I've had my share of nasty crashes both road and mountain. The worse was 7/4/2004 when I hit a bump in the pavement, was tossed off my bike and landed on my head, knocked out cold for 20 minutes, came to was rushed to the hospital, Cat-scanned and then sent home. The next day, as I was driving my stick swift car, I heard a loud crack and realized I also fractured my right collarbone. Back to the hospital, off the bike 10 weeks and have just recently had surgery to repair the fracture which never healed. Again off the bike this time for 12 weeks. I just started riding again. 4 months post surgery and the fracture still has not healed. I pray by 6 months it's OK. I also have some residue post-concussion head injury but I'm probably not any more ditzy now than I was then.

About 8 years ago I tumbled down a short cliff while mountain biking and jammed the bar end into my right thigh. It caused a hematoma the size of a basketball which did not subside for almost 8 months. That was attractive. I now have a permanent indention in that thigh. Last summer, while tackling a rock garden I again flipped over, came down on my back, sat up and thought I was OK until I saw the blood running down my arm and leg. Turns out I busted my elbow open. The blood made me pass out a few moments. My buddy, an experienced rider who had charged down the hill, knew to come back looking for me. There just weren't enough bandages in either of our packs to stop the bleeding. I do carry, and don't laugh because it is effective, a small sanitary pad in my first aid kit and that help absorb alot of blood but I still had to walk out of the park were we were riding another 12 miles (I ended up riding most of it blood flying everywhere. My bike was covered). Elbow required 10 stitches.

So both knees, both elbows and both shoulders have permanent road rash/injury scars for all my falls. But as my buddy says "if you ain't falling, you ain't trying" so guess I've been trying alot!