As far as the not goes, this Neo Zealander is just young and stupid still, I guess. I would have remebered the gravelly bits were in that spot if I'd thought about it, but I was having fun leaning my bike as far over as I could on the corners and totally overdid it on that one; it wasn't so much that I was going fast as just too fast for that situation. It was much more "duh!" than "ow!" (and I had a sweet bruise on my forearm/elbow to show off). Grog's right - falling has a perverse enjoyablity in it's feel-alive factor. (Or I'm just a bit odd. )