…..on my bike not in my car thank god.
Still involved lots of tears (not mine) and lots of guilt (mine) and lots of flapping (mother).

The thing is – although the child ran out straight in front of me I’m pretty sure I could have braked and avoided if my hands were closer to the brakes. I just couldn’t get my hands down onto the drop handle bars in time – instead trying to push the leavers from the top barely slowed me down at all (especially with wet rims). Very frustrating

Anyone else been caught out on race bikes like that?

Yes, it’s why I’m in the process of switching to disc brakes on my commuter, wet roads, rim brakes do not mix with heavy traffic and pedestrians, almost been up the back of a van too many times.

Once skittled a group of school children when I recklessly emerged from a quality section of singletrack onto the fireroad they were walking along.

I almost managed to miss them but one of them turned and I caught my bars on his rucksack and down we went

I left a tyre mark across the back of a small child once.

I hit the lip of a 6ft double to see him riding across the landing. threw the bike as far away as I could which was just about enough to just skim his back.

Nightmare. Hopefully everyone is ok. As a cyclist and parent both parties have my sympathy.
If it’s going to be a source of constant worry you could fit some CX style additional brake levers on your bars. They came as standard on my work bike (they’re Tekro ones and cost about £20 I think) and are great for commuting in traffic. They probably wouldn’t help if you ride on the hoods though.

EDIT: these

Did you check the bike or the toddler first?

I hit a lemming pedestrian a few weeks ago and then went down onto the kerb. I’m pleased to say that after getting up I immediately checked they were OK. Wrote off a rim though 🙁

hit a kid on a scooter stepping out on me once
we both went down
he was fine
I broke my ankle and heal

disc brakes are essential on commuters imho

One of the reasons I hate drops tbh, finally stopped trying and built a fast hybrid instead.

If it’s going to be a source of constant worry you could fit some CX style additional brake levers on your bars. They came as standard on my work bike (they’re Tekro ones and cost about £20 I think) and are great for commuting in traffic. They probably wouldn’t help if you ride on the hoods though.

And the force you can exert is non existent!

I find I’ve got as much power on the hoods as the drops actually when on the road.

Glad everyone is ok though!

From the tops? Have you got suicide levers (or maybe cross type ones – don’t know if they are more effective?) Or do you mean on the hoods?

Personally I always tend to go onto the drops and cover the brakes if in a situation where I might need to use them in a hurry, but hard to tell whether I’d have thought that in your situation. Though I’d still expect to be able to brake pretty hard from default position on the hoods.

How did we ever survive before they were invented?

I once took a 12ft gap jump and unfortunately my rear wheel landed right on a kid that was laying on the trail.

Still, I cleared the other 9 kids. Every cloud

And the force you can exert is non existent!
I find I’ve got as much power on the hoods as the drops actually when on the road.

That’s not my experience (but my brakes are pretty crap either way). I find they’re not as strong as on the drops but way better than the hoods. YMMV.
I’m looking to upgrade my crappy Tekro canti brakes for some mini Vs. Some BB7s would be perfect but sadly aren’t compatible.

was –><– that far away from taking out a dog* once. right in front of a 3yr old kid. stupid parent/owner saw me riding along the bike path, so called the dog back. the paws were *under* the tyre, but not squashed.

(* by dog, I mean “dog” – white curly haired thing about the size of a cat)

also –><– that far away from taking out a lollipop lady. I know you’re sposed to stop, but I think the onus is on them to actually look to see if it’s safe to step in to the street before doing so. she was going to report me to the local village policeman. told her “it’s no problem. he’s my neighbour… I’ll report the incident myself, as I’m on the way home anyway” 😉

Next time it could be a child’s face…. oh no hang on.

I always tend to go onto the drops and cover the brakes if in a situation where I might need to use them in a hurry

Same – I can’t stop anywhere near as quick from the hoods, almost stacked my racer 1 mile into the first ride when a car pulled across me. Fortunately she did see me just in time but if she hadn’t, I’d have been through her passenger window.

This is exactly the reason I’m not going with drops on my commute bike. I’d prefer the position and speed but its just safer with flat bars and discs.

The mother needs to thank god you were not in a car.
Maybe from now on she’ll keep an an eye on junior instead of checking facebook on her smartphone or whatever she was doing that kept her mind so occupied.

I always brake from the hoods. even if I’m on the drops I’ll move up to the hoods to brake. it’s a lot more stable and easier to make sudden movements. on my bikes at least.

I’ve had some near misses with peds – what really winds me up is when people nearly get run over, whether it be by a bike or a car, and then laugh about it hysterically. as if nearly being being knocked 50ft down the road is funny.

Everyone ok – I put the bike bike down at the last second when it was clear avoidance was impossible. The child ended up under the bike and me tangled up in it – but fortunately I had managed to scrub enough speed so that it was only grazes. It was near a bus stop so the whole incident was seen by a crowd of gawping school kids which didn’t help.

I checked the child first of course and haven’t even looked at the bike – its an ancient and seemingly indestructible Boardman.

I hear what your saying about Hybrids and I used to have one. By my commute is now 22 mile each way so I wouldn’t fancy it anymore. My route goes through very few built up areas and is mainly back lanes which is why I was caught on the hop. Il make a conscious effort to drop my hands when going through these areas – Def would have avoided the crash if doing this. the brakes work really well if you can get a full hand round them.

Don’t think power’s the big factor personally, I had mini-vs on my last drop bike and even in the hoods it didn’t lack power, it just lacked usability in an emergency- the whole riding and hand position’s so compromised. Orrible. Considering how many folks barely use the drops it always strikes me as weird.

We see lots of bikes with brakes in woeful condition or set up – in which case they will work best from the drops.

Keep them set up well and in good condition.

Did you report it to the police? It might be worth to call 101 (non emergency police number) and let them know in case mama wants to report a his and run on junior once papa comes home from work. Did you get her name?

What are the options for improved braking on a cross bike being used as a commuter? I find the current canti brakes are fine when blocks are new and rims are dry but this responsiveness doesn’t last a week of my regular commute.

I had cheap Tektro mini-vs on mine, I can’t recommend it too highly tbh though you have to be careful with compatability (on my 5600s it was a direct bolt-on, no travel adjusters or anything)

Mud clearance isn’t as good as cantis, thoug worked fine for me- I’m not a cross racer so we’re talking normal mud not mental cyclocross mud- but braking, with an £8 brake and standard pads, was better than the best cantis I’ve ever used. Setup a doddle too.

Glad everyone seems to be ok, but the number of people who’re saying they cant brake properly from the hoods is astounding me. Fair enough, a few people with small hands or weak wrists might have a problem, but the rest of you need to look at your bike set up if you’re having problems.

Did you report it to the police?

The mother was only angry at the child – and apologetic to me
She has no idea who I am anyhow

So hit and run when her husband finds out and gets angry. It takes 10 minutes and covers your arse.

She has no idea who I am anyhow

can you hear helicopters hovering overhead?

but the number of people who’re saying they cant brake properly from the hoods is astounding me

I can normally – but with wet and grimy rims I had almost nothing – just enough to slow down. I needed to be able to apply a lot more force than I was able to from that position to stop quickly.

Iv only just replaced the pads too as they were completely worn away.

I do have quite small hands though…?

So hit and run when her husband finds out and gets angry

If he gets angry with me I’ll rip his nipples off

Never run over a human but have run over a cat. Did that last Sunday, thing ran alongside the road in the bushes then hopped out into my front wheel and landing me on my arse via a skid and an uncermonious unclip flop, Pussy just skiddaled back into the bushes..

I broke it’s front leg and had to wander around the hamlet where I was in an attempt to find the owner, turned out the Farm next to where I was was the owner.
Mum not too happy, Kiddo whined a bit too 😐

Got a tentative “thanks” 😐

Not really sure why they should be pissy with you, cats all animals do stupid things.
I’d have been grateful you actually made the effort to let me know if it was my pet.

whatnobeer – Member

Glad everyone seems to be ok, but the number of people who’re saying they cant brake properly from the hoods is astounding me. Fair enough, a few people with small hands or weak wrists might have a problem, but the rest of you need to look at your bike set up if you’re having problems.

There’s no hood setup that works as well as a flat bar when it comes to hard braking and fast maneuvres, that’s not a fit issue, it’s just the limitations of the design- the ergonomics and the lack of leverage.

ndthornton – Member

Did you report it to the police?

The mother was only angry at the child – and apologetic to me
She has no idea who I am anyhow

But when she goes into work or the local paper gets wind of the story,
CHILD HIT BY MANIAC CYCLIST IN HIT AND RUN SHOCKER, then she will be on the phone to police and ansolictor probably then they will be after you for compo, thats how stuff works now, claims culture = holiday.

Glad youre both ok though must have ben scary for both.

He’ll be fine project, he’ll rip their nipples off

She has no idea who I am anyhow

Do you know what comes up first if you google “ran over a toddler this morning”?

This thread?

jam bo – Member

I left a tyre mark across the back of a small child once.

I hit the lip of a 6ft double to see him riding across the landing. threw the bike as far away as I could which was just about enough to just skim his back.

ooh that reminds me off a time at Chicky on one of the downhill runs, it has a jump over a plateau thing where you land on the down slope. Anyway as I was sailing over that, I saw young kid walking across the landing – much shittingness of pants, screams and thank godness…

A few years ago I regularly escorted my son to school along a local cycle path. One morning we passed a pair of mums with small daughters on bikes going the other way as usual, only that morning the youngest was lagging behind having fun weaving side to side across the path not looking where she was going. I stopped and called out to her, just one word “HEY” as she was heading straight for me. She looked at the last second, just missed my wheel and rode into my leg. Mum looks round at last and mumbles an apology. No harm done though and we’re all on our ways.

Later that day, on the way back from school with my son the mum from the morning stops me and very publicly accuses me of shouting abuse at and kicking her 5 year old daughter.