Originally Posted by
GodsBassist
I had the most interesting commute so far yesterday... First I put my front wheel into some kind of drainage ditch/gutter thing and CRASHED in the middle of rush hour traffic. It was at the bottom of a huge hill and I'm pretty sure at least a few dozen people saw it happen. I may have cracked a rib, but I'm not sure, although my helmet definitely prevented a concussion... I hit the ground hard.
On the plus side, though I stopped at the LBS to drop the bike off to get tuned up. The spill knocked the wheel out of true and some stuff on the handlbars were jarred loose. They fixed it right there on the spot because I'm a commuter! The guy explained that if you use your bike for transportation they'll take care of you instantly. Do most shops do that?
Lastly I'm fairly sure I got my first 'Go Lance!' yelled at me for the first time, which was pretty cool. But I'm not sure because all i heard was "....ANCE!" as she drove by. Maybe it was "I want in your pANTS!" or "I like my eggs sANS ketchup!"
Jeez a cracked rib. I know the heartbreak of that. Maybe it's just a minor contusion and won't hurt for the full 6 weeks. If not, hopefully the time will pass quickly. I had a spill on my former motorcycle, now sold, to avoid hitting a jay-walking pedestrian, with a similar injury. The leather jacket was what saved the day.
Good tip on the rapid repairs from LBS. I know of one near work which specializes in bike courier (i.e. the employees do deliveries) that I'd bet would do this if need be and they open early (about 8).
My commute today was great, despite Indian Summer. Tomorrow, rain is predicted locally so may drive in, not sure yet (depends more on the prospects at the time of going in to work). My bike's holding up well but is a cheapo, and I may replace the pedals because I'm having visions of them breaking off and needing to replace the whole crank if they do.