2 Attachment(s)
"Experience" is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted....
This phrase always helps me get though difficult times and in this situation, I learned something that I want to pass on to others so that maybe they don't learn the hard way as well.
Three weeks ago, I was entered on a triathlon relay team as the cyclist. The event was just 16 miles from my home, and since I am an "old fart" and require a warm up, my husband and I decided to ride up to the event, then I would ride my leg of the triathlon (15 fairly hilly miles with 80 ft of climbing per mile), and we would ride home.
The day before, I lovingly got my best 2-wheeled friend cleaned up... and installed a new front tire because it was overdue.
At 6:00 AM we set out for the event and 3 miles from home I went down inexplicably on a steel grate bridge. We have quite a few of these bridges around here, and I know how to cross them... roll over straight with no brakes, no acceleration and no steering. I've crossed many of them, hundreds of times, sometimes in the rain and sometimes very fast and had a lot of confidence in crossing them. On this morning, I was going relatively slowly since my purpose was just to warm up. I probably wasn't going more than 15 miles an hour, if that. The bridge is a good one compared to many others, with nothing sticking up and a decent surface (for a steel bridge!). It happened so fast, and my only recollection is of the front tire 4 feet up in the air to the right of me, before I crashed down on my left hip. It was obviously the front tire that went.
From talking with people and reading, it was the new front tire that caused the wreck. Here's what I've learned....
A new tire may come from the factory with a "mold release" which keeps the tire from sticking to the mold during manufacturing, and may also be coated with another substance to keep it from deteriorating while "on the shelf". Clean your new tires with isopropyl alcohol before riding on them the first time.
New tires can in general be more slippery, so take care the first few rides. Since the traction decreases as tire pressure increases, run them with less tire pressure the first few rides and take it easy on turns etc.
Overinflated tires can cause traction problems. My tires say on the sidewall "120 PSI Max". I attended a mechanics clinic at my bike shop and specifically asked about this. "Run them at 120 all the time.", was the response. So I have. My recent research shows that the "recommended tire pressure" for my tire from the manufacturers website is 110 PSI with 120 Max. It doesn't say that on the tire itself (at least I don't think it does).
More research shows that if you are 180 pounds or more, run your tires at max tire pressure. It you are 110 or less, run at minimum tire pressure, since you don't have enough weight to flatten the profile of the tire for best traction. If you weigh something in the middle, adjust the tire pressure accordingly. I weight 115 lbs. I have for years ridden on maximum tire pressure. I won't anymore, even though it will give me a teensy bit more rolling resistance. :-) I've also read that some people run the front tire at slightly less tire pressure than the rear because it needs more traction.
I ride my bike a lot (6000 + miles per year). My best friends are cyclists. I'm active in our local bike club. Except for the last bit of advice, I'd never heard any of this. The last bit I'd heard something about, which is why I asked at my LBS, and thereafter ignored.
So, now for the rest of the story if you've lasted this long and are still interested!!!
After I wrecked, my husband picked me up (I was still attached to my bike -- which had barely a scratch -- I protected it with my body!). I could not stand on my left leg as it wouldn't hold my weight, but not really realizing what the damage was, I told my husband to help me on my bike (I couldn't stand on my left leg nor lift it up, so literally he lifted my left leg over the bar and got me back on the bike. Peddling was pretty good, so we continued on to the Tri.
To make a very long story short, I rode my leg of the triathlon. My husband and teammates were allowed to help me get on the bike, but I had to walk my bike, using it as a crutch, through the timing gate and for about 50 feet to where I was allowed to mount. That was the worst part. Once on the road I was pretty good. I could not stand on the pedals, and it was a hilly course, so at places where I would normally have stood to power up, I had to downshift and stay seated. At the end I had to dismount 50 feet from the timing gates and again hobble with my bike to the finish. My teammates were allowed to help me off the bike, and as soon as I crossed through the gates, the EMTs were on me.
The part that makes it worthwhile? We won our relay, with the next closest team 9 minutes behind us. I had the fastest bike time of the day (out of 240 participants), and even including my hobbling at the start, brought in an 18.4 average on a hilly course. My own odometer which didn't include the hobbling was 19.5 mph. Amazing what a little adrenalin will do.
I spent the afternoon in the emergency room where they stitch up my elbow and took a gazillion x-rays. They told me I had a badly bruised and sprained hip. Two weeks later, I still needed crutches and so went to an orthopedic surgeon and found out I have a fractured pelvis. Nothing to be done about it but spend more time on crutches. I still think they are missing something since I have some pain that I don't think is coming from the fracture, so the story might not be over. I'm doing pretty well now, but it depends where I am on the Advil curve. An hour after I take it, I want to go for a bike ride. Six hours later, I don't want to get up out of the chair.
Also, I didn't realize until later that I had cracked my helmet. If it wasn't for that helmet my pelvis/hip would be the least of my worries. But I know I am preaching to the choir here.
This too shall pass. The silver lining is that I learned something and it won't happen again to me, or anyone else I can get the word to. I'm also getting a ton done in the office. It's amazing how much more I get done when I am not riding my bike 200 miles a week!
Rita
Pics are minutes after I arrived back from the race...
