I have been riding for about 10 years road and roughly same time mountain. Many wrecks on the mountains trails of course but never anything serious. On the road I have fallen over unable to unclip in time < stupidity there
Today on a lunchtime ride at work on the Blue Ridge Parkway on my turn around going downhill and picking up speed to almost 30 mph I left sided after getting too close to the shoulder and went off the road then over left! Then all I could do was hang on for the ride as I skidded some 60 feet across the asphalt as my cycling clothes just ripped away! Totalled my cycling glasses; left side brifter ground off abit; left side pedal and left shoe ratchet ground down; somehow the right side brifter got ground too and shifted; slight grinding to the rear QR as well.
Me..................oh where do I begin!!!!! No noggin damage as I had enough presence of mind to keep my head elevated off the asphalt to keep from grinding my left side off
Upper left arm road rash; forearm of left deep cut; main outter of left hip severe road rash but shorts held up!!!!!; left side calf area slight road rash; top of left shoulder aching like a mother but went to my wife's practice at the hospital to get checked out.
Road gloves.............did their job!!!!
When I get to feeling better I need to tear the bike down and see what is wrong if anything or is it all cosmetic! I was able to ride (climb at times 7% grades out of the bottom of the ride back to my car while gingerly treating my left shoulder wincing in pain when I had to stand out of the saddle to mash the pedals. I thought to myself, could call a co-worker to come get me or suck it up and have something to talk about and of course brag about years down the road. I knew I probably had no broken bones so riding back was of no real concern and sometimes we just suck it up and be a man!
So, hoping for a quick recovery and back on the bike soon. Just hope the bike is better shape than it looks! Hey, shifted okay coming back with a few slight misalignments! Oh, damaged my newly installed Lizard Skin bar tape
Geez that stuff is expensive!