My Afan crash...and a heartfelt thankyou...
Iain C
Posts: 464
Well, after replying to a thread a few weeks ago saying that I'd had a few "SPD moments" but not a "big one" it was surely just a matter of time...
I had last week off and myself and the missus chucked our bikes, tent and walking kit in the back of the Discovery and headed for Wales...got there on Sat night (Afan), met two of our friends for a beer or two, and although the evening was a bit damp to say the least it looked promising enough on Sunday morning for us to hit White's Level. The four of us ended up meeting a local rider, Gez, on the way round, even had a blast down the black run loop, and all was going well until about halfway down Darkside when I got a pinchflat.
I stopped to fix it and said to the others I'd see them at the bottom...Gez hung on for a bit after they left but when I'd fixed it I suggested he go first as I was sure he would whup me downhill. The new tube for some reason had taken a lot of pumping...200 strokes probably on the pump and my right hand was feeling a bit tired. Rucksac back on and off I went...quick but not daft.
The first drop off I hit was fine...the bike landed square but I had this horrible feeling as my tired right hand simply slid off the end of the bar (and that's big fat Spesh BG grips) and I just went over the side of the still upright and fast rolling bike. I hit the ground, rolled a couple of times and hit a tree really hard. There was a sickening splintering and breaking noise which I hoped to god was carbon fibre bars but as soon as I stopped and tried to move knew was bone. No pain, just the realisation that lots of bits of my shoulder were no longer where they were supposed to be.
I was slap bang in the middle of the trail...I tried to move but no joy, then just a sh!tload of pain. I lay there for what was probably 5 minutes but felt like 20, until the next guy came down the trail. I'm sorry my friend, I can't remember your name, I think you were the other half of the lady in the Drop Off Cafe, and you were so well prepared with a phone which worked and a space blanket. And thank you for stopping in time!
Anyway, this chap made the call to Dick the ranger, waited for the next guy to come down, and then it all goes a bit blurry, but Dick turned up, then some paramedics, then I heard the air ambulance land, then those guys turned up, followed by firemen who, helped by some other riders, did the incredibly difficult job of carrying me down off the trail strapped to a stretcher. My head was immobilised at this point so from landing all I ever saw was a view vertically upwards, but I know how much of a tricky job that would have been. Off my head on morphine and gas, I did offer to try and walk, however that request was firmly refused by the medics!
My other half and our mates had realised that I had been a bit longer than expected and one of the other riders who'd found me gave them the good news, and they were great, sorting things out, helping the emergency services, securing my (undamaged!) bike, and of course coming over to Merthyr hospital.
Anyway, off to Merthyr in the air ambulance it was, sheer horror as my £90 Montane waterproof (worn twice!) got scissored off and went in the bin, and the verdict was a rather mullered shoulder, collarbone broken in two places, and now a week later it looks like someone has coloured in my whole chest in yellow highlighter! Not a great start to our holiday and that kinda scuppered any outdoors stuff for the week. Also a bit embarrasing as Kath checked us into a Merthyr hotel that night, and there was I, stood in reception, wearing nothing more than my filthy Humvees and shoes, arm in a sling, with a blanket over my top half, telling her to be quick as I really needed to go and throw up!
Anyway, enough of my ramblings, just got back tonight from Wales and I just wanted to say a very heartfelt thank you to anyone who was invovled that day. Suddenly all these people who I'd never met were really looking after me...OK I know some of them were paid professionals but many were just other bikers out for a ride...I suppose we'd all do it for one another but until you are on the recieving end you don't know just how humbling that is. Even thanks to the guy waiting in A&E to be seen whilst I waited for Kath to arrive who bought me a Lucozade...I had no money as my rucksac with everything in got cut off me! When I got it back it contained a waterproof jacket that someone had put over me as I lay on the hill, I have handed it in to the Drop Off Cafe and asked them to get a good description before they return it to it's hopefully rightful owner!
So thanks again...I guess I'll be out of the saddle for a number of weeks now, but when I do return mark my words I will be doing a charity event to raise money for the Welsh Air Ambulance...I know a bit about flying and have gone solo in an aircraft and I could undertand enough of what was going on to know that they were risking thier own skin flying in exceptionally difficult conditions and visibility just because I decided I wanted to ride down a moutain that day and failed...humbling stuff.
Cheers,
Iain
I had last week off and myself and the missus chucked our bikes, tent and walking kit in the back of the Discovery and headed for Wales...got there on Sat night (Afan), met two of our friends for a beer or two, and although the evening was a bit damp to say the least it looked promising enough on Sunday morning for us to hit White's Level. The four of us ended up meeting a local rider, Gez, on the way round, even had a blast down the black run loop, and all was going well until about halfway down Darkside when I got a pinchflat.
I stopped to fix it and said to the others I'd see them at the bottom...Gez hung on for a bit after they left but when I'd fixed it I suggested he go first as I was sure he would whup me downhill. The new tube for some reason had taken a lot of pumping...200 strokes probably on the pump and my right hand was feeling a bit tired. Rucksac back on and off I went...quick but not daft.
The first drop off I hit was fine...the bike landed square but I had this horrible feeling as my tired right hand simply slid off the end of the bar (and that's big fat Spesh BG grips) and I just went over the side of the still upright and fast rolling bike. I hit the ground, rolled a couple of times and hit a tree really hard. There was a sickening splintering and breaking noise which I hoped to god was carbon fibre bars but as soon as I stopped and tried to move knew was bone. No pain, just the realisation that lots of bits of my shoulder were no longer where they were supposed to be.
I was slap bang in the middle of the trail...I tried to move but no joy, then just a sh!tload of pain. I lay there for what was probably 5 minutes but felt like 20, until the next guy came down the trail. I'm sorry my friend, I can't remember your name, I think you were the other half of the lady in the Drop Off Cafe, and you were so well prepared with a phone which worked and a space blanket. And thank you for stopping in time!
Anyway, this chap made the call to Dick the ranger, waited for the next guy to come down, and then it all goes a bit blurry, but Dick turned up, then some paramedics, then I heard the air ambulance land, then those guys turned up, followed by firemen who, helped by some other riders, did the incredibly difficult job of carrying me down off the trail strapped to a stretcher. My head was immobilised at this point so from landing all I ever saw was a view vertically upwards, but I know how much of a tricky job that would have been. Off my head on morphine and gas, I did offer to try and walk, however that request was firmly refused by the medics!
My other half and our mates had realised that I had been a bit longer than expected and one of the other riders who'd found me gave them the good news, and they were great, sorting things out, helping the emergency services, securing my (undamaged!) bike, and of course coming over to Merthyr hospital.
Anyway, off to Merthyr in the air ambulance it was, sheer horror as my £90 Montane waterproof (worn twice!) got scissored off and went in the bin, and the verdict was a rather mullered shoulder, collarbone broken in two places, and now a week later it looks like someone has coloured in my whole chest in yellow highlighter! Not a great start to our holiday and that kinda scuppered any outdoors stuff for the week. Also a bit embarrasing as Kath checked us into a Merthyr hotel that night, and there was I, stood in reception, wearing nothing more than my filthy Humvees and shoes, arm in a sling, with a blanket over my top half, telling her to be quick as I really needed to go and throw up!
Anyway, enough of my ramblings, just got back tonight from Wales and I just wanted to say a very heartfelt thank you to anyone who was invovled that day. Suddenly all these people who I'd never met were really looking after me...OK I know some of them were paid professionals but many were just other bikers out for a ride...I suppose we'd all do it for one another but until you are on the recieving end you don't know just how humbling that is. Even thanks to the guy waiting in A&E to be seen whilst I waited for Kath to arrive who bought me a Lucozade...I had no money as my rucksac with everything in got cut off me! When I got it back it contained a waterproof jacket that someone had put over me as I lay on the hill, I have handed it in to the Drop Off Cafe and asked them to get a good description before they return it to it's hopefully rightful owner!
So thanks again...I guess I'll be out of the saddle for a number of weeks now, but when I do return mark my words I will be doing a charity event to raise money for the Welsh Air Ambulance...I know a bit about flying and have gone solo in an aircraft and I could undertand enough of what was going on to know that they were risking thier own skin flying in exceptionally difficult conditions and visibility just because I decided I wanted to ride down a moutain that day and failed...humbling stuff.
Cheers,
Iain
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Comments
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Really sorry to hear Was you not wearing a body suit/ armour?
Hope you get well and return to there and rip the trails arss out
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Hey, Unlucky mate. collar bones suck to break, broke mine afew months back in 1 place and my mate broke his 2 or 3 weeks ago in 2 places and the doctores arnt going to realine his collar bone :shock: He is out for 10 weeks. But yeah get back on the bike when your good and ready and start dominating those trails.
Do it if you dare
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Ouch! That bit about the splintering bone really gets the experience across.
It's the sort of bad luck accident that could happen to any of us, hope you get mended soon.
Are you going to post us a pic of your injuries?
Grantway - Do you wear body armour when riding XC loops? Dunno if you meant your comment this way, but it comes across a bit insulting.0 -
Thanks for the comments and encouragement guys. I will post a picture...probably try and scan in the X ray if it works.
Grantway that's a perfectly sensible question...I only have elbow guards and I was wearing them, and one of them did take a bashing so they did thier job. I was not wearing any other armour but TBH I might from now on, perhaps if I can find something light enough that I can keep it in my rucksac for the uphills and put it on for the downhills. I know people will take the p1ss but I cannot tell you how much it hurt but more to the point as messed up so many things I wanted to do this summer so frankly I don't care. I'm 34 now and when I started mountain biking "the first time" in my teens people would point and giggle at the Specialized GroundForce on my head but now people point open mouthed if they see a rider on the trails not wearing a lid!
We'll see how the confidence is when I'm riding again but I think it will be shaky as it was just a poxy little drop off FFS!!0 -
was that on black graded or red, i am defo getting knee and shin pads but am not sure about elbow and forearm am probably going to get them if i start doing black.
Hope you get better soon cos that sounds really painful, good job that guy did stop in time cos if that had been me if i'd ended up with tyre marks on my face as well that would have really rounded off a bad ady.
Hope you get better soon, Yukon LadDrop, Berm, Jump, Sky, Sky, Sky, Sweet Beautiful Earth OUCH, OUCH,OUCH, ****! GORSE BUSH!!!
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OOOhhh,
I feel for you mate, I broke my collar bone 2 years ago in the middle of nowhere. I too broke mine in to 3 pieces. I took 2 calcium tablets each day and after about 3 weeks it was starting to heal enough to do a bit of pedaling on a borrowed turbo trainer.
I've got a good photo of me looking like a Simpsons extra, all yellow!
At least the weather's crap at the moment, so don't get too down hearted, you should be back on the bike in a couple of months!0 -
Slipping off the bars is the exact reason I can't get rid of my barends, I'm so used to them keeping my hands in place that it feels dangerous riding without them but it does look very wrong to have barends on risers...
I'm def going to buy some lightweight protection sooner rather than later, I'm sure everytime I read a post like this my chances of a major off are increased.
Get well soon!0 -
Ouch, these stories always scare me, bit of a reality check. I hope you get well soon!
Falling off the bike is exactly the reason I don't use bar ends There's enough things to potentially stab me without adding more. Fell off twice into soft ferns on Sunday. 0 -
Toasty wrote:Ouch, these stories always scare me, bit of a reality check. I hope you get well soon!
Falling off the bike is exactly the reason I don't use bar ends There's enough things to potentially stab me without adding more. Fell off twice into soft ferns on Sunday.
Don't think I haven't considered the consequences of landing on a barend! They're those stubbie cane creek things though so might be ok. (I'm now doomed
) 0 -
Sorry half plastered when I read it But Not in anyway intentional to upset
or add insult to lain C injury and I sincerely hope a speedy and none
painful recovery.
I remember when I broke my Scapular I used Ibuprofen Gel apply
this onto the broken area gently and puts the pain relief where you
need it.
Eat plenty of Bannanas/milk/ calcium tablets0 -
Get well soon.
Darkside is the last section of Whites.0 -
Get well soon! Not nice to hear of injuries like that.
No then, when in chippys after sea fishing trips around Wales, you'd often see RNLI donation boxes on the counters. PLEASE people put money into the equivalent helicopter rescue ones when you see them. I didn't need a trip in a 'copter when I smashed my collar bone (very uncomfortable trip in a car tho'!) I hope I never see the inside of a rescue 'copter. But really am glad these people exist. This also applies to mountain rescue as well. Often the first people on the scene if you do any natural riding.0 -
Very good point. I don't really begrudge using the emergency services (not that I've doen that very often!) at home as I feel I pay enough in bloody tax but I did really feel a bit of a charlie having to use something as hideously expensive to run as a helicopter when it was all due to me visiting the area and not being quite as good at one of my hobbies as I thought I was, especially when the weather was so nasty to fly in too. It did not really hit home until they started to run up the first chopper engine...
Mark my words I will be doing a charity ride when I'm back in the saddle...out of the fairly small number of people I ride with, that's 3 spills between us now, all on White's Level too...
(Update...been back to hospital, doc is hoping I can get away without plating it...fingers crossed!)0 -
Hope you make a speedy recovery
I had a "lets see if anything is broken.." moment last week in Coed y Brenin when I hit a rock and flipped over the bars and ended up under the bike. I must have landed on the only patch of mud/ grass on that section (Pink Heiffer)- there were lots of rocks and could have ended badly.0 -
Sorry to hear about the crash mate.
Hope you're on the mend soon.What We Achieve In Life, Echoes In Eternity0 -
Sorry to here about your accident. Hope you make a speedy recovery.
One thing I will ask... How long did it take you to type that first message with one hand???
Really do hope you recover soon.
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Fair play to you Ian.
Air ambulance is run on charity alone in this region and they need a lot of support to keep running. (Dont know if thats the case everywhere) . Also mountain rescue are all volunteers and it can be taken for granted that they are there when needed. Perhaps a positive out of your crash is that readers of this forum can spare a thought for those who are there for us when things occassionally go wrong- especially those run on charity.
Not forgetting the efforts of those not run on charity of course, forest enterprise, fire service, ambulance etc.0 -
Chaka Ping wrote:Are you going to post us a pic of your injuries?
.
Here you go. Not going well, I'm mending all wonky and it will be 2 months before I can ride again...
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Ouch, that looks bad!
I know what you mean about the Air Ambulance. I live down the road from Afan and quite a few people I know that are involved in Outdoor Activities (Mountain Biking, Kayaking, Hill Walking) have set up a DD to pay into the Air Ambulance off their own back. It brings it home to you, in a lot of cases without the Wales Air Ambulance, there would be an excessively long wait, even if a standard ambulance could reach you.
There has been talk of a sponsored cycle ride in aid of the Wales Air Ambulance, if I hear any more I will let you all know.0 -
I do feel for you. I rode Afan for the first time acouple of days after you did that and I do have a bit of a there but by the grace of god feeling.
It's so easy to make a tiny mistake or not be concentrating 100%. Normally you just fall off and pick yourself up, somewhere like Afan turns minor crashes into somehting serious if you as you end up hirtling down those slpes before connecting with a tree.
On the same note as the air ambulance, the mountain rescue is a volunteer staffed organisation too (one of the guys at work ispart of the local team). I don't contribute and admit I probably should. That said I'm going to do the Mary Townley Challenge next weekend (weather permitting) and they're running it this year so most of the entry fee goes into tteir coffers so I'll be contributing a little bit.It's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.
I've bought a new bike....ouch - result
Can I buy a new bike?...No - no result0 -
ouch!! sorry to hear bout your spill dude!! its horrible having to face so much tme off the bike, i know, ive been there.
its filled me wiht confidence though; doing a week long tour of the lakes next week, 180miles in five days, makes me think of my increased chances of crashing like that by riding for so long!I said hit the brakes not the tree!!
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Hi Ian, sorry to hear about the spill. Broken collarbones are no fun. On the question of armour, do you think it would have helped? there seems to be stuff available for limbs, but shoulders? Kinda hard to protect without restricting movement. I used to ride roadie till recently and collarbones were a regular bustee. Good luck with the recovery.
Paul.0 -
Quick update...saw a consultant privately today. He said it's just far too wonky so he will put a plate in it on Saturday for me. :shock:
I have to say I am quite relieved so at least I will be vaguely symmetrical again and it will have more strength than if it had just grown a bit of bone between the two bits.
However I am very concerened about the weight...I do hope he uses an XTR plate and titanium bolts...I don't want anything cheap or heavy in there!! 0 -
Blimey :shock:
Sorry to hear about your accident but glad that you're on the mend. Things like this kind of restore your faith in people don't they?
I completely agree about the air ambulance. They rescued my OH after he hit a tree on his mtb (well - his head ) and they were absolutely fantastic.
If you organise a ride / event to raise money for them once you're back in action, please PM me as I would love to get involved and would happily rally some troops from this area
Best wishes for a speedy recovery!Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away....
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Healing vibes mate.
Collar bone really, really hurts - but...it's not for long as it heals quickly and you can get back on your bike.0 -
Been there mate, broke my collar bone in two places a few back now! Was only a couple of miles from home so lifted my arm around so it could grab my shoulder and support itself (ish) and with my free arm held my handlebars and walked my bike home!0
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Nodnol wrote:Been there mate, broke my collar bone in two places a few back now! Was only a couple of miles from home so lifted my arm around so it could grab my shoulder and support itself (ish) and with my free arm held my handlebars and walked my bike home!
Mate you are made of sterner stuff than me! I just lay in the trail swearing and shouting and waited for the next rider! I really could not move...respect to you!
Sarah...no worries, will do. TBH probably be early next year now, as it will be a month or two before I can ride off road again, and having buggered up one holiday totally due to this there's no way I want to miss skiing in January due to another tree incident! :P
(I was thinking, perhaps I can get them to plate the other side at the same time...a bit or internal body armour!!!)0 -
Iain C wrote:Nodnol wrote:Been there mate, broke my collar bone in two places a few back now! Was only a couple of miles from home so lifted my arm around so it could grab my shoulder and support itself (ish) and with my free arm held my handlebars and walked my bike home!
Mate you are made of sterner stuff than me! I just lay in the trail swearing and shouting and waited for the next rider! I really could not move...respect to you!
Sarah...no worries, will do. TBH probably be early next year now, as it will be a month or two before I can ride off road again, and having buggered up one holiday totally due to this there's no way I want to miss skiing in January due to another tree incident! :P
(I was thinking, perhaps I can get them to plate the other side at the same time...a bit or internal body armour!!!)
Worst pain I've ever been through. After the initial realisation that I had crashed, the adrenaline sort of hid the pain. As I got up, I lent on the arm that was affected, only to fall on my face! Now THAT hurt. Constant swearing, pretty much feeling sick but hey, I got on my feet after realising that I had ****ed one of my shoulders!
Isn't getting up in the morning a right pain in the arse? Sitting up hurts like hell for the first week, the muscles in your shoulders trying to pull on a bone that's floating around somewhere!
I have to say, six years on, it still aches in the winter, and if I lean on it. It healed completely fine, but still isn't back to its original shape.0 -
Hope you get well soon and have a speedy and complete recovery.
Your post certainly said a lot about you as a person, right down to the offering to walk whilst high on gas and i'm certain the medics would have been warmed by the gesture.
When you decide and are able to do your sponsored ride for the Wales Ambulance team, be sure to post your details for sponsorship - an extremely worthwhile cause that i and i'm sure many others would appreciate the opportunity to contribute in some way.- Marin 2005 East Peak0 -
Well, here I am after the op which I had a week last Saturday...and last week was agony. Been to the consultant today and it's another month from now before I can even drive (and that's now 6 weeks since the crash) and when I see him again in a month's time and hopefully get the driving OK we'll have a chat about when I can start doing anything sporty again (probably November). But as I am going skiing in January all things being well, I'm not even going to consider getting back on my bike until 2009, just don't want to risk it.
I am going to be a totally different rider when I do get back on the bike. This crash ruined my holiday, it ruined my sailing for the year (kissing goodbye to a chamionship I was leading), and as someone in IT sales it will have kept me off the road from August to nearly November with the obvious difference that makes to performance and end of year bonus. I've piled on weight, lost the definition in my legs I was really chuffed with (bearing in mind I started riding in Feb as a way to get fit enjoyably) and no doubt cardio fitness is rubbish now too! Even silly things like my Camelbak, S-Works 2D lid, waterproof and jersey are all in the bin! Oh, and of course this plate has to come out again at some point so that's another op to look forward to and time off work.
So I really have to say just take care out there people, I am no longer going to just attempt to hammer every trail like it was my last, so what if I get to the bottom a minute later, at least I'll get there! Armour is the way forwards too I think! It's really easy to let the red mist come down and go for it, but the consequences of even one little off are massive.
Keep things in perspective guys and girls!
And yeah, as you can tell I am pretty down about this now...
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