Unavoidable Bicycle Badger Collision

AndyBike

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Nov 8, 2020
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If they have to change your Ti implant, ask if you can keep the old one as it looks like with a bit of grinding with a dremel it could be turned into a nifty bottle opener.
 

I893469365902345609348566

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2021
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After they removed the cast today, I asked when they would remove the Titanium implant, but the Consultant didn't know if it was a Titanium or Steel implant - the Radiologist had said it was Titanum. I want this implant removed at some point, because Titanium alloys release cadmium into the body. Stainless steel implants are also not completely inert. I'll have to get my medical records to find out what the metal used is, in time for my next check up in five months. In the meantime, my wrist is as stiff as a board! They gave me some exercises to do (info sheet), but told me to avoid one particular exercise: bending the wrist back. I presume it's to prevent loosening the screws (are there medical rawlplugs?). It's much more painful now. I've also been given a splint and told not to lift anything heavy or cycle for 3 at least months. Trouble is, I dream about cycling! I'm dying to go out for a ride! Gives me time to find an ultrasonic device to wire into the bike battery somehow, to scare off badgers.
 

Nealh

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Badgers tending to be nocturnal creature's, one then really needs to void riding at dusk /dawn times esp in rural and country roads or use a different route.
 
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matthewslack

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Nov 26, 2021
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Badgers tending to be nocturnal creature's, one then really needs to void riding at dusk /dawn times esp in rural and country roads or use a different route.
Or just go more slowly. I recently avoided being destroyed by red deer at dawn close to the Ardnamurchan lighthouse only by virtue of travelling at around 6mph rather than my usual 12.

Several of them were disturbed by my bright, freshly charged li ion head torch, and just ran straight across the road and over the fence and far away.

Adult red deer are probably heavier than me, so I give them the benefit of the doubt.
 
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Nealh

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Yep you wouldn't want to be hit by a deer.
 

flecc

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Oct 25, 2006
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I asked when they would remove the Titanium implant, but the Consultant didn't know if it was a Titanium or Steel implant -
I'm not surprised. During an inguinal hernia operation with the surgeon fixing a mesh plastic patch onto the inner membrane holding in my intestines, I asked him what was the metal of the many staples being inserted around it. He didn't know, but then guessed "maybe stainless steel or titanium".
.
 

I893469365902345609348566

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2021
533
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Or just go more slowly. I recently avoided being destroyed by red deer at dawn close to the Ardnamurchan lighthouse only by virtue of travelling at around 6mph rather than my usual 12.

Several of them were disturbed by my bright, freshly charged li ion head torch, and just ran straight across the road and over the fence and far away.

Adult red deer are probably heavier than me, so I give them the benefit of the doubt.
I don't actually don't know how slowly I was going, but I was slowing down and I recall seeing 12mph at some point before (I think) the bend I was slowing down for. I've been surprised in the past, by traffic on that fairly narrow bendy downhill road travelling in the opposite direction, and took care to hug the sides of the road as closely as possible, and to stay away from the centre. The video is from an action camera with a wide-angle lens, which makes speed of travel look faster and more dramatic, but I was going slow. I might have avoided it at 6mph, but that isn't a likely speed for a bicycle going downhill. I probably still would have hit that badger travelling at 6mph, and would have fallen off the bike because I was carrying a very heavy rucksack. Badgers are substantial road bumps for a bike:

 

I893469365902345609348566

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2021
533
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I'm not surprised. During an inguinal hernia operation with the surgeon fixing a mesh plastic patch onto the inner membrane holding in my intestines, I asked him what was the metal of the many staples being inserted around it. He didn't know, but then guessed "maybe stainless steel or titanium".
.
I suppose one silver object can be mistaken for another silverish object. It's crazy that they don't know! I'll have to get my medical records - the Radiologist said he saw the purchase order and that it was for "A very expensive titanium plate". He'd had an interest because he'd broken his foot aged 15 and had steel plates fitted (skateboarding accident).
 
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I893469365902345609348566

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2021
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Badgers tending to be nocturnal creature's, one then really needs to void riding at dusk /dawn times esp in rural and country roads or use a different route.
It's safe to say, that I will never use that route home again!
 

I893469365902345609348566

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2021
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Does the Office of Narional Statistics collect data about bicycle collisions with badgers? I searched in vain, but found an interesting report which said that 40% of all bikes stolen had D-locks or chains.
 

I893469365902345609348566

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2021
533
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I'm not surprised. During an inguinal hernia operation with the surgeon fixing a mesh plastic patch onto the inner membrane holding in my intestines, I asked him what was the metal of the many staples being inserted around it. He didn't know, but then guessed "maybe stainless steel or titanium".
.
I think the new meshes used for hernia repair are:

 
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I893469365902345609348566

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2021
533
128
I'm not surprised. During an inguinal hernia operation with the surgeon fixing a mesh plastic patch onto the inner membrane holding in my intestines, I asked him what was the metal of the many staples being inserted around it. He didn't know, but then guessed "maybe stainless steel or titanium".
.
I think the new meshes used for hernia repair are titanised ePTFE:


Titanised to reduce immune system rejection/inflammation. I don't believe any metal implanted in the body is inert. They use pure titanium in dental implants, rather than the alloys used in plates (for stiffness).
 
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flecc

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Oct 25, 2006
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I think the new meshes used for hernia repair are titanised ePTFE:


Titanised to reduce immune system rejection/inflammation. I don't believe any metal implanted in the body is inert. They use pure titanium in dental implants, rather than alloys used in plates.
As it was being stapled in, one of the theatre staff cut off a strip for me as a momento. It just looked like ordinary polypropylene, but that was back in 2011.
.
 

georgehenry

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Nov 7, 2015
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Until recently when I retired I rode to work cross country and 10 miles home on the road late at night on my hard tail Yamaha Haibike.

I now realise that I was lucky not to collide with a badger.

I had a few near misses.

From my experience they shoot out from the side of the road and run straight across with no regard to whatever is coming.

A guy from another depot at work hit one and was off work for several weeks.
 

I893469365902345609348566

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Oct 20, 2021
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I've just switched my bike on for the first time since the badger dived at my front wheel, and it's showing 39.2V - it's been almost 6 weeks, should I run the battery down to store? I've been told I can't cycle for another couple of months. What's the best way to run the battery down? It's a 36V battery. What's the best voltage for storage purposes? Should I charge and deplete the battery periodically?
 
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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
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I've just switched my bike on for the first time since the badger dived at my front wheel, and it's showing 39.2V - it's been almost 6 weeks, should I run the battery down to store? I've been told I can't cycle for another couple of months. What's the best way to run the battery down? It's a 36V battery. What's the best voltage for storage purposes? Should I charge and deplete the battery periodically?
At normal temperatures there's not much advantage in using special maintenance routines. It is best to charge a little every three months at most, preferably every two months, to prevent the cells declining into low voltage failure.

if your battery was mine I'd give it a short charge sometime over the next two weeks to wake up the BMS and then leave it until you can ride again two months later.

It's a waste of time trying to discharge it statically, when not under load the battery can run the motor for dozens of hours just spinning, using next to no current.
.
 

cyclebuddy

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Nov 2, 2016
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Beds & Norfolk
I've just switched my bike on for the first time since the badger dived at my front wheel, and it's showing 39.2V - it's been almost 6 weeks, should I run the battery down to store? I've been told I can't cycle for another couple of months. What's the best way to run the battery down? It's a 36V battery. What's the best voltage for storage purposes? Should I charge and deplete the battery periodically?
I have a habit of charging my battery to full in anticipation of a days ride, only to find the weather turns and not going. I've lost a 36-volt battery before by leaving it fully charged for too long, so I always take my batteries back down to about 38-volts if they're then not going to be used for several days. I just use this (made from scrap bits and bobs):

Ebike Battery Discharge.JPG
 

Nealh

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39.2v is ok it is a tad over 70%.
 

I893469365902345609348566

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2021
533
128
I have a habit of charging my battery to full in anticipation of a days ride, only to find the weather turns and not going. I've lost a 36-volt battery before by leaving it fully charged for too long, so I always take my batteries back down to about 38-volts if they're then not going to be used for several days. I just use this (made from scrap bits and bobs):

View attachment 45028
That's a really good idea! Are those 12V halogen bulbs?