Is there a doctor in the house......

heavymtb
heavymtb Posts: 62
edited September 2008 in Commuting chat
Just had my first spill, going approx 2.5 (yes two and a half) mph having just turned off Streatham High road I think my back wheel locked and I ended up face down on the tarmac. Quite a few bumps and scrapes, but more concerned about my wrist and ribs, nothing a nice visit to Chelsea and West won't fix tomorrow morning!

Classic moment was within about 10 seconds of dragging myself off the road the cars behind me all got on their horns.... what a lovely caring community London is!

To cap it off, I continued my ride home (one handed) when I was within a mile of my safe haven, the heavens opened and it was torrential rain for the next 10 minutes... what a gem of a ride!!!!

My shiny new Sirrus has it's first war wound... :cry:
The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart ~Iris Murdoch

Mama always said I was SPECIALIZED ;-)

Comments

  • biondino
    biondino Posts: 5,990
    I think at least 90% of bike accidents are either human error or acts of god (unseen diesel patch, cat running out in front of bike etc.). While the worst bike accident I've had was pure mechanical failure (you don't want your rear sprocket failing as you're powering away out of the saddle after cresting a hill), every other accident I've had that I can remember has been either my fault or another human being's.
    My Focus / My Bob Jackson
    Blog (incl. bikes)
  • heavymtb
    heavymtb Posts: 62
    The weird thing is I did check for pot holes and diesel briefly afterwards but I was a little dazed it was just bizzare. I have no idea it was like the wheel locked but the bike is running fine now.... Odd!

    Another point is if my helmet took a fairly decent bump should I replace it or have it checked even though there is not even a scratch on it? I know if it's cracked to get a new one but am unsure as to the internal structure if you get my drift :?:
    The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart ~Iris Murdoch

    Mama always said I was SPECIALIZED ;-)
  • biondino
    biondino Posts: 5,990
    Were you really going less than walking pace? Hard to see how you managed to injure yourself so much (though I was amazed at the extent of my injuries after having a 0mph not-used-to-cleats incident...
    My Focus / My Bob Jackson
    Blog (incl. bikes)
  • heavymtb
    heavymtb Posts: 62
    I was waiting at a red light and when it turned green I set off, within 15m I was over, I wasn't booting it as I have a calf injury from a mamouth ride yesterday. So maybe 5-6 mph but not fast I think it was just an awkward fall really.

    Feeling it now :oops:
    The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart ~Iris Murdoch

    Mama always said I was SPECIALIZED ;-)
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    6 of 1 half a dozen of the other.

    Obviously the speed your traveling will dictate how bad impact is, but I've had falls (when I was younger) where I was mostly stationary and it hurt bad. It has a lot to do with how you fall, what you fall onto etc....

    To the OP, I would suggest a warm bath and muscle relaxing cream (or Vcks vapor rub if times are hard...) on the parts of the body that hurts, its worked for me.

    As to the helmet, given you're a Streatham lad, take it to DeVer, heading to Norbury train station, and ask them in there for advice as to whether you should replace your helmet. Also let me know what they say because I would like to if the same should happen to me....
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    If you do replace your helmet, some brands offer 50% discounts on crash replacements.

    The worst crash I had was my fault, I was riding on a path at about 20mph, downhill, had one hand on the bars as my nose had an itch (!). Next thing I was flying through the air over the bars, bounced on the path, broken pelvis and shoulder, skinned knee and elbow, cracked helmet (no head injury). Then I had 7 weeks in a hospital bed unable to sit up more than 30 degrees, then 3 months on crutches.

    I didn't know what happened for months. When I saw my bike the bars were not inline with the wheel, I thought there had been a failure of the headset/stem. Eventually I was brave enough to go down the path again and saw the tarmac was badly rippled by tree roots - I now think I hit one and the bars were yanked out of my remaining hand. The crash wrenched the bars, rather than it being the cause. I have ridden the same bike for thousands of miles since without problem. Suffice to say I no longer scratch my nose at speed!
  • heavymtb
    heavymtb Posts: 62
    DonDaddyD wrote:

    As to the helmet, given you're a Streatham lad, take it to DeVer, heading to Norbury train station, and ask them in there for advice as to whether you should replace your helmet. Also let me know what they say because I would like to if the same should happen to me....

    As soon as I manage to get my back sorted from the whiplash I'll be going to Cyclopedia on the Kings road (I'm a Fulham boy) to get my helmet checked. I'll keep you posted, Thanks for you help on that one.

    Time to get some muscle rub I fear!
    The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart ~Iris Murdoch

    Mama always said I was SPECIALIZED ;-)

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