Wrecked

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fuzzybuddha

Well-Known Member
Location
DC
Was riding the other day and making really great time and pace! When i come upon a person with a leaf blower on his back, blowing leaves off the bike trail. I don't know why hew felt the need to blow leaves off the trail, but whatever... So i come along and am yelling at him that I am behind him, move to one side, pick a sde, any side, just move! He did not hear me as he had the aforementioned leaf blower on his back. So i decided to try to go off the tarmac path onto the grass to try and avoid him. As I hit the grass, i instantly knew this was a terrible idea. When i went to get back onto the path, my front tire stuck in the groove between the path and the grass. This cause me to do head over handle bars, crashing down. Slamming my hands to slow the descent, i hit and half rolled until i was on my shoulder and slid for the remaining 10 feet (3 meters). got up, dusted myself off yelled at leaf blower guy and rode off... when i was about home, i noticed my front tire had gone flat, so i had to walk the remaining mile (1.6km) home. later i went to the ER as my wrist was hurting terribly, find out that i had a broken scaphoid (sp) at the base of my thumb, The following day at the Orthopedic doctor i also found i, there is a good chance i broke mu shoulder as well...

In closing, if you are blowing leaves, for the love of Pete, pay attention to your surroundings!! Sorry for the rant...
 

raleighnut

Legendary Member
Was riding the other day and making really great time and pace! When i come upon a person with a leaf blower on his back, blowing leaves off the bike trail. I don't know why hew felt the need to blow leaves off the trail, but whatever... So i come along and am yelling at him that I am behind him, move to one side, pick a sde, any side, just move! He did not hear me as he had the aforementioned leaf blower on his back. So i decided to try to go off the tarmac path onto the grass to try and avoid him. As I hit the grass, i instantly knew this was a terrible idea. When i went to get back onto the path, my front tire stuck in the groove between the path and the grass. This cause me to do head over handle bars, crashing down. Slamming my hands to slow the descent, i hit and half rolled until i was on my shoulder and slid for the remaining 10 feet (3 meters). got up, dusted myself off yelled at leaf blower guy and rode off... when i was about home, i noticed my front tire had gone flat, so i had to walk the remaining mile (1.6km) home. later i went to the ER as my wrist was hurting terribly, find out that i had a broken scaphoid (sp) at the base of my thumb, The following day at the Orthopedic doctor i also found i, there is a good chance i broke mu shoulder as well...

In closing, if you are blowing leaves, for the love of Pete, pay attention to your surroundings!! Sorry for the rant...
You sure he wasn't using the leaf blower to power his bike,


View: https://youtu.be/Rj4moeKDGY4


As for falling off, Get well soon and all that BUT it was your actions that made you come off, no one else's.
 

Salty seadog

Space Cadet...(3rd Class...)
Was riding the other day and making really great time and pace! When i come upon a person with a leaf blower on his back, blowing leaves off the bike trail. I don't know why hew felt the need to blow leaves off the trail, but whatever... So i come along and am yelling at him that I am behind him, move to one side, pick a sde, any side, just move! He did not hear me as he had the aforementioned leaf blower on his back. So i decided to try to go off the tarmac path onto the grass to try and avoid him. As I hit the grass, i instantly knew this was a terrible idea. When i went to get back onto the path, my front tire stuck in the groove between the path and the grass. This cause me to do head over handle bars, crashing down. Slamming my hands to slow the descent, i hit and half rolled until i was on my shoulder and slid for the remaining 10 feet (3 meters). got up, dusted myself off yelled at leaf blower guy and rode off... when i was about home, i noticed my front tire had gone flat, so i had to walk the remaining mile (1.6km) home. later i went to the ER as my wrist was hurting terribly, find out that i had a broken scaphoid (sp) at the base of my thumb, The following day at the Orthopedic doctor i also found i, there is a good chance i broke mu shoulder as well...

In closing, if you are blowing leaves, for the love of Pete, pay attention to your surroundings!! Sorry for the rant...

I think you made your own fate there. Maybe, just maybe you should have slowed to accommodate the situation and passed safely so you could both go about your days.
 

Slick

Guru
Another who agrees with all of the above I'm afraid, but still have a bit of sympathy for you regarding your injuries. I hope that you heal well, don't miss any time off work or the bike and your insurance covers all medical bills. Stay safe.
 

numbnuts

Legendary Member
Sorry to hear this, the scaphoid can be one of the slowest bones to heal in the body as it only has one blood supply, broke both of mine had to have six weeks off work and four weeks light duties, mine you I'm a Blacksmith.
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
Why did you think the fella would be able to hear you above the noise of the blower? They're the noisiest garden tool around.

Did you break your shoulder or not?
 

Jody

Stubborn git
I guess he was blowing leaves off the path so that they didn't make the path like a skating rink for cyclists when wet.

Exactly. Our local trails have leaves blown off them in autumn so the full line is available and they don't turn into ice rinks.

As for the OP and the love of Pete. Please look where you are going, be prepared to stop and respect others! You dont own the path and the other person you put in danger was doing something with his free time to make your riding more enjoyable/safe. Dont yell at him and maybe apologise for being a plonker.
 

davidphilips

Veteran
Location
Onabike
look on the bright side, apart from a flat tyre your bike is not damaged and you have learnt some thing and will hopefully be a better and safer cyclist because of it.
Its very easy to get caught up on a silly manoeuvre when making great time and pace, i have seen cyclists do silly things all for the sake of saving a few seconds just so they can do a personal best or beat a club mate, perhaps you may even have got of lightly and hopefully others may also learn and some good will come out of it.
Wish you a speedy recovery and hope you are on your bike soon.
 
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