THE weather looked its normal bleak grey wet weather.

It was just what you expect when you go cycling in Scotland.

But sadly that did not prove to be the case.

In taking the corner towards the Kilmacolm to Bridge of Weir cycle track near my home at my usual cautious 20 mph on Saturday, an elderly man on the cycle track raised his arm to me.

I assumed that he was waving and making a friendly gesture.

This wasn't to be the case.

A split second later, he shouted 'stop!' It was too late.

My back wheel spun away from me and the next thing I knew, I was hurtling to the ground and ended up dazed, with the bike lying on top of me.

I felt like someone had taken an 18lb weight to my shoulder. I knew that I was in trouble.

At this point, the elderly man braved the ice and tried to lift me.

But when I screamed he soon realised that probably wasn't a great idea.

A couple of minutes later, I stood up after the adrenaline had kicked in and pushed the bike back to my house.

I found myself at Accident and Emergency at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, where the staff couldn't have been more helpful despite the fact there were half a dozen other ice victims waiting to be attended to, including two elderly ladies.

An hour later, I had been x-rayed and found out the bad news.

I had dislocated my collar bone and had a crushed lung with torn ligaments in my shoulder.

The moral of my story is not to assume because there's no white frost on the ground there's no ice on cycle tracks.

The best advice is to walk cautiously as the weather can be hugely deceptive - as I have learned to my cost.