Elvo

https://app.strava.com/activities/115926710

Despite my infinite wisdom, I decided to wake up early and go with my meetup group to ride our bikes up Highway 39 to Glendora Mountain Road (GMR) to Glendora Ridge Road (GRR) to Baldy Village, which was about 5000 feet of climbing over 33 miles - nothing impossible for me. After eating a delicious $2.50 cinnamon roll at the Baldy Lodge, we ascended GRR to begin about 4000 feet of descending which included mild switchbacks. We met up at the shack at the top of big GMR to wait for everyone else.

We left the shack and I was feeling super confident about leaning into the curves so I decided to ease off the brakes. Suddenly, I came across a switchback that had a bit of sand in the turning line at a bit of speed. I either could have laid down the bike and skidded to a stop, went straight over the edge, or just roll with it and hope for the best. I chose the latter.

I don't recall what happened after but I remember hitting the dirt and skidding off the road. Apparently I blacked out for five minutes. Luckily, someone's quick thinking resulted in EMS getting called to the scene - which eventually resulted in a Medevac request being sent out. I was gently torn from my bike, had my fancy prancy clothes scalpeled open, put onto a backboard with a neck brace, and placed into the ambulance. They drove for a couple of minutes until we reached an LZ for the medevac chopper and I took my first helicopter ride.

We landed at LA County USC a dozen minutes later. A resident at the end of her 12 hour shift was assigned to me (who very professional), and they xrayed and ct-ed me to find out I was perfectly fine - minus a sore left leg and some cuts and bruises as seen in the picture. The guy next to me wrapped his car around a pole and was in far worse condition. Hope you're okay dude. I was picked up and driven to my car in Duarte where I began my drive home. I pulled up to the house at 7 or 8. I looked to my kingdom, I was finally there - to sit on my throne as the prince of Bel Air.

Overall damage:
1. Top tube is cracked on my $3000 MSRP frame =(
2. Sram Red Rear shifter is wrecked
3. Front wheel slightly out of true
4. scrapes on my face, chest, hand and hip
5. pride
6. Will be known as the "crash guy" in my group.
7. However much a medevac + er visit costs these days.

TrojanHorse

Seriously- glad you're OK, Crash.

OK, how did somebody call EMS? I think there are about 2 spots on that flipping hill that get any cell reception at all.

tunavic

Glad you're ok and I wouldn't worry about pride. That will recover too

Lesper4

So glad you are relatively Ok. Replace the bike later. That is the same way the guy from the back abby died.

eja_ bottecchia

Elvo, glad you are OK. Sounds like a rough spill. I agree with TH, how did anyone manage to get cell reception out there?

Loose sand and gravel on the road is pretty dangerous. On our Sunday group ride one of the riders took a turn a bit too fast, hit a patch of gravel and down he went. He was OK, but his RD is thrashed.

Hoping for a speedy recovery.

jimxyz

Glad you are ok - those switchbacks are fun, but I always worry about exactly what you went through when heading back down the mountain. Yikes.

My Verizon usually works until a mile or so past the shack.

hamster

Glad you're OK.

Strava has you going 33 mph just before you went down. I had a similar close call on Palomar several months ago, a real "oh s**t" moment. Been wondering what would've happened if I had failed to keep rubber down. I was going 36-37.

BTW, that looks like an very tight turn for 33 mph, especially after a few straights. I think you were simply overspeed.

Dunbar

Same here, one slow speed crash early on in my cycling career was enough to instill the fear in me when it comes to leaning the bike over in corners (pro-style) on public roads.

Elvo

Not quite sure if I cropped the ride correctly. The GPS was still running when my buddy took the bike down to his car at Encanto. Nonetheless, I'll certainly be more careful on my cornering and thank you all for your kind words.

jmX

Crazy story man! So, now that we know you're ok...how was the bike handled? Seems unlikely that it rode with you to the hospital.

CenturionIM

Quite a day huh? Just in case you do not have insurance, hospital bills are negotiable (and holds quite a bit of water in them usually).

chefxian

WOW!

Our team was coming down from the SDSR TT course. We were doing recon. Some guys coming up said there was a crash. Anyways, it was about a minute after it happened. The back of your calf looked so jacked up. Like someone shot a gun through it. We tried to help out. We spoke to the kids that were in the red Honda. You had a Go Pro I thought I saw on your bars. Don't know if you have seen the footage or wanted to? Anyways, Danielle sent me an email tonight and I let the team know that you are good. I guess you know Kim as well? She is a friend of mine also and mentioned you are good. Guess you're a lucky panda. Later man!

hamster

You 're right, I see your Strava ride buddies stopping about 1.5 miles further down the road, that must be where you really went down.

Elvo

I think you have my mistaken. My legs are relatively unscathed except for a sore left hip. The back of my calves look perfect. I don't have a GoPro and I think the accident was due to my own negligence. No cars were nearby if I can recall correctly.

I hope the other guy that went down fared as well or better than I did!

Rick@OCRR

Wow, scary stuff going on up on GMR! Good to hear you are okay and apparently the other rider is too.

And here I was thinking descending GMR at "the limit" was relatively safe. Of course, my limit is probably way slower than yours (or the mental/physical "limit" of these riders) but still . . . it's a good wake up call. Be safe out there everyone!

I will not try to descend like Vincenzo Nibaii . . .

Rick / OCRR

CbadRider

I'm glad you're relatively unscathed and able to post here. It sounds like the guy chefxian saw didn't fare as well.

Moontrane

I wish you hadn't crashed, but that was a great story!