My turn to be stupid but VERY lucky . . .

[BumbleBeeDave]

Well, after 25 years of no major incidents, my number came up Thursday night.

I was heading down the Mohawk Hudson Bikeway on the Queen Bee, hit a stutter bump—and my front wheel came off. I somersaulted over the bars and hit the asphalt on the right front part of my head. At 20mph.

My Giro Boreas took the brunt of the impact. I remember hitting the bump, starting into the air, and thinking, “Uh-Oh” and then I woke up on the ground with several people around me. I could feel blood dripping in my eye, but my first thought was, “Oh, crap, I crashed. I better call Bev to come get me.”

A bystander handed me my phone and I dialed her automatically, got her on the line and told her I had crashed. She asked me where I was, I asked the bystander, and was told “Dunsbach Ferry Road is right down there.” I remember recognizing the street name but being totally unable to picture where it was on a map. That should have been my big clue that all is not right.

But I kept talking to Bev and it seemed as though only a few moments later the ambulance was there, though Bev tells me I was on the phone with her for over 12 minutes, asking her the same questions over and over. She heard the EMT’s repeatedly asking me which hospital I wanted to go to as I continued to insist I didn’t really need to go. Finally I consented—fortunately!—and away we went with me on spine board and immobilized.

They brought my bike in the ambulance with us and since Bev’s office was only about 8 blocks from the ER she met us there and got the bike, then stayed with me there till I got out at about midnight after CT scan, x-rays, and lots of lying around not realizing I was hurt as bad as I was. They made me keep the collar on and not get up until the doc had evaluated the tests. when he told me the situation I got real dizzy real fast and had to lie back down.

So what exactly happened? Back on August 15 I rode the Queen Bee in the Ididaride bike tour in North Creek, NY. I remember—in perfect 20/20 hindsight—that when I got home from that and took my bike out of the car I put on the front wheel just tight enough to wheel it in the house and hang it on the wall rack. So when I went out Thursday evening I had just forgotten that and forgot to tighten up the skewer as it should have been.

I remember shortly after I started my ride I noticed the brake tightening lever wasn’t flipped, so I flipped it tight as I rode and didn’t think any more about it—I have forgotten to tighten it before. Then I noticed a creak or two as I was riding but again didn’t think much of it. My bike has developed squeaks and creaks before. Last time it turned out to be the seat post needing some carbon paste.

So I got almost 20 miles, going down some decent sized descents at up to 35 mph, before this one little bump on the bike trail finally did me in. The damage?

The Bike . . . Front wheel needs to be trued. Right bar end plug chewed up. Outside of right LOOK pedal chewed up a bit. Brifters were both turned inward and I rotated them back to normal by hand, But the frame and fork appear to be OK. I’ve got the bike up at Blue Sky right now where they are checking it all over. There’s not even any scratches on the bottom of the front dropouts. Only thing I can figure out is that when I went over the bars I tightened my grip on the brifters, bending them inward as I somersaulted and rotated the bike up in the air over me and the fork never touched the ground, the bike coming over the top and landing more or less on top of me.

Me . . . Fractured posterior spinous process on the C4 vertebrae. In other words, a broken neck. Christopher Reeve territory if it had been any worse, but in this case it’s the knob coming off the back of the vertebrae that the muscles and tendons attach to. Also minor concussion—no wonder I couldn’t figure out where I was.

Lost about 1/5 of my right earlobe. Big road rash on right temple and brow. Road rash on back of my right shoulder. ER doc said I’d be off work for a week, wearing the collar for two, and 6 weeks with no “athletic activity.” I’m trying to get in to see my primary tomorrow to find out if I can at least ride a trainer. By today my back has resolved into the worst pulled muscle I’ve ever had. I seem to be getting by OK just gobbling Ibuprofen.

My Bolle glasses are scratched up and my helmet is almost split in two. One small piece on the rear is all that’s holding the two pieces together. My friend Gary came by Friday morning to see how I was. He has had at least 5 crashes I know of over the years and spent time in the local rehab hospital with brain injury from one of them back in the 90’s. I handed him the helmet and he says, “Oh, Crap!”, then just looks at it silently for a few moments. Then looks up at me and says, “You’re a dead man, you know. You’re not wearing this and you’re a dead man.”

He was right. I’m sure of it, If that had been my bare head instead of the helmet I would be dead. That was the first time anyone had put it in those words. So it hit me pretty hard.

This wreck didn’t involve any vehicles or other cyclists--just my own forgetfulness/stupidity on a section of idyllic bike trail with just a few ripples in the asphalt. When I look at my helmet and think of that happening to my head, it makes a lasting impression—and it makes ANY temporary discomfort from wearing a helmet over the past 23 years worth every second since I got that Bell Stratos back in 1987 (see pic).

Giro has a crash replacement policy, but no way am I sending this helmet to them. It stays right here on my wall as an education lesson next time I’m feeling sorry for myself or anybody else starts arguing about the wisdom of wearing one. Bad day at the office? Argument with your wife or girlfriend? It’s still better than what might have been . . .

So check your skewers before EVERY ride . . . and wear your helmet EVERY time you ride your bike, even if it’s just to circle the driveway to see if those derailleur adjustments you just made worked OK.

Now in most places you can make that decision legally for yourself and I’m not going to go riding around preaching at people. Go right ahead and skip that helmet if you think you’ll be too hot or it makes you look like an uncool Phred or you’re just riding “a few feet.”

But if you do decide to skip the helmet for whatever reason, forgive me if I think you’re a total, complete idiot.

BBD

[duke]

Holy crap Dave! I certainly hope you make a speedy recovery. Thankfully it sounds like you will end up close to original condition. I split a helmet, on impact, about 5 years ago. I, as well as you would probably be dead without having worn said helmet.
Good Luck.
duke

[rugbysecondrow]

Glad you are okay, a couple of great lessons too. If anybody asks about your ear, just tell them Mike Tyson got ahold of you. ;)

Cheers to a speedy recovery!

[duke]

One question I have to ask. Lawyer tabs or not? Some of my bikes have them, some don't.
duke

[BumbleBeeDave]

One question I have to ask. Lawyer tabs or not? Some of my bikes have them, some don't.
duke

No lawyer tabs on the 2001 F1 fork with Ti steerer. But I should be checking my skewers before every ride anyway. Guess I will remember that now, eh? :rolleyes: :eek:

BBD

[wss]

As someone who went head first over the bars and has scars to show it, I feel your pain.
Hope your feeling better and heal quickly. Ed

[Mr. Squirrel]

dear mr. bee,
bee assured i had nothing to do with this. i do love wheels but i don't really want to hurt. i am happy that you were not hurt more and that you wore your helmet. that certainly was not nuts!

mr. squirrel

[Ray]

My gosh Dave, that sounded BAD. Glad you're OK, or close to OK and heading in the direction of completely OK. And the stripes on the side of your face should go well with your zebra get-up, just to lighten it up a bit.

Seriously, glad you're alright - you're very lucky...

-Ray

[thegunner]

damn dave... i was in pain reading your description of the injuries. glad to see you're up and about again though, and not too devastated to stay away from the bike ;)

[Peter B]

Geez Dave! Looks painful, but I'm sure glad to see your noggin is still intact!

Folks, remember the daily checks before you hit the road. Literally.

[BumbleBeeDave]

dear mr. bee,
bee assured i had nothing to do with this. i do love wheels but i don't really want to hurt. i am happy that you were not hurt more and that you wore your helmet. that certainly was not nuts!

mr. squirrel

I appreciate your cunning effort to disassociate yourself from this dastardly deed. But I did definitely hear a rustling noise and see a brown blurry streak out of the corner of my eye just before I went flying over the bars. :no:

I've already taken measures to counter this threat once I do actually get out on the bike again. It may hamper my available routes just a bit as a certain clearance width is needed, but I have procured this specific countermeasure device to scout any potential ride routes along with engaging the services of qualifiied operational personnel. I would strongly suggest you head back over to Rhode Island and return to giving William a hard time!

BBD

[Smiley]

Glad to hear your ok and hope that you have a speedy recovery BBDave.

[martinrjensen]

First off, Glad you are alright. Concerning the wheel though, I would think if the bike had no lawyer tabs (I filed mine off), you wouldn't need to adjust the skewer nut, and just flip the lever to fully tighten it. It sounds like you only flipped the lever just barely tight enough to hold the wheel in? The lever would have been kind of perpendicular to the wheel I'm thinking (sticking way out) and should have been really obvious. I mean, if the fork had lawyer tabs, I could see loosening the nut and forgetting to tighten it up again but when the nut doesn't need any adjustment i.e. no tabs?
Hope this doesn't sound like I am grilling you , but I'm just trying to get a good picture of how this happened. It sounds like a really bad accident and could have been much worse. I can't think of much worse than loosing your front wheel.
My only suggestion would be not to check the skewers before every ride, but simply don't put the wheel in the fork without tightening it completely every time. Same with the back. If it goes in, it gets tightened.
No lawyer tabs on the 2001 F1 fork with Ti steerer. But I should be checking my skewers before every ride anyway. Guess I will remember that now, eh? :rolleyes: :eek:

BBD

[thwart]

Glad you're OK, Dave. Sounds like more than a minor concussion, so please take it easy for a bit.

I'll try to keep the wife from reading the 'put it on even if you're just tuning the bike on a ride half-way down the block' advice, though... :rolleyes:

[Louis]

Wow Dave. I have to agree, even your hard head would not have been able to take that hit without the helmet. We wear them for a reason.

Glad things are going to work out. Take it easy and give your body time to heal. There will be plenty of time to ride when you're better.

Louis

[pbjbike]

Dang! You are a lucky man Dave! :beer:

Don't forget ICE on your neck and back, especially before bed. Heat in the morning.

Consider taking arnica homeopathy internally, as well as applying the gel externally. That and a silica supplement will help to rebuild the soft tissue damage.

Can you borrow a recumbent spinning bike? That might keep up your fitness without straining your neck and back.

When I first started road riding in HS, I was late for school and noticed my front QR was open. Rather than stop, I reached down to close it. However, it wasn't very tight, and the lever went to far, and my fingers went into the spinning spokes, hit the fork and down I went. Luckily, I had my trusty original Bell on...

Take Care

[SPOKE]

I'm very glad to know you'll be ok Dave.
Heal quickly my friend

[BumbleBeeDave]

First off, Glad you are alright. Concerning the wheel though, I would think if the bike had no lawyer tabs (I filed mine off), you wouldn't need to adjust the skewer nut, and just flip the lever to fully tighten it. It sounds like you only flipped the lever just barely tight enough to hold the wheel in? The lever would have been kind of perpendicular to the wheel I'm thinking (sticking way out) and should have been really obvious. I mean, if the fork had lawyer tabs, I could see loosening the nut and forgetting to tighten it up again but when the nut doesn't need any adjustment i.e. no tabs?
Hope this doesn't sound like I am grilling you , but I'm just trying to get a good picture of how this happened. It sounds like a really bad accident and could have been much worse. I can't think of much worse than loosing your front wheel.
My only suggestion would be not to check the skewers before every ride, but simply don't put the wheel in the fork without tightening it completely every time. Same with the back. If it goes in, it gets tightened.

. . . to make it easier to slip out of the dropouts. The easiest and most foolproof solution here is just for me to always check the skewers before EVERY ride from now on, so that' s what I'm going to do.

That and load my squirrel gun . . .

BBD

[Jason E]

BBD,

Glad you are okay. Consider it an opportunity for late season recovery. feel better!

Jason

[GuyGadois]

Dave, glad to hear your helmet took the brunt of that horrible spill. Have a quick recovery!

-GG-

[AngryScientist]

yikes, glad it wasnt worse bbd, heal up quick!

[Louis]

As I thought about this whole QR issue the first thing that came to mind was "Well, that's one incident that could be attributed to convenience (QR) over safety (solid axle bolted on hubs)." But as I think about it some more, it occurs to me that this sequence of events ( 1) taking bike and front wheel out of car, 2) placing wheel in fork dropouts, 3) doing a quickie job of tightening things because you just want to put the bike away and get inside, 4) two days later, when riding from home, forgetting that you did not tighten the wheel as much as you should have last time ) is just as likely to happen, if not more so, if you have nutted axles instead of a QR.

In the grand scheme of things, a QR does a great job of holding the wheel in place, and I've never had one come loose (yet). I have a 50 mph + descent at the start of every one of my rides and every now and then as I zip down that thing I think to myself "This would be a bad time for something to go wrong...." but the lure of speed and the desire to avoid the wear and tear on the brake pads and rims is just too much.

[martinrjensen]

I would be tempted to keep my helmet after something like that too. Good luck with your recovery. Hope you're not off the bike too long. will you need to do a lot of repairs to the bike?. . . to make it easier to slip out of the dropouts. The easiest and most foolproof solution here is just for me to always check the skewers before EVERY ride from now on, so that' s what I'm going to do.

That and load my squirrel gun . . .

BBD

[BumbleBeeDave]

I would be tempted to keep my helmet after something like that too. Good luck with your recovery. Hope you're not off the bike too long. will you need to do a lot of repairs to the bike?

. . . seems to be the big one. We'll see what the guys at Blue Sky say. They know their stuff, but I looked over all the frame joints on the painted frame and I couldn't swee any cracks, ripples, etc. that might indicate a stress point. I think it went up in the air over me and ended up on top of me before rolling off onto the ground.

BBD

[ThasFACE]

Intense.

Glad to hear you're ok.

[roguedog]

BBD,

DUDE. Glad to hear you're ok. Oh man, take it slow and let your body heal. Here's to wishing you well.

[Pete Serotta]

Dave, glad to see you are ok......That was a HARD fall!!!


PETE

[Don49]

So what exactly happened? Back on August 15 I rode the Queen Bee in the Ididaride bike tour in North Creek, NY. I remember—in perfect 20/20 hindsight—that when I got home from that and took my bike out of the car I put on the front wheel just tight enough to wheel it in the house and hang it on the wall rack. So when I went out Thursday evening I had just forgotten that and forgot to tighten up the skewer as it should have been.
BBD

Wow Dave, sorry to hear about this. That looks painfully similar to my helmet and head after my one big accident. I know it hurts now but recovery happens quicker than you think, believe me.

I kept my busted Giro Pneumo for awhile but eventually recycled it. Did keep the visor and suspension for spare parts since I got another Pneumo as a replacement.

I've done exactly what you did with the QR skewer many times so I know how that happens, and I've had a close call with it too. I'm starting to think it could be a good idea to tie a piece of colored tape around the QR if I'm going to leave it untightened. Kind of like the "remove before flight" flags used on airplanes.

[fourflys]

Speedy recovery and good vibes to you Brother!

[rwsaunders]

Dave...that's one hell of a way demonstrate the effectiveness of a helmet. Seriously, I'm glad to hear that you're still around to tell the tale. Please tell us that you weren't in your Acqua-Sapone kit, though. I'm guessing by the color of your helmet that you weren't.

[zap]

Zebra man, glad to read that you will be ok.

[Nil Else]

I just made the font of "CHECK QR" on my pre-ride check list REAL HUGE and taped on the wall. I am getting way too absent-minded. Your post just made me think I'm lucky exactly the same hasn't happened to me yet. Too many projects constantly trying out/swapping parts and quick impromptu *grab a bike and go* rides. Thanks for letting me have 20/20 hindsight without actually having crashed.

I fell off my bike without wearing helmet once riding around the block with a half tightened stem... luckily my cheekbone barely kissed the pavement however my both of wrists weren't so lucky trying to resist my head from hitting the ground.

Btw does this mean you'll hit 20,000,000 post mark in no time now? ;) BBD, hope you get back on a bike soon.

[henrypretz]

Wow Dave! I'm sure glad that it wasn't any more serious than it was. Best wishes for a successful and speedy recovery.
Maybe you could you dress up that ear with a spiffy earring or something? ;)

Henry

[Johny]

Dear Dave, glad you're ok. We wish you a Speedy recovery!

John

P.S. This kind of brings back some bicycle crashes I had. The most recent one I somersaulted over the bars too. I was riding fast into deep snow (thinking I can ride through it) and the front front wheel got stuck in the snow. I immediately fell on the snow and felt lucky until the top tube of my heavy mountain bike (flied in the air too) fell on my head. Luckily it hit between my eyebrows and helmet (most of it on the helmet). My Giro helmet cracked too. I did not sustain any brain injury except some scratches on the forehead. Yes, I still keep the helmet (of course got a new one to wear).

[chuckroast]

BBD, glad that you will recover, sorry to hear about your injuries though.

You'll be really sore for awhile, especially at night, just from the impact, never mind the roadrash and neck injury.

PS, you got lucky when you tightened the QR while riding. I did that (once) in 1989 and got my hand caught and went over the bars. It stunk but not nearly as much as your description.

[rounder]

BBD, glad you are going to be ok. I am taking this as a lesson to make sure the bike is ok when I leave for a ride, and to check out things that don't seem right while on the way.

[Dave]

Sorry to hear about your wreck - hope you recover fully and soon. It seems like your helmet failed to do it's job. I just had my second wreck (of 11) where I hit head first. Mine was really dumb. I appoached my driveway, where there is a combination curb/sidewalk at the front of the drive. The curb is taller and more steeply angled than other homes here in Colorado. I approached the curb too slowly and when I got to it, my front wheel came to a complete stop. Unfortunately, the back end of the bike kept going and dumped me on my head. I hit in the forehead area, but my helmet did it's job, keeping my eye socket and forehead off the pavement. I barely scratched the frame on my cycling glasses. I did get a decent sized lump and bruise on my forehead, but that was from slamming into the helmet. I hit my kneecap and scrapped my arm a little, but overall it was the least damaging of the 7 broken-helmet wrecks I've had.

[weisan]

Dave-pal, recover well, my friend. :o

[Climb01742]

your hard head finally came in handy. :beer:






seriously, very glad you're as healthy as you are. sounds like it could have been far worse. i hope you heal quickly and completely. one thought on your rehab... it might be worth having your body examined by a chiro or pt. it seems your back took quite a jolt. i'd guess a lot of your muscles were twisted, and your spine wrenched. there is the point of trauma and then there is the related impact of the impact. healing your whole body from such a major accident could require checking out other parts of your kinetic chain. good luck!!

[Matt-H]

That sounds like a scary crash that could have ended even worse.
Heal up fast!

[MattTuck]

Sorry to hear about injuries Dave, but I'm glad they're not worse!!

I've always wondered just how tight (or loose) the QRs have to be on my pre-lawyer tabs fork...

I guess I'll just make sure I torque them pretty good.

[martinrjensen]

They have to be just as tight as a fork that has Lawyer tabs, no tighter, no looser....Sorry to hear about injuries Dave, but I'm glad they're not worse!!

I've always wondered just how tight (or loose) the QRs have to be on my pre-lawyer tabs fork...

I guess I'll just make sure I torque them pretty good.

[RABikes2]

simply don't put the wheel in the fork without tightening it completely every time. Same with the back. If it goes in, it gets tightened.
... plus remember your overall safety checks prior to each ride.

So glad you will be okay, Dave. I'm sure Bev is taking good care of you.
Heal quickly friend!
Ritaann

[MarleyMon]

Rest Rest Rest
You will get better.
Stop beating yourself up mentally (you've done enough of that already).
It happened, its over, its time to heal.
I'm so sorry for your pain.

Mike

[Tony Prioli]

Last Saturday I was meeting 15 buddies at the parking lot in Vail Colorado to ride vail pass, and we had special jerseys made up for the ride and we handed a jersey to "Steve" who had just arrived. He rolled 2mph to his car to change his jersey while holding it on the handlebars as it fell into the spokes on the front wheel. 2mph hour parking lot fall and he broke his neck in 2 places. C6 and C7 I believe. He had emergency surgery for the halo device to stabalize his neck and steroids to prevent swelling and hopefully paralasys. Well, two days later the swelling was safe and they did a 13 hour surgury to repair the vertabrae and he has a 6 mo. recovery ahead.

Words can't describe how scary. So, I would add not to carry anything at all on the bars or stem if it can fall into the wheel. Just stuff it into your jersey pocket, or walk the bike. Not worth it.

Tony Prioli

[gone]

Welcome to the broken neck club. In my case C2/C3, 6 weeks in a halo (like a neck brace on steroids) followed by a neck brace for 6 weeks and 3.5 HOURS of an ER Doc stitching on my face. I try hard to learn from any accidents I have but sometimes (in my case) sh*t just happens - 1 inch to the right and I'm fine, turn my head 1 inch further to the right and I'm dead.

Unrelated to my crash: I never, never, never, never, ever put a bike away unless it's completely ready to ride. If I'm working on it and can't get it done, I leave it on the work stand. I never put a bike on the wall that's not ready to go except for air in the tires.

Glad you're mostly OK. It'll all heal, you'll be smarter next time.

Edited to add: the absolutely worst part of it all was knowing the effect the "Greg has crashed and is headed to the hospital" phone call would have on my wife. I was in the middle of nowhere New Mexico and my wife had to jump on a plane to get to the hospital. She still can't talk about it and that's been almost 2 years ago. We tend to think about the effects a crash has on us since those are the ones we feel most keenly but if I could suffer twice as much and undo that phone call, I would in a minute.

[gdw]

Glad to see that you're in one piece and should heal quickly. Enjoy your downtime.

I bet you could cover some of your medical deductible by selling that helmet on Ebay....Slightly used but never abused Giro.......

[CNY rider]

Unrelated to my crash: I never, never, never, never, ever put a bike away unless it's completely ready to ride. If I'm working on it and can't get it done, I leave it on the work stand. I never put a bike on the wall that's not ready to go except for air in the tires.




Dave-pal, wishing you a speedy recovery.

And as an aside, I also implemented the above rule some time ago.
I do something blatantly obvious to make sure I don't hop on a bike (or other gear for that matter) that has been made unfit for use.

[tv_vt]

Dave,

That is a most-sobering tale. Thanks for sharing the reminders about helmets and tightening those skewers. Amazing how a little thing like that can lead to what you experienced. Maybe makes one see the point of lawyer tabs, too.

But most of all, take care and get well. Take your time. Sounds like you are already counting your blessings. And well you should - you are, in the end, a lucky man!

Thom

[maximus]

Glad you made it up and lived to share your story with us. Hope you heal quickly! Take it easy in the mean-time.

Your accident makes me think of all those mornings I left without the helmet, only to realize it a half mile later. It really justified all those grudgingly-made U-turns to go pick it up.

As for the front wheel - I have made the mistake myself (fortunately without accident). Don't feel down about that for one second.

[Ahneida Ride]

I just called BBD ..

First thing he said is that the HB wrap is unscathed and is reusable.

I am NOT making that up !!!!

He sounds ok and the hospital ran a full battery of tests.

Thank God he is alive.

[anomaly]

The ear lobe made me cringe the worst.

[PBWrench]

I won't ride down the driveway w/o a helmet as I've cracked 3! Wishing you a quick and complete recovery! PBW

[jghall]

As with the others, glad you are ok BBD.

A lesson to us all.

[texbike]

Wow BBD...That is crazy-scary ! I'm glad to hear that it isn't more serious than it was and hope that you heal fast.

I have a co-worker that began to ride recently and hasn't invested in a helmet yet (even though we've been encouraging him to do so). He'll be seeing this thread first thing in the morning....

Texbike

[moran]

Dave, I am very happy to hear you are OK. Thank you for the post, it's a good lesson for all of us!

[oliver1850]

.

[mtb_frk]

I have been guilty of not tightening the skewers down before as well, not any more.

Wishing you a speedy recovery!

[93legendti]

...Thank G-d he is alive.
Wow, what a crash.

I always thought I was paranoid for checking my skewers just about every ride-'cuz I worried that one of my young kids had played with the skewers and some how loosened them.


Heal up quickly!

[bigman]

Get well soon! Hope the pain killers take the edge off.

[Dekonick]

Yikes!

Glad you survived this one! By the look of your helmet, and the anterograde amnesia, you are indeed a lucky man. I, too, have suffered a fractured cervical vertebrae. Like you, I walked away and count my blessings every day.

Thanks for sharing!

Mike :D

[snah]

A little late to the list of well wishers, but sending you my best for a speedy recovery.

[nahtnoj]

Your description of not really knowing where you were sounds fairly terrifying. I'm glad you are on the road to recovery.

[Ken R]

Well, you were pretty lucky. I can relate.

Car left-turned me. I was only going about 22 mph. My bicycle never hit the car, no damage at all. But I went through the passenger side window and then flipped over the top of the car, landing in a heap on the pavement on the other side. I have no memory of the accident or the 30 minutes afterwards. Out like a light.

Lots of broken bones . . . I don't even remember which or how many except for C2. It broke in 2 places. Doc called it an unstable fracture; a sneeze could paralyze me from the neck down. (Yes superman also broke C2).

In traction for 3 days and then a halo with screws into my scull for 4 months. Then another month of a plastic collar. It hurt . . . every day. I couldn't work for 4 weeks; then limited for the rest of the "halo time". It was not pleasant.

Back on the bicycle after released and have been riding 200 to 300 miles ever since; but rarely alone. One bicycle can't be seen.

Ken

[rdparadise]

Hey Dave, here's to a speedy recovery. Thanks for the details of your crash and the words of wisdom. I'm adding the "check all skewers" to my list of pre-ride duties.

Scary stuff Dave. Glad you were where people were able to help and call the ambulance immediately. Take care of yourself, especially the neck and brain. Concussions can be pretty scary these days.

Take care and rest up buddy. You'll need it.

Bob

[sfghbiker]

get well soon! I too have gotten a bit slack in the pre-ride checklist dept. this has motivated me to pay more attention. take care and don't rush the recovery.

[OtayBW]

HOLY CRAP! Glad to hear you'll be OTAY!

[Bruce K]

Wow. What else to say. You are one VERY lucky guy (considering).

Get well soon.

BK

[William]

Dave,

I'm sorry to hear about your accident, but very happy you weren't more seriously hurt!! I try to be good about checking my gear before every ride but I know occasionally I don't. I'm going to post your picture near the bikes so I remember each an every time. :)

Btw, it seems very suspicious that the Squirrel didn't show up on my ride. The time line seems right. Not here and then.... I don't believe the fur ball either...I think he had a hand in all this. :butt:

Get well soon Big Guy!! :)



William

[soulspinner]

Bee man-Ive done this very thing with skewers but was luckier than you-heal up and safety first man!

[SEABREEZE]

Dog gone, sorry to hear what happened, heal fast and count your blessings You could of been paralized

To summarize BBD's misfortune to rest of us that participated or read this thread, it has taught us all a valuable lesson.. Each and every time we ride.

1) Try to ride with at least one other person if possible

2) Always wear your helmet.

3) Do a pre check of your entire bike.

4) Sooner or later something will happen to you while riding.

BBD glad to see you still have your humor, loved the one about procuring heavy artillary, to get fuzz balls...

Last but not least, the stress on Bev, learning of this accident, and your outcome in the ER.

[Tom]

Damn, dude... I happened to ride the river loop this morning for the first time in a while cause of the 146 construction and I wondered what that big hole was in the path that hadn't been there before....

Get better fast. Freaking scary about the neck.

[Lifelover]

Very scary, maybe one of the few post that will convince me to wear my helmet every time I ride.

Glad you are well and based on your posts you seemed to be in good spirits!

Most of us do stupid stuff at some point. I did the same exact thing with the rear wheel on a MTB one time. Did a fairly aggressive urban ride on it that include curb jumps and the like.

As soon as I got off the bike and went to push it through the gate, the back wheel feel off.

If you can't ride for a while, keep us entertained with your post.

[BumbleBeeDave]

His experience sounds DAMN scary and much more than mine. But I'm not trying to turn it into a contest. I'm just grateful mine did turn out as well as it did and so many thanks to all the great people who have sent their best wishes along in this thread. Ken, you don't say how long ago your wreck was, but I hope by now you are 100% back to normal. It sounds like it was a way more difficult and scary time than I'm having! :eek:

Right now I am just hanging around the house, waiting to see my primary at 11am tomorrow. The ER doc said a week off work, 2 weeks in the collar, and 6 weeks with no "Physical activity." I'm assuming, though, that since the ER doc is not familiar with my history or specific fitness that he's going to be very conservative in his recommendations.

I've had the same primary for 18 years and will go by his suggestions tomorrow. Even though all I generally do at work is sit at a computer, I'm not going to go back until I have his blessing. I'm hoping, though, that I will at least be able to get on a trainer before 6 weeks.

We'll see what happens. In the meantime I'm taking it easy and taking Ibuprofen and trying to get caught up on some stuff around the house that doesn't take any bending or turning!

Thanks again for all your good wishes. You guys are wonderful! :banana:

BBD

Well, you were pretty lucky. I can relate.

Car left-turned me. I was only going about 22 mph. My bicycle never hit the car, no damage at all. But I went through the passenger side window and then flipped over the top of the car, landing in a heap on the pavement on the other side. I have no memory of the accident or the 30 minutes afterwards. Out like a light.

Lots of broken bones . . . I don't even remember which or how many except for C2. It broke in 2 places. Doc called it an unstable fracture; a sneeze could paralyze me from the neck down. (Yes superman also broke C2).

In traction for 3 days and then a halo with screws into my scull for 4 months. Then another month of a plastic collar. It hurt . . . every day. I couldn't work for 4 weeks; then limited for the rest of the "halo time". It was not pleasant.

Back on the bicycle after released and have been riding 200 to 300 miles ever since; but rarely alone. One bicycle can't be seen.

Ken

[DRZRM]

Wow Dave,

That's quite a tale...I'm very glad you are here to tell it! Makes one think about all the dumb mistakes one makes without those sorts of consequences.

Hoping for your quick recovery.

ZRM

[uno-speedo]

i'm going to check all my quick releases are all tight right now.

heal fast man, you already know it but man you're one lucky dude.

[sonicCows]

*

[Bud_E]

BBD - I wish you a good recovery. Thanks for you report. I'm going to renew my efforts to control the things I can control.

[Steevo]

Dave, wishing you a speedy recovery. Hope you're back on the bike real soon.

[firerescuefin]

They say "a wise man learns from his mistakes...an even wiser man learns from the mistakes of others"

Sorry this happened...very glad that the extent of your injuries were not even more severe.

The blessing in all of this is the awareness that this has brought to the forum. I pull the front wheel off my bike 2-5 times a week, depending how many times I throw it on top of the car. I have done exactly what you described upon getting home. I won't make the same mistake again.

Heal up fast.

Geoff

[572cv]

Hey Dave,
Thanks for having the resolve to share your experience with everyone. Lots of dedicated forumites will avoid problems having taken your admonitions to heart. I hope you are good to go before long and have the chance to get out and enjoy the road before the end of the year. Be well!

[Keith A]

Wow, I'm away from the forum for a couple of days and look what my pal BBD does without me to watch out for him :rolleyes: I am so glad this isn't any worse than it is. I've my share of crashes on bikes and skateboards and it is never a pleasant experience. I'm just really happy to have you still will us and wihout any REAL serious injuries.

BTW, look at the silver lining in this cloud...you'll have plenty of time for the forum while you recover :D

Get well soon my friend!

P.S. Should I start to worry? We have two of our moderators spending time in a hospital...I hope this isn't a sign :no:

[jghall]

P.S. Should I start to worry? We have two of our moderators spending time in a hospital...I hope this isn't a sign

Hopefully not, but as we all know, it is dangerous out there. A +/- 160lbs rider does not stand a chance against our neglect, the elements, or a 3000+ car.

Be Safe!

[JD Smith]

"...my first thought was, “Oh, crap, I crashed. I better call Bev to come get me.”
This was the most convincing evidence you needed to go to the hospital. Any time your first thought strays from "How's my bike", you've sustained a significant head injury.

[BumbleBeeDave]

I'm back on the bike after 23 days of doing absolutely nothing. As far as I can remember, that's the longest time period I've done absolutely nothing--weights, riding, hiking, etc.--in almost ten years.

I got the brace off almost two weeks ago now, and even then when I asked the doc when I could ride my bike again his answer was, "Well, right now. Just don't crash." Thanks, Doc . . .

I had one complication--two days after I got the brace off I had a raging infection in my left cheek and was down for the count on a beautiful Saturday with my cheek swollen up like a softball. Very frustrating to look out the window and see others riding by. But by Sunday afternoon the meds had taken hold and I felt much better.

But I didn't give the bike a try again until this past Saturday. Bev and I did 12 miles out of her cabin near North Creek, riding slow and stopping by a field of milkweed to find some Monarch butterfly caterpillars. It was a really nice afternoon--we took almost two hours to do that 12 miles.

Tonight I went out with friends Kevin and Shawn and did 25 miles over to Colonie and back. I'm going to consider this my first "real" ride since I really tried to stretch the legs and see what I had. It felt REALLY good to go fast. But I'm also trying to be very careful. The doc said the fracture actually takes 8-10 weeks to heal fully and my right shoulder is actually giving me more trouble than my neck. It's tendinitis type pain, which doesn't surprise me considering the impact my shoulder took. That should got wrenched pretty good when I hit the ground. But there's no clicking noises or feelings, just still sore.

We made a short side trip on the bike trail to try and find the exact spot where I went over the bars and I think I found it. There's just one small spot on that whole stretch of bike path that's has a fresh asphalt patch on it, and I'm betting that's where the divot was that my wheel went into and they came over and patched it after I crashed.

So onward--carefully! :beer:

BBD

[rugbysecondrow]

:banana: Awesome. Best ride report I have read in a while.

[firerescuefin]

Great News !!!! :beer:

I think of you every time I have gone out since your accident...while checking the skewers on my bike....(No Joke)

[wc1934]

Whoa Dave - I cringed just reading your post - thank your luck stars and say a little prayer tonight - don't rush things - listen to your doc - you'll be back on the bike in no time - wishing you a speedy recovery.

[rwsaunders]

Glad to hear that the Bumblebee is back in flight. :beer:

[Kevan]

did the zebra suit get trashed?

Sorry Dave for being late to the party, very glad you have a hard head and really happy to read you're back on the bike.

I suspect there are a bunch of us who continue to relive that quiet moment that takes place fractions of a second before the royal smack down occurs. For me it seemed to last several seconds and I revisit that moment regularly.

Now I think I'll go check out my releases.

Thanks for the heads up. Be well.

[legacysti888]

Just read this post...

Glad you're ok and yes, I must wear my helmet in every ride... I must, I must...

That is an experience I would rather not ever have in my life.

Stay strong! :beer:

[William]

Great to hear Dave! I'm glad you're on the mend and moving forward. Many happy and safe miles to you in the future! :)




William

[soulspinner]

Glad yer back on the horse.......bee, whatever :confused: . Ride in good health. :beer: