c0urt

I lost my glasses the day before and was wearing contacts

Jp talked me into going on the bicycle ride the “Tour the Cahaba” with him because he needed moral support. Originally I wasn’t going to go, Mostly because of the 7:00 am start time, and the fact that of the 60 mile route 40 miles was uphill.

Now it was 3:00 am on Saturday night and I remembered telling the lie “I have to go home early tonight because I have an early start tomorrow.” When I was up at 5:45 servicing my bicycling I was cursing several names and hoping more than mildly that Jp would back out so I could go back to bed. We he didn’t and I didn’t. So we met up and got started. The route was planned for 60 miles and like I said 40 miles of climbing, so of those hills were steep. There were several groups riding and normally I riding with the fast group, but I rode with the medium group because this was Jp’s first long ride and my first long one in a couple of months. Our group was something around 60 people. It is still always amazing to see and hear that many bicycles riding in close formation. The group all stayed pretty close together the first 20 miles from Homewood to the Summit. I found out here Jp and I were about the middle of the “B“ group with about 17 mph and the ”A“ group was pacelining and averaging 30 plus mph the entire time. The next leg took us down to Pehlam.


I got shortly when I dropped my keys and had to go back for them and then had to catch back up. I caught up with a different group than I was riding with and they were riding at a faster pace than the last one. The sun was also coming out at the point to. I make it to Pehlam high in the ”B” group somewhere around the 45 mile mark and I was pacing 14 mph there had been lots of hills and these had done a big job of splitting the groups up. I pulled off my jersey while waiting for Jp and realized I had a truckers tan. The next leg was Trussville. That leg hurt. It was all uphill and we got missed our turn and had to re-climb several hills. Jp and I got really separated so I went ahead and rode with a group that was riding my pace. It seemed like at the top of every hill there was another hill. The Trussvile stop was golden for several people I was out water and I had to pee really badly, And there was a train coming.I could see the Trussville stop, so I just put my head down and went for it a little bit after the gates dropped. Luckily I made it with time to spare. I thought I was way behind the “B” group for some reason since I was lost several times. Apparently I was following the route better than most and still just in front of them, but there was another group that took a shorter route and was just in front. Also at this stop a guy was pulling in and dropped a water bottle and some how it bounced up and into his rear wheel breaking a few spokes and pulling out spoke holes destroying the wheel. He got a loaner wheel and got to finish. Then another guy pulling into this stop dodging a pot hole, ran into the curb head on and flipped of his bike. Wasn’t pretty from I hear. He bent his fork and broke the head tube on bike. That means new frame, but he did finish ride once he replaced the wheel. At the point I was at 58 miles already and ready to be back to Homewood. So I chose a fast group and left with them. From what I understood the route back was mostly flat and fast, with a technical parts. We set out and were hauling balls. Our average speed was 22-25 miles and hour through the neighborhoods. It had been a long day at this point. We hit Highway 78 in Irondale and since we have a long straight section we decide to setup a paceline. We do that for a few miles and then we are averaging 30 mph for a bit and we chew up a good bit of highway 78. I was riding in contact lenses all day. At 30 mph they dried out and one blew out.

Don’t know what I hit, once it blew out I crashed face first at 30 mph in the middle of the highway. I was a mess. It took three water bottles before we stop tried to get me to stop bleeding and we realized I was bleeding from the mouth to. I was ready to finish the ride until I realized my bike was unridable, my day was pretty much done. We had the sag wagon come get me and load up my bicycle and take me back to the bike shop in Homewood. While cleaning myself up I started with arms, they were easy, it was when I got to my face and I realized the hole in my lip was about half a inch wide a 1/8 of a inch deep and I could feel it inside of my mouth with my tongue. I should probably go to the hospital. They ended up giving me a lot of stitches across my lips and recommended a plastic surgeon. I also have lots of Vicoden. I am not sure what condition the bike is in, I am hoping for the best, but I am sure it is bad. Considering that my left eye was swollen shut and I missing a lot of skin, looking for the sun glasses seemed kinda pointless.

snowdog650

God, I miss Birmingham.

asmallsol

wear cycling glasses

af2nr

cOurt, I am going to have to assume the drugs have skewed your ride report some. I ride these same roads all the time and that ride didn't have anywhere NEAR 40 miles of climbing, although there are some good hills on the route. I also would think that any A group on this ride didn't average 30+ for the ride, not impossible but not likely either. We are lucky to average close to 30 on the Tuesday Worlds ride and it's less than half the distance. Where exactly did you go down at, on 78?

Hope everything is OK with you and your bike!

spry

After your current month of cycling mishaps,I would take up shuffleboard.

c0urt

I am going by what I was told from the "A" group. I was told you all were done in less than 2.75 hours including stops. the route some of the "b" took including some un-needed climbing

according to farris he tried include a bunch of new roads that dont normally get ridden when people started complaining about hills


and I went down a little past the post office right at the intersection in front of the womens clothing store that went out of business on 78.


I still had a great time like I said.

c0urt

and yes I am currently drugged have been since middle of the day yesterday when I wrote that. was morphine now vicodine.

I am in a surprisingly good mood

ridethecliche

Heal fast!

If your plastic surgeon is anything like mine, expect them to shoot steroids into the scar tissue in your lip to soften it up. It sucks, but it helps. I just got my stitches off from having plastic surgery after a cycling accident over two months ago, and it looks better but it's a process that takes a year or more to fully be resolved and concluded.

Good luck!

c0urt

I got my bike back. aside from lots of dirt and twisted the brifter around, I bent a water bottle cage. tweaked both wheels and my rear was flat. not sure if i hit something it popped and i went down, or it went down when as a result of me going down. will have to basically strip the frame clean it rebuild it.

better than the bike being totaled like i thought.