I am OK. A bit sore with a little rash on elbow and hands...I don't wear gloves. Nobody knows when it can or will happen. I was almost back to my car and not hauling but going pretty fast on a fairly well traveled paved bike path. Out of nowhere...and I mean nowhere a kid on a mountain bike came descending out of the brush off of a home made jump...he was in the air literally and we were going to be close to head on. So...I locked up both my brakes and turned the wheel to avoid him...which I did but then I end-o'ed. Have to say...when you are in moment we can all be pretty graceful and fly with the greatest of ease. It was literally like I dove head first off my bike into the ground. Hands broke the fall and I rolled. The bike went flying and is hardly scratched...left shifter handle slightly abraded which I can likely polish out and torn corner of a new and just broken in Brooks B.17 Champion Special saddle which I can kind of fix or at least improve. On one hand I was hugely unlucky to be at the wrong place at the wrong time but the flip side is it could have been a broken bone head on mess with the way that kid came flying out of nowhere. Since I went flying and my bike went tumbling and the kid didn't even fall on his dinky mountain bike...he slowly came over to me...I think he wondered if I was going to kick his a$$ but honestly that isn't me. I was pissed but didn't show it...told him I was OK and he said it was his fault...which it was....lol. On balance for all the miles I have ridden I have been so very lucky.
Just want to say....you never know. I am a careful rider and think about crashing from time to time but tonight it was the farthest thing from my mind.
My Best to those that have crashed this season and haven't been quite so lucky. I hope to be back on my bike in a few days. My hands are very sore and my left shoulder bruised where I hit the pavement and tumbled.
Ride safe,
George