Ouch

I've just had my first non-pratfall accident (not ever, but in years).

I was coming down a hill at about 51km/hr, towards a roundabout with a
nice clear sweep to go straight on. I think I must have misjudged my
line, but at any rate once into it I realised I wasn't quite going to
make it. I was angled over so far that my knee was almost touching the
ground (according to my companion who was following) and I felt I
couldn't turn any sharper.

So I tried to shed some speed using the brakes, which was probably a bad
mistake, as I lost even more of my turn, and it just didn't feel
sustainable. The last thing I wanted to do was hit the kerb a glancing
blow at that speed with my feet locked in, so I straightened up and went
for it.

I went flying, almost right over the pavement into the ditch.
Fortunately my shoes disengaged quite early on, so I wasn't tangled up
with the bike. I have a rather nasty scrape along my elbow from the
concrete pavement, and a couple of other small grazes on that side, but
nothing really worth writing about other than on Usenet. The bike is
almost unscathed, apart from some torn bar tape. I was expecting the
front wheel to be bent in half.

The actual fall was, in the circumstances, a very neat Aikido-style
breakfall, and I am sure it saved me a great deal of injury. I felt
quite in control.

Three or four car drivers went past before anyone stopped to see if we
needed help.

Daniele

On Fri, 1 Sep 2006 13:11:58 +0100,
(D.M. Procida) wrote:

I've just had my first non-pratfall accident (not ever, but in years).

I was coming down a hill at about 51km/hr, towards a roundabout with a
nice clear sweep to go straight on. I think I must have misjudged my
line, but at any rate once into it I realised I wasn't quite going to
make it. I was angled over so far that my knee was almost touching the
ground (according to my companion who was following) and I felt I
couldn't turn any sharper.

So I tried to shed some speed using the brakes, which was probably a bad
mistake, as I lost even more of my turn, and it just didn't feel
sustainable. The last thing I wanted to do was hit the kerb a glancing
blow at that speed with my feet locked in, so I straightened up and went
for it.

I went flying, almost right over the pavement into the ditch.
Fortunately my shoes disengaged quite early on, so I wasn't tangled up
with the bike. I have a rather nasty scrape along my elbow from the
concrete pavement, and a couple of other small grazes on that side, but
nothing really worth writing about other than on Usenet. The bike is
almost unscathed, apart from some torn bar tape. I was expecting the
front wheel to be bent in half.

The actual fall was, in the circumstances, a very neat Aikido-style
breakfall, and I am sure it saved me a great deal of injury. I felt
quite in control.

Three or four car drivers went past before anyone stopped to see if we
needed help.

Daniele

Did your helmet save your life?

wrote in message
...
On Fri, 1 Sep 2006 13:11:58 +0100,
(D.M. Procida) wrote:

(description of accident not once mentioning PPE)

Did your helmet save your life?

Oh, do shut the **** up. The guy's done a good job of describing an
accident, not once mentioning the H-word, and all you can do is bring
helmets into it.

Do you enjoy being a complete ****, or is it just an affliction you have to
bear?

(this level of ranting may be prompted by your propensity to x-post to rbt)

clive

in message
,
D.M. Procida ') wrote:

I've just had my first non-pratfall accident (not ever, but in years).

I was coming down a hill at about 51km/hr, towards a roundabout with a
nice clear sweep to go straight on. I think I must have misjudged my
line, but at any rate once into it I realised I wasn't quite going to
make it. I was angled over so far that my knee was almost touching the
ground (according to my companion who was following) and I felt I
couldn't turn any sharper.

Much sympathy. Sounds very much like my crash last year. Thing is, when
you overcook a bend, there really isn't anything else to blame.

Hope you feel better soon!

--
(Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; Semper in faecibus sumus, sole profundum variat.

Simon Brooke wrote:

I was coming down a hill at about 51km/hr, towards a roundabout with a
nice clear sweep to go straight on. I think I must have misjudged my
line, but at any rate once into it I realised I wasn't quite going to
make it. I was angled over so far that my knee was almost touching the
ground (according to my companion who was following) and I felt I
couldn't turn any sharper.

Much sympathy. Sounds very much like my crash last year. Thing is, when
you overcook a bend, there really isn't anything else to blame.

Hope you feel better soon!

Better? I felt *fantastic*!

As soon as I got back on I cycled up a hill (admittedly not a terribly
steep one) at the same speed I came down the other side. I could win
races like that.

My companion was rhapsodising about the crash; he said it was the best
he'd ever seen.

Daniele