Today on this ol' server

pavement 2 shannon ...

Much to my chagrin, I wiped out on my bike last friday. I was leaving work and didn't see the stick on Willow Rd just after crossing Bayfront. Normally I either avoid sticks or bisect them properly. This one I missed. It kicked up and locked the front wheel. There was a bunch of forward momentum that had to go somewhere. It wanted to take me over the handlebars, but I wrested it sideways, bad move, and then on my knee and left side. Thunk. Once I realized I was no longer moving, my brain screamed get the f*** up. The last thing I wanted was to be squished on Willow Rd because someone didn't see me on the pavement. I dragged the bike over to the side of the road, then called my better half for a ride home. Limped back to the campus, and started to wash off my knee. yum. Hamburger knee.

I lucked out. No broken bones nor stiches, just some abrasions and brusing. The bike just has some scratches on the hoods and needs truing and retorquing.

Took the bike in to the local shop, and they said there were no mechanical failures, but they didn't have time to true the front wheel. I've been pretty worried that there might be this just off, remote, extremely slight chance that something mechanical failed. Impossible. Campy never fails, but I'm a system admin I've seen the impossible happen. Had Smokey look it over, and he too says the bike's good to go. He even trued the wheel for me. Thanks Smokey.

Helmets save lives. I would have had very serious injuries had I not worn my helmet. Given that I like going fast on familar, lightly travelled roads, I always wear my helmet.

It's been about 17 years since I've last seen the pavement up close and personal. That includes riding during trucks-banned-on-the-bridge-storm advisories.

The black eye is mostly gone, and I can walk down stairs with almost no pain, finally.

Time to buy a new helmet.

Posted at 12:01AM Jan 25, 2007 by saf in cycling  |  Comments[0]