By Sam Coles:
There times where you can get put off cycling with close shaves, but what I say is learn from it and get back on the bike.
There was one encounter that I had just over a year ago when riding home at night it was around 11:00 and it was a rainy night. Coming off the Portway and nearing my home a car came out of no where and stuck me. The thoughts going through my head as I flew through the air with the bike still attach were, is this it for me? Fortunately I had time to react and managed to unclip myself from bike while still in the air and landed in a better position. The driver fled the scene, but I was lying there thinking that was a lucky escape until I felt blood running down my face, but I thought nothing of it as it was cosmetic in terms of damage.
I picked up my bike and put it on my shoulder and then proceeded to walk home as I felt the warmth of blood running down my face mix with the cool nature of rain which balanced it out in a way. I got home and I started to clean and dress my wounds, my Father was half awake and saw what happened and began to examine my injury as he is a Doctor, fortunately my injuries were cosmetic and I got way with it. When my wound was cleaned and dressed I went to bed, but I didn't sleep as I was wide awake with the events that had unfolded that evening, I was thinking about the worst scenario, but then I eventually fell asleep.
The next morning I woke, I had a headache as if a jackhammer was going at my brain, I walked to the mirror and had a look, I looked like Frankenstein's monster where my head came out so far. I barely left my room that day only to get more coffee or to feed myself, besides that I didn't want to leave the house.
The day after the headache had gone and the swelling had gone down I felt much better, I got back on the bike and covered what could of my wound with my shades to not scare people or to stop them from asking questions about it. Just one day of rest I completely forgot about the incident and carried on as normal. I still have the scar of that day but it's not put me off cycling.
Moral of this story is that don't let things like this put off from getting on the bike or getting back on, it just be careful and never give up.
