A MUCH-loved teacher and cycling enthusiast died after falling from his bike on a rare occasion when he did not wear a helmet, an inquest heard.

Stephen Brian, 46, taught at All Saints’ RC School for more than 20 years. He died last October after he came off his bike in Cranbrook Road, Acomb, close to his Carr Lane home.

Mr Brian was taken to York Hospital and transferred to Hull Royal Infirmary where he died from subdural haematoma and brain injuries caused by the fall.

The inquest heard Mr Brian had performed maintenance on his Dawes cycle earlier that day, and left his home at 2pm, telling his wife, Gillian, that he was just taking it round the block, adding: “See you in a bit.”

Witness statements were read out by coroner Donald Coverdale, including one from a Poppleton Road Primary schoolboy who said he witnessed Mr Brian travelling “quite slowly”, wobble as he turned towards the road, then fall from his bike.

The boy said: “The man landed hard and when he landed he was still.”

Acting Sergeant David Foster attended the scene, and later examined Mr Brian’s bike, and told the inquest a bolt fastening the braking system to the frame of the bike was missing, and had likely fallen out on his journey.

He said the brake cable had become entangled in the rear wheel hub, pulled the handlebars sharply to the left, and caused Mr Brian to fall to his right.

Mr Coverdale said Mr Brian had only travelled about one-third of a mile from his home and was cycling without a helmet when he fell and suffered the fatal brain injury.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, he said the incident “highlights the neccessity of wearing a helmet” when cycling, and said the outcome could have been different if Mr Brian had worn a helmet that day.

Mrs Brian said he normally wore his bike helmet.

“He wore it every day to work and it was only because he was just testing it and just went round the corner that he wasn’t. It was just a chance he went out without one that day. It’s almost unbelievable that he should die from that. It just goes to show that as soon as you get on a bike, you need to put a helmet on.”

Mrs Brian said she wanted to thank everyone who had supported her and her family since her husband’s death.