side to this, but given some of the wonderful creatures that pass for human in this world i am not surprised. especially if drink is involved. I don't go near such areas on bike unless necessary
Police won't be interested either (i can testify to that) - although it is really very dangerous to throw things at cyclists - possibly resulting in death; that is of course unless you maybe told them anonymously that they were threating motorists etc with 'some sort' of fire arms - then i'll bet they would be more than intersted (anyone who did the sits some years ago will know that) - i don't really understand why certain priorites are set when actions of individuals can have equal consequences. Maybe a member of the police that reads this forum could tell us.
I've had a strawberry McDonalds milkshake (missed), a full can of coke (hit my wheel) as well as eggs (hit my tyre) thrown at me - my commute takes in a fair few country lanes and both times it's been from your archetypal white trashed transit as it hares past in a cloud of diesel. Usually accompanied by hoots of laughter and a shout of "You WWWWWWW******NNNNNKKEEERRR" or something equally erudite.
It doesnt help having people like Nick Knowles on that BBC DIY program blather on for 1/2 an hour repeatedly about how much he hates cyclists.
Re: the above, my experience of the police (from that side of the fence) was that you didn't pick your job, when a call comes in it is dealt with by the control room and the main duty inspector gives it the classification from red - urgent all guns blazing with flashy blue lights allowed, through to the bottom colour (i forget) which is police attendance not specifically required, (ones where they can give crime numbers over the phone or a support staff can take details). I have memories of being close to an incident but not being used a resource and instead units being sent from further away, and also there being some delay before receiving information on calls that come in, so some times it is not the officier who attends who is being idle, it can be issues with control, due to call handlers/ the duty inspector - btw this experience is in nottingham, i assume it varies from place to place.
report it and insist on a crime number (for assault)
they police the statistics, the more reports the more likely they will take notice
I have little faith in the Police so don't think I'll report it. I don't imagine the police will be in the slightest bit interested, and I don't have any description other than type of car (nothing on car colour, number plate or driver). I guess I would have been upset if it hit me square in the face - then I'd want to report it, but I still don't believe the police would be interested.
I highly recommend the exposure Maxx as a road riding light. When some bugger cuts you up and then has to stop 5 yards later at the lights, make sure you stop with the bike right behind the car and shine it in his mirror. That's a bright light!
had a car slow down at my side and the passenger spit a large volume of sticky liquid in my face for no reason, i sent a full letter to the police in that area, they got in touch "3 months later" i had given them full number plate they said they would pop around and have a word, but as i could not give a detailed description of the passenger it could go no further.
also once in traffic a car had slowed by the side of me i glanced down to find the rear passenger trying to stub a cigarette out on my arse,then they shot off
Every mischief night we used to love throwing eggs! 8)
I highly recommend the exposure Maxx as a road riding light. When some bugger cuts you up and then has to stop 5 yards later at the lights, make sure you stop with the bike right behind the car and shine it in his mirror. That's a bright light!
I had a 2ltr bottle of Coke thrown at me a few weeks back whilst on my road bike. It was pretty much full so had a lot of weight behind it.
I was riding at a round 35mph so it would have been pretty nasty if it had hit me. Luckily it just missed and I had to swerve out of the way.
Worst part is that they had a downhill bike on the back.
better avoid the local IVF clinic at throwing out time angledust 🙂
Go back.
Maybe if you can get them to throw some more eggs and some cheese your way you can make a tasty omlette.
😯
Police - I posted an account on here where a driver and his son in a 4x4 chased me repeatedly getting out of the car when they got ahead of me to attack me - 1st time 1 tried to grab me but I knocked him over as didn't stop, 2nd time punched me in the head. I got to a police station closely followed by the driver and son, the police told me a witness had phoned in about it. The police did nothing - not even some sort of a warning.
Mudshark - police reaction doesn't surprise me I'm afraid. What happened to make the driver react like that?
Angeldust-Perhaps it was the notorious Sam and Ella?? 😉
Unfortunately not much you can do about that sort of thing. Police will only be interested if you get the numberplate so that they have someone to investigate. Failing that, the only recompense you would have would be if you actually suffered some sort of personal injury following the assault-could potentially make a claim for compensation through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. Anything short of that is just incredibly frustrating!!!!
Anna, in my case I'm not intending, or have the inclination, to do anything about it. Can I just make it clear that I have no intention of contacting the police, primarily because a bit of eggshell on my boot (that I didn't notice until I got home) is hardly worth worrying about. Like I said, I would have a different view if it hit me in the face, but it didn't and was amusing more than anything else (my GF thought it was hilarious...).
My comments on police attitude are more in passing than directly related to this specific event.
I can accept 'high spirits' from kids, 'egging' etc really isn't a big deal, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone. Generally I wish more could be done about the chavs in this country though. Some of the white van man stories you read on this site are pretty unpleasant.
I saved the full story!
A 4x4 pulled out on me in the rain on the way home from working in Wallington one Saturday. I managed to not go into the back of it but slapped the back as I stopped - kinda making a point - we were at traffic lights with cross roads. Of course the driver wound down his window and I told him what he'd done - trouble is he was a large bloke and his 16 yr old son was sitting next to him. He denied any wrong doing and drove off to the left whilst I went straight on towards Sutton. As I climbed up the road I saw this bloked in front of me in the road obviously wanting to stop me - no idea why he now wanted to get me! I thought the best thing was to ride as hard as I could and get past him but unfortunately he tried to grab me - unfortunately for him I knocked him onto his back and I wobbled a bit but stayed upright. His son then chased me but I dodged him and got away.
Of course I was no sh!tting myself and wondering what to do as the road was uphill and quite busyish and I didn't really know what to do, was getting tired and had to worry about other traffic.
As they approached again I went on to the pavement and then they stopped in front - this time the kid tried to get me but I got past OK so they chased me again. This time I went up a side road as they caught up with me and the son got out and chased me - I went through someone's front garden from the side and then back out the front to the main road again - I was on a road bike so using my offroad skills to the max! Unfortunately the big bloke was waiting in the road but this time he decided to smack me in the head instead of risking getting knocked over again - I wobbled but was OK - nearly the end of me though as a car was coming the other way but I avoided that.
Now running low on energy and going up hill so when I saw someone walking up I got off and walked with him getting close to Sutton and the police station now. The chasing car took a while to come so guess they were looking down side roads to see if I'd gone down one and b the time they caught me up I was close to the police station and they were on the busy 1 way system that goes around there. I walked up to the front of the station and waited for quite a while but didn't see them so started to walk off but then saw the 4x4 so went into the station - the kid jumped out and followed me in.
I told the police woman at the counter what was going on and she told me someone had just phoned in to say a cyclist was being assaulted. We were told to wait in seperate rooms. The Dad came in after a bit and a policeman chatted to them for a while then they left.
Then the policeman chatted to me saying they said I'd tried to assult the Dad by knocking him over with my bike. I said he'd been trying to grab me and just trying to get passed as was worried about what was going to happen. He seemed to believe me as said he couldn't understand why the bloke was in the middle of the road. I explained everything and he seemed sympathetic but said that as I wasn't hurt nothing else would happen. I told him that we cyclists have to put up with this sort of thing quite a lot and the law doesn't seem helpful. I had to be careful what I said as I was getting close to the 'The law is an ass' thing and wanted to keep him on my side!
Cheers, that was good read!
Mudshark: To be honest I would have made a complaint, them chasing you sounds like grounds for a dangerous driving charge IM(unexperienced)O. If you'd not avoided oncoming traffic etc it could have ended at lot worse for you.
Reminds me of that film i once saw, (US film) this big black lorry was chasing this guy in a car (out in the middle of nowhere) everytime the car lost the lorry and thought he was safe, the lorry re-apeared round the next corner.
Cant remember the outcome but suspect it was messy for the lorry.
Headlines Cyclist forces farther and son in 4x4 over cliff in central Wallington.
duel
3 years ago I had a brick thrown at me from about 3 feet away - hit my chest then knee, managed to stay upright, and get away, then phoned it in and they sent out a minibus and response car. Didn't go anywhere though, although they were pretty certain where they'd come from.
My SO had a full bottle of beer thrown into her wheels (Epping Forest), I've had eggs thrown at me, had people running out into the road to pretend to kick me, car drivers trying to squeeze me of the road... after a while you just have to be philosophical about it.
I'm afraid after the first attempt at getting away (I always try to walk away from a fight first) I'd just have gotten off and gone effing mental at them. I'd also have taken their registration and INSISTED they be charged with something suitable.
It is rediculous how often cyclists have to put up with drivers and pedestrians treating them like dirt. I know some bike users can be arses too but really, there are laws under which these things should be prosecuted.
aP - being "philosophical" about it is just allowing it to continue. The more people insist on these things being investigated and crimes being reported or stats appear better than they are and nothing gets done ever.
Duel, great film.
I had an egg lobbed at me from a car while I was standing at a pedestrian crossing, was out with the mrs, not riding, not halloween or any mischief night AFAIK, it hit my stomach and fell on the floor (where it finally broke) no damage/mess to me.
Some people are just knobs.
If I got upset or angry about every thing that happens during a ride I wouldn't have time to do anything else with my life. I just reserve it for the properly good ones.
Why do people think folk on bikes are soft targets? you must be weak because you don't choose to spend all your time in a tin box? I have got off the bike and dealt with a ned who saw fit to throw a coke bottle at me before.It felt really good,especially the realisation on his burnt scone of a coupon when he realised he was about to be "dealt with" by a large man in Lycra bibshorts.
Yeah duckman its weird, Kids see you as a soft target but I am much more likely to stop and deal with them if I'm on my bike than a car driver. So why are you lobbing stones at me instead of the suit stuck in his tinbox in traffic u stupid kid?
Kids always shout at me when I'm on my Brompton, thinking they will scare me and I will fall down. Always want to stop after that, take out a massive kitchen knife from my bag and walk toward then with anger, just to see their reaction. But I never done it. coward.
It felt really good,especially the realisation on his burnt scone of a coupon when he realised he was about to be "dealt with" by a large man in Lycra bibshorts.
It's always funny when that happens. I once had an oldish businessman in a car try to overtake me on a narrow road with a car obviously coming toward us, so I motioned for him to stay behind me and not be so stupid.
He pulled in further on and was obviously looking to jump out and have words. He must have thought at some point - 'I'm just about to remonstrate with an unknown, younger, fitter, angry cyclist wearing protective gear. I'm not going to come out of this well'. So he pulled off in a hurry. No great drama but it amused me.
A bloke (black but that's irrelevant!) didn't like me moving in front of his car whilst queuing for a roundabout - I wasn't riding just pushing myself along with my feet. He pushed his car into me running over the end of my shoe so I brought my fist down on his car. He jumped out and I rode off through the traffic a bit concerned but assuming he would never catch me.
I've also picked up my Inbred and swung it at a guy in a lion taming keep back sort of a way. If people apologize for making a mistake then that's fine, if they have a go at me then I make a point of not completely wimping out.
I once had a car full of chavs decide it would be funny to spit at me as they drove past me on my road bike. The look of horror on their faces when I caught up with them at the next set of lights and leaned in the car to have a polite word with them was priceless! Much apologies followed. I think they were terrified of getting their arses kicked by a guy in tights!
To add a slightly more positive spin to this, mate of mine was egged about 6 months ago. Police were great, we got a letter wrong on the plate but the description matched on the car and an officer visited them to have words. They spent a fair amount of time chasing it up and weren't put off by the first bloke who answered the door at the registered address. He claimed not to know the car. Turns out it belonged to his son! This was across police divisional boundaries so not simple.
Ergo, it is always worth reporting this kind of thing to the police if you have some information. Mainly because it's ****ing dangerous.

