Sorry about the pain. Had a few crashes myself, some my fault and some not. The ones that were my fault hurt the most.
A point you made, whether you meant to or not, has often bothered me. Quite often I read threads that insist riders should take in the scenery. Guess I am not skilled enough to take in much scenery and keep from doing just what you did. There are shoulder drop off problems, as you found. Potholes abound that hunt for bicycle front tires. Cracks in the asphalt or concrete try to grab your wheels. If I am watching much scenery one of those mean potholes or whatever else that lurks will get me. In other words pay attention ALWAYS.
Last edited by BikeArkansas; 05-24-11 at 08:24 PM.