Well, it had to happen, after 26 years..

[Gothard]

I crashed. Hard. First time in 26 years of serious cycling.
I was out for a late afternon ride on my fendered Salsa, to test the Schmidt dynohub and Bumm light (they are great).
On the way down I was mindful of the wet roads as the temperature is around freezing. I relaxed a bit to much on a hairpin where the surface was dry, but it turns out it was greasy from dirt/salt. Both wheels slipped out and down I was. Initial speed about 20-25.

Luckily, no real body harm. I am pranged on the right side, with a bit of skin missing from my kneecap area. Tomorrow I'll do a throrough pain check and X-ray as needed (I'm a radiologist).

The bike bounced a couple of times. Both Ergos have full road rash, the hanlebar is bent (never liked it anyway...), the right side SPD is a bit lighter, and the nice vintage Brooks has a nice deep gouge. Need to re-adjust the fenders too.

Pearl Tights, Castelli gloves are now of the vented variety. The 16 year-old Trek Gore-tex is dirty but unscathed. Helmet is intact.

So all in all, not too much damage. Cheap lesson if you ask me. I got my revenge by putting a large gouge in the road surface with my right side pedal

Moral: Watch it! Now is a bad time for roadholding in the snow-belt...

[djg]

It has to happen sometime -- glad you and the bike seem basically ok.

[coylifut]

that's plenty of speed to do some real dammage. Glad you are in good spirits about it. take care

[pjm]

Glad you're OK. Your first and hopefully your last. :)

[Hardlyrob]

Friend - I think you got off lucky with that one!

Glad you're OK and thanks for the reminder.

[Gothard]

And to think, I was this >< close to taking Johnny Cash :rolleyes:

[rwsaunders]

And to think, I was this >< close to taking Johnny Cash :rolleyes:

We were all to polite to ask...."How's the HC?" Glad you're ok. :cool:

[Blue Jays]

Gothard, best wishes for a speedy and full recovery.
Guess we know what your family will purchase you for Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa/Festivus/Happy Everything Day.

[sg8357]

You can post the X-rays, may want to ultra sound the fork too.

Question, do you have to fight with Insurance company to xray yourself ?
Is yourself on your PPO ?

Glad you are OK.

Scott G.

[barry1021]

that's plenty of speed to do some real dammage. Glad you are in good spirits about it. take care

for a 20-25 mph crash, you done good. Hopefully your last one.

[Ginger]

And to think, I was this >< close to taking Johnny Cash :rolleyes:
I started reading that thinking perhaps you had the white bike out.

Glad to hear it was only the Salsa, and that you didn't go off a cliff somewhere!

Isn't it funny about those old Trek Goretex jackets? You can't seem to kill them...

[SWorks4me]

Initial speed about 20-25.

Helmet is intact.

S

Did the helmet hit the ground? If so, just because it is intact, does not mean you didn't compromised the integrity. I would HIGHLY recommend getting a new helmet if it hit, and if it older than a year. ATMO

[Gothard]

Thank you for the concern, folks!

For the x-rays, if I ask nicely, one of my technologists will do me early morning before patients are in. Since it is digitalised, no image is printed, unless there's a fracture. Actually, now that I have cooled down/taken a shower (mmmh, hot water on road rash :banana: ), I have a definite pressure point in my carpal area, that will warrant a close eye.. The rest is fine.

The Hors cat is looking at the Salsa, thinking, Whew I got lucky...

For the clothig, I guess the gloves are toast (darn, only 10 years out if them!), but the tights will get a nice repair. They are winter clothig after all, and get dirty so often...

I am rather sure the helmet did not touch the road, and there is not a single mark on it, whereas the rest of my clothing is *filthy*. The mix of oil, dirt, salt is really nasty.

Scott, the fork is real! (steel that is), and straight as an arrow. One wheel has a wobble, though.

Ginger, if it had been the white bike, I'd be busy cutting my veins at the wrists right now...

[Kevan]

with holes in the elbow area from the fall I took. My wife offered to mend the holes, but I insisted they stay as is, untouched. I now wear that jersey with pride, holes and all.

Welcome to the club.

[Dave]

I'm way ahead with 9 crashes and 5 broken helmets in 23 years. My record was better until I added 4 wrecks in 4 years.

Sounds just like my last crash, coming down a mountain road (my second this year). The road was dry and didn't look like it was very dirty, but I slide out real good. I hit my shoulder, arm hand and hip hard, shredding the shoulder area of my jersey and the hip of my shorts. I don't wear gloves, unless it's cold, so my hand got gouged pretty good. Although the helmet is just scuffed (correction it's broken), it's going in the trash as soon as my new one arrives.

Since then, I've installed 700 x 28 Conti 4-seasons tires (which actually measure 25mm wide) and dropped the air pressure to 85 in hopes of a little better traction.

I've found that scuffed carbon brake levers are not tough to repair. The pair I scuffed in the earlier wreck this spring no longer have RECORD or ULTRA lettering, but otherwise look like new. The last pair got slightly torn brake hoods, but only a slight scuff on the levers, so a little nail polish fixed them up.

I rode the same route on Monday and the road was a whole lot dirtier with plenty of wet spots. I'm descending much slower now.

[Grant McLean]

My coach crashed in the the Tour of Tobago and broke his hip.
He's messed up. Likely is going to need a hip repacement, but the doctors
won't really know what to do for another 6 months.

http://www.canadiancyclist.com/dailynews/October/10.30.074.44PM02.shtml

-g

[Louis]

On Sunday a buddy of mine from work (Jimi, it's Pete, we rode with him the other day) went down on a humid road and broke his right femur just below the hip. I wasn't there, but both he and the guy he was riding with said that it was a slow turn, and bang, down he went. He now has a 240mm long Ti pin and some screws to show for it. He'll be on crutches for about a month...

Be careful on damp / humid / wet roads.

Louis

[justinf]

Glad you are ok my friend. :beer:

[Pete Serotta]

George, glad that you are ok....everything else is replaceable.

Regards PETE


I crashed. Hard. First time in 26 years of serious cycling.
I was out for a late afternon ride on my fendered Salsa, to test the Schmidt dynohub and Bumm light (they are great).
On the way down I was mindful of the wet roads as the temperature is around freezing. I relaxed a bit to much on a hairpin where the surface was dry, but it turns out it was greasy from dirt/salt. Both wheels slipped out and down I was. Initial speed about 20-25.

Luckily, no real body harm. I am pranged on the right side, with a bit of skin missing from my kneecap area. Tomorrow I'll do a throrough pain check and X-ray as needed (I'm a radiologist).

The bike bounced a couple of times. Both Ergos have full road rash, the hanlebar is bent (never liked it anyway...), the right side SPD is a bit lighter, and the nice vintage Brooks has a nice deep gouge. Need to re-adjust the fenders too.

Pearl Tights, Castelli gloves are now of the vented variety. The 16 year-old Trek Gore-tex is dirty but unscathed. Helmet is intact.

So all in all, not too much damage. Cheap lesson if you ask me. I got my revenge by putting a large gouge in the road surface with my right side pedal

Moral: Watch it! Now is a bad time for roadholding in the snow-belt...

[Erik.Lazdins]

First crash in 26 years? You've got skills!

Recover well!

[soulspinner]

Someone on this board, it may have been you, commented they hadnt crashed in years of cycling and I thought that it was unusual and I winced because its worse than typing or saying fla!. 26 years is a heck of a run. Last time I crashed at that speed a lady saw me and started screaming I needed an ambulance. I just needed ibuprofen, some well chosen curse words, and a ride home. The man made hole in the road I fell into was filled and asphalted the next morning. Liability, liability...

[avalonracing]

First crash in 26 years? You've got skills!

Recover well!


And/or a hell of a lot of luck!

[slowgoing]

And to think, I was this >< close to taking Johnny Cash :rolleyes:

You would have had to change Johnny Cash's name if you had taken it.

[Louis]

You would have had to change Johnny Cash's name if you had taken it.

We'll never know, but he might not have wiped out on the Hors Cat...

[jimcav]

and maybe slow it until spring. on any turn or significant curve, unless it is and has been bone dry/clear, i slow to my max running speed--holding to an old belief my body is designed to fall at such speeds. this time of year roads stay shaded and damp--sometimes mossy--many of my routes have climbs where my tires slip--really annoying--but i avoid curvy downhills at speed--not fun, but decidedly safer.
of course i also ride to work on mornings where black ice has happened--and gone down--once on a slight hill at 14mph, recently on flat road at 22. both hurt--wish i knew where my left leg was in the pedal stroke--because the impact was in the same area and the slower speed hurt more on the hip--the faster crash hurt my ribs much more.

i usually try to hold on, but even in summer i wear gloves to protect my hands just in case.

hope all is well in your wrist--mine still hurts from my crash the 27th

jim

[J.Greene]

Thank you for the concern, folks!

if I ask nicely, one of my technologists will do me early morning before patients are in.

Be careful, my boss was fired for this once.

Glad your OK, sounds like you are pretty free of damage.

JG

[jmeloy]

Slow can be tough as well. Crossing a set of railroad tracks at about a 60 degree angle, with a car approaching the other direction. A pickup decided to pass him at the crossing and left me no choice but to veer right and both wheels went into the track groove onto the top of the rail and DAMN you can't imagine how fast she slid out from under me. Went down hard. Banged hip/shoulder/head.
Guy never even stopped. Young couple going my way did. I stood up and got really light headed. They drove me about half way home and I rode the rest of the way. Felt funky for about 12 hours.

Gotherd, hope the clavicle is sound and take care!

JAM

[Dekonick]

The Hors woulda held :rolleyes:

Glad you are ok.

:D

[stackie]

George,

I'm pretty sure that you recently (in the past few months) posted that you never had a crash. I'm a fairly scientific person myself, but I thought to myself at that time, "This guy is nuts for saying that. He's so going to crash now." There is just some superstitions you don't want to mess with.

Glad it wasn't worse.

Jon

[Gothard]

Update:
X-rays are normal. My wrist is only very sore.
The clothes, once cleaned display ridiculous tiny holes. No one will believe me when they see the damage. Looks like I fell fom the bed, on a pillow... Now the bike.... :crap:
I knew I was jinxing myself when I said I did not crash in the last 26 years... :rolleyes:

As for the Hors holding in the same position, I'll leave that to speculation.