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Hey Susie,
I've just read this thread. I'm gobsmacked. The photos of your bike, well that's probably the worst damage I've seen. If I'd seen those pictures, and not known about how you're faring, I'd be really worried :eek:
Take care, and have fun building your new bike!:D
I just want to add that you should have two years before you HAVE to settle with his insurance. You take your time and make sure you don't have any chronic injuries before you sign on that dotted line.
Very scary accident. Yikes!
Hey there Susie - so pleased you were able to walk away from this - absolutely gutted for you about your bike (can completely understand your crawling towards the bike calling out to it :p )
But so pleased it was pictures of your bikes wheels we see mangled, and not your legs
Take care and thanks for sharing the story... have read it to my boys. It is a valuable one to have tucked away - particularly as they are both learner drivers and don't have the experience of driving a car to inform their descisions around cars when they are on their bikes.
I know I have been guilty of not indicating at intersections in the car, and almost always it has been that I have flicked the indicator stem but it hasn't clicked down...
Susie, when I saw those pictures yesterday of your bike, they were indeed sad...although the fact you are all in 1 piece is more important!!
Today I was listening to some Tom Waits, and he has a song that's perfect for you. Unfortunately it's on my iTunes as a protected format and 3MB so I don't think I'll be able to attach it here :p -- so instead here is a link to listen to the beginning -- just scroll down the page a little and listen to the song "Broken Bicycles"....
Every downed bike deserves a proper memorial :( *sniff*.
http://music.barnesandnoble.com/sear...98581326&ITM=1
omg thats mad! i hope your ok and theres no long term damage..
It's been a couple of weeks. What's the status of the new bike? That waiting time goes by sooooooooooooo slowly!
How are you? Any lingeing, nagging problems? Or did any aches or pains show up after the initial damage started to wear off?
I hope you're doing well. And I hope your new bike is everything you hope for!
I"m so sorry I haven't posted anything in a while -- it's been a hard couple of weeks. Well, the new bike is in at the shop but I've been waiting for the insurance check before ordering the parts (I spiffed out the old bike in Campy Record and I'm doing the same with this one). The check is in the mail and I should have the bike built in a week or two.
All injuries have healed, except for 1. I've been seeing a sports medicine specialist (he's an accomplished triathlete and understands cyclists) about my knee. I have 2 injuries to my knee. The first is a hyperextension and that is pretty much healed up. The other is a bit more complicated. Apparently, during the impact, my kneecap was shoved into my femur. While it bounced back out, there's some damage under the kneecap. The doctor told me last week that it would be 3-5 months before I'd be back to normal. While I freaked out, he explained that the week before he was thinking that it would be 6-9 months, so this is good news. Anyway, I've just been able to get back on the trainer. The first week or so, I could only manage 3-6 minutes before the pain set in. I got very frustrated and didn't try again for a few days. Then, as I noticed my pants getting very tight, I tried again on Sunday. I managed 50 minutes (47 of which were pretty much pain free, but I was determined to make it a full 50). On Monday I rode for 60 minutes and last night for 45. Keep in mind that this is all while in my granny gear and sitting on the saddle, but it's a start.
I also made a decision about the gearing on the new bike. I am getting a triple and for a while, I'm going to keep my cassette from the compact double setup on the old bike (that's one of 3 parts that are not damaged from the old bike). This will give me a freakingly easy gearing ratio. I can't remember the exact numbers, but the shop said that this will give me nearly a 1:1 ratio. I'm going to use this for a while until my knee builds up and then switch to a more appropriate cassette. I figure that this will get me back on the bike faster and let me ride a little longer with the injury.
That's all the news for now. The good news is that the doctor and I haven't given up hope on the Santa Cruz Mountains Challenge yet. Thanks for all of the concern.
Susie
So sorry to hear about the knee problems. I hope that 6-9 months ends up being a conservative estimate for you. :)
Please tell me you didn't sign any kind of waiver with in the insurance company! I'd hate to see you lose any rights to claim futher injuries if you don't fully heal 6-9 months down the road. From the list of all your injuries and ongoing recuperation, you're not fully healed. The doctor said you "should" heal in 6-9 months, but that's not a guarantee. After my bike accident, I had lower back pain pop up 6 weeks after the incident. It took another 5 months of physical therapy to work that out of my system. Although I wanted a new bike immediately, my attorney told me to wait until all my pain subsided in order to tally up all the medical and bike replacement costs and then accept a pay-out. I'm glad I was told to be patient. If I had not waited, my physical therapy would have been out of pocket. I paid for a new bike on my own and was given an insurance settlement over 1 year after the accident.
I know you want a new ruby every so badly, but you might not want to pay for the new bike with this particular insurance pay-out. If I were you, I'd wait and see if that knee needs any more work.
Don't worry -- they are handling the bike and the injury separately. The bike is taken care of and the injury part will be settled later after I am done with treatment.
Susie
WHEW!!!:o You had me worried for a while there.
I wish you happy healing thoughts and may you enjoy your new bike.
Your story inspired me to finally get a helmet. Really scary! I cried when I saw your bike. Hope you're feeling better. This is my 1st post.
Whew! Another head protected. Good for you ... at last. Now just remember to USE that helmet EVERY time you ride. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by redrhodie
Glad you were wearing a helmet and are alive. Sounds like a frightening experience.
I hyperextended my knee many years ago, which chipped the femur in the knee joint. It didn't show up on x-rays so 11 years later, the knee needed surgery. It has been arthritic for years, which will make knee replacement inevitable. Ensure you get enough money to cover pain, suffering, and future problems. A lawyer should be able to help you determine a customary amount.
You have a great bike shop!