Quote Originally Posted by AllezGirl
So I made the newbie mistake of going way to fast down an unfamiliar descent and by the time I saw the sharp curve at the bottom it was too late to brake, although I tried anyway! I went down hard and slid on my side for abut 25 feet, finally coming to rest under a guard rail! No broken bones, lots of road rash, cracked helmet (glad it's not my head) and slightly wounded pride. But all and all, I'm OK, and my bike is fine!
Thank goodness you're (relatively) okay, and your bike too! A friend of mine's husband had a similar crash (hit gravel at the bottom of a screaming descent) and broke his femur along with a couple vertebrae in his back and had to be airlifted to a hospital. His Trek 5200 was also toast (fortunately, Trek has a lifetime frame guarantee, and they replaced it, amazingly!) He had surgery to put a plate and pins in his leg, and his recovery was in the 6 month range. I don't want to minimize your crash, but you were definitely protected by the bike goddess that day! A new pair of knickers is a small price to pay, but know the road rash must be painful. Heal quickly!

Emily