"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Saturday (April 26th) Morning group ride : The moment we all dread

Went for a ride with the lbs. Legs weren't feeling all that great so I was working harder.

Decided to throw in a hill during the ride and one of the riders takes us on a road that I am unfamiliar with to get around to it. Big mistake...

Turns out that the road is filled with potholes, is sandy, and has some sharp turns, which is fine other than the fact that it's mostly a descent and the turns are unmarked.

I don't remember much, but I do remember trying to slow down before everything went black. Maybe I was trying to correct my line and avoid a pothole on a sharp turn. A friend said there was sand in the way, but I don't remember.

The last thing I do remember is flying over my bars, and then it all goes black till I came to at the ER...

I just got out of the hospital yesterday and I thought I'd give everyone here a heads up. I have multiple facial fractures, broken jaw that might need surgery to be fixed if it isn't aligned, 4 broken/fractured teeth that will need to be surgically replaced in two weeks once the surgery.

Looks like I'm out of my first season already, not to mention trying to make up and catch up with school work so I can finish sophomore year of college without incompletes...

Take care you guys and stay safe... Lith, I feel you bro. I really do...

Sucks man.
Heal up and try to stay positive.

Damn that sucks.

You must be local. That royally sucks.

Wow, I feel for for you man. Heal up quick!!

Nasty! Here's hoping everything heals up quick and straight.

You must be local. That royally sucks.

I go to School at Wesleyan University in Middletown CT and live in the burbs of Philly which is where I am now after being discharged.

I was taken to trauma at Yale Hospital in New Haven and I have to go back there on friday for plastic surgery to look at me again. I'm really hoping that we can find someone at UPenn to take my case over quick because the 3+ hour drive home from the hospital was excruciating...

I had a sweet internship lined up abroad for the summer, but I doubt that's going to happen anymore because it's going to be atleast 3-4 weeks before I'll be done all the surgeries required, if all goes well.

I can't even begin to tell you how amazing it felt to see my friends at the ER when they visited. It took me about 2 days before the swelling in my left eye decreased enough so I could actually open it. I called up the LBS that I rode with and let them know that I was beat up but it could have been worse. Turns out that one of their racers got a concussion over the weekend as well.

I have some sweet looking road rash, and I was pretty glad that I'd shaved my legs...
I'll spare you the pictures. My face literally looks like I'm a zombie from a cheesy horror flick.

The upshot is you're at a point in life where you can recover pretty quickly. Slim pickin's, I know.

The upshot is you're at a point in life where you can recover pretty quickly. Slim pickin's, I know.

Yeah, that's what the staff at the hospital were saying as well. I should hopefully be able to get on the trainder in the next week or two and atleast keep some fitness going, as well as not lose my muscle mass/strength due to bed rest.

holy **** dude! now i feel like a wuss feeling bad after my crash. Heel up fast man and try to stay sane. The first few days are really bad.

Jeez...that sucks. I'm happy you will recover and have had good care so far.

Keep your head up, at least your cognition seems fine!

Yeah, that's what the staff at the hospital were saying as well. I should hopefully be able to get on the trainder in the next week or two and atleast keep some fitness going, as well as not lose my muscle mass/strength due to bed rest.

try not to worry much about your cycling fitness and all that jazz. Get feeling back to normal first. recovery alone is a tough road without stressing over what you are missing.

try not to worry much about your cycling fitness and all that jazz. Get feeling back to normal first. recovery alone is a tough road without stressing over what you are missing.

Thanks. I'll keep the advice in mind!

Sad to hear about your fall ridethecliche. Like Lith said - your riding fitness is the last thing to worry about. I hope your recovery goes well.

I feel for you man; boy can I ever relate. I was out riding along one morning on the Outer Banks of NC last summer and the next thing I knew I woke up in an ambulance with a morphine drip, a broken collar bone, and a rung Bell helmet.

It took me a while to figure out who I was let alone where I was. When I was finally conscious enough to survey the scene, my bike wasn't in the ambulance with me and the ERPs had cut me out of my team jersey and bib shorts with scissors. They told me I had been in a crash with a passing car. It could have very easily resulted in a Zimbo dirt nap special.

--Steve

I go to School at Wesleyan University in Middletown CT and live in the burbs of Philly which is where I am now after being discharged.

I was taken to trauma at Yale Hospital in New Haven and I have to go back there on friday for plastic surgery to look at me again. I'm really hoping that we can find someone at UPenn to take my case over quick because the 3+ hour drive home from the hospital was excruciating...

I had a sweet internship lined up abroad for the summer, but I doubt that's going to happen anymore because it's going to be atleast 3-4 weeks before I'll be done all the surgeries required, if all goes well.

I can't even begin to tell you how amazing it felt to see my friends at the ER when they visited. It took me about 2 days before the swelling in my left eye decreased enough so I could actually open it. I called up the LBS that I rode with and let them know that I was beat up but it could have been worse. Turns out that one of their racers got a concussion over the weekend as well.

I have some sweet looking road rash, and I was pretty glad that I'd shaved my legs...
I'll spare you the pictures. My face literally looks like I'm a zombie from a cheesy horror flick.

I doubt you'll have a problem finding someone at HUP to take over.

As to the internship, talk to them. Explain what's going on, tell them that you'll be ready by X date at the latest. Convince them that it's worth it to keep you on board. Hopefully, if you make a human connection, they'll let it go.

Good luck.

Don't get too down man. As soon as the doc will let you, get back on the trainer, if nothing else just to spin and keep your spirits up knowing you're moving on the road to recovery.

You'll heal up, and be faster than ever :)

Heal quicly and get back on the bike when you can. Which side of Philly? I grew up out in Chester County...now up here in MA. I'm sure you can find capable docs at Penn.

Wishing you a speedy recovery! Thank goodness you're able to write about it.

Get better soon. We'll be thinking of ya!!

hope you are feeling ok today

Heal.

Damn Rish! Heal up quickly!

Speedy recovery. I woke up in the hospital during my first season too (car hit me).

Don't waste energy looking back. Just look forward. You are where you are, you can't change it, so stay healty, listen to the Drs. and therapists, and get back on the bike.

I was off for three months, missed all the spring racing -- including my scheduled first race. Once I got the green light to train, I hit it HARD. I was a Cat 3 after 12 races.

Come back strong.

I hope you heal and recover fully, and that you find enthusiasm for the sport when you're back in business.

Best to you.

Little bit of an update:

I had some of my stitches removed at the hospital today. The healing has been getting underway pretty well. Got the OK to transfer to a philly area doc and got some recommendations. Now for the 'fun' surgery part.

Good news. You're moving in the right direction.

Stay positive. You'll come out of it OK, but you've got some work ahead of you. We're all pulling for you.

what surgery is going to happen?

Speedy recovery. I woke up in the hospital during my first season too (car hit me).

Don't waste energy looking back. Just look forward. You are where you are, you can't change it, so stay healty, listen to the Drs. and therapists, and get back on the bike.

I was off for three months, missed all the spring racing -- including my scheduled first race. Once I got the green light to train, I hit it HARD. I was a Cat 3 after 12 races.

Come back strong.

Good advice WR.

I just have to add: not everyone is a freak like you though. ;)


RTC,
I hope you heal up. I'm off the bike too for a bit - medical reasons. It really blows, but it's necessary. My body and my mind are going to relax and enjoy life, and more importantly, my family. Just relax, bro. And let the healing take its time. Think positive and do what your docs tell you to do. When it's time to get back on the bike you will enjoy it more than before. I know I will.

And hopefully (and unlike WR) I will be a cat 3 soon thereafter.

After an argument with a ladder i'm right there with you RTC. Banged up my chest and ribs pretty bad. Doc says i'm probably looking at 3-4 weeks NO TRAINING. It really sucks. I think somebody was out to get us man....we were getting too fast too quick ;).

After an argument with a ladder i'm right there with you RTC. Banged up my chest and ribs pretty bad. Doc says i'm probably looking at 3-4 weeks NO TRAINING. It really sucks. I think somebody was out to get us man....we were getting too fast too quick ;).

I try not to do that if I can avoid it.
Heal up fast friend.

One advantage of a broken jaw - if you're wired together like I was. Rapid weight loss. 20# in the first two weeks.

Downside: After having 6 instant breakfast drinks a day for 11 straight weeks I'll never have another :p (and it's been 36 years since my little wreck)

(And save a little money for the dental work you'll need in the future, ie. 10+ years down the road)

One advantage of a broken jaw - if you're wired together like I was. Rapid weight loss. 20# in the first two weeks.

Downside: After having 6 instant breakfast drinks a day for 11 straight weeks I'll never have another :p (and it's been 36 years since my little wreck)

(And save a little money for the dental work you'll need in the future, ie. 10+ years down the road)

Not going to be wired together as everything looked to be fine, though I am confined to liquid foods, which has been quite the blast. I'm 5'10 and 147, and I wanted to cut a few lbs, but hell this is not what I intended.

Empathy from a long laundry list.

You'll be so fired up to ride when you heal up that you'll smoke everyone during cross season. Feel better soon! Keep us posted on the internship.

You'll be so fired up to ride when you heal up that you'll smoke everyone during cross season. Feel better soon! Keep us posted on the internship.

Not going to happen atleast until winter :(

I did check out the bike today though. Wheels need to be trued and I need new hoods unless I can make things work with electric tape (for campy hoods, oh the insanity). SLR has a chunk missing from the front, but I should be able to make things work, again, with electric tape.

Not going to be wired together as everything looked to be fine, though I am confined to liquid foods, which has been quite the blast. I'm 5'10 and 147, and I wanted to cut a few lbs, but hell this is not what I intended.

This all really sucks, I am sorry for you. ***** happens I guess right...:o

I just wanted to post a bit of an update on here.

I'm back at college and back on the bike. I have a few more surgeries in the winter to fix up some stuff on my face and to get my teeth in place.

It turns out that I'm going to be racing next weekend and the weekend after that. What?

Always good to see people bouncing back after tough injuries.
Most cyclists won't even try a bike race, let alone come back to it after horrific accidents.
All the best.

So sorry to here. I hope everything turns out OK. Heal up, bro.


edit: sorry. I thought this just happened. Well glad you're doing better.

Always good to see people bouncing back after tough injuries.
Most cyclists won't even try a bike race, let alone come back to it after horrific accidents.
All the best.

Thanks.

I wasn't planning on doing a race this early. Instead, I wanted to do it in the spring early in the season to get my upgrade for 4.

I figure that I should be okay with the crits since they don't involve any long fast downhills. I'm fine riding around other people and cornering with them. I figure that it shouldn't be a problem anyway, seeing as I'll probably be spit out the back like nobody's business :thumb:

Holy crap! You are one hard-core dude to absorb that accident and come post on BF.

I'm sorry for your trials, and wish you a speedy recovery. Hope everthing turns out okay, and that you don't scar.

I missed this thread originally. Best wishes for a full recovery!

Holy crap! You are one hard-core dude to absorb that accident and come post on BF.

I'm sorry for your trials, and wish you a speedy recovery. Hope everthing turns out okay, and that you don't scar.

I'm pretty much recovered now. I have a couple more surgeries in the winter, but other than that I'm good to go.

I originally posted on BF about a week after the accident, which is when I was let out of the hospital. I had a 'fun' little mishap at home where I pretty much passed out in the shower and scared the living crap out of my parents... Glad that part of it is over though.

I didn't think I was going to race this early though. I don't feel that I'm physically ready for it, but I remember that my training gains got a lot better when I started racing, so I'm hoping that it will allow me to make more gains over the winter.

Good news. You're moving in the right direction.

Bumping this following mollusks example.

Soon enough WR's going to be the same damn thing he told me. His wreck reminded me of mine too, except he didn't break any bones. Thank goodness.

He'll be racing before we know it.

Bumping this following mollusks example.

Soon enough WR's going to be the same damn thing he told me. His wreck reminded me of mine too, except he didn't break any bones. Thank goodness.

He'll be racing before we know it.

WR is one righteous dude. The fact that he posted in our crash threads with only good wishes should count as bread cast upon the water. At least I hope that it does.

WR, lots of the BF is sending you all the best vibes that we can.

Yup. Wise words:


Speedy recovery. I woke up in the hospital during my first season too (car hit me).

Don't waste energy looking back. Just look forward. You are where you are, you can't change it, so stay healty, listen to the Drs. and therapists, and get back on the bike.

I was off for three months, missed all the spring racing -- including my scheduled first race. Once I got the green light to train, I hit it HARD. I was a Cat 3 after 12 races.

Come back strong.

where are the details or thread or post on his crash? i have been out all day for work. thanks. later.

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