Cycling makes you laugh

There are many occasions over the last two and a half years that I have had to smile at something I have either seen whilst cycling or has happened to me.

Take for instance the morning I saw a chap driving on the A52 in Nottingham with the Sun Newspaper on his steering wheel and the Dustbin man (refuge engineer I think they are referred to as now) reading porn he had obviously found in the rubbish that morning.  I have had races with people, people who have battered me so badly I have had to laugh.

However, nothing has been as funny as what happened this weekend.  My wife has recently signed up to take part in the Great Notts Bike ride in July and whilst fit is not that confident on a bike. She is a runner really and only just getting into cycling.  Anyway, she asked me to take her out after work on Saturday to teach her how and when to change gears properly and so I happily agreed.

That day I had been to work so by the time I arrived home had already completed 36 miles commuting for the day.  None the less I still felt quite fresh, I picked her up and we set off.  Just as you leave our estate you cross over an old railway bridge.  My wife went on the cycletrack/pavement and I as normal was on the road.  As I started to come down the slope on the other side I was talking to my wife accross the road as well as keeping a keen eye on the car pulling up to a junction at the bottom of the hill to my left.  At no time however was I watching the road!

As I come near a grassy section towards the bottom of the hill travelling about 25 miles an hour I realise my wheel is in a rut at the side of the road and I am running out of room to get back on the road.  I apply my breaks and turn, this is where the fun starts!!

My wheel slips on the wet tarmac and onto the grass verge, causing my bike (and me as I am still attached via the cleats) to complete a full 360 spin (360 I mean head over heals rather than sideways) and land smack the back wheel with a crash, flip and wallop.

There are a couple of things that make this such a funny crash.  One it took place on grass so I was not hurt and neither was the bike, secondly I was supposed to be teaching my wife some cycle skills and road safety tips (she is a little nervous in traffic) and finally there was a couple stood at their front gate on 10 yards away who now have a fantastic story to tell at their next dinner party.

Note to self - when falling off always find a grassy patch first!