Cyclist's warning after Quainton pothole causes injuries

Lee Shiel was training on his bike up in Quainton, before hiting a relatively innocuous pothole, that made him fall off his bike and “bounce” across the road infront of a line of traffic. He says it is lucky he wasn’t killed.

He was taken to A&E with soft tissue damage on his hands, arm, thigh, leg, ankle and and badly injured elbow. Fortunately, an x-ray revealed it was not broken.

Lee said: “Obviously, Bucks has a bit problem with the state of the roads, and as a car driver, motorcyclist, and amateur triathlete, I’m constantly on the lookout for road defects, and on this occasion I could not avoid an accident.

“I work as a pianist, and feel lucky that my hands weren’t badly damaged, and a few motorists were very kind to stop. One of them was kind enough to assist getting me home with my bike, and my landlord took me to A&E.”

Lee’s bike has been 
damaged, with a repair 
estimate at £750, his helmet was also broken.

He added: “I have been in a lot of discomfort since, I’ve had to take some time off work.

“Luckily, my helmet saved me from more serious injury, and I hope the council will sort this serious problem, for the sake of all road users, 
especially the vulnerable ones.”

Lee reported the pothole, which is in Lady Mews Farm, and filled in the council’s form - giving them details of what happened - but he has not received a response.

And he said that he feels that because potholes are such a big problem in Bucks - he is unlikely to hear anything.

He said: “It has to be sorted, if you think about the more vulnerable road users like cyclists and motorcyclists, the roads are pretty bad, it’s not good at all and you can’t avoid it.

“I appreciate that local governments are under a lot of pressure to deliver services because of cuts, but safety of Buckinghamshire’s residents must be paramount now.”

Just last week, a cyclist broke his jaw and fractured his spine after hitting a pothole.

Simon Moss, 44, lost four teeth and fractured his spine in the crash in Stony Stratford in the North of the County.

Have you been affected by potholes? editorial@
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