Had a painful off last night, because I'm an idiot.

SamWise72

Yesterday was my son's 14th birthday, and I'd bought him a guitar and amp. I couldn't get home to pick him up til 8, and consequently was in a big hurry whemn I did get to the station. On tjhe way home, doing about 20, I cam upon a group of teenagers, doing what teenagers do; bmxs, dark clothing, no light, riding spread out across the road.I didn't want to get involved with gobby kids, so I accelerated to abbout 25 to just get past them. One was right over on the other side of the road, there really wasn't any way round him, but there was a gap between him and the rest wide enough to drive a car through, so I went for that.

Unfortunately, he saw my light, and decided toget out the way without looking at where I was. He literally swerved under my front wheel as I passed him. My bike stopped, but my 17 stone continued at 25 mph, flartening the P bars of my Brompton horizontal as I passed, and all too briefly flying like superman. I must have tucked and rolled, as I hit with my left shoulder and then right elbow, and got no road rash except for a spot on my knee (somehow, no hole in my trousers!).. Finallly, my head hit the ground, hard. Fortunately I was wearing my helmet, which has more road rash than my body! I picked myself up and had to walk back to my bike. Fortunately, the kids in question were far from gobby, and checked I was alright as well as giving the one who hit me quite a bollocking, which was tough as he was shaken up and hurt too. Amazingly, the Brompton seems unhurt; I had to straighten out the seat and reset the bars (and using my multitool was very painful, but I was able to ride home. The front wheel of the kids BMX however was tacoed. He was very apologetic.

I limped home, got my wife to drive me to pick up my son, gave him his presents and then went to casualty. I have a bruised and sprained shoulder, but not broken, but I may have chipped a bone in my right elbow.. It really hurts to move my arms this morning, which is not ideal when there's a birthday party to sort out. I'll be off the bike for a few days (even before I started to swell last night, the prssure on my arms when braking was agony). I've learned a lesson though, I'll slow down for unpredictable kids, and I'll never go through the middle like that again!

downfader

F****ing kids. Which part of Southampton?

I nearly hit three yesterday. Playing silly b***ers with traffic on a back road in Shirley (all in black ran ot between parked cars at me, just managed to whip around him as he juuust managed to stop in time) then there were two at a time on Kathleen Road in the afternoon. Just ran out at me.

I'm about to fill out a stopSMIDSY on those. Heal up fast!!

SamWise72

It was on Millbrook Road West, the service road thing, just after (or before? Not sure) Go Outdoors. Nice kids, to be fair, and I suggested to him that maybe in future he should use a bit less road. My right arm cramps like a bugger if I bend it too fae, and I can't straighten it either. Curses.

_Brun_

Reasons why I'm faster that you:

8) I attempt to avoid potential hazards by accelerating.


Sounds like a painful lesson, hope it gets better soon.

downfader

SamWise72 wrote:

It was on Millbrook Road West, the service road thing, just after (or before? Not sure) Go Outdoors. Nice kids, to be fair, and I suggested to him that maybe in future he should use a bit less road. My right arm cramps like a bugger if I bend it too fae, and I can't straighten it either. Curses.

Potential ligament damage and bruising to the muscle, Pretty standard injury from that type of fall.

SamWise72

_Brun_ wrote:

Reasons why I'm faster that you:

8) I attempt to avoid potential hazards by accelerating.


Sounds like a painful lesson, hope it gets better soon.

*zing!* I was faster than them though. I'll attempt to take comfort in that.

Reasons why I'm faster than you:

9) I can fly. Briefly.

snailracer

Amazing - 25mph on a Brompton.

stuaff

snailracer wrote:

Amazing - 25mph on a Brompton.

Not really. As Sam will agree, there are plenty of guys faster than that on a Brommie (we've raced them..and lost!).

SamWise72

Not really, Bromptons are reasonably rapid, and mine is equipped with Kokaks, and the wide range 6 speed gears. I wouldn't be surprised if I could briefly touch 30 on the flat. You know that the kilo track (( record was held by small wheeled Moultons until they banned them?

dilemna

snailracer wrote:

Amazing - 25mph on a Brompton.

You obviously haven't seen Robert Heras riding a Brompton .......... Well you wouldn't as blink and he would be long gone 8) .

As they always say "Never work with kids or animals". Cycling is no different. Always slow down and give them space and time. Above all be courteous and you will be fine, most of the time, except when riding through Scrotesville .

SamWise72

I wasn't incourteous, despite my assumptions, and they were extremely courteous and concerned for me. It was heart-warming, as well as elbow shattering!

V5ade

Sorry to hear that you've taken a tumble, hopefully it's not a chipped bone and you'll repair quickly. I've noticed that since hitting late 30's I take a long time to heal :-/
Kid's make mistakes, that's how they learn, at least they didn't have an attitude.

SamWise72

Couldn't agree more, they were good kids, and we were all stupid kids once. I didn't have a go at him at all, and I dissauded his mates from bollocking him. He'd learned a facefull of tarmac lesson.

SamWise72

Update. Ouch.

Couldn't wash or dress myself Saturday (couldn't reach my armpits, couldn't stretch down, or up, could barely use my right arm at all). Sunday I managed to dress myself apart from my socks. Monday, did the lot (which was good as I had to leave early for work). Work was ok, the hard part was getting my jacket and coat on and off.

I had hoped to be back on the bike tomorrow (Weds) as I've two days away in Nottingham and Bristol, and not having mobility is bothering me. Got the Brompton out this morning (mercifully it really seems completely unharmed), and tried to ride up the road. No dice - shooting pains through left shoulder and right elbow that made me actually cry out in pain; braking would have been agony. Next opportunity will be next Tues (I'm WFH Fri and Mon), and I'm bloody determined to be recommissioned by then! I suppose that hoping to cycle before I could eat breakfast or brush my teeth with my right hand was perhaps a little hopeful.

The Rookie

My daughter learnt a great lesson from her foot surgery (bones broken and plated to straighten them out), Ibuprofen gel direct to the spot works 10 times better than anything you swallow, use lots on damaged muscle/tendon and bone.

Simon

SamWise72

I actually haven't taken any painkillers in almost 24 hours (had been on the co-codamol). It's given me a better idea of where my recovery really is. I can do all the same things, but lots of them are still more painful than I thought. I might try the gel thing, thanks.

Gazzaputt

_Brun_ wrote:

Reasons why I'm faster that you:

8) I attempt to avoid potential hazards by accelerating.


Sounds like a painful lesson, hope it gets better soon.

Did make me chuckle.

Hope you mend ok but as said lesson learned the hard way there.

So do you use a bike computer on the Brompton?

Valy

SamWise72 wrote:

Couldn't agree more, they were good kids, and we were all stupid kids once. I didn't have a go at him at all, and I dissauded his mates from bollocking him. He'd learned a facefull of tarmac lesson.

I lol'd.

I fell on my elbow on an ice rink last Jan/Feb - hurt for a while. When you said "chipped" it made me think "OMG, OMG, what if I did something when fell".

Do report on the elbow.

Wrath Rob

I split the bone in my elbow a few years ago, as in a proper break. Really hurt and had arm cramps for a couple for weeks afterwards. Unlike a break of the radius and ulna they didn''t cast it and consequently the recovery was much quicker. Fingers crossed its nothing too serious!

Hrun

I chipped a bone in a car crash and they splinted it to make sure the chipped bone didn't do any more damage. Might be worth getting it x-rayed.

SamWise72

They did x-ray it on the night, but I'm thinking I'll keep my fracture clinic appointment. I was expecting to recover quicker.

georgezippybungle

I was walloped side on by a car on Aug 5th which required some medical treatment for numerour minor injuries but I landed on my elbow/forearm which had huge road rash but seemed ok internally.
After 10 weeks it feels like it's healed, can do almost everything, but if I lean on a table or hard surface I am reminded that it's not better yet. I had a swollen wrist too that wasn't broken and is healing but still isn't right.

You might just have to be patient if you're 'middle aged' like me.

SamWise72

I'm 38, and I'm sure I'm healing slower than I used to. I remember injuring my wrist (probably breakdancing) when I was 14, and it taking months to feel strong agagain. I'm trying very hard to balance using both arms with not doing anything that causes flashes of agony!

georgezippybungle

I'm 2 years your senior so apologies for calling you middle aged but you haven't got long. In 2 years time you'll suddenly;

1) Not heal well - worse than now
2) Not be able to take your drink - or the hangovers
3) Become exactly like the Grumpy old men you see in the TV series
4) Need more heating in the winter or it'll chill your bones
5) Have more days off sick - genuinely!

This was an overnight transition for me almost but fortunately I can report that I haven't slowed down, and observing the 'veterans' (over 40's) in the club I occasionally ride with, that won't happen for a long time, I still get whupped by the guys in their 50's but they do have more time to train.

SamWise72

I've had approx 5 days off sick in my life, the last one was 9.5 years ago now, and was only a half day, so really ANY time off sick would be more I travelled to Bristol for a full day's work on Monday with only one arm working and tremendous shooting pains every time I put on my jacket.......