Cyclist Injured by wire across path

Flintshire County Councillor Dale Selvester said: “It saddens me to hear that a cyclist has recently been seriously injured due to the actions of others who may not have considered the impact of their behaviour.” ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Looking at the way that wire had been twisted together it’s perfectly clear that those responsible knew exactly what they were doing, and were perfectly aware of what the result would be.

That’s deliberate criminal behaviour. No excuse whatsoever.

Its a heavily used path. We used it going to and from Prestatyn last year back to Manchester. Really good route so someone was wanting to cause harm.

I know that path well and as above it's very popular with cyclists (and walkers) of all ages. Absolutely deliberate.

We caught some young scrotes setting up a wire a few years back on the final descent at Glyncorrwg. We didn't realise what they were doing at the time and we rode off after they started pelting us from above with sticks etc. Later on we met a guy in the café who had narrowly avoided being proper hurt. Police called in, I gave a statement. The cops called back later. They had worked out who it was and had visited the family home. Mum confronted the scrotes and then set to on them. Police had to intervene for the scrotes protection.

That's my regular commute, so a bit concerning! Where he got taken off is shortly after a long downslope from a footbridge over the A494, so plenty of people going quick there. Busy too as its behind a huge industrial zone.

Would this count as attempted murder?

It's setting a trap to slice someone's neck ffs.

Hate reading about incidents like this, especially when it's quite feasible I might ride there one day, given I have family just up the road! I hope the cretins are caught and ordered to cycle at speed into their own lethal device.

A mate got taken out on a quiet rural road recently by something similar in the middle of his hectic 24hr race training schedule. Broken ribs and nasty bruises and scrapes but amazingly nothing worse (he was wearing a helmet 😉 ) He's out there doing 300km night rides again so recovered pretty quickly

Hiya,

Seems pretty symptomatic of the anti cycling brigade. Seen wire in the past, logs across trails in Hawley where I used to live. Here we have brambles deliberately pulled across trails and I actually have been deliberately knocked off my bike on a trail by a farm vehice and threatened by three guys to not come back.
Just a lot of embittered angry people out there...
I have a camera now for this reason because the police couldn't prosecute the assault from insufficient evidence.

JeZ

A North Wales Police spokesperson said: “We were called to an incident along a cycle path on Shotwick Road, Deeside Industrial Park shortly after 4pm yesterday (Tuesday 21, February) following reports a cyclist had fallen from their bike as a result of a piece of wire that had been placed along the path.” ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Why can not just put the ****ing emphasis on it that it deserves. That makes it sound pathetic, whereas what actually happened is someone did something deliberately knowing that it could seriously hurt someone.

Why can not just put the **** emphasis on it that it deserves.

Going off on a tangent from a horrible subject, but here's an illuminating article on the "past exonerative tense" so often used by the police: https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/an-interactive-guide-to-ambiguous-grammar

what actually happened is someone did something deliberately knowing that it could seriously hurt someone.

I do genuinely wonder whether these people fully realise the potential consequences of their actions. That their thinking is, "bloody cyclists, this will stop them" rather than "bloody cyclists, this will kill them."

Then I read comments from people gloating after a cyclist has been left-hooked or similar and realise, the sad truth is that they probably do.

It's easy to understand why non-cyclists dislike cyclists. Dickheads on bikes are free with Tiger Tokens, *I* dislike cyclists. One little pillock road past my front window not an hour ago, down the centre white line, no hands, up on one wheel. No road sense, no respect for others, no helmet presumably because its purpose is to protect brains. What I don't understand is the venomous hatred that drives otherwise rational people to actually trying to seriously maim them or worse.

One little pillock road past my front window not an hour ago, down the centre white line, no hands, up on one wheel.

Pretty impressive skillz though.
Was it Danny?

I've just gone back and read the comments on the North Wales Live page where I first saw this. 27 comments, only one of which was apparently negative enough to be removed. I wonder if it would attract the same sympathy if it were in the Daily Mail.

Pretty impressive skillz though.

Got to confess, my first thought was "I wish I could do that."

Still a **** though. I'd have happily shoved an umbrella through his spokes before bludgeoning him to death with the curved end. (Except I wouldn't, not really, which was my point.)

Still a **** though.

Why? Was the road otherwise in use?

TBH this sort of hatred wouldn't be acceptable against any other 'group' of people be that because of age, gender, race. Something very wrong with the way people think. Perfectly acceptable to be abusive and dismissive towards some people that ride a bike, but they'd never say/do stuff like that to say a person of different sexual persuasion.

This is disgusting.
3 times I've been in threatening situations with car drivers while cycling to work (this was many years ago now). One was a taxi driver who got out of his vehicle with 3 burly passengers and threatened me. Second was a car driver when I was signalling right, using the correct procedure, who went ballistic (in front of small school children), the third was another car driver who got out at some traffic lights ready to wallop me because I'd dared to cycle in the centre of a narrowed bit of road (not enough room for him and me), but he was trying to mow me down from behind. I'm 8st and 5' 4", what do these murderous idiots want to achieve by trying to get us off the road and in the case of the wire, off the path?

Fed up with this now as I saw yet another driver yesterday trying to run two cycling people off the road.

TBH this sort of hatred wouldn’t be acceptable against any other ‘group’ of people be that because of age, gender, race.

Shouldn't be acceptable to any individual, never mind a group.

but they’d never say/do stuff like that to say a person of different sexual persuasion.

I supect there's a good Venn correlation.

One little pillock road past my front window not an hour ago, down the centre white line, no hands, up on one wheel. No road sense, no respect for others, no helmet presumably

Several hundred car drivers has passed my house today and not one has respected the 30kmh speed limit. A few were on the phone, some typing, some playing with the infotainment. FFS, Cougar that kid was putting no-one in danger apart from himself - in your opinion - I suggest he was probably more in control than you are riding your bike with two hands and was likely to land on his feet in the case of a fall whereas you'd probably land on your head.

I'll wager it was more likely dog walkers than kids

Why? Was the road otherwise in use?

Well, it's near a bridge so there might have been activity underneath it I suppose.

FFS, Cougar that kid was putting no-one in danger apart from himself – in your opinion

He came steaming round the corner on the wrong side of the road, then popped a manual as he straightened up. It's a fairly congested residential street with parked vehicles all down the opposing side to the direction in which he was riding, at best he shouldn't have been so far over when there was the entire regular other half of the street to go at. I appreciate that this is previously undisclosed information, but I didn't think I'd have to further contextualise "unicycling no-hands down the centre of a two-way road" on a bloody cycling forum of all places.

If I'd driven down the middle of the road in a car using half of my available wheels and none of my available hands, would you be equally defensive because I wasn't putting anyone else in danger?

I suggest he was probably more in control than you are riding your bike with two hands and was likely to land on his feet in the case of a fall whereas you’d probably land on your head.

I don't disagree, I'm a pretty shit cyclist. But that's far from the point. The point was one of perception, this is what people see and then it becomes confirmation bias.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-64750776.amp

Another one at Cannock Chase. ☹️

If I’d driven down the middle of the road in a car using half of my available wheels and none of my available hands, would you be equally defensive because I wasn’t putting anyone else in danger?

Not remotely comparable.

The point was one of perception, this is what people see and then it becomes confirmation bias.

And I'd say your perception is wrong. That said, it does somewhat support your case but in any event I'd say you should really know better.

So a person gets injured and the thread descends into bickering yet again.
I generally enjoy STW, possibly because I have learnt to avoid the cantankerous threads but I have failed here.

Scares the beejeesus out of me does this. In my head I can only see full decapitation if you hit one of these wires at speed. Maybe my imagination runs a bit wild but this could kill couldn't it?

Yup, given the right conditions I reckon that it could kill.

And I’d say your perception is wrong.

And I’d say it isn’t. It’s stupid behaviour on a fairly congested urban street where at any time another vehicle can suddenly appear, which would likely cause the cyclist to lose control and could then be involved in a collision. Many years ago I was riding no-handed along a very similar road and suddenly a loud voice behind me told me to put both hands on the handlebars! That caused me to wobble and nearly come off - it was a copper in a police car using the loudspeaker.
Are you going to suggest that I was right and the police officer was wrong, for pointing out that I was not in control of a bike on a public highway?

Not remotely comparable.

It's entirely comparable because

The point was one of perception, this is what people see and then it becomes confirmation bias.

And I’d say your perception is wrong.

I'm not talking about my perception. You've latched on to entirely the least important part of my post, it was a throwaway example.

Another one at Cannock Chase. ☹️

"The rusty wire had been tied within Brocton Coppice on a trail often used by thrill-seeking cyclists, walkers and wildlife-enthusiasts."

Not regular cyclists then, just the thrill-seeking ones. Probably serves them right, coming down here disturbing all the normal people.

FFS.

“The rusty wire had been tied within Brocton Coppice on a trail often used by thrill-seeking cyclists, bearded walkers and anorak-wearing wildlife-enthusiasts.”

Hmmm… why do only the cyclists get adjectivised?

It’s entirely comparable because

No it's not. The potential outcomes are entirely different for getting it wrong, hence why there are so many laws around driving.

another vehicle can suddenly appear, which would likely cause the cyclist to lose control

Cars don't just suddenly appear out of thin air just like cyclists don't come out of nowhere. You already said there might be work under some bridge but I presume that means the road was otherwise empty as per my original enquiry. So what's the problem?

Are you going to suggest that I was right and the police officer was wrong, for pointing out that I was not in control of a bike on a public highway?

If you're that incapable of maintaining control without holding the bars then you were definitely in the wrong. I'd hazard a guess your no-hands manualler has more control than you give them credit for.

I’m not talking about my perception.

But you are, your perception of the rider is EXACTLY what prompted my initial reply. Your perception is coming from a position of ignorance, no better than some red sock moaning about "out of control" riders on a trail. You were the one pulling out prejorative language that could have been lifted word for word from some anti-cyclist letter to the editor justifying the bullshit that started the topic in the first place! What effect did the kid have on your day beyond having the misfortune of riding past your window?

A decent wedge of the UK population probably read this and secretely think "good."

I heard they used do this (maybe still do?) in Brazil; chicken wire tied at neck height to basically bring down motorcyclists in order to steal their bikes. You could buy these things to put on the front of your bike to which would cut the wire if you ran into one.

Just imagine instead someone had put a chain across a country road in order to cause damage to "motorists".