Gnarly ride home on Friday. Waves on the Potomac and the Tidal Basin as large as some I've seen in the ocean before. Guess that's what 60 mph wind gusts do. Had to walk my bike across 14th St Bridge the wind was so strong. I was not alone. Another cyclist in front of me had elected the same strategy. Things seemed to be going smoothly enough until I got near the airport. The NPS (presumably) has put up some temporary plast fencing of this variety at Gravelly Point. It blew loose at the bottom in a gust of wind such that the fencing material was closer to perpendicular with the posts/parallel with the ground than it was to its intended vertical orientation. Even though I was riding in the middle of the MUP away from the edge and this fence in case of just this happening, it wasn't far away enough apparently. The fencing got tangled up with something on my handlebars, jerked the wheel hard right and off I went on my left side. First time I've fallen from a bike probably since I was less than ten years old... so in at least 25 years or so.

It all happened before I even knew what was going on. Managed to get a pretty nasty cut on my left knee, some road rash on my shin and an abrasion on my left elbow. Otherwise pretty much unscathed, and the bike was almost no worse for wear at all aside from the foam padding on the handlebar getting worn down and torn a bit... another benefit of butterfly trekking bars, I suppose. The way I have mine set up the brake levers and shifters are all inside the figure eight shape of the handlebars and they weren't so much as scratched when the bike and I went down on our left side.

Still scabbed and elbow slightly bruised, but feeling pretty much back to 100% today otherwise. Enjoyed a warm, tailwind-aided morning commute today. Storms, rain, possible tornadoes predicted for this afternoon. Should be another interesting ride home.