[eastbay]

Hey, I crashed my bicycle this afternoon! What a surprise! I was with our 12 year old, riding down a nice gentle slope, and I was cruising fast, like 20 to 25 mph three feet from the curb in the center of the bike lane digging the wonderful summer scene near our river wearing a t-shirt and light shorts.


I looked over my left shoulder to see how far back she was and BAM! I grazed the curb, and SPLAT went sliding down the sidewalk. All I could think about was NOT scratching the bike, so it went on top of me all the way as I slid. I was sort-of holding it up in the air while sliding. Both elbows and as I twisted a bit while sliding, the side of my right knee. Hilarious priorities, huh? Not ONE SINGLE scratch on the bike! Sweet!


Anyhow I earned deep road rash on the side of my right knee which will keep me off the bike a few days (weeks?) and each elbow.


Some lady on a bike rode up and said, 'I saw you crash. Are you alright?' I was laying on my back on the sidewalk at this time, bike on top of me. I lowered the bike off me and replied, 'I have no idea'. So I carefully stood up and went through an inventory. Hands, arms, feet, legs, body twist a few times, neck bend ... 'yup, I'm ok', I replied. 'Ha', she immediately said, 'no you're not, look at your knee'. It was dripping to my socks. I looked at it and said, 'you're right, but lets look at the bike first before that knee starts hurting'.


So I picked up the bike and amazingly it was fine. I rode home, and now have home-made bandages like a little kid, elbows and one knee.


It's starting to sting a bit now, but I won't tell anyone at home that.

[Maddog78]

Ouch.
Congrats on saving the bike I suppose?
Anyway, here's a saying we use in the MC world.
Keep the shiny side up and the dirty side down!

Good luck when you get riding again.

[Homesteader]

That is good but not as good as Arron's story! If we had a "watering hole" thread I'd buy you an ale or some strange drink like a Hubbert's Meseto.

[eastbay]

Thanks, BTW, nice '88' avatar you got there fella!


Yeah, I held the shiny side up, that's for sure!! Heh ...

[eastbay]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Homesteader', 'T')hat is good but not as good as Arron's story! If we had a "watering hole" thread I'd buy you an ale or some strange drink like a Hubbert's Meseto.

[Ludi]

Ow!

[PenultimateManStanding]

One time I was riding a ten-speed to work and jerked the bike up for a small curb. The front wheel fell off and I went sprawling. I didn't care about the bike, just felt stupid I hadn't checked that the front wheel was secure.

[Maddog78]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('eastbay', 'T')hanks, BTW, nice '88' avatar you got there fella!


Yeah, I held the shiny side up, that's for sure!! Heh ...

[3aidlillahi]

Good luck with your healing. Hope to see you on the road soon.

[Maddog78]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('cbxer55', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Maddog78', 'O')uch.
Congrats on saving the bike I suppose?
Anyway, here's a saying we use in the MC world.
Keep the shiny side up and the dirty side down!

Good luck when you get riding again.

[seahorse]

I ride for fitness and have done some triathlons just as background. I was present during two crashes my brother had. He broke the same hip in each accident, each requiring major surgery and a complete hip replacement. All that to say, I learned a lesson now and don't ride any bike without biking shorts with built in hip pads to prevent that very injury, which is a more common injury than one would imagine. I'm the only one that does this on the team I ride with, but, I think they are all dumbasses. The shorts do not affect your riding at all. If you are wearing a helmet, put the padded shorts on as well. In addition, wear gloves, because the hands often get eaten up hitting the pavement. Mine are similar to these, but this is a newer version.

Crash pad shorts

$87 dollars sure beats a broken hip and $20k surgery.

Road rash is the least you can expect hitting the pavement. Last fall, I wiped out on a ride and hit the pavement hard enough to split my helmet in two as well as ripped my pads off my shorts. So, money well spent.

[Pretorian]

I remember when I was spending $50 on bus fares per month I decided to buy a bike to save dough ( I was making $500 at the time and $30 per month was enough to eat )
I did it for a few days. Hadn't cycled in 12 years before. The only reason I didnt end up in a wheelchair or morgue is because I wasn't meant to, I suppose.
The first night I ended up between a choice to cycle on a VERY busy highway for 6 -7miles or look for some other road home at 1 am in a pretty criminal neighborhood ( and I had to get up at 6 am to go to back to work) . I did the highway since I had no idea how dangerous it was. After I saw signs " Trucks, keep RIGHT!" and
" Minimal speed is 60km per hour!" and a couple of buses went by within a foot of my elbow, it was too late to come back or even to stop.
So I figured $600 a year of savings are not worth to die for or to get a disability. If you are sharing the road with cars, SOONER OR LATER YOU WILL GET HURT! Its not if, its WHEN.
If you want to gamble with your life, join Marines/Army or become a private hitman. More buck for the same risk.

[eastbay]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Maddog78', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('eastbay', 'T')hanks, BTW, nice '88' avatar you got there fella!


Yeah, I held the shiny side up, that's for sure!! Heh ...

[nutmeg]

When adults start pedaling again, they learn the hard way to keep the eyes on the road in a way that we don't with cars. One split second, you look back, you lean the wrong way, and smack, you hit a curb or fall into the ditch. You really got to keep your eyes on the road 100% of the time when pedaling.

[dunewalker]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('eastbay', 'H')ey, I crashed my bicycle this afternoon! What a surprise! I was with our 12 year old, riding down a nice gentle slope, and I was cruising fast, like 20 to 25 mph three feet from the curb in the center of the bike lane digging the wonderful summer scene near our river wearing a t-shirt and light shorts.


I looked over my left shoulder to see how far back she was and BAM! I grazed the curb, and SPLAT went sliding down the sidewalk.

[eastbay]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dunewalker', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('eastbay', 'H')ey, I crashed my bicycle this afternoon! What a surprise! I was with our 12 year old, riding down a nice gentle slope, and I was cruising fast, like 20 to 25 mph three feet from the curb in the center of the bike lane digging the wonderful summer scene near our river wearing a t-shirt and light shorts.


I looked over my left shoulder to see how far back she was and BAM! I grazed the curb, and SPLAT went sliding down the sidewalk.

[PrairieMule]

Not fun.

Back in 1990 I was doing 40mph down a hill when my chain of my Mountain bike locked up. The back pedal caught on the back of my calf then I went airborne and skidded on the concrete. I broke my fall with my leather gloves. Shredded the glove not the hand.

Tore up my ankle and achilles tendon. I spent the summer on crutches.

Road rash sucks. Take care Amigo and get back in the saddle soon.

[smallpoxgirl]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('eastbay', 'T')aking the bandage off was not fun. There is no shortage of sting in those bandages.

[Mominator]

How'd your daughter react?

[eastbay]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Mominator', 'H')ow'd your daughter react?