Honister crash -- Lakes Road Club

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Date Posted: 11:23:39 05/08/06 Mon
Author: Alistair Hodge
Subject: Honister crash

I was immediately behind yesterday's worst crash on Honister descent. I saw the whole thing unfold as the cyclist in front of me ran closer and closer to the drystone wall on the left. As they failed to turn quickly enough I could only watch as the inevitable collision took place right in front of me.
It looked � and was � horrific for the cyclist concerned and I send my very best wishes for a complete recovery.
I'll preserve their anonymity in these comments. And I do hope the cyclist in question doesn't mind me posting this for all to read (nor disagree with my assessment of what happened!!).
I would not want to presume to speak for them, but because I think the accident was really quite serious and might possibly be seen to have implications for the event's organisation in the future, I think it is right to post my comments about what I saw.
It was a bad crash by any standards. Slamming into a drystone wall and dislodging huge stone with your body makes you shiver just to think about it.
Was Honister to blame? I don't think so.
I do not believe that speed was the problem in this case. I was not descending particularly quickly and, if anthing, the cyclist who crashed was going more slowly than I. Nor was the road surface at that point to blame. No other traffic was nearby at the time (thankfully there was a short gap before the next cyclists and cars came down the hill, or the outcome could have been far worse). The wet or slippery conditions were not significant factors either.
Instead, I noticed quite early that the cyclist's left shoe had come out of the cleat and this seemed to cause a loss of control going into the corner, which meant they weren't able to turn fast enough to make it around. Simple and quick as that.
I stopped to help, and was by the roadside for about 25 minutes until the paramedic had done what he could. I lifted the cyclist and the bike to the side of the road and just felt pretty useless to help in any very meaningful way. Perhaps a few First Aid lessons might be in order over the winter.
A couple of others stopped to help, and while they took care of the injured cyclist I turned my attention to trying to summon help and to slow down the oncoming traffic. Apart from one bus driver, who seemed totally oblivious to several people's attempts to slow him down (I later saw the same bus coming back up the hill with similar lack of care and with dreadful road positioning. It was a brown private bus from Edinburgh(?) � you know who you are!!), every cyclist and car driver either slowed down completely or offered to stop and help.
It was my first Fred Whitton, and actually my first journey of any sorts over Honister. Yes, it was a bit steep and perhaps slippery in the wet. Perhaps some more prominent warning signs would have helped. Perhaps a more strongly worded word of caution in the Fred Whitton guidebook. But taken at an appropriate speed I don't think it was unduly dangerous. The cyclist who crashed was actually riding at a safe and moderate pace and with what seemed to be plenty of care up to the point of losing control.. Visibility down Honister was good enough to give adequate warning of vehicles (I found Hardknott and Wrynose descents far steeper and harder to negotiate.)
For what it's worth I don't believe the crash I saw had much to do with Honister at all. It came down to a very untimely and hugely unfortunate loss of control on a corner. It was an accident that could have happened on almost any medium- to high-speed corner on any downhill stretch of road. Obviously it was made much worse by there being a wall rather than a soft verge or hedge, but I do not believe Honister itself was to blame.
What should be learnt from all this? With no mobile reception at all, I couldn't summon help by that means. The paramedic on Honister was otherwise engaged with another crash up the hill and it therefore took some time for him to attend. We had to ask passing cars to drive to the summit and Buttermere for help, but it was difficult to convey the seriousness of this particular crash. Would radios not be a good idea, with a marshal or two on the steepest descents? I for one would be happy to pay a bit more on the entry fee to cover the cost. And to have instant communication to summon appropriate help would be much better than the delay I witnessed yesterday.
I have experience of other sporting events where the medical services (paramedics, ambulances on hand etc.) seemed more impressively organised and marshalled than they were yesterday. I know it's a very long route to patrol, but surely that just makes it more important to get lots of good communication and support where it matters.
I was doing the FWC in a group with three other riders (ironically all of them doctors, apart from me!). They were all in front of me at the time of the crash and they carried on to Buttermere oblivious to what had happened behind them. I eventually rode down to Buttermere to make sure an ambulance was on its way. After all this I nearly quit the ride, but the group persuaded me to carry on to finish it (thanks, lads). I certainly took the other descents with a good bit more circumspection and care.

I ride a motorbike as well (1100cc, capable, they say, of 180mph). Yet I feel more vulnerable on a road bike with race tyres (at 115psi each has a contact patch about the size of a pea!!), rubbish brakes, no protective gear except for a flimsy helmet and shorts and racing jersey! For my money (fast) road cycling is a pretty dangerous activity, certainly in terms of injury, and particularly when you're tired, when the rain's slamming in to your eyes, when the road surface is all broken up and covered in gravel, when cars give you no room, and when one slip (like yesterday) can lead to a pretty horrific crash.
So will I stop road cycling? Not a chance!
Will I take more care on hills? I'll probably practise at taking them as safely as possible � more anticipation, reading the road well in advance etc., rather than taking them any more slowly than I do now.
Will I do the FWC again. You bet!
In the meantime all my thoughts are with that cyclist still in hospital in Carlisle.

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Replies:

Re: Honister crash -- mark richardson, 03:57:30 05/09/06 Tue
Re: Honister crash -- Andy Cole, 02:41:19 05/15/06 Mon
- Re: Honister crash -- sean, 03:59:21 05/15/06 Mon
  - Re: Honister crash -- Tom, 05:39:22 05/15/06 Mon