'Head-on' bicycle collision fail leaves battered riders with bruised egos

It's not a statistic that dominates the country's dire road accident figures but a head-on collision between cyclists proved to be a painful experience for two men in the Eastern Cape.

The men were approaching each other from opposite ends of a storm water gully on the side of the N2 near East London. Neither shifted their resolve to make way for the other and an apparent game of chicken ended up with both on their backs on Wednesday. 

Now they are making a late charge, judging by some of the comments on social media, for biggest bicycle fail of 2019 after Marelize Horn had everyone sighing “my f*k Marelize” after colliding with a rugby post in Windhoek.

“The accident occurred on Wednesday around 5pm along the N2 road in the farming areas near East London,” said Eastern Cape transport spokesperson Unathi Binqose. “They were riding in opposite directions, one must have failed to make way for the other resulting in this bizarre collision.”

The transport department said in a Facebook post that the cyclists had walked away from the incident with only “minor injuries, sore bodies and bruised egos”. 

Their bikes seem to have sustained the bulk of the damage, with the frames bent out of shape.

Facebook was atwitter with comments about the accident.

“Hope and praying their bike insurances will cover the claim, and by the looks of it the other one is beyond repair,” said Facebook user Percival Tivani Mgiba.

Phindile Mabusela questioned whether the Road Accident Fund would cover them, and whether they were perhaps under the influence at the time. 

“Does Road Accident Fund do payouts for bicycle collisions?” she asked. “Next time don't drink and peddle, be safe guys.”

Wanda Steyn had more compassion than many observers.

“I don't find this funny at all, shame this is their way to work and back home,” she wrote.  “And something (sic) like this that happens is sad. That was there only way to work so they don't need to walk so far. Look at the one bicycle wheel. I see these men every morning riding when I am on my way to work I will stop tomorrow and help them to get there bikes fixed or get them new once (sic).”