15.5mph to 0mph in about six feet

[Gaz]

In 49 years of being on two wheels, last week was only the fourth significant off that I can remember. On my way to work, cycled on to a grass verge to go around two pedestrian and there was a hole hidden in the grass and that was me gone. Buckled front wheel, forks not sure about, brakes don't feel right, handlebars damaged and wonky, grip torn, gear shifter badly grazed

Three and a bit hours in A&E. Five x-rays later and they're happy I haven't broken anything in my hand/wrist, but I couldn't moved my thumb due to the badly bruised muscle in my palm at the base of my thumb. Had to have a tetanus jab. There was a query over the skin I've sheared off my palm, but they think it should heal without any further intervention. Nurse said '...this'll sting a bit' as he put an iodine gauze on my palm - he was right, it did Grazes on my elbow and shoulder are superficial, but I have a very sore shoulder. Got off lightly all things considered. I don't bounce like I did when I was 12

Bike'll have to stay in the garage for a few days more 'til I can get some strength back in my thumb. Ten days later and I still can't turn a key in the lock on my garage door. Wouldn't be so bad, but this is my left hand and I can't use my right hand, so I was proper stuffed and had to have the best part of a week off sick.

Grumpy Gaz

Pics are from a week after the transition from happy cyclist to tarmac tester:

 

[flecc]

Ouch, very painful, sorry to learn this Gaz, I hope the healing progresses well and rapidly.

Don't fret about the bike, plenty of time later to deal with that, you can just be a pedestrian for a while.
.

 

[grldtnr]

Ouch, very painful, sorry to learn this Gaz, I hope the healing progresses well and rapidly.

Don't fret about the bike, plenty of time later to deal with that, you can just be a pedestrian for a while.
.

Sorry to learn of your prat fall ( i.e. you felt a right prat coming off! ), But your lucky not to have done in your collar bone, as is usual with skinning your hand, that's even more inconvenient.

Best wishes ,mend soonest

 

[Gaz]

Sorry to learn of your prat fall ( i.e. you felt a right prat coming off! ).

Thankfully it only happened at rush hour with nose to tail traffic, at a roundabout with fourteen lanes, so there was only several hundred witnesses

You're right about the collar bone though. I have a right sided disability where I have enough trouble with muscle spasms (spasms in my right forearm are strong enough to dislocate bones in my wrist. I have full feeling, so you can imagine that's a tad uncomfortable) as it is, so put a broken collarbone into the equation and I'd probably take myself off to the PDSA

Gaz

 

[kangooroo]

Ouch! That looks really sore.

I hope you heal quickly and that the bike can be repaired. Having seen your skinned palm you have reminded me to always wear gloves.

 

[Fordulike]

Oh man, things can bite you when you're least expecting it

I rushed out of the back door a few weeks ago, to collect the washing off the line when it started raining. Well, decking and water doesn't mix and I ended up sliding 5 feet and onto my arse. Ouch!

Another time, I decided to ride through a large puddle, unbeknown to me that it was a little deeper than it looked, and in the centre was a large pothole.

Luckily I've got a suspension seatpost, otherwise I think I would have shattered my spine.

 

[topographer]

The white bits on your hand don't look good. Remember that if you have plasters/dressings on all the time it stays moist and doesn't heal, so it needs an airing sometimes.

That sudden, unexpected front wheel halt happened to me once (hit timber embedded in the ground that was camouflaged by what I thought was just a few leafy twiglets). I was catapulted through the air like Superman. The whole pectoral, underarm, upper arm area was agonisingly immovable for the longest time. Still had some twinges two years later. Like you say...if done when I was twelve it would just have hurt a bit for a couple of days.

 

[soundwave]

you should try crashing going 30mph cos out comes the staple gun gloves and pads is the only way

 

[Gaz]

you should try crashing going 30mph cos out comes the staple gun gloves and pads is the only way

I'm thinking either stabilisers.... or maybe a bubblewrap suit!

G

 

[soundwave]

 

[TZC]

don't forget these two

get well soon

 

[Gaz]

On a slightly happier note, the handlebars are not bent. It was an optical illusion from them having rotated backwards and skewed off centre by about 30 degrees. I put the original grips back on and straightened what I could back up.
My LBS has given a clean bill of health to everything (bar the obvious battle damage), and although the wheel does need truing up, it's safe to ride. He's going to do the wheel in a weeks time.
My hand's well and truly on the mend:

So I went for a little ride, but I'm still experiencing too much discomfort to operate the thumb shifters.
My ride went as far as to where the offending hole was. Doesn't look much, does it:


But it was enough. Realistically it's also just as well I ended up on the footpath, as I could have just as easily ended up in the road:


So today, I'm feeling a bit more upbeat, and I've also managed to get some sleep, which is a bonus.

Bought some Altura Airstream cycling mitts, but at XL they look like kids gloves on me. Fitted a mate at work so he can have them. I think I need to try some on as I expected I might have a bit of difficulty with size.

Also got a Zefal Cyclop mirror. I'll have to have odd grips though as the original grips are ergonomic contoured ones that have a screw rather than an open end. Better to have a mirror than worry about looks!

Gaz

 

[Benjahmin]

Glad to hear you're up and about.
I think it's high time that the use of shared use paths was more clearly defined. You went off tarmac to avoid pedestrians, this would never happen in Holland where cyclists are treated with more consideration, and not regarded as some sort of scourge.

 

[Gaz]

Front wheel back from the menders and true

Thumb's getting there, as is my shoulder. If the weather holds, I'm going to give riding to work a go tomorrow. Very very happy to be back on two wheels, fingers crossed

No mitts yet. I've heard good things about the £2 a pair ones from B&M:
http://www.bmstores.co.uk/products/ultra-cycle-premium-fingerless-cycling-gloves-310642
but my local store ain't got none
They do bike lights for £2 too:
http://www.bmstores.co.uk/products/ultra-cycle-led-bike-light-set-310646
but my local shop didn't have any of them either

Gaz

 

[Gaz]

Home to work, work to home. All good. Normal service resumes

Happy bunny Gaz