Potholes cause more misery!

A man has been injured following an accident whereby his tandem bike hit a pot-hole and he was thrown from the bike and dislocated his shoulder.

The bicycle shop owner was cycling with his partner when the wheel of his tandem bike got stuck in a rut left by repair work.  His partner escaped with cuts and bruises but was in shock following the accident.  The man was taken to hospital with a shoulder injury and was off work for a number of weeks whilst his injury healed.

The man is angry that the councils aren’t doing enough to ensure roads are fit for purpose for cyclists.  The accident actually happened on a road which is a part of the National Cycle Network, according to the transport group Sustrans, and therefore should be safe for cyclists to use.

He said: “Although we were not travelling at a great speed the wheels got caught in a rut the width of the tyre, unbalancing the bike and throwing me through the air.”

“Often cyclists are perceived as inferior road users, with many car drivers under the illusion that because they pay car tax, this somehow makes cyclists less worthy of using the roads. With the increase of cyclists on the roads this year because of the Tour de France, there are more inexperienced riders out and about, creating a ‘them and us’ mentality on our already busy rural roads.

“We all have a right to use the roads and cyclists must continue to actively pursue the right to be safe while riding for the benefit of all.”

The injured man had previously alerted his County Council to the state of some of the roads, out of concern for other cyclists, but no action was taken.

Potholes are a source of great annoyance for cyclists and can be extremely dangerous if travelling at speed or in busy traffic.  Councils have a duty to ensure road surfaces are safe for ALL road users to use.