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news
Martin Lewes (via Twitter).jpgInjured BBC journalist warns cyclists not to ride over temporary bridges following fall in Cumbria
A BBC Radio Cumbria journalist has warned cyclists not to ride over temporary bridges after sustaining severe injuries in a fall. Martin Lewes has been hospitalised for a week and will be unable to work for six to eight weeks after he attempted to cycle across a temporary bridge between Kirkby Lonsdale and Sedbergh on Wednesday February 3.
Lewes, from Sedbergh, told the Westmorland Gazette that he was riding to Barbon when he tried to cycle over the Bailey bridge in Middleton.
"I was coming along towards the bridge so I slowed down for the temporary traffic lights and I was next to another cyclist. As you approach the bridge to go up the fairly steep ramp there are flat bits of metal and between those are slots. The wheel went into the slot and I went over the handlebars."
The other cyclist came to his aid and he was given a lift to Sedbergh health centre by a motorist. There he discovered that he had sustained a broken nose and damaged vertebrae as well as facial cuts and bruises.
Lewes will have to wear a neck brace for six to eight weeks and will be unable to drive or work during that time.
"In a sensible world I should have stopped and thought: 'I'll walk over that'.
"If I hadn't been wearing a helmet I could have been a lot more badly hurt. It hurts quite a lot every now and again but most of the time I've been no more than uncomfortable.
"If I'm doing this for a particular reason it’s so cyclists do not do what I did and cycle over temporary bridges."
Cumbria has been suffering a number of road and bridge closures as a result of flooding. Detailed information is available on the Cumbria County Council website.
Sustrans has also reported significant damage to the National Cycle Network with dramatic pictures from December showing the impact of Storm Desmond as a bridge on the C2C route was destroyed.
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
Latest Comments
- Rome73 4 sec ago
'Meanwhile, the council says that the anti-cycle lane opponents’ suggested alternative route – through a nearby parkland – would mean a greater...
- Pub bike 1 hour 30 min ago
The owners of the private car park made reasonable attempts to contact Lime and ask them to remove the bikes that were fly-tipped on their property...
- Pub bike 1 hour 36 min ago
Could be for cyclists with congenitally long arms.
- mark1a 7 hours 18 min ago
I'll put you down as a no then.
- chrisonabike 9 hours 39 min ago
May need insurance, tax and a licence. No problem with the lights though.
- Hirsute 12 hours 26 min ago
If you can't see a %^$&ing large tractor what ^%$£"!*ing hope is there that you will see a cyclist ?...
- chrisonabike 12 hours 44 min ago
Well if you *can* interview the original riders at all surely they worked, at least?...
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Live: Car plunges over wall and lands on beach rocks...
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16 comments
There is firm guidance for using Diagram 966 signs, of which Cyclists Dismount is the deprecated option for 2 alternative forms in TSRGD Chapter 4 Advisory signs. It is the WRONG sign for this situation. the roads authotity should be using Diagram 532 - the generic hazard WARNING sign (Chapter 3) with a supplementary plate (Diagram 533) but we do lack a suitable approved text for this situation, which can arise for all temporary bridges, and some level crossings "Gaps in Road Panels - Hazard to Cycle & Pedestrian Traffic" (Dismount Advised) with a possible additional plate "Drivers - Yield to ALL Pedestrian & Cycle Traffic" (Temporary Road Surface)
Best wishes to Mr Lewes for a swift recovery.
I note that as far as his reported statements are concerned, he makes no excuses for his decision not to get off and walk his bike over the temporary bridge. To be honest I probably would have made the same decision.
It's a temporary structure and some of the above comments are simply crass.
so the bridge is obviously dangerous to cycle over (wet or dry) and even has signs telling cyclist not to ride on it, and he think that his warning will have more impact on cyclists than these two very significant clues?
Damaged vertebrae?
Must be rotational injury from the helmet.
No, not necessarily. He has a bust nose and scrapes so it looks like he went face first into the ground which would be a compression injury to his vertabrae.
Good thing he was wearing a moustache. If he hadn't been then he might have died. Please: always wear a moustache.
But always make sure it's appropriately certified. Why, unless your moustache has been certified by the Australian Facial Hair Association their police treat you as not wearing a moustache at all, and will fine you!
Looking at the picture on the Gazette website I'm a little confused. There are 'cyclists dismount' signs but it doesn't look like there's a footway, so how do these dismounted cyclists cross the river anyway?
You need a footway to be able to walk!! That's news to me.
No you don't, but in my experience the motorists can get a bit stroppy if you walk in the carriageway.
Poor bloke, hope he gets well soon. I'm not sure I'd have tried negotiating that bridge when it's wet but even when it's dry you'd have to take care to not get your wheel stuck. It's a temporary bridge, so you can't expect it to be as good as a permanent bridge (except for the infamous cheese-grater bridge round the rear of Bristol Temple Meads that's now been re-surfaced after years of casualties).
Glad the mustache came through unscathed. It's really quite magnificent.
Problem is, if you dismount, you're then a pedestrian and there desn't seem to be any safe provision for those. Obvious that those flats should be turned 90 degrees - who passed the risk assessment on this arrangement? Looks like they're metal too - slippy when wet ...
Looking at the the photo of the bridge I think common sense dictates you push over, the Cylists Dismount sign is also a bit of a clue
Cyclists dismount signs are advisory, not mandatory, I pretty much always ignore them.
"Cyclists Dismount" signs are often bafflingly used. Very rare for them to be put up in a situation where they actually make any sense