Unavoidable Bicycle Badger Collision

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skip to 3.59sec i only seen it when i played back the video if i hit that id gone flying in to the cannel and buy 6k bike



got a bigger light bulb these days

 

[I893469365902345609348566]

The badger jumped out too close and too fast, for ultra-bright lights to make any difference. Others may disagree, but this collision was unavoidable without an ultrasonic deterrent. I thought I'd post my experience, to warn about badger collisions. I later found out those partcular woods are teeming with badgers, they cross over regularly... in which case why the hell were the bushes not trimmed back? A little more forewarning would be safer for drivers, badgers, and cyclists. Badgers pose relatively small risk to cars and drivers, but collisions with bicycles can cause serious injuries.

 

[Nealh]

Wrong place wrong time by a few seconds, a one in a million chance ?

 

[I893469365902345609348566]

The surgeon said it was "Such a bizarre story!", he's a cyclist and very often sees badgers in his local woods. "I've never hit a badger with my bike", he said. I'll show him the video when I see him next.

 

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when carrots dont work for night vision

 

[I893469365902345609348566]

The badger jumped out too close and too fast, for ultra-bright lights to make any difference.

 

[soundwave]

my light is 8000lm and since i have had it nothing has ran out on me going round the country lanes and down the cannel path and i have a dongle so can hit 30mph on the flat but tbh in pitch black it is only just powerful enough at those speeds but if i did hit something i know how to crash if that makes sense.

 

[I893469365902345609348566]

My wrist broke and dislocated at the bike handlebar - I was gripping it braking to maintain a slow speed (because the road was downhill) as the bike came to a dead stop, and my arm continued forward, as my wrist stayed on the handlebar, till it didn't. I was carrying 30kg extra weight in a rucksack - there was a lot of forward momentum. In the badly drawn sketch below, the figure on the left is what the x-ray of my left wrist looked like. I tried to get a photo but couldn't get my phone out quick enough, as the doctor left the room briefly while logged into his terminal, it logged him out automatically after some seconds. I might do better the next time I see the doctors. "Knowing how to fall", in this case, would not have avoided a broken wrist. I landed on my helmeted head, left elbow (bruised, not grazed because of leather jacket, padded), shoulder and (grazed and bruised) left knee. One of the doctors said it was "A very high energy impact". Another said that they don't see dislocations this severe, unless accompanied with jagged smashed bones in a motorcycle accident - the cyclist surgeon said wrists are so weak, that they can break if you simply fall on them.

 

[flecc]

The badger jumped out too close and too fast, for ultra-bright lights to make any difference.

You're right, badgers have poor visual acuity and are extremely short sighted so they frequently run in front of vehicles, getting killed. Their primary senses of smell and hearing don't serve them well where traffic is concerned.
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[I893469365902345609348566]

From the badger's point of view, the thick hedge would have somewhat obscured what sound I was making, and it was rather a lot more than usual - I was playing loud thumpy music through a 3W bluetooth speaker in one of my pannier bags.

 

[AndyBike]

I think with badgers and other small critters, they sit by the side of the road and are suddenly startled by the noise and go into flight mode, which is why they always seem to suddenly dart out just as you pass.

I was half expecting the stupid beggar to jump the wrong way.

When I was in India i was told the secret of judging which way the cow would move ,which is whichever way the cow turns its head, that is the direction it will next move in.

 

[I893469365902345609348566]

Unbearable ultrasonic noise powered by the bike battery, is what I'll have to figure out, if I ever cycle again - looks like I have time.

 

[flecc]

I was playing loud thumpy music through a 3W bluetooth speaker in one of my pannier bags.

Poor badger. Loud thumpy music makes me alternate between murderous and suicidal.
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[I893469365902345609348566]

A badly injured badger isn't going to live for long in the wild. The RSPCA don't attend unless you know exactly where the inured animal is - I've tried calling before about injured animals. I did think about trying to locate it, but it's a large wooded area and because it's a wild animal, it'll hide. And I'm in no shape to try.

 

[Jodel]

OP - I had a similar incident a few years ago when a 'well-behaved' dog ran straight in front of me at the last possible second. I was climbing a hill so going pretty slowly, but went over the bars and ended up with fractures to my wrist and elbow, but more seriously, compression fractures to my spine.

I'm in my '60's so don't bounce or heal as quickly as a younger person. I had a lot of discomfort for several months and lost over an inch of height as a result of the spinal injuries. That said, I did eventually recover and got back to cycling after about 1 year off. It was partly that incident which took me down the path toward ebikes as I don't have the leg power I used to have. I don't doubt that you'll be in some discomfort for a considerable time, but with luck you'll recover in time and get back on the bike - here's hoping!

flecc - love the pictures of the wildlife in your garden. We have foxes visiting regularly, but no badgers unfortunately. One year, we were able to watch several fox cubs playing and chasing each other round the garden - haven't seen so many this year

We had one handsome fox a few years ago and he's in the attached photo having a snooze at the top of the garden.

 

[flecc]

A badly injured badger isn't going to live for long in the wild. The RSPCA don't attend unless you know exactly where the inured animal is - I've tried calling before about injured animals. I did think about trying to locate it, but it's a large wooded area and because it's a wild animal, it'll hide. And I'm in no shape to try.

Best left. As you say like all injured wild animals it will prefer to hide and the shock of capture when they are already severely injured can kill them anyway.
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[I893469365902345609348566]

Was in hospital again, this time for a new tighter fitting plastic cast. The X-Ray technician had broken his foot aged 15 in a skateboarding accident, therefore it was easy to surprise him with my badger collision video, after which he was surprised enough (but not as suprised as I was by the badger) to break rules and allow me to snap my X-Rays (see below). He must have recognised a fellow elite sportsman!

I'm told the plate is made of titanium, which may or may not mean they'll have to remove it at some point (titanium can slow bone growth); pre-op, the surgeon said they might. It's also unclear at this present time, whether it imbues me with any additional superpowers. I'm always losing screws while repairing things - I was hoping it was made of steel, so that I could stick a magnet to it, to keep screws "Handy"

The X-Ray technician said the plate in his foot itches "In a relieving sort of way", in the cold.

BEWARE OF BADGERS!!!

 

[I893469365902345609348566]

This new plastic cast is extremely itchy... it's so bad sometimes that I have a stong urge to claw the damn thing off. Anyone have any (sensible) anti-itchiness tips?




p.s. BEWARE OF BADGERS LEAPING OUT IN FRONT OF YOUR BIKE!!!

 

[I893469365902345609348566]

OP - I had a similar incident a few years ago when a 'well-behaved' dog ran straight in front of me at the last possible second. I was climbing a hill so going pretty slowly, but went over the bars and ended up with fractures to my wrist and elbow, but more seriously, compression fractures to my spine.

I'm in my '60's so don't bounce or heal as quickly as a younger person. I had a lot of discomfort for several months and lost over an inch of height as a result of the spinal injuries. That said, I did eventually recover and got back to cycling after about 1 year off. It was partly that incident which took me down the path toward ebikes as I don't have the leg power I used to have. I don't doubt that you'll be in some discomfort for a considerable time, but with luck you'll recover in time and get back on the bike - here's hoping!

flecc - love the pictures of the wildlife in your garden. We have foxes visiting regularly, but no badgers unfortunately. One year, we were able to watch several fox cubs playing and chasing each other round the garden - haven't seen so many this year

We had one handsome fox a few years ago and he's in the attached photo having a snooze at the top of the garden.

View attachment 44784

Your accident sounds very nasty ideed! How did you get to hospital? I was driven home, them to hospital by a kind retired couple who noticed me on the side of the road. Their Volvo estate even had room for the bike. Many other drivers just swerved and drove by.

I still can't move my bike to assess or repair damage - I'll keep the battery topped up till this wrist heals, then decide what to do. Ebiking is addictive...

 

[Jodel]

Your accident sounds very nasty ideed! How did you get to hospital?

I had the good luck(?) to be knocked off my bike in the middle of town very near to a bicycle shop. A passer-by helped me get to my feet and I walked the bike round to the bike shop with her assistance with the intention of leaving it with them for safe keeping. I knew I would hurt a lot once the adrenaline wore off, so I was able to get a large people-carrier type taxi to take me and bike home. I was able to get changed and drive myself to A&E ( I have an automatic car). It was now beginning to really hurt and I was quite happy to take the cocodamol tablets offered by the hospital.

I needed to stay on the cocodamol for about a week to help control the pain. I still have some back pain now, but it is bearable.