first solo +50 mile ride since the 'canine incident'

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Quite a few of you will know that I am still getting over a certain canine incident that redesigned my left leg almost 12 months ago to the day. It ended our world tour after just 12 months on the road with 8,700 miles covered between 22 countries. It also left me needing +100 stitches to a leg wound with a severed major artery, severed major nerve, punctured major vein and some muscle damage.

Well rehab is going to be long and slow, apparently my leg will take up to 2-3 years to 're-plumb' itself (the major artery that was severed was left to re-route itself) and whilst I have been managing 20-30 mile rides a couple of times a week, anything longer has been a struggle with intense pain from the leg.

I tried a club ride back in November and ended up doing 55 miles which was too much too soon for my leg and left me with lots of issues on route & afterwards. I have to confess to not having been back out with the club.

So it was with some trepedation that I set out on a planned route this morning. It didn't start well - a mile down the road I realised that I had left my trip meter at home and I really needed my warmer gloves, so I turned around and went home.

Back out on the main road and heading down the first hill I was nearly taken out by a WVM. Only the drivers mate yelling at the driver prevented an incident. I know he had seen me, I just think he had not appreciated I was going quite so fast at the bottom of a hill on a main road with my priority! I scared the living daylights out of the driver because my planned route just happened to follow their route off at the very next junction and they were clearly worried because the held back watching me follow them.

As I headed out through Northwich and towards the Macclesfield area the weather clouded over and started to get colder. By the M6 it was threatening rain and a quick sandwich followed in Gawsworth where I had arranged to meet up with someone from cyclingbuddy. We cycled together for a couple of miles before heading off back the way each of us had come (pretty much opposite directions) and then it was back to picking my way through the country lanes, mud and much and dodging potholes. Finding a quiet spot to releive myself proved more difficult than anticipated... note to self to try to go via some public convieniences next time!

I was quite surprised at the number of cyclists I saw out on the 'other side' of the M6 - way more than my side of the M6.... all said hello and were friendly. Back on my side of the M6 and the weather started to brighten up and get warmer, so a strip tease needed to be performed at the side of the road . My route back was planned to follow a route I commute once a week, mostly so that I knew how much more energy I needed to complete it and get home. One surprise my new Garmin Edge 200 had in store for me was that it kept complaining when I cycled around roundabouts in a clockwise direction, it would complain I was going off route - it seemed to expect me to go around them the wrong way! humm shall have to look into some settings.

Once back home, the sun is out, the weather warm enough to open all the windows in the house and get some air into the place. I am now totally exhausted but thrilled I managed the 85km (52.8 mile) without my leg hurting me. What tonight holds I have no idea but whilst cycling my leg did not hurt, so I am happy. If I can walk tomorrow I will be even happier!

All I now need to work on is stamina! Time 4hrs 7 mins total riding time and whilst it is not the fastest in the world (and only had 492m of climbing) I am as happy as I could be. Now to find the shower...

 

[BrianEvesham]

Great news Satnav. I still haven't done more than 30 miles in one go and I have I undamaged legs!

 

[User16625]

Cant you claim compo off the dogs owner? The git should have kept his dog under control or locked up.

 

[billy1561]

Great effort sat nav ! You're doing brilliant. Very impressive given the circumstances.

 

[Smurfy]

Glad you're making progress.

Which country were you in when you got bitten?

 

[yello]

85km in 4hrs is something to be pleased with. So under the circumstances, I think you've done bloody well. Chapeau sir madame.

I know nothing of the incident, sounds horrific, and I wish you well on your continued recovery.

Edited by Mod

 

[Biker Joe]

That's a wonderful report Well done.
That must be very satisfying.
One thought crossed my mind. The speed of your recovery should be a good indicator of your current fitness levels.
Anyway. A big pat on the back for you.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Glad you're making progress.
Which country were you in when you got bitten?

Cant you claim compo off the dogs owner? The git should have kept his dog under control or locked up.

We were in rural Turkey in the mountains approaching the central pains when the incident happened (12-02-2012). Turkey, like most other countries does not have a dog registration system, so unless you can prove who the owner is there is no way of sueing them (we would also have had to return to Turkey to do this and whilst I have no issues returning to Turkey, it would have been very time consuming & costly and at the time we believed that we still stood a chance of being able to continue after a few month rehab). Also no-one is going to take ownership of a pack of 5 dogs after an incident especially when they know 'foreigners' are involved and we only knew where we had seen the dogs come from (no homes) so could not say for definite who owned them although we suspected we knew. All we know is that they were likely shot (unofficially) which is probably a good thing because the pack leader was unnaturally agressive (and yes we were on the edge of a known rabies outbreak though we believe we had cycled outside of the area by a few km when the incident occured and then taken back into said area for medical treatment - we had also taken the decision to pay to have the preventative rabies shots before we left the UK to buy more time if the worst did happen).

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Thats a Stirling effort, well done.

 

[ankaradan]

Glad to hear you're on the road to recovery. You made the correct decision iro suing; legal processes here drag on for years, and lawyers are expensive.

 

[ianrauk]

Great to hear you are back on the bike and getting some miles in.

 

[roadrash]

congratulations on the ride, keep up the good work (leg allowing that is)

 

[Scoosh]

SNSSO !

Now if you can do the same tomorrow ....

I'm seriously impressed at your determination to complete the journey and I look forward to reading the rest of the report when you do !

For those who haven't read SNSSO's trip account, settle down in front of your 'puter, prepare to be taken on a wonderful journey - and USE THE LINK in SSNSO's signature !

 

[i hate hills]

That's great news Sat Nav. Hope you keep up the steady progress.

 

[roadrash]

SNSSO !

Now if you can do the same tomorrow ....

I'm seriously impressed at your determination to complete the journey and I look forward to reading the rest of the report when you do !

For those who haven't read SNSSO's trip account, settle down in front of your 'puter, prepare to be taken on a wonderful journey - and USE THE LINK in SSNSO's signature !

and allow yourself PLENTY TIME