MTB accident, Winterfold on Saturday

Drzee

Hello

Just wanted to say thanks to all those who helped me after my accident on Saturday in Winterfold woods near Ewhurst.

I don't know how it happened, was knocked out for 30 + seconds with some people helping back to my mates van, after i decided to do one more trail quickly on my own before packing up!

I appear to have used my face and head to stop me instead of my brakes! 24 hours in Guildford hospital, CT scan, much painful scrubbing of face, broken nose and hand and scrapes pretty much all over my body.

Things that I have thought of after the accident:

A helmet is a must for me, always thought that choice was important but realise that you never know when you need that protection.
Try not to ride alone, i don't know what would have happened if my mate hadn't sorted my bike, tell family and sort some clothing for me. Saying that, people were really helpful so maybe try not to ride in rarely ridden/walked areas.
A basic first aid kit would be useful, wipes and plasters to get you home or to the ambulance.
First broken bones in 44 years is pretty good, but it sucks knowing I can't cycle for a while now.
Anyway, a load of old waffle but wanted to pass on my thanks and experience.

Simon

oodboo

This is where you went wrong:

Drzee wrote:

i decided to do one more trail quickly on my own before packing up!

*97% of accidents happen on the "one last run before home"

*made up statistic

cooldad

oodboo wrote:

This is where you went wrong:

Drzee wrote:

i decided to do one more trail quickly on my own before packing up!

*97% of accidents happen on the "one last run before home"

*made up statistic

And wildy inaccurate. It is actually 99.978451287494%

cooldad

ps glad you are OK.

paul.skibum

Sounds pretty nasty.

Years back I was out for my first ever ride with my old club. I had joined hem via bikemagic and didn't know anyone, was with them to find some new trails, new people and test myself. At the end of the ride, one descent left to the pub and cars I was feeling good, chasing the lead rider into a little compression, small jump but landed too deep into a corner to make the turn.

I dont recall the impact itself but basically I went full tilt into a tree, bent my bike pretty much in half, slammed intot he tree face and body first and peeled back off the tree onto the ground. Teh guys with me called ambulance and saw me packed off but they didnt know my last name, address or anything. I had my car keys with me but my house keys were in my car.

Luckily I was basically OK - concussed, broken ribs and wrist, cut up face, broken tooth, bruised hip and knee but no spinal - managed to call a friend to pick me up and get me to my car to get house keys and speak to pub my car was outside to get them to look after it for me and contacted other riders when I got home to let them know I was ok.

Road ID bracelets are a good idea - keep meaning to get one or somthing similar.

VWsurfbum

i actually sat out of a run last week as someone mentioned "one last run"

Drzee

Thanks for the replies, if I had known those percentages I would not have gone on that 'one last run' and alone as well :shock:

Live and learn, are there any more nuggets before I go out again?

Cheers Simon

miss notax

VWsurfbum wrote:

i actually sat out of a run last week as someone mentioned "one last run"

On uplift days I have to tell myself (and anyone else that will listen!) i'll do a 'couple more runs', then do just one more and stop - thereby cleverly tricking myself and avoiding the catastrophic 'one last run' scenario.

And yes, I realise this makes me a little bit mad :oops:

Supernovadarren

Not as mad as it sounds when I was racing motorcycles. On test days I would always miss the last session (just in case)

ilovedirt

miss notax wrote:

VWsurfbum wrote:

i actually sat out of a run last week as someone mentioned "one last run"

On uplift days I have to tell myself (and anyone else that will listen!) i'll do a 'couple more runs', then do just one more and stop - thereby cleverly tricking myself and avoiding the catastrophic 'one last run' scenario.

And yes, I realise this makes me a little bit mad :oops:

Me and my mate Will do that when we're sessioning downhill tracks as well!

miss notax

I'm pleased to hear that it's not just me

EH_Rob

You're all nuts.

VWsurfbum

EH_Rob wrote:

You're all nuts.

EH_Rob

I presume you've been wanting to use that for months now!

VWsurfbum

Anonymous

Glad you're okay. Think we may have seen you! We were just heading back towards the windmill from Winterfold and ambulance there, guy on a stretcher, just by the car park that leads up to the viewpoint. We'd have been the bunch rubbernecking looking for signs of blood! Were wondering what had happened. Wasn't the drops from the viewpoint by any chance? Or Northern Monkey (we've had one concussion in our group down there ourselves!).

It's weird not knowing what happened though. With my little trip to A&E I ended up with no memory for almost two days and it's well weird just out having fun and next thing waking up in ICU wondering why I was there!

Definitely good to be out with others now, though I do like exploring myself as a group just wants to get on with a ride, but I think twice before doing stuff I'd be happy to do in a group and try to leave some note where I am. Have had a few evening explores recently where I was thinking I'm parked in the middle of knowhere, riding in the middle of knowhere and anything goes wrong I'll be found by the dog walkers in the morning... or by the wolves.

From myself and many others of our lot who've had big smashes, helmet is an absolute given. First aid kit I already carry as it's been used a few times with others.

Knowing roughly where you are and a route back to somewhere the ambulance can pick whoever up from, or how to guide them to where you are is a great help too.