nathank

ok, so i was REALLY stupid and crashed on my "city bike" last Friday.

the worst park is that of all the hours/kilometers i ride, this was one of the few times i did not have a helmet or gloves on... the helmet wasn't a big deal, but the gloves!!!

Friday was a holiday here and i rode my city bike ('89 Stumpjumper steel-rigid) to help a friend move. i rode that bike so i could wear regular shoes and didn't change as it was like 5 minutes away. i didn't wear my bike gloves as i had leather work gloves and _thought_ i could wear those.

so after the move, riding home on a hill on the bike path that i ride virtually every day in my commute, i somehow misjudged the bike: i had the tires pumped up really high and have this "commuter" tread that is not like the MTB tires (semisslicks) i usually ride on my commuter and it was a little wet as it had rained in the morning and the path is in the shade and basically i applied the brakes as i was approaching the corner at the bottom of the hill just before the bridge as pedestrains were crossing (normal and expected)...

and then the front wheel locked up and skidded out in front of my and i went flying forward. i guess i was going about 20km/h (15mph) and threw my hands out and skidded on my palms - without GLOVES (i have 4 pair, plus downhill gloves sitting at home). anyway, on both hands i have 3-4 holes on the lower palm from roadrash that started bleeding immediately. i got back on the bike and rode the few minutes home and cleaned out the gravel...

i also scraped my left elbow and shoulder, but not badly. my palms cleaned up pretty well and now 3 days later they are improving (no signs of infection)...

so i skipped my planned MTB ride on Saturday. Sunday i got out on the road bike and i have to hold the bars funny, but not so bad.

but man i feel like an idiot for wiping out on a corner i ride almost every day! and especially since the last few weeks i rode all kinds of extreme wicked downhill trails and had no real wrecks and now in the city i crash like a dork!

Chris L

I can sympathise with that after my recent crash. I found the feeling that the thing was self-inflicted to be far worse than any injuries I received, and I'm sure you'll feel the same way while you're healing. You know, one of my co-workers pointed out a statistic to me that something like 75% of all car accidents occur less than five miles from home. It seems to be something similar on the bike. Maybe it's just that complacency element.

cAPSLOCK

When I heard that 75% of all car accidents happen within 5 miles of home I moved.

Now I learn from you Chris, that the same thing goes for bikes?!?! Lucky some of my boxes are still packed.

As far as crashes go... It always the 'corners you ride so often' and similar things like that... I have a full headfirst skull smasher at about 17 mph about 2 years ago. I had headaches on that side of my head intermittantly for a year. Been wearing a helmet since.

cAPS

nathank

well, my palms are healing up pretty well - put on gloves and was able to lift at the gym yesterday no problem.

probably could have ridden the bike to work yesterday, but took a break and rode the subway...

today i rode to work and under the gloves (YES i'm wearing them ALWAYS now - i have been wearing them to commute work anyway for a few years now) i barely noticed the hands.

Sunday checked out the bike. the stem/handlebar was turned about 40deg but i loosed the headset and straightened it out and there seems to be no other damage (the grip is a little torn)

so this afternoon i get to ride the hill again. of course it'll be no problem as i've only ridden it like maybe 300 times, but i think i'll sure remember how much of an idiot i was

oh, and my girlfriend got a good laugh out of the whole deal - she was really able to appreciate the irony as she was with me when i rode those extreme trails last week (she took the easy route down) and knows the "hill" where i crashed.