In France this summer I made a last-minute decision to turn right in a steep supermarket parking lot. As soon I started leaning my front wheel washed out and my bike and I slid on a layer of greasy pavement until we ran into a curb. I had a little road rash but my rear Ortlieb had a hole in the side the size of a golf ball. It protected the rear derailleur from damage. The next day we went to a Decathlon sporting goods store, where I found a patch kit with small sheets of PVC. The patch didn't look pretty, but it made the pannier waterproof again.

My most recent dramatic crash didn't happen on a tour but is a fun story to tell. I was descending Mt. Hamilton (the big mountain in our area) at night with some friends. On a turn my front wheel washed out in some mud I didn't see and I went down hard. I stood up, dusted myself off, and we continued riding. About 5 minutes later as we were climbing a short section before the final descent I acted surprised that I had just crashed. My friend recognized that I had a concussion, flagged down a passing motorist, who took me to the bottom of the mountain where my friend's car was parked. My friend drove me to the emergency room. The whole time we kept repeating the same conversation. I was surprised that I crashed and I wanted to know how it happened. Over and over again.

I woke up the next day with bandages on my hand and knee, totally confused. My wife had to tell me what happened. I only remember a few snapshots of the ride. I don't remember crashing and the car ride to the bottom of the mountain and I don't remember ever going to the hospital.

Even though I hit my chin during the crash my helmet was unscratched.