Crash

Speaking of bicycles, I took a tumble off mine yesterday.

I've had problems with punctures the last few weeks, so I've been taking the rear wheel on and off a fair bit. In course of this, I think I managed to loosen the rear axle nuts.

This put pressure on the axle, and caused the rear wheel to buckle slightly.

I thought I'd managed to tap it back into shape, and then tightened the axle nuts. A little too tight I think. Because when I cycled up to get the morning paper, travelling at some speed down the road, my back wheel suddenly locked and sent me spilling all over the tarmac.

I lay there for a minute just to make sure I was still alive before slowly getting to my feet.

It happened right in front of a bus, and facing the local secondary school. Thankfully the bus was empty of passengers so no-one sneered at me. The bus driver got off and helped me. It was drop-off time at the school and a sympathetic teenage girl picked up my now smashed rear light and batteries for me and fussed over me.

She offered me a lift home with her mum. When I looked in and saw an attractive brunette I was sorely tempted. But I declined as the mother remained mute and there was nowhere to put my bike in a black Audi sports car.

Maybe it was karma's way of telling me not to buy the Daily Mail. But I bought it anyway. Littlejohn's column was exceptionally offensive this week.

Raymond the newsagent was also sympathetic and offered to take the bike home in his van or lend me spanners. But I walked it the ten minutes up the road. It's in Halfords now. It's only six months old and still under warranty so I hope they repair it for free.

I've escaped with a skinned knee, a lump on my chin, and a sprained wrist. Lucky.