Saw young lad come off his bike at speed today....

Southgate

Last month I waited almost two hours for an ambulance following a crash in a crit race at Hillingdon. My most serious injury was my wrist, which was broken into a dozen pieces. It wasn't a life-threatening emergency, but it was serious enough to necessitate a six hour operation under general anesthetic and two or three days in hospital. I didn't expect a five minute response time, but two hours without morphine or a paramedic when your hand is dangling off the end of your arm is taking the piss. NHS cuts hurt, literally.

Good luck to the lad. He's got youth on his side and I hope he recovers well. Well done for staying with him.

davidb67

Heard from the lads dad, amazingly he has fractured jaw, split chin, few missing & chipped teeth, and some skin missing from knees, elbows, fingers, along with heavy bruising - particularly top of chest/collarbones area. I say amazingly as I'm amazed nothing else broken.
Took him straight to RVI, due to suspected neck and head injuries, but all fine. Really good news for him, and after a night under obs, they released him from hospital.

Bobbydazzla - nope, I had headed up that way (Fellside, Devil's Water / Linnels) 2 weekends running, up past Slaley and onto Blanchland, Edmundbyers etc, but this Friday I decided to turn right at the fork just a bit up from the Tap & Spile , Dipton Mill Road I think it is, with "The Tannery" on the right as you go up. Never been that route before, pleased I decided to this time.

Johnnybike - The ambulance crew said they'd take it with them. I was going to pop it over a gate and tuck it behind some deep hedging/trees, and let the lad's dad know where I'd tucked it, but the paramedics saved the bother. Spoke with the father yesterday as he called me to update me on the boy's condition, and he was a bit mystified as to how bad the injuries looked - apparently he arrived to the hospital just as they were wheeling the lad into A&E - the bike is hardly marked.....

Has really made me think though: just The week before I was hoofing down a road in Whittonstall at near 50......and I'm (a lot) old enough to know better.

Initialised

Coming southeast down from Whittonstall to Ebchester is great, fairly straight and a fairly constant gradient, the other side can be a bit hairy, more turns and changes in gradient and being northwest the ice and damp lingers longer.

Sounds like he's on the mend, nice one for sticking around.

bobbydazzla

Cheers for confirming the road - I know it very well, I went out with a lass who lived near the top.

Not a descent I'd tackle at any significant speed. Steep, narrow and limited visibility for cars coming out of the sideroads and driveways . Rode it this winter on a damp road and had my brakes firmly locked on all the way down.

Sounds like the lad's injuries aren't as serious as feared, glad to hear he's doing OK.

feelgoodlost

Like others have said, good on you for staying with the lad. I came off my bike in Newcastle a few months back and was incredibly grateful to the people who looked after me whilst waiting for the ambulance. I was sat in the middle of the road soaking wet and very cold for a good 45 minutes or so before an ambulance turned up, having someone there with me, besides the police officer, made me feel so much better.

I even had a group of blokes take my bike and put it into storage until I could collect it. When I told the police about that there were certainly some raised eyebrows!

I hope he makes a full recovery and it hasn't made him re consider riding a bike. It does definitely make you think about how fast you take on descents though! :? :?