Major Crash2..Just got home from E.R.

[Jo-n-NY]

Jenn...I am sending healing thoughts your way. I just sit here a shake my head about the van. Things like this get me real angry and I better stop at that.

Just rest, take the time to heal. I have also been through a crash and fractured my shoulder a year and a half ago. I am sure you will get back on the bike, you will just take it slow as that is what I did. I was a cautious rider before, but even more so now it seems.

~ JoAnn

[Pax]

Geez Jenn!! Glad you're ok and I hope your headache has subsided.

My Honey (who has been riding to the UI for 15+ years) told me to grow a second set of eyes when I'm on university bike paths, the guys from the facilities department ALWAYS drive on them and sort of laugh when riders have to bail off to the side to avoid being hit.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Jenn,
I am SO sorry that you had this awful painful crash!!!
I am so glad that you did not get run over.

I think people are thinking the van was driving down the bike path. Correct me if I am wrong- but I read it as the van was driving down a parallel road and then turned and without warning CROSSED the path right in front of you on one of those places where roads cross over bike paths. Is that correct?
I think we were kind of discussing this sort of thing (cars turning in front of you without signalling) on this other thread just a couple of days ago:
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=15367
May I suggest a book to everyone that I read early in my biking that totally changed the way I ride? The Art of Urban Cycling
It deals in depth with cycling techniques that may help us all avoid potentially dangerous car encounters. It's not not about city riding, but about all riding that involves any traffic flow, car, and dangerous street debris hazards. It's an amazing book that really made me ride differently.

Jenn, please heal soon with minimal pain- we are all rooting for you!
So good that you were wearing your helmet.
Did your bike get damaged, by the way?
You WILL be back on your bike again.

[ehirsch83]

Jenn!! I am so glad you are ok!!
That must of been sooo scary!! I can't believe that. Tell the DH to get you some Arnica for the bruising(get the pills and put them under your tounge every few hours- if you do get the gel you can't put it on any open wounds, so it isn't very usable right now with all the road rash) also tell him to get you Calendula gel for the cuts!!

Both Arnica and Calendula are homeopathic, and they work amazingly!!!!


Hugs and kisses, get better and I will be there in a week to make sure you are up and on your feet

[Triskeliongirl]

Hey Jenn- so glad it wasn't worse! Many of us on this board have suffered serious accidents, myself included (hit by an SUV who made an illegal right turn into my hip). What many of us learned from our accidents is that the answer is not to stop cycling, all activities carry some risk, but to reduce risk by adopting more defensive riding practices. In your case, you can't assume cuz cars aren't allowed on the bike path they won't do it, in my case I learned that just cuz I have the right of way doesn't mean a car won't try to take it illegally. You have to always be watching, alert, and expect the worst from motorists. Right now I know your focus is on healing, but if you have the drivers info., license plate info., etc. I would file a claim against his insurance company to recover all your costs, medical, any bike damage, costs for a new helmet, etc. This is also important to teach motorists they need to take responsibility for their actions. -e

[SouthernBelle]

Hope you are feeling better this morning!

Ditto what everybody said about getting back on when you can. I broke my ribs, spring, '06, doing an endo over the bars. I was a little speed shy for a long while after. But you still gotta ride.

BTW, is the bike OK?

[margo49]

t. Tell the DH to get you some Arnica for the bruising(get the pills and put them under your tounge every few hours- if you do get the gel you can't put it on any open wounds, so it isn't very usable right now with all the road rash) also tell him to get you Calendula gel for the cuts!!

Both Arnica and Calendula are homeopathic, and they work amazingly!!!!

Very good stuff, arnica.
Careful of your head for a few days - concussion is a real pain in the brain.
Try not to think too much (increases the pain, not to mention feeds the fear) Think: sitting quietly in darkened rooms with nice music doing as little as possible
Olive oil or wheatgerm oil on the road rash - once you can stand *anything* on it. So your skin dunt dry out.
You will be fine and shopping for a new helmet in a week or so.
How's the bike, btw?

[Geonz]

What they said ... and also hoping that the van driver somehow got cited, *especially* if the driver was "just" turning. THose are the too-common accidents that make the roads statistically safer to be on than paths (and why yea, I tend to ignore the bike paths, Queen, even if somewhere in the books is that if they're there we're supposed to be on 'em... *if* I get cited I'll tell the judge I"m supposed to be off the road if an *appropriate* - or some other adjective that is in the code - path is available, and I can provide him lots of evidence that the campus paths aren't. Gary's little photo essay of some of the issues has done a lot of good helping the Big Shots understand why we are so "rude."

Heal well!!!!

[Pax]

... Gary's little photo essay of some of the issues has done a lot of good helping the Big Shots understand why we are so "rude."

Sue, that is EXCELLENT! Yesterday I had to skirt half a dozen MTD buses and two O&M trucks on the bike path. Not to mention the crumbling pavement, it about rattled my skull loose.

*sorry for the hijack Jenn*