Some wa*ker (sorry, Cyclist) had cycled at speed straight down a path, between the narrow gap of 2 parked cars straight out into the road without so much as a look and wallop right into the nearside rear of my car. Now at this point I should explain that the "road" is actually a private road off a small public road with just 2 businesses. Ours at the end (by the big electic gates) and half way down before ours a small local Post Office sorting office. The post office and their clients regularly double park both sides of the lane (full length right up to our gates) leaving just enough space for one car to travel down the centre.
I slammed on (which as I was only doing about 10mph didn't talk very long to stop), and my heart lept into into my mouth as in my mirror I could see a middle aged "gentleman" lying in the road with a bike on top of him with a mangled front wheel. I jumped out of the car and ran back immediately enquring if he was OK, and as he picked himself up and checked, luckily not even a scratch. phew....
After the worry over his health subsided, I took a first glance back at my pride and joy to see the rear quarter panel covered in scrapes and what looked like at the time a fairly severe dent
. For some reason I then lost my cool, and politely asked what the f*ck was he thinking of !!! 
He apologised and said it was totally his fault as he didnt look (big surprise there
). I took his details etc, but prepared for the worst,as obviously cyclists don't have insurance, and a copper friend of mine later advised that it's really difficult to get a cyclist to pay for any damage they may have caused even if you take them to court.Anyway, long rambling story short, when I got home, I dug out the rotary polisher and some Menz polish, and got every last mark out. Not so much as a scratch left, and what I thought was a dent, was a shadow caused by rubber from his handlebars scraping the car. Needless to say, very relieved and amazed that not only did the bodywork not dent (it was a fair old thump he gave me), but that after polishing, no marks at all. Good paint this VW Candy White stuff.
In future knowing what I now know, I'll be giving bikes a really wide berth.
