Fun Stuff!
Just a little catching up here. This is actually a post from one of the message boards after a crash I had. Most everything healed up fine in the 3 weeks following. But it's worth the post anyway, for posterity's sake...
Ok so like a month ago Kirt says to me, "Do you keep a spare hanger with you?" Of course I don't because it never occured to me to do such. Ok, so you think you know where this story is going right now. But no, you don't, not exactly. A few weeks ago, Kirt asks again, "Did you ever pick up that spare hanger?" No, haven't thought about it. A few weeks ago at Chimney Rock I bent it, and we went back to the Newman's lot and bent it back. Right, so maybe a little strained at this point already.
So that's the forshadowing. Up Cardiac then over Rollie Pollie today, then I decide I'm going to shoot out the white trail and pick up the green, head down the rail trail, up red, then back on white and maybe back down Cardiac at the end. I don't know the park well so this is my attempt to learn it. So out I am on the white trail, past the "ice cream" sign, and up a pretty good rock face. This is about an hour in. On top, it's slippery, no big deal it's been slipperay all day. Down the other side and SNAP. Nothing to do with slippery rocks or anything, just a broken hanger.
Darn, I proclaim, or possibly worse. History has forgotten the specific word used. I tool around for 15 minutes trying to make the bike a half-ass SS. I yank the derailler off and play with the chain a bit. Power link off, I'm sizing up the chain for a "get me home" gear. Ok, I find something that *may* work. But the portable chain tool I have is not even remotely close to being able to break the chain. Ok, ok, no problem. I'll walk & coast it. I think I was like 15-20 minutes out. No big deal.
Yeah, ok, big deal Norm. We've all had mechanicals before this is nothing new. Is there more? Yes yes, hold on. Walking & coasting the white trail back is no problem. A fair amount of gradual downhills make it easier than straight walking. I considered jogging for a time but really no need, I'm not that far out. Plus I hate jogging. Before long I'm almost where the white trail meets Cardiac, where I can coast the white trail all the way back to the car. All I need to do is cross the little foot bridge over the stream.
I step on the foot bridge, I think it was the right foot as I look back now but I'm not sure how many steps I took, and ZOOM my foot flies out from under me. Did I mention it was slippery? Ok before I know it things are moving fast. They say when shit happens life slows down. Well, down I go towards the stream AND THAT FUCKING ROCK IS COMING UP FAST AT...*SPLASH*
The splash sounds more grand than it is, even though I'm now half drenched. As soon as I hit the rock I know it's not good. Wind knocked out of me, slight panic because I know this feeling from playing football years ago. I scramble out of there as fast as I can because if I'm going to pass out, let's do it where the water isn't. Ok, then up and out quickly. I stand up, still flustered, no problems though. No stars, etc etc. Left side of chest hurts. I see some scratches on the leg, whatever. I gingerly grab my bike, still on the foot bridge as if someone laid it down to have a walk, and pull it away.
Coast down the hill, yeah those ribs hurt. And boy that leg is a little swollen. I'm one of those people who deals with pain by laughing. Don't ask me, it just happens. So I'm rolling down the white trail, slowly, scratches & bruises up my left leg, ribs slightly aching, laughing because it all hurts. I get to the car in one piece though.
So all in all I counted 10 separate scrapes on both hands, whole of the left leg, right thigh, and right ankle. Left index finger jammed. Big nasty swollen right upper calf/knee area, not sure what. And it seems to be bruised ribs on the left side. I didn't go to the doctor because they simply cant do anything for bruised ribs. It's just gotta heal. It grew more and more sore for about 4 hours, but seems to be stabilizing or maybe even feeling a little better. Strangely, laying down is the toughest. Standing up or sitting here is no big deal, I feel fine. Surfing some of the message boards about bruised ribs, it seems sleeping is the toughest of all, since laying down hurts. Fun fun.
Not sure what this means for riding, but I'm probably off the mtb for 4-8 weeks or so. No big deal since I have a broken spoke, broken hanger, and both the derailler and chain are still in my camelbak. No idea how this effects road and/or trainer rides. Timing sucks because I'm in a build period but then when is it ever good? If it was a week before the 50k, now that would be bad timing. There's a guy I know who ended his season with a broken collar bone in his last 100 mile event a few months ago. It could be worse.
Anyway it's all good, at least so far. I'm not pissing or spitting blood. So I got that going for me, which is nice. I wonder what the moral of the story is here though. Is it...
...carry an extra hanger with you?
...carry a real chain tool?
...always ride with someone?
...stay on the road when it's 70 degrees and moist in January?
...if you get new biking shoes for Christmas don't wear the old ones simply because you don't want to get the new ones all muddy?
...shit happens?
Beats me. I'm open for other suggestions. Thanks for listening, hope you enjoyed it.
Ok so like a month ago Kirt says to me, "Do you keep a spare hanger with you?" Of course I don't because it never occured to me to do such. Ok, so you think you know where this story is going right now. But no, you don't, not exactly. A few weeks ago, Kirt asks again, "Did you ever pick up that spare hanger?" No, haven't thought about it. A few weeks ago at Chimney Rock I bent it, and we went back to the Newman's lot and bent it back. Right, so maybe a little strained at this point already.
So that's the forshadowing. Up Cardiac then over Rollie Pollie today, then I decide I'm going to shoot out the white trail and pick up the green, head down the rail trail, up red, then back on white and maybe back down Cardiac at the end. I don't know the park well so this is my attempt to learn it. So out I am on the white trail, past the "ice cream" sign, and up a pretty good rock face. This is about an hour in. On top, it's slippery, no big deal it's been slipperay all day. Down the other side and SNAP. Nothing to do with slippery rocks or anything, just a broken hanger.
Darn, I proclaim, or possibly worse. History has forgotten the specific word used. I tool around for 15 minutes trying to make the bike a half-ass SS. I yank the derailler off and play with the chain a bit. Power link off, I'm sizing up the chain for a "get me home" gear. Ok, I find something that *may* work. But the portable chain tool I have is not even remotely close to being able to break the chain. Ok, ok, no problem. I'll walk & coast it. I think I was like 15-20 minutes out. No big deal.
Yeah, ok, big deal Norm. We've all had mechanicals before this is nothing new. Is there more? Yes yes, hold on. Walking & coasting the white trail back is no problem. A fair amount of gradual downhills make it easier than straight walking. I considered jogging for a time but really no need, I'm not that far out. Plus I hate jogging. Before long I'm almost where the white trail meets Cardiac, where I can coast the white trail all the way back to the car. All I need to do is cross the little foot bridge over the stream.
I step on the foot bridge, I think it was the right foot as I look back now but I'm not sure how many steps I took, and ZOOM my foot flies out from under me. Did I mention it was slippery? Ok before I know it things are moving fast. They say when shit happens life slows down. Well, down I go towards the stream AND THAT FUCKING ROCK IS COMING UP FAST AT...*SPLASH*
The splash sounds more grand than it is, even though I'm now half drenched. As soon as I hit the rock I know it's not good. Wind knocked out of me, slight panic because I know this feeling from playing football years ago. I scramble out of there as fast as I can because if I'm going to pass out, let's do it where the water isn't. Ok, then up and out quickly. I stand up, still flustered, no problems though. No stars, etc etc. Left side of chest hurts. I see some scratches on the leg, whatever. I gingerly grab my bike, still on the foot bridge as if someone laid it down to have a walk, and pull it away.
Coast down the hill, yeah those ribs hurt. And boy that leg is a little swollen. I'm one of those people who deals with pain by laughing. Don't ask me, it just happens. So I'm rolling down the white trail, slowly, scratches & bruises up my left leg, ribs slightly aching, laughing because it all hurts. I get to the car in one piece though.
So all in all I counted 10 separate scrapes on both hands, whole of the left leg, right thigh, and right ankle. Left index finger jammed. Big nasty swollen right upper calf/knee area, not sure what. And it seems to be bruised ribs on the left side. I didn't go to the doctor because they simply cant do anything for bruised ribs. It's just gotta heal. It grew more and more sore for about 4 hours, but seems to be stabilizing or maybe even feeling a little better. Strangely, laying down is the toughest. Standing up or sitting here is no big deal, I feel fine. Surfing some of the message boards about bruised ribs, it seems sleeping is the toughest of all, since laying down hurts. Fun fun.
Not sure what this means for riding, but I'm probably off the mtb for 4-8 weeks or so. No big deal since I have a broken spoke, broken hanger, and both the derailler and chain are still in my camelbak. No idea how this effects road and/or trainer rides. Timing sucks because I'm in a build period but then when is it ever good? If it was a week before the 50k, now that would be bad timing. There's a guy I know who ended his season with a broken collar bone in his last 100 mile event a few months ago. It could be worse.
Anyway it's all good, at least so far. I'm not pissing or spitting blood. So I got that going for me, which is nice. I wonder what the moral of the story is here though. Is it...
...carry an extra hanger with you?
...carry a real chain tool?
...always ride with someone?
...stay on the road when it's 70 degrees and moist in January?
...if you get new biking shoes for Christmas don't wear the old ones simply because you don't want to get the new ones all muddy?
...shit happens?
Beats me. I'm open for other suggestions. Thanks for listening, hope you enjoyed it.
