- Travis Nelson was riding a rental bike in London with his cat Sigrid in the basket
- Moped driver knocked into handlebars which sent Sigrid flying onto the tarmac
- Mr Nelson says it came as a shock and he has not been knocked off since 2007
This is the heartstopping moment a viral cat named Sigrid and her owner were knocked off a bicycle in central London.
Travis Nelson, 47, was out on a rental bike in Farringdon, Central London yesterday with his cat Sigrid, who enjoys rides around the city inside his handlebar basket.
But a moped driver knocked into Mr Nelson’s handlebars just as the traffic lights turned from red to green.
This sent the pair tumbling onto the tarmac at a busy intersection between Clerkenwell Road and Goswell Road.
Six-year-old Sigrid, who had a leash on which was attached to the bike, flew out of the basket and onto the road, along with Mr Nelson’s mobile phone.
Speaking to MailOnline, Mr Nelson said: ‘We were on our way to a film shoot and I stopped at the light, waited and as you see in the video, the guy tried to squeeze between me and the curb and knocked us off.
‘It’s a bit of a shock to me, because I’m generally a pretty safe rider.’ Mr Nelson said he has not been knocked off his bike since 2007.
He was seen quickly grabbing his cat to protect her from traffic, before securing Sigrid in the basket.
‘[Sigrid is] totally fine. Literally 30 seconds later, it was like it never happened. And like I said, we were on the way to shoot some video for a job and she was just back to her usual self. It was just a blip in the radar for her,’ Mr Nelson said.
‘She’s a little trouper. She was obviously a little bit annoyed about it. You could see it on her face.’
Mr Nelson said he has not cycled with Sigrid – who is deaf – since yesterday, adding: ‘I think it’s gonna be probably a couple of days. My knee is is pretty sore.
‘Even just cycling home after this, my knee was in agony and so I think I’m gonna take a couple days off to recover.’
The incident was witnessed by what appeared to be an undercover police vehicle.
A woman, who did not identify herself, then asked if Mr Nelson was alright and recommended he wore a helmet when riding a bike.
When asked if he usually wears a helmet, Mr Nelson said: ‘Yeah, I wear helmet literally 99.9 per cent of the time.
‘I just had a bunch of stuff to juggle and I was on a rental bank going for a short distance. I just didn’t feel like it was worth the trouble.’
Mr Nelson, who lives in Belsize Park, north London, said that the motorist was ‘very nice’ and admitted ‘his guilt’ but went on his way and did not leave his details.
The moped driver could be heard saying on the video: ‘Check you’re safe and everything before you get back on your bike.’
Mr Nelson then hops back onto his rental bike and continues his journey with Sigrid in tow.
He has reported the incident to the police.
The pair have hundreds of thousands of followers on TikTok and Instagram where Mr Nelson shares various clips of their adventures together.
In July, Mr Nelson wrote an article for the Daily Mail about him and Sigrid and revealed that she has saved him from ‘recurrent depressions’.
He wrote: ‘Knowing that my cat gives a boost to countless people around the world makes my heart happy, too.
‘She has saved me from recurrent depressions that left me contemplating suicide. Now our travels together fill every day with fresh possibilities. It’s impossible to be down when I’m surrounded by so many smiles, in the real world and online.’
The 50-second clip of the incident was posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, and was captioned: ‘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.’
He then replied to the thread and added: ‘This is exactly why I don’t like to stop for red lights. Inattentive or impatient motorists frequently hit cyclists when the light turns green. Note also, I was in an ASL, meant to prevent exactly this kind of negligence.’
It has racked up four million views on the platform and has been hit with many comments.
One user wrote: ‘Glad you are Sigrid are ok. Unacceptable behaviour from the Moped driver… Would still recommend the helmet, though. As an ED nurse, I’ve see way too many life-threatening/life-changing head injuries from people not wearing them.’
Another penned: ‘I watched this before bed last night and couldn’t get to sleep after watching it. It bothered me a lot how close you both were to something worse happening. I’m so glad you are both OK and hope your knee heals quickly..’
A third commented: ‘Glad Sigrid is okay. The only reason a helmet didn’t matter was because you were lucky enough to not hit your head. Wear a helmet. They matter.’
A fourth said: ‘Clearly your fault. Nicely positioned then cut across not checking a blind spot.’
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
