Erratic road cyclist on club runs

What needs to be done?

You need to grow a pair, as does everyone else in the club. If they had, you might not be mithering about a broken carbon bike right now. 5 crashes in a year and nobody has the balls to say squat? 🙄

is it a Mamil club ?

Classic Tri video

Triathletes can ride bikes too! I used to ‘race’ triathlon but have never yet caused a crash in a group ride, or on the track. Then again I’ve never owned a TT bike either. I know folks who ride mostly MTB who have no idea how to ride on the road in a group and they’ve never been near a triathlon. Most tri clubs run group rides.

Anyway, back to the OP – someone needs to have a word with this bloke and put him on a warning. Explain to him what he’s doing wrong, the danger he’s putting himself and others in, and the cost he’s already incurred on others through his actions. Offer to take him out in slower/smaller groups and help him learn, and make it clear that if he doesn’t improve he’ll have to leave the club and/or make good on any damage he causes.

Next time he does something stupid he might put someone under a lorry.

im sure when i do triathlons they all sneer at me saying look hes a cyclist – he cant run for toffee 😀

only read the first page of comments, but, do people not talk to one another any more? he broke your bike by ploughing into the back of you? 💡 tell him to stop riding like a bender or he can go somewhere else

why don’t you all up the pace and drop him?

Comming to a club run near you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRKajY5GlyI

Was the first leg of that race drinking 8 pints? I’ve never seen anything like it

He knows he is in the wrong as he apologizes repeatedly which is why I am surprised he hasn’t offered to sort out the costs. He’s a fairly good rider really just sometimes does stupid things which he doesn’t seem to learn from.

if he’s fairly good, how do you define Bad ?

Well I just mean mostly he rides without incident and he’s quite strong relative to the rest of the group

Whether he is strong is irrelevant, his actions speak louder

I honestly wouldn’t expect someone else to pay for my bike if I crashed on a group ride. If you enter a group ride you are doing something inherently dangerous and you have to have some trust in those you ride with.

I honestly wouldn’t expect someone else to pay for my bike if I crashed on a group ride. If you enter a group ride you are doing something inherently dangerous and you have to have some trust in those you ride with.

I agree with this in general, however if the bloke is consistently causing accidents either he shouldn’t be riding with anyone or he should accept some responsibility. It’s not fair that people keep having to buy replacement parts because they’re too nice to tell him to get a grip.

which club? 🙂

Mamils r us..

He’s ridiculously well off so I think he should offer as it was blatantly his fault.

Was the first leg of that race drinking 8 pints?

I reckon it was in the second clip – 8 pints of G n T )

steve77 that actually made me angry.
What do you never ever ever ever ever ever ever do?
Look down at you’re bike.
Got a problem get off out the way.

He is not a newcomer who needs looking after. He has bee in the group for a couple of years. tell him to piss off.

We have a guy in our club who’s been riding for a couple of years now who a few of us are quite wary of as he can be quite erratic and has caused at least 5 crashes in the last year – the only ones on our club run. He either suddenly moves a foot to one side for no apparent reason or doesn’t notice the group slowing down and going into the back of someone.

obviously a closet woman driver then,

sorry misread that, thought thread was erotic road cyclist on club run. I’m in the wrong place, on you go……

Update – took a bit of time to find out what my options are as was hoping Trek would do my some sort of crash replacement deal. Seems they don’t have much of a deal offering me 20% off a new frame. Now I don’t know how much profit is in a frame but I am sure they could sell me one at 1/2 price and still not lose out. So I’ll be keeping away from their products in future – indeed may as well buy from an internet brand or even import one from China. BTW, my frame is a 2012 Madone 5.9 – current version costs an impressive £2k.

As for my riding buddy, despite admitting responsibility at the time he feels that I have a cheek to even want to discuss with him. I mentioned the incident to a senior club member who witnessed a previous crash he caused and he’s not impressed with what happened. Seems my best option is to get the frame repaired and it would be nice if the chap that caused it, and got away with no damage to his bike, offered to help out but not holding out any hope.

I think he should pay for a replacement! And the club should support you. If nothing else comes of this, at least they can get rid of a dangerous rider.

Does he ever leave his shoes around, just for a minute?

He rode into me and broke my less than a year old carbon bike the other day

He needs to pay up, simple.

If it’s a club, does the membership not include any sort of BC/CTC membership, which usualy includes 3rd party cover?

Personlay there’s no way I could cover the cost of other peoples bikes, but equaly I’d be mortified if I caused a crash that resulted in damage to them as I know how pissed off I’d be if someone crashed into me.

Mikeypies – Member
Group riding on the road sounds like fun ! with so many rules and people shouting if you transgress and being a mobile road block with the fun that brings are there any up sides?

I think you missed the point entirely.

There are ‘rules’ unwritten or otherwise to just about everything. From no kiddyfiddling or murder in everyday life, to not being offside whilst playing football. No sudden movements or braking whilst riding in a group is a fairly easy one to grasp.

I don’t think the club has anything to help. I do wonder if a reason he doesn’t want to pay is that it would open up the likelihood of him having to pay for future crashes he causes! After a previous crash he caused it was suggested by one of the senior members that he should pay for the damage but the chap who he knocked off said it wasn’t necessary – helmet and gilet so not such a big deal. The amusing thing was he said he was so rich he would happily pay but seems that doesn’t apply to my situation now. I will be talking to the senior member for his opinion.

At the time my crash happened it was just the two of us way waiting for the rest of the group to catch up, why he was riding so close I have no idea as we’re usually spread out – if a crash happens in a group it’s hard to say who’s responsible and it could be pretty expensive too!

To the OP, the bike got damaged to an accident caused by another rider, not by anything on the bike or frame failing?
Why would you expect Trek to offer anything? I’d say 20% discount is still a very reasonable offer on something that is not down to them to support.
I’d be seeking recompense from the crap rider to pay for the repair or replacement.
Failing any reasonable outcome I’d be taking a hammer and a gas axe to his bike pronto!

Something to do with keeping your customer happy so they stay a customer – possible to do without losing out and Specialized have been good at this in the past. The fact it had any damage is odd really as I’d come to a halt but then fell sideways – wouldn’t expect any damage – none to anything else on the bike (e.g. bar tape) just the stay. Seems carbon isn’t as strong as some would have you believe – a metal stay wouldn’t have broken.

mudshark – Member
Now I don’t know how much profit is in a frame but I am sure they could sell me one at 1/2 price and still not lose out.

You don’t know the margin…except you do?

No, you don’t

insurance will cover it surely?

Al – Well I studied manufacturing and business so my educated guess would be most of the costs of a carbon frame are in the R&D and tooling. I also know that Chinese carbon bikes are bought locally for a few hundred pounds. You think the unit costs of a £2k frame are over 50%?

Edit – it’s irrelevant actually as I wouldn’t have paid even £1k but I wanted to see what their response was.

Insurance – I don’t have any special bike crash insurance, do most people?

Some home insurance will cover accidental damage on things away from the home, I would expect there to be a limit though and you would need to specify any item over a certain amount on the policy.

I’ll talk to the insurance company as I have bike cover to £2.5k but it doesn’t say anything about damage – I assumed it was just for theft.

Surely a member of the Club’s committee needs to have a word with this guy and tell him he’s not welcome on club runs anymore, as he’s a liability. In short, eject him from the club!

Deffo tell him to sling his hook or make a point of refusing to ride out every time you see him.

Knicking you off at a near standstill is pretty crap TBH. I’d be paying up for wrecking a fellow rider’s bike.

Unfortunately he’s very pally with key members of the group we ride with within club so they’ll support him, after starting this thread I suggested the group leader should have a chat with him to discuss his riding but he doesn’t want to – they’re very friendly. I do have the option of talking to senior members of the club who I know quite well so am considering that.

I have spoken to my insurance company now who have created a claim for me so will see if that gets me anywhere.

BTW – I wasn’t at a standstill when he collided with me it’s just that I controlled the bike until we came to a halt when he knocked me over as hadn’t regained control. He struggles to clip out!

Even if you do manage to claim through your insurance you’ll still take a hit on future policy costs. The guy sounds like a complete liability and, friendly with senior club members or not, given he’s got history I think he should be footing at least part of the bill here.

If other senior club members are prepared to back him then either they’re out of order and should deal with this properly, or there’s more to this than just your side of the story (no offence).

Assuming there’s not more to this, I’d be having a serious word with senior club members and refusing to ride with him. Even if it means joining a slower group I’d just make a point of it and make sure people know why.

Not the best option, but if there’s another club local (ish) I might even be tempted to flounce off and join them.

By not tackling a problem they’ve been made aware of are they opening themselves up to potential liability?

To be clear – I haven’t raised this yet with senior members of the club, just with the group leader. The leader is very quick to shout at newbies who cause problems but not his mates! The leader’s response when I spoke to him was that the problem guy was getting better.

It’s annoying as I had been riding with a faster group but had to drop down due to missing some rides due to ill health; I do hope to try again with them in the Spring.