Crash! *dum* Ah-Ahhh!

[dub-no-bass]

I had my first proper crash today. :?: Stupid one, too. I was riding on the road and decided to switch to the cycle path on my left so that I could use a Toucan crossing to get over a busy road. To get onto the cycle path, you have to mount a low kerb, but I hit it at too steep an angle and too fast, so instead of going up the kerb, just skidded alongside it and wiped out.

Fortunately me and the bike both landed in the cycle lane. Two free newspaper hander-outers came running over to see if I was OK, as did two other people passing by. It also happened very close to work so I wheeled my bike back there and a couple of the medics gave me a quick triage and thought I should get myself down to A&E. A&E prodded and poked me but said I wasn't showing signs of a fracture, just a sparined wrist, so didn't x-ray me - but told me to keep an eye on things and come back if it doesn't get better in a few days.

I'm mostly OK but on top of the sprained right wrist (my dominant hand, yay), I have road rash down one side of my right arm and under my chin. I've also cut my middle finger quite deeply, so there was a bit of blood splashed around. I think the bike is OK - the brakes didn't rub when I wheeled it back to the bike shed, but my arm hurt too much to try riding it or cranking the pedals whilst trying to change gears. It took me 10 minutes to lock it up - ever tried using a D-lock with one arm? Boo.

I just felt like such a *twat*. The van driver who'd been behind me stuck his head out of the window and laughed as he drove past - nice! I will never attempt a move like that again.

Sorry for rambling. I just feel sore and embarassed.

 

[Chuffy]

Ouch! I'm sure it, or something similar, has happened to us all. Hope the various wounds heal ok.

 

[Mr Phoebus]

The good thing is that you're still here to tell us about it.

I did the same ' sharp angle' 'low kerb' thing as you many moons ago.

Never again!

 

[Big Bren]

That was exactly how I had my first big fall too - nasty.

Glad you're relatively unscathed though - it could have been much worse.

Bren

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Glad you got away with it reasonably lightly, Dub. I did a similar thing years ago on the tramlines near Bilston in the West Midlands. The odd thing was I could see what was going to happen before it happened but I went ahead and did it anyway. The pedestrian railings are still bent where I catapulted into them and every time I go past I feel a small tinge of mingled pride and embarrasment.

 

[Keith Oates]

Bad luck dub, but as others have said you were not the first and won't be the last to have that type of incident. However that still leaves the painful bits to recover so I hope that won't be too long in happening!!!!!!

 

[Globalti]

Sounds like a normal evening ride in our MTB club....

 

[Arch]

I just felt like such a *twat*. The van driver who'd been behind me stuck his head out of the window and laughed as he drove past - nice!

What a nice man, to laugh at a girl (well, anyone!) on the floor like that. I hope he gets piles, boils and pustules for a month, and a dead pigeon in his chimney causing a plague of flies... I mean if it was me, I'd be trying to make light of it, but I'd expect a little sympathy. In fact last time I came off (riding in a group, innattentive, realised I was about to touch wheels with someone, swerved violently, came off), the lady driving the car behind us slowed down to check I was being helped up alright, and I was able to give her a grateful wave of 'I'm OK!'.

Very bad luck. Hope the various injuries clear up nice and quickly.

Have some cake as a treatment

 

[bonj2]

Lesson to be learnt from this? Don't use cycle paths - stick to the road.

 

[dub-no-bass]

I wouldn't usually, but this was at Vauxhall Cross. The cycle paths round there are actually useful, and navigating some sections of Vauxhall Cross by road is pretty scary at rush hour.

The stupid thing is, I could see what was going to happen before I did it, but did it anyway. On a different set of tyres, things may have turned out differently.

Anyway, not doing too badly today. Showering with road rash is very painful, washing and drying hair very difficult, but thanks to naproxen, I can at least type and use a mouse, I just can't put much weight on my right hand. Sadly this scuppers my 3 hobbies: cycling, climbing and archery, until I am back to full strength

Thanks for the well wishes. It also makes me feel a bit better to know that I'm not the only person who's crashed this way!

 

[Arch]

I'm wishing bonj a small pustule for being a smartarse and forgetting to say get well soon...

Absolutely, use paths when they help you! Just remember to get the angle of attack right...

Have some more cake...

 

[Tetedelacourse]

Ha ha! nae luck Dub, hope you get well soon. I laugh because it has of course happened to me and I felt a right muppet. There is something intrinsically funny though in hearing about someone falling over - so long as they're not badly hurt of course (and the steed is OK!).

My latest one was on my own driveway, having commuted home safely over 13 miles of busy roads. Managed to align my 23's perfectly with a narrow groove at the top of the monoblock, ride bike into it and slow down enough to wobble and fall over. What a tit. gotta laugh.

Maybe Susannah Archer will assist you in keeping up the archery whilst injured. As I say, back to full health in no time I hope.

 

[barq]

I just felt like such a *twat*. The van driver who'd been behind me stuck his head out of the window and laughed as he drove past - nice! I will never attempt a move like that again.

First off I'm glad you're not more seriously hurt and I hope you heal quickly. I think we've all done it though. A while back I crashed on a cycle path in front of a load of elderly women - the front wheel just slipped out from me as I cornered. Gosh that dented my pride!

 

[Arch]

Maybe Susannah Archer will assist you in keeping up the archery whilst injured. As I say, back to full health in no time I hope.

Who she?

I've always thought I should take up archery, never have... A fellow student gave his assessed lecture on the longbow at Agincourt, and had a real longbow to show, so he made me come up out of the audience to model it. I could barely bend it...

Saw a funny 'off' on Monday - a mate trying a rather odd recumbent (even by my standards)

http://www.streetrower.com/

with an unusual steering method - he ended up going right off the path into a field of barley - at low speed, so it was just funny, and he sat there laughing...

 

[Tony]

We've all done it!
Don't you feel such a tit when it happens?