Hit by a Car!

So Thursday night I was riding home when, at the bottom of a big long hill, I passed a bus at a stop so I decided to race it home. I made it about 3/4 of the way up before it overtook me and about a minute from home it got caught at a red light, I checked left, I checked right, there was nothing coming, I could run the light and beat the machine...

...I went through the crossroad with a bit of caution then got my sprint on, about 25 meters later I spotted a car parked on my left indicate, I was close enough and going plenty fast enough to just glide past him before he pulled out then he pulled off as fast as lightening into a u-turn, I made every effort to swerve around him, I even almost managed it, but he hit me and threw me through the air like a rag doll. Thanks to the brand new "Google Street Gif" technology the whole thing was caught on 'video'...


Note: it was actually dark as it was about 22:30

...He got out, I got up off the ground and checked my bike, it was fine, phew! I checked myself, just my finger was cut, phew! Nobody was completely to blame, he obviously didn't "look, look and look again" and I (very very stupidly) had forgotten to re-attach my lights after spraying my frame last week. He apologised and was pretty shook up, personally I wasn't too bothered cause after 15 years of skateboarding falling over and hurting myself is nothing new. We agreed that I should have had lights, this was literally only the second time I have ridden at night without them, I know how bloody stupid it is but I'm the 3rd person this year I know of that has been hit by a u-turner so it MUST have been partly his fault too, innit.

All I could really think about was that fucking bus. So smug as it cruised past the bruised and battered cycle hero. I twisted my bars back into place, clipped myself in and took up the chase. No sign of him on the remainder of Llangyfelach Rd, I turned right onto Rheidol Avenue, "Welcome to Clase", this is MY hood, no bus is gonna beat me off in MY hood. I see him up ahead, waiting, revving, and then, he, pulls, off. I dig in, by the hill I am on his wheel, neck and neck, 'take him' I hear myself think, I could have, I should have, but I take it easy and wait until after the roundabout to shut him down. Man 2 Machine 0.

So, in summary, I got hit by a car and I thought I was fine but my shoulder and hip are pretty hurty, also my knee and ankle have been aching a lot and I have a scab on my knuckle which is pretty uncomfortable but it could have been a lot worse.