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'Police' scold cyclist riding with pet cat in basket for not wearing a helmet after moped rider knocks them off (@sigirides/Twitter)'Police' scold cyclist riding with pet cat in basket for not wearing a helmet after moped rider knocks them off bike
Footage of a cyclist in London, riding with their pet cat in the bike's basket, has gone viral online, the video showing the moment the pair were knocked off their bike by a moped rider, only for advice from a police officer pulling up at the scene in an unmarked car with blue lights flashing recommending the cyclist wears a helmet.
Travis Nelson and his feline passenger Sigrid, a deaf Norwegian Forest cat, have become something of an internet sensation, the Londoner sharing videos of the pair exploring the English capital by bike. Travis has been a guest on the road.cc Podcast, the double-act having more than 150,000 followers on Instagram and more than 21 million likes on TikTok.
> Meet Travis the human and Sigrid the cat, the viral sensations who have just switched to an e-bike
The pair's most recent video has been viewed more than 2.4 million times on X, the social media platform formerly called Twitter, and captured the moment an "impatient, close passing moped driver knocked us off our bike" in London on Monday.
Impatient, close passing moped driver knocked us off our bike today. Fortunately the police (?) were right behind us, so they could scold me for not wearing a helmet and then leave. First time off my bike since 2007.
Sigrid is fine; my knee is messed up, can't ride for a bit. pic.twitter.com/LdAESnSXnO
— Travis and Sigrid (@sigirides) November 13, 2023
The crash footage is shocking enough, with Sigrid falling from the HumanForest hire bike's basket towards the moped. All involved were thankfully uninjured, aside from a "bruised up butt cheek and aching knee", Travis tells us.
In the aftermath of the collision, an unmarked vehicle with blue flashing lights stopped at the scene. A woman, later confirmed by the Met to be a police officer, got out to first check everyone was okay, but then advised Travis to wear a helmet when cycling.
"You've not got a helmet on," the plain-clothes officer said. "I recommend wearing a helmet."
Travis later told his social media followers, "If anyone can fill me on how a helmet would have prevent this motorist from driving into me, I'd love to hear it."
Recalling the possible police advice given at the scene of the incident on Clerkenwell Road near Old Street, Travis told road.cc: "She asked if I was ok, asked if I was sure, then said the helmet thing. She didn't mention being police or anything (that's why I had the question mark in my post)... but they had the blue lights."
Responding to road.cc’s request for clarification on the vehicle and the police’s role following the incident, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police confirmed that officers in an unmarked car had indeed stopped at the scene of the collision, offering medical assistance and creating a police incident report.
However, the Met also claimed that both parties involved in the collision told the officers that they did not wish to report the matter to the police.
“Police are aware of a road traffic collision that occurred at around 13.45hrs on Monday, 13 November in Clerkenwell Road EC1. A moped was in collision with a bicycle,” the Met spokesperson told road.cc.
“An unmarked police car was passing the scene during the aftermath of the collision and stopped at the scene.
“Blue lights were utilised to ensure the safety of all road users and an officer offered medical assistance. This was declined by both parties – with no injuries disclosed.
“Neither party indicated a wish to report the matter and a police incident report was created. Road safety advice was given to both parties, who then left the scene. Should any of the parties involved wish to report any concerns to police we would encourage them to do so.”
The spokesperson continued: “Police are aware of video footage of the collision and interactions afterwards circulating on social media platforms. It should be noted that this footage is heavily edited.
“All road users should be mindful and abide by the Highway Code and Road Traffic Act and consider the space needed for themselves and other road users when using London roads.”
> Government shuts down mandatory cycling helmets question from Conservative MP
It is Travis' first time off his bike since 2007, but fortunately "Sigrid is fine; my knee is messed up, can't ride for a bit".
"This is exactly why I don't like to stop for red lights," he wrote on social media. "Inattentive or impatient motorists frequently hit cyclists when the light turns green. Note also, I was in an ASL (Advanced Stop Line), meant to prevent exactly this kind of negligence."
This image is seared into my brain. At this moment the only thing going through my mind was "please don't go under the tires". pic.twitter.com/iGM4wm9AGO
— Travis and Sigrid (@sigirides) November 13, 2023
Speaking to our sister website e-bike tips back in September, Travis explained how Sigrid usually travels in a unique set-up, with a specially designed pet basket which attaches to the bars of Travis' bike, a fixed gear track bike built for street riding, and even occasionally wears goggles specifically designed for pets.
At the time of Monday's incident however, he was using one of HumanForest's hire bikes.
Explaining their usual set-up, Travis told ebiketips: "The basket is a Doggy Shopper by Klickfix Rixen & Kaul. They were the first sponsor we ever had and sent us their top-of-the-line basket to replace my cheap Amazon one. Over the past couple years I've customised it quite a bit to suit our particular needs."
Dan is the road.cc news editor and joined in 2020 having previously written about nearly every other sport under the sun for the Express, and the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Dan has been at road.cc for four years and mainly writes news and tech articles as well as the occasional feature. He has hopefully kept you entertained on the live blog too.
Never fast enough to take things on the bike too seriously, when he's not working you'll find him exploring the south of England by two wheels at a leisurely weekend pace, or enjoying his favourite Scottish roads when visiting family. Sometimes he'll even load up the bags and ride up the whole way, he's a bit strange like that.
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130 comments
Yeah, it seems that when a cyclist hits their head whilst wearing a helmet, then it demonstrates how useful they are, even if the cyclist gets concussed ("it would have been worse without a helmet") or worse. If a cyclist hits their head without a helmet, then that's used to demonstrate how "lucky" the cyclist was that they didn't injure themselves more as they didn't have a helmet. And now, a cyclist doesn't even hit their head and it's somehow twisted into a justification for wearing helmets.
Agree, all my falls were at approximately this superslow speed, where helmet may have touched ground.
The moped rider is both at blame for squeezing and not stopping which is even more disturbing.
The girl is a little disturbing for the "I know what is right" attitude after someone had crashed, even lightly.
I pretty much always wear a helmet.
But I feel bound to point out that your "wrinkly" friend is highly likely to have suffered concussion even with the helmet, as the helmet does not alter the speed with which your head moves or the level of deceleration when it hits a solid object, which is what actually causes the concussion
I'm inclined to accept that point, (plenty of experience of concussed cyclists wearing helmets) but outcomes of kerbs and helmets are likely to be significantly(?) better than unprotected.
But not for pedestrians?
The trouble with falling from a bike is that it is hard to control your fall with a bike between your legs. The last time I tripped was ballroom dancing where I stopped my partner from smacking her head falling backwards, them rolled myself. All pretty much instinctive.
Having said that, I decided it wasn't appropriate to take a photo of the old gentleman in Frankfurt with Zimmer frame, bags of shopping and cycling helmet. And you may have seen those with severe epilepsy wearing head protection.
I've said this before, it is in the nature of how you fall off a bike that makes the argument for helmets, though again, it is a judgement call based on how likely it is as to whether you judge it appropriate. I'd argue, for example, that a step through cycle or Brompton is a lot easier to fall off safely than a road bike.
You really need to improve your cycling and ballroom dancing skills.
Falling and not landing on your head is a lot easier for most than you think it is.
You really need to improve your cycling and ballroom dancing skills. Falling and not landing on your head is a lot easier for most than you think it is
I'm not convinced about this. I have had 3 falls (all not the fault of anybody else, due to unexpected ice) in the past 10 years. 2 of them fractured my helmet. You may argue that this is all caused by the absence of your cycling and falling skills, but I would disagree. The most recent , due to a sheet of ice right across a road which was taking a lot of weighty traffic, caused definite 'concussion' in that I don't remember the moment of falling, and woke up seconds later by the side of the road with a very sore hip and shoulder. The skill I failed to demonstrate was a reluctance to cycle on a sunny Christmas Eve afternoon
I think it gets harder when you make your head wider (by putting a helmet on it for example)
Yes, this is true. don't think I've ever fallen where my head was anywhere near the kerb. Could be possible I guess on a left hand bend if the road is oily/icy
I've watched this video many times now and it's become quite clear to me that the bike rider is veering right and hits the moped rider
Then keep watching and eventually you'll see you're wrong. Positions to rhs of SINGLE LANE at lights. Moves right when lights change, cyclist not in the wrong at all
How do you position and move at light when you're turning right? 🤔
But in any case, there wasn't sufficient space for moped to pass safely there even before the cyclist moved right, so they should not have been attempting to overtake at all
Not correct and irrelevant. Its on the moped rider to overtake safely , they were within the 1.5m recommended distance, and a right turn was entirely predictable. They failed to do so. Careless driving.
I've watched this video many times now and it's become quite clear to me that the bike rider is veering right and hits the moped rider
I agree with SS that this is a stupid and incorrect judgement. The police, as you might expect, regularly display the same failure of cognition. When it's a headcam, as opposed to the chestcam here, they frequently fail to understand that you cannot determine the position of the bike on the road from the video, because the appearance is dominated by movement of the head.
So the moped rider causes a crash by passing too close and then leaves the scene of an RTC without exchanging details. That's two offences, and maybe up to 9 penalty points. And the officer meanwhile is concerned about a non offence of non helmet wearing by the cyclist, and which wouldn't have prevented the crash and also wouldn't have prevented the knee injury.
Great policing, not.
I'd put in a complaint abdout the poor policing as well as the crash. The moped rider's licence plate should be identifiable.
She's right, and the guys is an idiot for carring a cat on his bike, plus getting all bent out of shape from a very gently communicated bit of advice about protecting his head. I really don't understand why so many UK riders are so anti-helmet, and even more sensitive about someone (shock) suggesting that instead of banging ones head off the asphalt, that a helmet may be a better idea. Reminds me of the anti-seatbelt drivers of the early 80's. Maybe all the monetizing from his videos will afford him a safer way to carry his pet.
The rider banged his knee off the asphalt. A helmet wouldn't have made a difference.
I assume you've never been to Copenhagen or Amsterdam? Lots and lots and lots of cyclists there, and I can't recall ever seeing one wearing a helmet. Even the royals in both countries ride bicycles and in all the pics I've seen of them on two wheels, none has ever worn a helmet.
You assume wrong. I have been to Amsterdam. I'm not attributing any injury to the fact he wasn't wearing a helmet. I'm simply saying that UK riders are so triggered when it comes to any mention of wearing a helmet. I'm still pretty sure that head injuries are possible in the Netherlands. And I am pretty sure that a chunk of compressable foam and plastic between a Dutchmans skull and hard ground will result less injury than hitting the ground without that layer. The policewoman was polite and seemed caring. To be offended at the thought of her recommending a helmet is laughable. I imagine she has seen enough cracked heads to consider helmets recommendations important.
Explain how a helmet prevents a moped rider knocking them off?
How on earth would you even think that it could, lol? .. you're missing the point of my statement. Perhaps read it again.
Calm down Clarkson, this is a cycling website. Have you tried motoring weakly?
Prefer to ride my bike thanks. But when I do drive, I motor strongly...
Is there a mountain over that thar mole hill?
.
Yup, plenty a mole hills on this here site!
.
The officer only recomended the cyclist wear a helmet. To me that's sound advice.
None of the officer's business. Wearing a helmet has been proven time and time again to do nothing.
Nothing? Nothing at all? That is a bold statement.
Nothing? Really.....right....okay.....
Another roadcc numptie
Did the 'officer' comment at all on the person at fault? THAT'S terrible policing if they were an officer
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