My crash and the aftermath. I'm OK!!
 

Some of you already know the story, here it is for those that don't. I'm doing ok and healing up now.:
Here's the whole word. Any gaps in the story are due to my head injury, sorry:


Saturday I went out and had a good time riding my cyclocross bike off road at Lagoon Valley Park in Vacaville, California. On my way home I was coming down a long and steep frontage road along Interstate 80 when I had a front tire blow out at 44.1 mph (speed from garmin gps). The front tire came off the rim and locked up the front wheel pitching me face first, still clipped into my pedals into the pavement. At this point I was knocked unconscious and rag-dolled with the bike somehow going another approx. 100 yards down the road. From what I can piece together I regained consciousness, attempted to change my tube, and passed out again. This from the tube being out of the box and having more than one pool of blood at the location. Bike guys have weird priorities, I guess. About 15 minutes after my crash, someone driving by on Interstate 80 looked to their right at just the right second to see me laying in the road along I 80. They took the next exit and came over to help me. I held up my RoadID and told them to call the number for my wife and lost consciousness yet again. When my wife arrived, the good samaritans had given me a towel to try and staunch the bloodflow from my head, and were trying to keep me conscious. I was laying there in the road bleeding from more than a dozen different places on my body. My wife and kids loaded up my bike in the van, (if you ride, you know why this went before me). Then with assistance from the couple who had stopped and come to find me, I was loaded into the van and taken to the Emergency Room. My daughters ran inside to get help while my wife tried to keep me from passing out again. I remember very little except what I was told.I spent almost 6 hours at the ER. At the hospital they took 20-30 xrays, a cat scan, and 2 ekgs, all the while asking if I had been hit by a car. They had trouble believing that I had managed to do this to myself. I was in and out of consciousness for hours. I ended up getting to go home that night. (Actually the next morning). My wife made sure to get my RoadID to take with us.She wore it as a good luck charm there in the ER. It was lucky that the couple had spotted me in the narrow window of opportunity as they drove down I 80. Without a doubt I would not have been able to get out of there myself. I was shaken today (Monday), and saw how far I had tumbled, and saw the two main puddles of blood I left behind. My helmet is broken clean through in 4 places, and crushed at my left temple. Had I not been wearing my helmet, without a doubt, I would be dead. Today was the first day I could walk around without assistance, due to my concussion. I was told my injuries were consistent with a 100 mph car crash. They sure feel that way today, but it beats the alternative!

Scotty

Scotty, WOW, an amazing story. I don't know the area, but it reads that you were lucky to be noticed and people acted quickly to help you. Buy some lottery tickets.

wow! sorry to hear about that. best of luck on your recovery. i also crashed on saturday, though not nearly as dramatically. i was being stupid coming down from sam mcdonald park and slid out on a wet corner at about 20 mph, only injuries are minor road rash.

How's the bike?

Got my brother a RoadID for his birthday; hope he never needs it.

Wow, Scott, glad to hear you're sort of OK and coherent enough to tell us what happened! Best wishes for a speedy and full recovery. Crash pak time!

BTW, where on that frontage road did you crash? I must've been on that road a bunch of times, too.

Haven't you read the helmet threads? Obviously, either you are dead, or you have no injuries other than the heatstroke that has made you hallucinate this whole incident.

Yow! In and out of conciousness like that isn't good.

Try to get a lot of sleep over the next week or so; sleep is good for recovering from concussion.

Man, you are very fortunate, but I think you already know that. Good to hear you’re ok for the most part, heal up well.

Thanks for sharing, I'm definitely looking into Road ID now. Any way to avoid a bad tan? Hope you are feeling better!

Get the dog tags. In case you're found by medical personnel they'll rip open your jersey first, and if your Road ID is there they can easily see it.

Makes my separated shoulder seem like just a scratch! Hope you have a speedy recovery, and are back on the bikes asap!

Every time I read your story I cringe. So glad you're OK. And seriously -- buy some lottery tickets!

Red Rider, Have you seen the pics on Facebook? They are brutal.

That's way more dramatic in the >140char format...glad you're here to tell us all the grim details. Like Eric said, get plenty of rest.

Wow, that reads like a RoadId ad! Send your story to them.
Your wife woulda been my second call if I found you - 911 first.
Hope your recovery goes well, concussion and head injuries are big concerns recently in the pro sports worlds.
As far as RoadId products for those tanline concerned, they (or maybe a similar vendor?) Has one that mounts to a helmet strap.

I'd tell Michele to take good care of you, but when have you ever done that for her?:rolleyes:

Heal fast, my friend. But not too fast. Be sure to take the time to make sure you really are okay before you head back out

Scary story but glad you are still able to tell it.
Blowing a front tire while descending fast is always my biggest fear when riding.

Of course. Could only look at them the one time, though. Cringe-worthy is a mild description.

OWWW! Scott, my whole body aches in sympathy just hearing about it. Glad to hear you survived and I hope the healing process goes as well as possible. As I'm sure others have told you, be careful about post-concussion recovery. It may take a little time before the "brain-fuzziness" goes away, so be patient.

Oh, man! I saw this on Twitter. I'm so glad you're okay, Scott. (FWIW, I never leave the house anymore without my RoadID, even when I'm not riding -- you never know, right?)

I am glad you are OK. What a horrific crash. I read this and went right home at lunch and put a new front tire on. Yesterday I was thinking about booting the minor sidewall cut it had. After 3000 miles, and your story, I decided my health is worth the coin for a new GP4000.

You don't want to be on the cheap side when it's about the front tire. When my rear tire is worn out I move the front tire to the back and put a brand new one on the front wheel.

Scott's accident might have been something else though. As he rode XC first he might have had a shard or goat head stuck into the tire thread before hitting the road. Just a supposition.

Well, I guess you musta sent it to RoadId, 'cuz they tweeted your story today.
Keep healing.

Yikes, scary story. Glad you are doing "OK" (relatively speaking, of course) & good luck with your recovery.

Glad it didn't turn out worse, Scotty. Reminds me of when my fender locked up my front wheel and I went over. That was only at 20 mph so I can only imagine it happening at 40+. :twitchy:

Heal up fast, and get back out there. I'll be ordering a road ID right now, btw.