Birmingham cyclist warns fellow riders after car passenger pushed him off bike

A Birmingham cyclist and road.cc reader has asked us to share his warning to fellow bike riders in the West Midlands city after he was pushed off his bike by a car passenger yesterday.

The cyclist, Mike Walsh, told us that the incident happened on Gilhurst Road in Edgbaston, south-west Birmingham, yesterday afternoon.

He said other cyclists should be attentive if they became aware of motorists pulling alongside them at the same speed, urging them to “just stop if that happens.”

Last month, a cyclist in Weoley Castle, also in south-west Birmingham, needed nine stitches in his arm after he was pushed off his bike by a motorcycle pillion passenger.

> Birmingham club cyclist deliberately pushed off by masked motorbike passenger

There have been similar incidents elsewhere in the country, including a spate of cases of car passengers shoving cyclists from their bikes in Kent over recent months.

> Kent cyclist pushed off road by car passenger

And following another incident in Hartlepool, County Durham, last month, local MP Mike Hill said that such actions were “tantamount to attempted murder.”

> Pushing cyclists off their bikes is “tantamount to attempted murder,” says MP

Referring to his experience yesterday as he rode home from work, Mike told us: “I was conscious of a car coming very close to me and then slowing down.

“The next thing I knew was a shove in the back.

“I wobbled but managed to unclip and keep my balance – just as well because the grass verge had a line of sharp looking rocks embedded in it.

“The young man who pushed me from the passenger window then gave me some verbal as they drove away laughing.

“More mates in the car behind who seemed to think it was hilarious as well.

“I was too shocked to get the registration.”

He added that he had reported the incident to West Midlands Police and is expecting a call from them tomorrow to discuss the incident.