te well wishes needed...

not for me but for a mature rider injured on a group ride yesterday...71 year old walter!!!

the story goes...I was back in the saddle after riding the couch for three weeks after injuring my ankle. this was the second time out in a desparate attempt to prepare myself for a metric century this coming weekend and a full century the following in the pennsylvania countryside :rolleyes:

anyway we were out on a lovely 40-50 mile group ride picking up riders (what seemed to be at every intersection) along the way! our group grew to at least 50-60 riders...wow towards the latter part of the ride on a long stretch of road going about 27 mph i heard the sound of lycra and asphalt (a sound you dont forget) with the yells of "rider down :eek: :eek: " grabbing my breaks with caution i analyzed what might be the safest way out :rolleyes: right or left :rolleyes: i was drafting my fiancee in about the mid of the group which was unfortunately about 3-6 riders behind the downed rider :( the pile was forming to my right and my fiancees wheel was now to the left of my front wheel :confused: :confused: in front was a rider on the ground and a rider completely vertical on his front wheel :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: the only safe way out was to control my fall so I grabbed my breaks a little harder and layed down on my side in order to avoid going right over the middle of the pile :eek: :confused: :( my fiancee managed to lay it down and roll out of it as well...in fact he was extremely close to bunny hopping the whole scene and remaining upright but he had me in mind and chose to slow down and lay it down as well so i would not speed up with him and end up hurt worse (such a gentleman :p )

after the initial scrape check...amazingly the bike frames were untouched! well sort of unfortunately i managed to scrape up my derailer, pedal, shifter and disinigrate my bar-tape and had to make a trip to the lbs to get a brand new front wheel and have the derailer hanger put back into place ( :p steel bends) my fiancees bike was fine...hahaha of course the bikes first right? another amazingly enough we are left with two bodily scrapes each and small at that...my little bike angel was holding on to chris and i :) although you can see no caps in this because my little pinky is taped to my ring finger because is hurts like #*&& but i am counting my blessings and going to do some good deeds cause we rode away from a mess!!!

back to the title...in the mist of that 3 people rode away in an ambulance...2 with sore backs but they were walking and forced to go as a precaution (it is a local hospital supported ride after all) but one rider in particular needs some good thoughts sent out...he is 71 year old walter who has been riding for years and just started riding with the more advanced riders...
i don't know him personally but he is an inspiration to many and i hope he is back in the saddle soon...btw...i think it was his collar-bone.

thank you all

ride on.........

yikes! well wishes to walter first and foremost... and glad you and every one else came out of it ok... pileups are scary...

i've never had to make that decision to lay it down or roll over... sure hope if it ever happens I make the best decision too... hugs and hope the pinky gets better...

(i used all small letters as a sympathetic poster... :) )

Wow, what a scary mess. I hope Walter is okay. My dad will likely be like Walter someday (seventy and cycling, that is); its great to see older folk peddling--it's inspirational and humbling.

Also glad you and SO are okay. I haven't ventured into group riding yet. I can see that I should practice my bunny-hopping and fall techniques first!

Take care.

including Walter in my healing prayers and thanking the angels that were guarding you and Chris.

nice bike handling skills btw!

Ouch!

Get better soon... and a special thought for Walter...