MichiganMike

I can't even remember the last time I had a mishap on my bike. I'm usually pretty careful. Today I was riding some of the Fox River Trail over by Chicago. Cool huge rat looking thing made out of old bike parts in one of the towns by the way. I took a pic. Anyway, a small portion of the trail crosses a road, goes along a fence behind some houses, then loops back, crosses the same road, and proceeds on.

As I came around the curve of the first part of the loop, there was a park district Dump Truck on the trail. It was close to the fence on one side, with a small (but adequate) space on the other side between the truck and some trees. There were guys on the back of the dump truck trimming branches.

There were a lot of small branches hanging down, but they weren't big so I decide to just ride through them.

I slowed down a little (thank God) put my head down and went through the little curtain of branches. All of a sudden I felt like someone had leveled me with a bat. I went clear off the bike. Uh....you know what sticks out of the sides of dump trucks? Big honking mirrors. They were lurking behind the little branches. I have a nasty bruise, bump, and cut on my left shoulder, and it's sore as all get out. Most of all, my pride went right in the crapper.

My fault entirely. If I am going to have a wipe out like that, I wish I could at least record it.

Mr. Stupid

Beverly

Ouch Glad there were no serious injuries.

I know how you feel about doing something like that....I recall a cement block that magically appeared in front of my bike recently

VegaVixen

Glad you didn't dislocate your shoulder! Hope you heal up soon, and that these injuries don't keep you off the bike! ((hugs))

Tom Bombadil

That's a doozy of a story. Riding into a curtain of tree branches, that completely obscured your vision, right alongside of a large truck, and then running into its mirrors.

Not a proud day for MichiganMike.

CrossChain

From experience, most bike crashes happen almost instantaneously and really leave little room for avoidance. Just glad you're up and recovering. I do recall a crash where I came around an unfamiliar turn too fast, too tight, and knew there was no leaning, braking, or anything else that would save me. Mentally followed the invisible, inexorable line on the pavement and had just enough time to think "Ahh, ****". Off the road and luckily came down on some soft dirt. Anyway, crashes are part of it but I'd rather be careful than crazy and stay upright.

stercomm

Glad to hear you are okay, much like you all my crashes in the end have been due to me not paying attention or doing something stupid. Heal fast!

George

I hope your feeling better Mike and the way it sounds you didn't break anything on the bike, so everything is going to be OK, I hope. Sounds like some ice is in order, good luck buddy, and take care.

Terrierman

Yoouuch. Glad to hear you are OK though. Remember, ibuprofen is your friend.

Digital Gee

But how is the bike???

further

I'm guessing the guys in the truck saw you. Did they help or laugh? Hope your pride was the worst injury.

Tom Bombadil

MichiganMike

If you are ever riding in the vicinity of the Grand Canyon, do not ride blindly through a thicket that you cannot see through.

europa

Sorry about the prang ... but at least you can brag about the cause

Get well soon and get back riding.

Richard

MichiganMike

Bike is fine. It was really grassy on the edge of the path and that's where it ended up. Thanks for the advice on the Grand Canyon Tom. If I had been riding there yesterday I probably WOULD have just plowed through.

BSLeVan

Truck mirrors can do more damage than most folks would imagine. Glad your injuries are ones from which you can recover. As they used to say on the TV show Hill Street Blues, "Be careful out there."

maddmaxx 

Glad to here that your going to be OK.

I've often thought that service trucks should have a sign "Caution, Vehicle causes sudden stops".

HopedaleHills

Glad you're not hurt badly, but that's going to make a great story once you are over the shock.

dcbiker

I ran into a mirror on a parked car three months ago while trying to avoid an oncoming car. The bike was totalled by the oncoming car and I only suffered a bruise. It's taken me three months to get over the bruise and internal bleeding but I still feel lucky.

Mojo Slim

I hadn't fallen (except for the O mph fall everyone has), then crashed twice on one ride. Lots of road rash, scraped handlebar tape. It ain't fun. Make up a better story. Something about a burning building and puppies.

Spokejoker

were you clipped in?

Ken Brown

Ten days ago I fell off my bike for the first time in years. The cause: branches. I was barely moving, riding across a park, when I must have had a branch jump into the spokes. Before I knew it I was on the ground and some young guy was saying "are you ok, sir". It hurts being called "sir" more than the big bruise on my ankle and sore wrist.

I am always careful when cycling on trails to either go around branches or across the middle of them, because they can flip into the spokes if you catch one end. This time I got careless and didn't see the branches.

Rick@OCRR

Wow, I can really see how that could happen! And if it had been me . . . I would have done the same thing! Just a few branches? No worries! Put my head down and go!

Good to hear you weren't seriously injured! Those truck mirrors can be brutal!

2006 was a bad year for me, crash-wise. Six crashes, twice in the ER, broken bones, lost skin . . . you know, the usual.

2007 has been crash free (so far), and I'm working to keep it that way.

Rick / OCRR