First Crash!

porlyworly

Came off on the way home from work, would guess I was doing a little over 20 as it was downhill, cycling along the road and failed miserably to mount the drop kerb to get on the pavement where the cycle path starts - bike just slid out from under me and I went flying over handlebars and skidded along the kerb (thank god - bike ended up on road).

Front brake lever is bent at 90 degree angle and the pedals wont turn even though I've got the chain back on, pitch black and light is smashed so sheepishly pushed it back to work and got a lift home.

Thankfully no major damage done, lots of cuts and bruises and also smashed my iphone screen which is a **** (went over handlebars and did a front flip landing on my back, foolishly had my iphone in the back pocket of my jacket). Aching all over and feel like I've been hit by a bus but touch wood no major damage, bloodiest bit is arm and allow the dire pic from my now smashed up iphone! You cant really see on the pic but it has lots of weird small lacerations, guessing from the gravely pavement. Top marks to the Gore Windstopper, it's not ripped at all!

leodis75

Nice carpet... That looks saw.

davis

Flipping 'eck. Heal up soon -- you'll be hurting tomorrow!. May I recommend the restorative properties of pies?

petemadoc

Unlucky !

Smashed iphone screens are a right bugger and after 3 expensive repairs I switched to HTC. Multiple drops squashes and a general beating 18 months later and no scratched screen

Hope you get back on the bike soon

jds_1981

A quick wash with TCP & you'll barely notice the scratch.

itboffin

I think boots or superdrugs have gel patches for road rash type injuries - ask at the counter.

Oh and get yourself a couple of pasties and perhaps a big plate of chips - fatty! :P

porlyworly

Sounds a bit pathetic and can't believe I'm admitting it but am a bit apprehensive about getting back on the bike. The rural roads are very narrow for the second half of my commute and they are close to lots of industrial estates so you get loads of lorries & wagons (which was why I was in such a hurry to get off the road and onto the cycle path tonight, huge HGV behind me)

Bizarre as I once rolled the car into a farmers field and spent some time in hospital but had no qualms about getting back behind the wheel!

Will take the car in tomorrow to collect the bike and see if I can fix it myself otherwise it's back down the lbs!

SimonAH

:shock: Sorry to see that mate. Good news is that your kit lived and chicks dig scars :-D

Moral is always hit kerbs at 90 degrees and pump both wheels over so they barely kiss. Without getting preachy I'm a lot better driver for some off-road experience, can you get some MTB time?

Srlsly though, don't sweat it. Just be thankful nothing crushy was sucking your wheel

cyclingprop

I thoroughly recommend the pies route. Fat bounces, I can vouch for that. Oh, and keep that elbow clean (you might want to get it dressed if it doesn't dry right up). Having come off at 28+ and similarly totalled elbow I can vouch that you don't want to get an infection in it.

EKE_38BPM

Ouch. Glad you're (mainly) OK.
Accidents happen. Try to learn from it so that you don't do the same thing again (if it was avoidable), but don't stress about getting back on the bike.
Take as long as you need, but don't build it up in your mind. When you fall off a horse and all that.

itboffin wrote:

I think boots or superdrugs have gel patches for road rash type injuries - ask at the counter.

The patches are called Hydrocolloid dressings. I've used the Savlon ones and they are very good. They were recommended to me by a paramedic friend.

itboffin wrote:

Oh and get yourself a couple of pasties and perhaps a big plate of chips - fatty! :P

Ignore Boff, he's just trying to get everyone up to his weight. Did you know he's going to be on Biggest Loser (or whatever that stupid programme is called)?

porlyworly

Just watched Newcastle give Man U a good scudding so am back in high spirits, my boss has offered to let me take tomorrow off as holiday so if the arm hasn't dried up in the morning will head out and pick up some of these patches, thanks for the reccomendations guys.

Realised I was being a big girls blouse and decided to man up! A massive part of the problem is I smashed my front light going over a cattle grid and went for a dealextreme replacement which hasn't turned up yet, my current front light is completely inadequate as it doesn't light the road at all (there are no lamposts on this section of country road) and it's a 50mph speed limit so cars & trucks are flying down it and I'm trying to get off the road and onto the cycle path as soon as possible as it's quite a steep downhill and I'm having to cycle further into the middle of the road than I would like as too close to the kerb is a bit sketchy with the crap lighting.

All in all my own stupid fault and lesson learnt, slow down for the drop kerb, turn in a bit more and take weight off front wheel and sort the light situation out!

CiB

FWIW I find that 50 limits are good as everyone sticks to 50 as opposed to NSLs where 60 is 'ok, 70ish'.

Get back on as soon as...

Wrath Rob

Ow. Get back on the bike as soon as. Mental scars heal with time so the sooner you start, the sooner you'll get over it.

rick_chasey

I guess you HAD to take that picture topless

bdave262000

Glad your ok. Had my first off just before Xmas. I cut through a new Waitrose car in Raynes Park and didn't realise they had installed those rubber type speed humps. Cracked the crown jewles on the cross bar before going straight over the handlebars. Had a few yummy mummy types asking if I was ok. Found it difficult to talk in such a high pitched voice.

veronese68

Dropped kerbs can be a bugger as they often have enough of a lip to take your wheels out from under you. A less acute angle is the only way.
If it's any consolation I cracked a rib going from tow path to the road when half cut. Looked at the junction a few days later and it is almost perfectly flat. I've gone over it hundreds of times without any problem. But the change in surface, wet weather and a lot of beer conspired to make me fall.
Hope you feel better soon.

king_jeffers

I've had two offs due to hitting a drop kerb at the wrong angle one not really note worthy other was an epic tumble in front of loads of people... thankfully just my ego. I'm still tensing up going over the same spot a few months later, however I now tackle at Granddad speed.

pdw

You might want to get some legal advice as it sounds like your accident was caused by poor implementation of the cycle lane. The potential risk of such transitions is noted in this DfT note: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/tpm/ltnotes/ltn208.pdf (section 8.9.1).

I'm not a big fan of the "someone else must be to blame" culture, but the fact is that a lot of cycle paths are poorly implemented to the point of being dangerous, and taking action when they cause accidents is one of the few effective ways of getting authorities to take note.

CTC are probably a good place to start.

porlyworly

To be honest it was my own fault, I've been over that drop kerb many times at speed the main difference this time was it was wet and windy and I had poor lighting. Apologies for the topless shot Rick, had just got in and peeled the base layer off (which had nicely stuck to the wound)! When I collect my bike I'll get some shots up of the damage

extrusion

Alright there porly!

Massive coincidence, someone just came into the office talking about a certain PW having come off their bike and scraping their arm. I remembered reading this post last night, thinking wow same sort of thing I did a month ago, then thought wait a minute, could it be ...? Surely not.

But yes, I reckon it is.

So Mr PW, if it is you, this is Mr DT from the office!

Commiserations on the injury. Unfortunately it gets more painful as it heals, you might have a teary eye or two, hope it doesn't put you off!

Speak to you later

phy2sll2

extrusion wrote:

So Mr PW, if it is you, this is Mr DT from the office!

Shoot, hope he's not your boss PW!

LeicesterLad

Looks nasty, won't be much fun pealing your clothing off of that for the next couple of days...

PS. Which cycle path do you ride (just curious)?

porlyworly

Hello mr DT, what are the odds! Took Thursday and Friday as holiday as didn't fancy sitting in the office with my shirt stuck to my arm and gave me the chance to have a crack at fixing my bike (with limited success...) but will hopefully be back on it this week.

LeicesterLad - going down Leicester Lane from Enderby towards the ring road coming off the road onto the start of the cycle path just before you go under the bridge. Incredible how quickly you transition from flying down the hill to crumpled heap

Headhuunter

Rick Chasey wrote:

I guess you HAD to take that picture topless

OF course he did. Great photo... not enough of this kind of thing here if you ask me. Can someone start the ball rolling with a 'me topless' thread...? Rick, do the honours mate...

veronese68

Headhuunter wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

I guess you HAD to take that picture topless

OF course he did. Great photo... not enough of this kind of thing here if you ask me. Can someone start the ball rolling with a 'me topless' thread...? Rick, do the honours mate...

I've seen "girls in lycra shorts" and "girls in knitwear" over on Cake Stop. I may even have enjoyed them. It would be really funny to start a topless injury thread for this sort of thing over there. I can just imagine the indignation.
Somewhere I've got a picture of me black and blue from the waist to nipple high across my whole left side from when I broke my ribs a couple of years back.
That's enough to upset anybody.

Headhuunter

Veronese68 wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

I guess you HAD to take that picture topless

OF course he did. Great photo... not enough of this kind of thing here if you ask me. Can someone start the ball rolling with a 'me topless' thread...? Rick, do the honours mate...

I've seen "girls in lycra shorts" and "girls in knitwear" over on Cake Stop. I may even have enjoyed them. It would be really funny to start a topless injury thread for this sort of thing over there. I can just imagine the indignation.
Somewhere I've got a picture of me black and blue from the waist to nipple high across my whole left side from when I broke my ribs a couple of years back.
That's enough to upset anybody.

Come on then... Let's see it!

sufferingpete

Don't use a dressing unless you absolutely have to. The dressing will stop the skin drying out.

I had a dose of road rash on my hip and leg.
I dressed the one on my hip and it stayed damp and slimy.
The one on my lower leg healed up quickly.

Good luck picking the scabs off!

fossyant

Wrong.

You are supposed to cover road rash (once clean) as it's similar to a burn. Yes it will go gooey, but hydrocortisoid dressings are designed for this.

Letting wounds dry out is a way of getting a very good scar !

veronese68

But chicks dig scars...
Almost certainly not true

EKE_38BPM

Veronese68 wrote:

But chicks dig scars...
Almost certainly not true

I remember hearing that chicks dig facial scars on a bloke (not a huge disfiguring one though) and want to get jiggy with them, but not get into a long term relationship with them.
i.e. if you have a facial scar you'll be the one night stand king, but you'll not be getting married. That could explain why my bed is about to collapse (all of those notches) and why I'm not married.

I have a small scar on my upper lip.

PedalPedant

PorlyWorly wrote:

LeicesterLad - going down Leicester Lane from Enderby towards the ring road coming off the road onto the start of the cycle path just before you go under the bridge. Incredible how quickly you transition from flying down the hill to crumpled heap

I know that bit of road fairly well, although I've only cycled it going the other way. I can see why you're keen to get onto the cycle track there, that stretch of road past the church is pretty horrible and seems to get more than its fair share of lorries thundering along it.

Anyway, I hope you heal quickly and as others have said don't stress too much about getting back on the bike.

PP