Pay Attention Chaps!

Bobbinogs

So, I am now propped up in bed (typing left handed with one finger) paying the price for not paying attention this morning on the way to a club run. Beautiful new road surface, freshly laid a few weeks ago...which had a fine damp coating from light overnight rain and lovely new tyres (bought a couple months ago but fitted last week). Not a care in the world, leant back, looking around feeling happy and thinking about the ride to come...lost the front end and over I went. Why I couldn't see the perfect combination of factors for a spill is now irritating me more than the pain.

Badly broken collar bone confirmed by A&E, fracture clinic session booked and the next 6 weeks of planned cycling events now looking very unlikely (to be replaced by spinning like a hamster on the turbo).

Anyone else done something dumb like that, as in, looking back you would kick yourself, if it didn't hurt too much!

rozzer32

Ouch, hope you get well soon!

If it was new only a few weeks ago then maybe all the sun we had last week brought some of the oil to the surface and then the rain wouldn't have helped.

Hope the bike isn't too badly damaged either.

Bobbinogs

Thanks Rozzer32. I haven't checked the bike yet. I only got it back from Mercian last week after the frame was realigned (I got knocked out in a head-on with a van on an audax in Wales a few weeks ago).

Still on the bright side, my wife is off to Smiths to get an armful of cycling mags, no expense spared

cornerblock

The beginning of your post had me worried for a second! Sorry to hear of your spill, I too was on my way to a club run this morning and the roads were very wet as the rain had only just stopped. I am a bit embarrassed to say I took one look at all the colourful patches of diesel, oil and petrol on the road surface and turned back after a mile and one steep descent. :oops: In my defence I still have the scabs on my knee, hip and elbow from a crash in Turkey two weeks ago, so did not fancy the conditions one bit. I hate it when it has been dry for a while and then you get a good downpour, the roads just become trecherous.

I hope you recover quickly.

Bozman

New tyres + Damp roads = gravel rash.
First and only time i mixed that up it felt like a trip on ice, i turned round and headed home.
I hit diesel in the wet a few months back and was lucky to get away with gravel rash, one minute you're upright the next you're on the floor, you just don't have time to react.

bobtbuilder

Get well soon Bobbinogs. Sounds like you're having a run of crap luck ATM.

Zoomer37

That sucks dude. Rest up and you'll be bike on the bike in no time.

mikeyboy12345

That's rotten luck! Get well soon and hope the break's not too bad. Still, the November mags are about to hit the shelves so at least you'll have something to keep you occupied!

Just out of interest, what were your next 6 weeks of plans for riding-wise? With the daylight and warmth fast disappearing, and given the bloomin' winds recently, I honestly can't wait for a few turbo sessions indoors!

BigLee1

New tyres and new tarmac are a bad combo

Bobbinogs

Thanks for the posts, looks like I might be alone in my stupity today

Good point about the November mags, nothing from the top shelf though, what with my injury!

Mikeyboy, had a few interesting audaxes planned, all lumpy (Brecons, Exmoor and Clee Hills). Managed a rapid 75M yesterday with 6,500ft of climbing as final prep but hadn't planned on spending the next 6 weeks tapering

Peddle Up!

Ouch! Bad luck mate. Here's to a speedy recovery and return to bike fitness.

Where was that stretch, just in case I find myself on it!? Off to sandpaper the rubber now.

Bobbinogs

Hi peddleup, round by Pitville park. Lovely job it is, real resurfacing rather than just respraying/chipping. Nice to see the rates being spent well (now what 's the betting that one of the utilities will have half of it dug up soon ).

napoleond

Speedy recovery mate. Hardest bit is getting to sleep.

Peddle Up!

Bobbinogs wrote:

Hi peddleup, round by Pitville park. Lovely job it is, real resurfacing rather than just respraying/chipping. Nice to see the rates being spent well (now what 's the betting that one of the utilities will have half of it dug up soon ).

I know it. The Ryde for Rider the other Sunday took in that stretch, but as it was 25C on the day the tyres were sticking nicely. A bit too nicely in fact.

What a difference a couple of weeks makes.

Peddle Up!

NapoleonD wrote:

Speedy recovery mate. Hardest bit is getting to sleep.

I think trying to shower and listening to/feeling that "sticky bone click-click" comes a close second. :?

carl_p

Roads were treacherous this morning out my way, after overnight rain mixed with fallen leaves. Tip-toed around a few bends I can tell you.

Chill out for a few weeks. ATB.

Cleat Eastwood

ooh nasty. get well soon chap and dont worry about your injuries you only really need one finger to click onto the Girls in Lycra thread anyway

Wacky Racer

Not recently, but I took a wet corner way too fast, wouldn't mind but I knew I was travelling too fast, and broke my elbow (incredibly painful). Wouldn't have been the end of the world but it was the day before my motorbike test, you can guess that I was unable to do the test!

Never done my collar-bone, so have no idea how it compares, but I can summise it's not the best injury to get. Take it easy and get better soon mate.

Gizmodo

Thanks for the warning, my road is due to be resurfaced this month and as a newbie, it's not something I'd considered. Get well soon!

Peddle Up!

Gizmodo wrote:

Thanks for the warning, my road is due to be resurfaced this month and as a newbie, it's not something I'd considered. Get well soon!

Note of caution. Let's not be drawn into complaining about roads being resurfaced.

johnboy183

Yup agree with all posters wishing you a speedy recovery. Enjoy your reading

oldhairylegs

Sorry to hear about your crash Bobbinogs and that you got such a painful reminder about new tyres and new tarmac not mixing too well when it's wet.

Just put some new rubber on my wheels - out with the sandpaper me thinks!

All the best for a speedy recovery.

Gizmodo

Peddle Up! wrote:

Gizmodo wrote:

Thanks for the warning, my road is due to be resurfaced this month and as a newbie, it's not something I'd considered. Get well soon!

Note of caution. Let's not be drawn into complaining about roads being resurfaced.

Totally agree, I wasn't complaining, just being thankful for the advice. My road has such big potholes that I have to ride in the middle of the lane to avoid them. I'm looking forward to the new surface, but I will now take extra care on wet days.

As long as they don't suddenly decide cobble stones are back in fashion!

cyberknight

Went down today on a corner where i clipped a wet drain cover and hit the deck , scratched the crank arm and i now have a good bruise developing on my ribs.

As for tyres i have found out that the ones supplied with the bike are utter rubbish in the wet, every hill my back wheel was spinning and on the corners i was close to making a stain in the shorts.
All this happened on my first attempt at the fast club run as well

gingermagician

Must have been the day for it today - I went down this morning on my first decent blast on the new bike...but only due to some numpty in a Beemer turning right across my lane after clearly not seeing me :evil:. Just managed to restrict it to minimal contact, but bike & pedal still got scratched

Bloke was apologetic, but he still got both barrels as adrenaline was properly flowing.

Mettan

Bobbinogs wrote:

Anyone else done something dumb like that, as in, looking back you would kick yourself, if it didn't hurt too much!

Yeah me - I live and breath looking backwards whilst riding forwards.....(pride meself on it ) however, the same thing happened to me 3 weeks ago - went out in light/moderate Rain at about 5.00 am - ride going good, enjoyable as ever watching the bends/downhills etc etc (rain), stopped off for a minute, got back on, and very slowly pulled away, (walking pace), looked over my left shoulder...... and the front wheel went - smacked headfirst into the ground (helmet did well), semi over the bars, wrecked a shifter, smashed left knee/elbow - took 2 minutes to get up with smacked knee in agony - to top it, couldn't ride home..... felt like a right dickhe#d.

mididoctors

old story... saw a courier [name withheld] look backwards to shout at a errant road user

"WHY DON'T YOU LOOK WHERE YOU'RE GOING"

then promptly career into the back of a taxi

wishitwasallflat

Get well soon ... now I'm just off for 25 miler on wet roads (SH8T)

mosc7pc2

After seeing a broken pelvis in A&E the other day when a guy came off his bike, and having been first on scene with the paramedic and followed him all the way through to resus, and seeing the horrific images on CT/Xrays, I don't think I'll ever have the balls to go around corners anywhere near a bike's/tyres' limit!

Get well soon!

GarryM

I hope you heal quickly Bobbinogs (and others!) The trick now is not to go mad with frustration waiting to get back on!

Muffintop

Anyone else done something dumb like that, as in, looking back you would kick yourself, if it didn't hurt too much!

I used to cycle to work at 5 in the morning. One morning went like this:

Get dressed
Get bike out
Get on bike
Push peddle down
Slam into neighbours 3 ft wall.

I hadn't even check which direction I was facing, it was just get on bike and go. No damage to me but my pride, and the realisation that I should never get my car license.

I also once went completely over the handlebars on my mountain bike from slamming the breaks on too much, I ended up with a massive bruise on my thigh - which wasn't the worst thing. The worst thing was that split second on having landed over the handle bars, on the ground, seeing nothing but perfect blue sky, a massive knobbly mountain bike wheel rise up behind me and thinking calmly 'If that hit's me I'm going to die.' I wasn't wearing a helmet. I have done ever since.

Get well soon x