Letter: Crash during pleasant ride

There have been several letters complaining about the wrongs of cyclists so I would like to redress the balance a bit.

I was riding along the Downs Link on my bike at a nice steady pace enjoying the sun and birds singing.

I was approaching a couple walking their dog. A man was about five yards further ahead bending down fussing over his dog. I rang my bell to warn them of my presence to which they acknowledged, I thanked them for moving over.

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The other man was just ahead on the left side of the track. I moved over towards the right side of the track and just as I was passing him a small scottie dog jumped straight from behind him and out under my front wheel.

Even that I was only going 6/7 miles an hour I did not have time to brake. I fell and hit the ground hard.

The man leapt up and started hollering and shouting at me about running down his dog. The lady I had just past immediately challenged him, informing him that it was his dog that had jumped out under my wheel and it was not my fault and had no chance to avoid the dog.

She strongly stressed it was his dog that caused me to crash. He then did apologise although he was only concerned about his dog, not me! I was still on the ground with nasty bleeding grazes to my knee and elbow and feeling very sore. I continued on a short distance to Southwater Park and the staff in the cafe helped me to clean up my wounds.I later attended the Horsham Minor Injury Clinic to get checked out and bandaged up. The following day I was aching a lot and a bit stiff.

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I would just like to say thank you to one inconsiderate dog owner and ask him to keep proper control of his dog in future. It was unfortunate that I did not check my mobile phone until the next day when I found the screen had been damaged.Thanks again.

Norman Saxby

Treadcroft Drive, Horsham