First major crash

[DrBee]

Yep. I've had my first crash. I was heading home after doing a 31 mile ride (my longest yet) and as I was coming out of the park, I see a truck heading towards me on my side of the road. I mean - like - leaving me maybe 1ft of road on my side. I had nowhere to go! So - I tried to go as far over as I could and slipped off the edge (which was an 8-10inch drop). Somehow (I'm not real clear on this part), I ended up with major road rash on my left knee and down my leg and scrapes and cuts on my left leg. I ended up on my back (not sure if my head hit or not) and the bike on top of me. GDS drivers!

Damage:
-saddle was twisted sideways
-chain came off
-left side of handlebar is bent in
-handlebar tape is torn through and the metal on the handlebar is scraped.
-numerous scrapes on bike
-brakes look bent up and have sharp parts

That's just from a cursory look. I'm heading to the LBS on Monday. The woman jumped out of her truck, apologized after I vented a bit and then helped me put the chain back on and offered to pay for any damages. At least there's that.

Geez the biggest patch on my knee is about 2" across or so. It hurt sooooo bad when I put peroxide on it! Now I'm heading to the shower. That ought to be fun. I'm guessing I'll be feeling more of this as the day goes on.

[Selkie]

Holy Smokes. Thank goodness you are OK and didn't end up under her truck.

[DrBee]

Yeah - I went the only place I could go - off the road. Thankfully I was wearing the helmet. I'm still shaking a bit. All I see is that truck (big truck) coming towards me. :eek:

My daugter (4) said I should have had my kneepads on. :)

[Selkie]

You got your first crash out of the way, so chances of it happening again any time soon are slim. Treat yourself extra good today, ok?

[Duck on Wheels]

Ohmygosh, fishdr! Get well quick!
Oh, and when you're over the worst, remember to congratulate yourself on having taken that dive rather than freezing up in front of the truck. Sounds like it was the right way to go at that moment.

[Brina]

gosh, how scary, hope you heal quickly. sorry about the damage to the bike, but glad to hear the trucker is taking responsiblity for it.

[slinkedog]

Fish! Thank goodness you're not more severely injured! I'm so sorry this happened to you. Let us know how you're doing.

[DrBee]

Thank you all for the well wishes. I really appreciate it!

Hopefully this DOESN't happen again for a long long time. I'm going to take it easy today.

I have an awesome looking bruise/scrape (but no blood) on the inside of my right thigh just above the knee that is about 4 x 3 inches that I didn't see before. That's going to be really ugly as it develops. I have a whopper of a headache, too. Somehow my arms and hands fared well. Good think I was wearing gloves.

I'm still a bit shaky and stiffening by the minute. I'm going to go eat something. I had my chocolate milk recovery drink. I need to find some comfort food around here.

I had to laugh when I was in the shower when I thought of this- when the woman asked if I was okay, all ll I could say was "I'm not worried about me - I'm worried about the bike!". It really is all about the bike, isn't it?

[DrBee]

Just called the bike shop - they said they will do their best to fix it the same day since I have to drive 2 hrs to get there. This is a really great shop! I'm heading there on Monday.

[DeniseGoldberg]

I'm glad to hear that you're (mostly) OK. Hopefully the bruises will heal quickly, and your shop will be able to restore your bike for you.

If you're not sure if you hit your head - but your head hurts - I would assume that you did hit your head. While you're at the bike shop next week, I'd recommend getting a new helmet.

Healing wishes are soaring towards you.
--- Denise

[mtkitchn]

Wow, fishdr. I sure hate reading that another person has had another accident due to some irresponsible person behind the wheel. Makes me see red.:mad: It happens so often that my face is permanently red.:o
Glad you are mostly okay and hope you get the bike fixed good as new!

[RoadRaven]

Wow Fish... glad you are ok, the potential for more damage to both you and your steed was considerable...

Pleased also that you had a sympathetic and responsible driver - not someone who didn't bother to stop let alone pay for damages.

Like Denise says, check that helmet really well... I'd suggest replacing it regardless... get the driver to pay for the new one.

Take care and wishing you quick healing.

[maillotpois]

Oh Lainie what a huge bummer!!

On the positive side now that your first crash is out of the way, and you are basically (I hope) fine, it shouldn't see like such a big deal to crash.

Take it easy - do some ibuprofen or something. You will most likely have some sore muscles, probably tomnorrow. Pay attention to that and if anything seems to hurt more than you think it should, get yourself checked out. Pay particular attention to back pain or any pain radiating into arms/legs.

Ditto what others have said on the helmet - it should be replaced and she should pay for it. It may be damaged in an area where the outer shell doesn't allow you to see the compression of the inner foam stuff.

Road rash stinks. I advise leaving things open (not bandaided) to let it air out better. I have gone both ways and as long as it is not super deep, you are better off letting in breathe and dry out.

Take care of yourself. Comfort food and a quiet afternoon of R&R are in order.

[DrBee]

Thanks for the well wishes. I'm wiped out today. I've taken Aleve which seems to be helping a bit. Still have the headache lurking and I am definitely achy. Knees hurt and I'm still a little shaky.

Sarah - I'm keeping a close eye on how I feel. I'm the type of person that can tell if anything is even slightly out of whack with my body - so I'm paying extra close attention today and tomorrow. Good advice. And I have left the road rash open to dry. Wow it stings!

I took a nap - I NEVER do that! Mr. Fish bought me a frozen mocha thing from BaskinRobbins and I asked for a Mrs.Smith's French Silk Pie and he actually bought one! I never buy prepped desserts - but I wanted it!

I am definitely going to replace the helmet and have her pay for it. I had a little ding in the outer shell (from dropping it on the floor) that is now over an inch long (wasn't that way when I left this morning). Scary.

I still can't remember exactly how I fell - that's driving me crazy! All I can see is the bumper and tires, the ledge on the side of the road and then the bike coming down on top of me. I can't figure out how the inside of my legs got so torn up. Wierd.

Heading outside to wrangle the kids.

Thanks so much - Your well wishes make me feel so much better!

[Duck on Wheels]

Forgetfullness is a very useful trick our minds have to help us get over traumas. My guess is you remember the bike falling down on you because by then your mind had already realized that you'd survived the fall yourself; the most traumatic bit was over.

As for the headache and the need to nap, the thought has probably already struck you that you may have a concussion. You do have that big ding in the helmet that you don't remember getting, so you must have hit your noggin at some point. Recalling the advice my mom told me she got when I tipped my high chair backwards and hit my hed against a cabinet, sleep may be all you need to heal it. As Mom tells is, I slept 36 hours straight back then, until my mom phoned the doctor again and he said "wake her up!". So if Mr. Fish thinks you've slept too long and you still have that headache, or if you get nauseous, or just in general if you're not feeling better by tomorrow, you should maybe go to the ER and get checked out. In fact, you might want to do that anyway just to document the injuries for insurance purposes.

[Ashgarth]

wow-that is super scary. I am so glad you are not 'seriously' hurt. Bruises and scratches will heal...

[DrBee]

As for the headache and the need to nap, the thought has probably already struck you that you may have a concussion.

So if Mr. Fish thinks you've slept too long and you still have that headache, or if you get nauseous, or just in general if you're not feeling better by tomorrow, you should maybe go to the ER and get checked out. In fact, you might want to do that anyway just to document the injuries for insurance purposes.

Concussion did cross my mind - part of why I gave in to take a nap. Unfortunately the ER here is a frightening place. I'd have to be near dead to willingly go there and even then I might risk to 2hr drive to Memphis. My daughter got a high fever when she was 5 weeks old so we took her to the ER. They did a spinal tap (not unusual for a baby that age) and the moronic doctor tried to use an adult needle. It was horrifying. To top it off, I probably had bronchitis and was coughing my lungs up and no-one even glanced at me for the 2 days I lived in the hospital with my daughter. That ER is notoriously bad. We have a decent clinic in town that I could go to on Monday if I still feel bad. It stinks to get hurt here on the weekend. Good advice, though :)

[Jones]

Wow, fish I am so glad you are okay. On the few occasions that I have crashed I always feel worse the day after the crash and the day after that. Expect to be tired and sore for a few days. Road rash hurts like crazy I found these bandages http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=87892&catid=10&brand=32141&trx=PLST-0-BRAND&trxp1=10&trxp2=87892&trxp3=1&trxp4=0&btrx=BUY-PLST-0-BRAND kinda of create a bubble over the road rash and I could even lean on my elbows while I was wearing them. The thing is you need to put them on before the road rash drys out.
I agree with everyone else about your helmet it needs to be replaced. Is it still under warranty?
I hope you are out riding again soon and am sending speedy healing thoughts your way.
Jones

[Melody]

fishdr, I'm glad to hear that you're ok. Crashing is never ever fun which I got reminded of today (well, ok, it's 4:30 in the morning, so yesterday) since I crashed too. :(

Sending us both healing vibes. (Can you send yourself healing vibes?!)

Mel

[DrBee]

Melody - thanks for the commiseration. I hope you're feeling well today! I know I'm sore and can now identify all of the points of contact with the pavement, based on the bruises. Apparently I rolled after I hit the ground.

Jones - it had already pretty much dried up by the time I read your post. I'll look into those bandages for the inevitable next time.

[mtbdarby]

fishdr, glad to hear you're ok. I would skip the peroxide on the rash though. Wash it out good with soap and water - if you have gravel in there you will have to scrub. Keep the area covered with bacitracin and let it breath like someone suggested unless you're in a dirty area (I work in a shop with saw dust floating around) or if it's more comfortable to sleep with it covered.

I used peroxide on my rr last year and have a scar. I've been using bacitracin on my current rash and it's healing so nicely I can't believe it. Of course, I'd rather not have rash at all, but hey, it's me!

Speedy recover wishes your way.

[fixedgeargirl]

Wow, fishdr, glad to hear you're okay and the bike is getting some TLC and the responsible party is being responsible! Congrats on making that snap decision to bail!

The new wisdom, form recent recent research, is that peroxide is not recommended because it destroys healthy new tissue at the same time it's destroying bacteria. It doesn't discriminate :p . Soap and water are recommended.

Happy trails!

[wavedancer]

So sorry about that crash, but glad you are mostly doing OK. I imagine today you are probably feeling sorer and stiffer, so continue to take gentle care of yourself.

Ditto on the new helmet, Bacitracin for the rash, no peroxide.

Do they have "Bad Truck" socks? ;)

Speedy recovery,
Linda

[Lise]

Hey, fishie,

I just wanted to throw in my handful of healing wishes, too, as does Ariel, the furry grey cat sitting on my right hand at the moment. Hard to type, but it feels good that I was missed by my beasties!

I agree with all of the above--I still find it hard not to reach for the H2O2, but I'm trying to heed the current advice.

How frightening to ride next to an 8-10" drop off. It is amazing how the mind protects us with it's own internal "delete" button, right?

Rest up. From Harry Potter, we learned that chocolate is very good for recovery from a Dementor attack, and I think this most certainly qualifies as that.

love, Lise

[DrBee]

Thanks everyone!

I just got back from a very long day at the LBS. The bill came to $510! They replaced the left shifter, bartape, pedals, trued up the wheels and realigned the derailer. The price also includes a midrange helmet. I just called the woman to tell her the damage. She sounded less than thrilled but will have the check for me in the morning. I hate confrontation. I am ready to get this overwith.

While I was there, I decided to go clipless! This was, of course, at my expense. I went with SPD and Pearl Izumi shoes. Wish me luck in the morning!

[maillotpois]

Good luck on the clipless. It is a great move. Maybe some practice in a parking lot or on a lawn is recommended at first?

[DrBee]

I practiced a bunch at the shop. I'm going to do a short ride tomorrow when there's no traffic and see how I do. It will be quite an adventure.

[Lise]

I just called the woman to tell her the damage. She sounded less than thrilled but will have the check for me in the morning. I hate confrontation. I am ready to get this over with.

Quoting from your first post:
I see a truck heading towards me on my side of the road. I mean - like - leaving me maybe 1ft of road on my side. I had nowhere to go! So - I tried to go as far over as I could and slipped off the edge (which was an 8-10inch drop) (emphasis mine)

Driver of truck on wrong side of road = same woman who is "less than thrilled"?

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr :mad: :mad: :mad:

Call the police, press charges, oh, heck, just give me her address.

She's really lucky she's not looking at your husband and daughter and pleading for their forgiveness. She was driving down the wrong side of the road. She could have killed you.

You get every penny. You picture a really pissed off dachshund ready to bite the heck out of her ankles if she gives you any lip, OK? That's me.

(((((fishdr))))) Chin up. Good for you on the clipless. I think you'll love them. L.

[Duck on Wheels]

Good grief! The woman owes you more than bike repairs! Has she seen the pictures mr. fish took of your cuts and bruises? Have you shown those to a lawyer? Have you talked to the police? Have you contacted your insurance company? If only for the sake of others on the road, the woman needs to learn a lesson that will stick with her longer than one weekend, when her self-rinsing conscience has already left her "less than thrilled" to hear that a measly $500 and pennies is what it cost to repair the material damage she caused to your bike.

[Lise]

Yeah! What the Duck said!

[DrBee]

I'm heading over to see her in about 1/2 hour. I'll let you know how it goes.

Duck and Lise - Thanks for the support! I didn't get to call anyone yesterday - didn't get home until 9:00 pm last night. I'm going to make calls today.

[DrBee]

Update - I picked up the check. She was relatively pleasant. All smiles until she had to write out the check. I guess it's tough to part with $500. Maybe she'll watch where she's driving from now on.

[Lise]

Update - I picked up the check. She was relatively pleasant. All smiles until she had to write out the check. I guess it's tough to part with $500. Maybe she'll watch where she's driving from now on.
It *is* hard to part with $500 on the spot.

It's also hard to go to prison for vehicular manslaughter. I know someone, a lovely suburban housewife, who did just that.

Hard to give up money you had planned to use for something else.

Hard to give up the rest of your life knowing you killed someone's wife and mother.

So. I don't feel so bad for her about the check. I am really glad for you that you took charge and got what you needed. Keep us posted on your wellbeing, too. Are the cuts and scrapes healing up? How's the head?

(((((fishdr))))) L.

[DrBee]

The hugs help Lise! :)

My head is doing better. The headaches subsided yesterday. The aches and pains are pretty much gone. Now - there's just the bruises. A layer of scabs started to come off of my leg today - it's pretty ugly. The bruises are developing nicely. Luckily the ones inside of my legs haven't turned too many colors and the originally huge bruises have shrunk considerably.

Now - I need to clear my mind of this. I'm calling the insurance agent later this morning and talking to a police officer friend of mine tonight. I wanted to go for a quick ride today to play with the pedals and just try to clear my mind and get out the jitters, but there's 15-20mph winds and my mind isn't quite there yet. This surprises me - honestly. It might take a couple of days. I might try at lunch. I don't know! Aargh! I hate this feeling! This is not like me.

[Lise]

Hey, fish, take it slow. Slower than you think you should. The mind and body will balk occasionally, that's the nature of trauma. You absolutely will put this behind you. One day you'll find yourself riding along, strong and happy, a truck will pass you, and you won't even flinch. Glad to hear you're healing up. I'm always secretly proud of my bruises. Open wounds, not so much! ;)

[JoyfullySo]

Wow, reading this thread reminds me to be an extra-safe driver, as well as a cautious cyclist.

Maybe we should start a grassroots movement to draft federal law that makes bike lanes in all states MANDATORY.....It would be better to spend money on that than other junk they spend it on...


Take it easy, FishDr....you will be in our prayers tonight.