I headed out this morning with the intention of meeting the RBENT for another leisurely White Rock Lake ride, but I never made it. As I was headed to the appointed meeting place, I passed where my customary PBA Distance Builder ride starts and thought Aw, what the heck. I really wasn't in an altogether leisurely mood, and I'm determined to keep showing up for rides with all those "normal" cyclists so they'll eventually get used to me—so I turned in.
We headed out promptly at 7am and headed north toward Frisco. My legs felt strong. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood. My arch nemesis on the rainbow LeMond harrassed me for a mile or two, just to make his point before becoming bored and moving on.
As we rolled into Frisco at about 20 mph, it was a tightly packed peloton and a stretch of new pavement. In the split second after the rider in front of me yelled "Crack!", I had about enough time to think Oh cr— and then I was sliding along the pavement. After about 15 feet, I stopped.
The first thought that occurred to me was that I smelled scorched metal with just a touch of burnt hair.
I had been taken down by a 1" wide uncaulked expansion joint running parallel to the lane. The wheels dropped in, and that was all she wrote. It might have helped if the riders ahead had been calling the hazard down the line, as we're supposed to do, but it might not have done. Packed together as we were, I don't know if I would have had room to avoid it anyway. It's just one of those things.
Those tender hearted or squeamish among you will want to avoid this link, and this one as well—but it was my first crash and as such must be documented.
From this experience, I learned that unless you're bleeding profusely or have bits of bone sticking out somewhere, you might as well get back on the bike and continue your ride. Except for a badly scraped left brake lever, my bike was okay, so continue my ride is exactly what I did.
And I enjoyed it.
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13 comments:
That's why you're suppose to shve your legs!!
Oh my God! Is the Bacchetta alright? It didn't get scratched, did it? Nothing was bent, was it? I sure hope it's OK. It's such a beautiful recumbent.
Oh, and by the way, how are you? (obligatory concern for the personal welfare of others)
[Note: personal information removed for the commenter's protection—but thanks for letting me know who you are! -Foo]
I missed the PBA ride today, so I didn't get to witness your personal experimentation with laws of physics. Sounds like you should have done the RBENT ride after all. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20 (or possibly 20/15 if it's paid a visit to Dr. Booth).
See you next week.
Lance: I have my doubts about how much benefit shaving my legs would have been, seeing as the road rash is on the underside of one forearm and on my upper thigh.
I think you just like the way it makes your legs look when you're wearing your stiletto heels. [Disclaimer: I made up the stiletto heels thing for comedic value. As far as I know. -Foo]
rcarlino: Hey guy, good to see you. Did you ever make it on to BikeJournal?
The Bacchetta's functionally okay. I mostly shielded the bike with my body, but the left brake lever body looks like someone took a grinding wheel to it. One very vocal woman with a French accent, whom you will remember from the Distance Builder rides, was overheard to comment that when she came up on me from behind, she smelled burnt metal—like someone was welding. I smelled that and burnt hair.
Oooo-ooo, that smell.
I took the bike over to my LBS after bagels and had them check it out. The wheels are still true, and since I fell on the left side, the drivetrain didn't get dinged. No paint damage. Scarred up the bottle cage on that side. Hurt feelings more than anything.
As for me, once the ride leader and sweep had checked that my bike was in working order, I promptly hopped back on and finished out the ride, and a good half of the pack rolled in after I was already perched outside, eating my bagel and chatting. So it was "any landing you can walk away from" for me. Today, I'm surprisingly sore in places that I wouldn't have thought had anything to do with the crash, but there you have it.
I'll be making a trip to CVS for a lot more telfa pads, some time this morning. Ick.
As long as I can bear to put the shorts on over my rash, I hope to make the ride next week. Ought to be much less chaotic than it's been, what with so many people heading up for the Hotter Than Hell Hundred.
Perhaps you should consider something safer, such as bungee jumping or running with the bulls in Pamplona?
Emma: Both good suggestions, but I'm afraid of heights and (IHMO) running is boring.
Mr. Foo I'm Glad you are appearently OK! Hence the reason I really don't get involved with pace lines! I guess cracks are something I have to look forward to upon my return to Texas... Here in South Florida we get to deal with city meter holes in the middle of bicycle lanes...
EZ Biker :-)
Oh no, you dint jist show us your behind, did you? Those shorts are riding awfully high. ;-)
And those scrapes...ouch! Glad your bike is okay though.
Saw your red cross on bike journal, had to check in and see if you had a report, pictures even, well done. I have one from my first crash, Tour of Dallas, finish line picture, bloody calf, bloody elbow (not visible), and a broken elbow. As you said it wasn't a compound fracture so you just remount and ride on. Didn't know it was broken, just hurt like he(double hockey stick) when I hit a bump. Gald to hear your well and I expect to see you on the road soon. Drop your (red cross) sounds like your fit to ride. :)
Yowch! At least you had fun.
EZ: If it had been a paceline, I don't think there would have been a problem. I can generally see ahead all right when I'm riding in a line, but we were all packed together and all I could see was butts and backs.
Gwynne: It's not quite my butt... but [insert Austin Powers quip here].
Vortex: Ouch. I'm not sure I would have ridden with a broken bone, so you've got me there. As far as the red cross, it will probably go away as soon as fewer of my muscles feel like I've bench pressed a bus and I don't have to change my dressings every couple hours. I'm trying some of those 2nd Skin-type bandages now, and if they don't leak I'll be that much closer to riding again. But for right now, getting up out of a chair feels like a significant achievement.
Anne: Yes, I did have a fun ride, the crash notwithstanding. I think I also gained some ground with the group. Toward the end of the ride, one guy rode up, panting a bit, next to where I was waiting for a light to change. He said, "Jeez, doesn't anything slow you down?" Point goes to the goof on the recumbent.
It's da weef here! Those pictures he posted look tame, if you ask me. The real thing looks bloody awful. *cringe* I've seen it all up close. And, guys, he's hurting. He makes a lot of old men look young with the way he's been trying to get up and around. But he's a trooper not wimpering much. And, yes, he'll probably be out to play again this weekend. It's all a part of it. No broken bones...no biggie. Ride on!
Those pictures looked all too familiar -- and like you, I've found that if you bounce up and get going again quickly, silly little things like, oh, "rational thought," or "common sense" don't get in the way of continuing.
Like the man said, I feel your pain.
SCORE!
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