PTW

As most of you know, Les, Curtis and Dan were knocked off this morning by a driver ploughing into the back of the 9.30 ride at Margam dual.

An update on injuries - Les has broken his fibula and Curtis is badly bruised. Spoken to Les who is gutted that his training plan is now out the window but thankful that everyone walked (limped) away from the crash.

As we know in this club, it could have been sooo much worse.

Think we really need to rethink our Saturday morning routes sometimes, I'll give my thoughts a bit later.

hi guys,
just for you all to know im ok and got a nice bruise on my arse. But apart from that im feeling quite good.
guttin about les, breaking his leg and all but i think we're all just happy to get off as we did.
thanks for all the care shown toward me by the half nine crew.
(and thanx for ringing Pip. im ok ta, how bout yourself?)

as it goes now, i should see you next week, if i have a bike that is. But like dave just said , on these mornings the route should be altered or changed in a few ways or whatever.

over and out, orite

Glad your ok Curtis, i,ll ring you back this evening, , spoken to Les as well, his training plan may be out the window for know ,but i,ll know he will (was going to say bounce back) be back with a vengeance.

Could have been much worse this morning though Les not so lucky.
Curt will be O.K. but his bike not.
Thanks for your concern.
Mark

Hey Les, sorry to hear about your leg mate.
I know its of little consolation but be thankful that its "only" your leg, it could have been so much worse!
Glad everyone else are relatively unscathed.

As I'd already stated, apart from Curtis and Les, glad that everyone else was alright .

the 10.30 ride passed Margam roundabout with young Daniel and Dad with pick-up vehicle. Was there a problem Daniel ? You alright ?

Hi Guys,
Just spoken to Dan Pearson who is ok and so is his dad Alex. Seems like the club was fortunate in that we've only got two casualties.

Thanks for all the support and well wishes. Its all much appreciated but has anyone got any cycling DVDS or books I can read as sitting down for 4 weeks is going to drive me nuts .

Frankly i'm gutted but a broken leg hurts like FCUK so I guess I'll have to rest for a few weeks.

This kind of messes up my plan for world domination. But I'm talking to Lance Armstrong's medical team and I'm sure we can put together a revised training programme. They have made the comment that the Tour de France is now doubtful this year which has come as a bit of a shock (Les are you sure you weren't hit on the head).

One benefit though is Sandra Stacey (Curtis' Mum) brought me over this awesome chocolate cake. two Questions

MARK, CURTIS HOW ARE YOU BOTH SO THIN??
SANDRA WHY DOES IT TAKE A TRIP IN AN AMBULANCE FOR YOU TO PROVIDE SUCH A DELIGHTFUL PIECE OF CONFECTIONARY?

Finally Guys seeing as I'll have nothing else to do for the next few weeks Club Subs are due in January So can you all get the subscriptions and forms to me ASAP so that when I can get on a bike again I don't have to be doing secretary duties.

Hello Les,

That's a bit of bad luck, glad I didn't try and join you!

If you want, I have a turbo trainer you can borrow when you're able

Hi Les,
Sorry to hear about you leg. Just goes to show how adrenalin can mask more serious injuries than first appears at the time.

The other thing I thought about afterwards was that we only decided at the last minute which route to take. So on the "flip of a coin" things could have been different. Fate is a funny thing. (or not so funny iin this case)


In my opinion the guy in the car was driving without due care and attention, but I'd agree with some of the comments above. On bright days like this morning, at this time of year, the sun is always going to be low and at the far end of the duel carrigeway, so perhaps we should consider that when we set off from the Plaza, especially on the 09:30 ride.

Glad to hear that Curtis is OK ish, but I saw his bike and it's a write off.

Hey Curtis, once the bumps & bruises go, I can lend you a Thorn Audax bike, 57cm steel frame, (you can raise the seat) as a last resort. It's not a Colnago, but the extra weight will give a good training effect.

Nige.

heya les. i do struggle to keep thin with the 1000 calorie slices of cake but i get by. and ill be shore my mum gives you cake abit more regulary.
as for that bike you nicely offered for me nigel, many thats for the consideration, but as it goes id already ordered a knew big two weeks ago and could come anyday now.
thanx anyway if its late ill make sure ill take you up on that offer tho thanx.
and as for dan, its good to know he got off ok.
as for the rest of you ill see you on the club run tomorro(NOT ) maybe next week.

curtis

Sent a shiver down my spine when I read this today.....

glad there are no serious injuries and everyone is OK ........ as already mentioned it could have been so much worse

Les don't eat too much chocolate cake ........

Phil & Louise

andrewjoseph wrote

Hello Les,

That's a bit of bad luck, glad I didn't try and join you!

If you want, I have a turbo trainer you can borrow when you're able

Thanks Andrew but have a turbo trainer and will be talking to the fracture clinic on friday to discuss ways in which I could use it sooner rather than later.

My request still stands for cycling videos . dvds books etc. so if there any out there I could do with some

I've got a few mtb dvd's, Armstrongs 7 Tours, Cav's book 'boy racer', the chris hoy story, Anne Mustoe's book of her first trip.

I suspect you already have many of these.

I apologise for not remembering some of the proper titles, but I put my back out yesterday and don't feel like getting off the sofa at the moment.

hope you guys have s speedy recovery !

Les
Good to see you have still got your sense of humour.
Rhys phoned me in work and sounded really shaken up. Its not a nice sight to see a number of friends lying on the road with a car and cycle wreckage everywhere.
I have spoken to Curtis and he sounds ok.
I will pop up and see you in the week. I cant do chocalate cake sorry. But the lads in work have plenty of books with pictures in. Theres no bikes, but lots of nice looking things you would like to ride!!!!! They said you can have as many as you want.
Dave

Its always sad when theres any sort of accident but ones that involve cars are disastrous. We are like one big family and therefore feel like its one of your brothers or sister whos been hurt. I'm glad to read Les and curtis planning on returning to their cycling. Les gutted about your leg. I'm sorting DVD's out. Little John just popped in. He wants to know can you claim sickness money while off work or do you want us to have a whip around. Curtis, I'd lend you my bike but its designed for short arsed people like me. Take care lads

Thanks for the thoughts Guys but I should be OK Financially, just need the dvds and books to stop my head going pop.

The Books I've read to date are
Lance Armstrong its not about the Bike
Chris Hoy
Cav boy racer, Pantani. Robert Millar

Any others would be very welcome and I do not have any DVDs

Les
Haven't got any chocolate cake, nor cycling dvd / videos, but
I have .... err umm, I know somebody who has .. loads of top shelf mags ..... or should it be ....

Les Thomas wrote

andrewjoseph wrote

Hello Les,

That's a bit of bad luck, glad I didn't try and join you!

If you want, I have a turbo trainer you can borrow when you're able

Thanks Andrew but have a turbo trainer and will be talking to the fracture clinic on friday to discuss ways in which I could use it sooner rather than later.

My request still stands for cycling videos . dvds books etc. so if there any out there I could do with some

This err....ummm... mate of yours wouldn't be recently MARRIED WITH NO FURTHER NEED FOR SUCH VISUAL STIMULATION would he....

Les, you have just read half the collection of books i was going to bring down to you, never mind i,ll dig some more out and pop down on Wednesday evening if that,s o.k. The books Chips has must be "manuals"of some sort!. Hope everything else is o.k. ,spoke to Curtis this morning and he is sore but otherwise all right

Glad everyone is ok and Les can still have a laugh! I've got 2003 & 2004 Tours on DVD, also Road to Paris, (guaranteed to make you want to rip up the road!). Text me your address and I'll bring them round.

We were all very lucky yesterday and I would like to think we should learn some lessons from what occurred. Without taking any blame away from the driver, we have to accept that by riding east into low lying sun we were asking for trouble. We can argue about our rights to use the roads but it's not much consiliation being right when you're lying in some hospital or worse.

We have a tendency to stick to set routes religiously and I would say that this attitude has to change. The club captain or vice captain on the day should carry out an informal risk assessment bearing in mind the dangers we have witnessed and make a call on the route. Yesterday it was suggested we go up the Bwlch and in hindsight that was probably the right thing to do, but routine and habit won the day.

I'm not suggesting a change in the rules, just that the captains exercise their responsibility to their club mates on the day in order that the chances of this incident repeating itself are minimised. Twice is two times to many in my opinion, let's take some responisbility and be safe out there.

Shocking news

It sounds an horrendous incident (and an unwelcome reminder of two such similar incidents that's happened to our clubmates) but it could have been so very much worse so I'm glad to know that you are both in good spirits and I hope you both heal well and get over the mental scars too!

Les - I'll call in with some books and DVD's asap. Please do not hesitate to dump any 'club secretary' stuff into my lap although in this age of laptops you're probably OK and catching up!

pip wrote

Les, The books Chips has must be "manuals"of some sort!.

Yes the Beano

On behalf of everybody at Cardiff Ajax I would like to say how sorry I am to hear of the unfortunate incident that occured on your club ride yesterday. When an accident like this happens it brings home how vulnerable we all are on the roads today. Best wishes for a speedy recovery to those involved.
Very best regards and chapeau to you all.

Read the heading last night and feared the worst.
Anne and I are so glad all of you are ok.

Think of the leg injury as enforced rest Les.
Eat heartily over Christmas to give the rest of us a chance to catch up.

Agree with Dave's comments, particuarly at this time of year with the low level of the sun.
It has been the cause of another very serious incident, thankfully with everyone ok.