Road Pictures Of My Crash Site
02-18-19, 05:15 PM
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Road Pictures Of My Crash Site
Finally rode past the spot where I crashed 6 months ago. It’s a very innocent looking spot, just like one we all have ridden by numerous times.
I guess some of the gravel was out on the pavement that night. It’s hard to see in the pictures but there are a number of pieces of gravel that are larger than what you might normally see. I guess they were just large enough to launch my bike up into the air. Unfortunately I was on the bike when it went flying and still on it when it landed on it’s side!!
All signs of skin and blood on the pavement had washed away!!
Got in 80 miles today. My longest ride with my new hip.
I guess some of the gravel was out on the pavement that night. It’s hard to see in the pictures but there are a number of pieces of gravel that are larger than what you might normally see. I guess they were just large enough to launch my bike up into the air. Unfortunately I was on the bike when it went flying and still on it when it landed on it’s side!!
All signs of skin and blood on the pavement had washed away!!
Got in 80 miles today. My longest ride with my new hip.
02-18-19, 08:48 PM
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go, Go, GO!
02-19-19, 02:26 AM
#4
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Great to read you have recovered so well. The pictures of the crash sight do show how dangerous gravelly stuff can be across seal surfaces especially in or at the end of curved areas.
80 miles is a pretty decent ride. Well done!
80 miles is a pretty decent ride. Well done!
02-19-19, 08:32 AM
#5
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it happens-- hoping for you, just scrapes and nothing bent or broken.... I'm finally going in for an umbilical hernia repair that dates back to my offroad over-the-bars disaster ~8 years ago.
02-19-19, 09:26 AM
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if you ride that area regularly, would it make any sense to visit that spot with a broom, in your car, on a quiet Sunday morning, when there is no traffic?
02-19-19, 10:00 AM
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Ouch. Looks like some nasty stuff to fall into. Glad to hear you've recovered so well.
02-19-19, 07:58 PM
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Ouch. That stuff can be hard to see in some situations. A couple of years ago a road crew had freshly chipsealed an intersection where lots of cyclists ride -- fast. No warning signs. They left loose gravel scattered around and it blended in with the fresh chipseal (which has the lumpy texture of gravel but sorta epoxied into place). It was an overcast day and there was no shadow to distinguish the loose gravel from the fresh chipseal.
Fortunately I wasn't blasting downhill toward the curve, but coming from a flat section toward the uphill bit. I hit that loose gravel and skidded sideways but didn't fall. Made me more appreciative of fatter tires with plenty of tread. If I'd been on my road bike I'd probably have gone down.
Warped the rear wheel but was able to ride to the shop slowly. It could have been a lot worse. I posted a warning on a couple of local bike pages on Facebook to warn other folks.
Then a little over a year ago one November evening I heard a *clink!* and *hiss!*. Some slate had fallen off a construction crew's flatbed trailer. This time I was on the road bike with skinny slicks, but was heading in a straight line and didn't skid.
It was the same color as the pavement, and blended in so it was almost impossible to see in the fading light. Slate tends to break not only into pieces but into thin layers, some as thin as a credit card and razor sharp. It was scattered so evenly across the road it would have been impossible to avoid even if I'd seen it. Fortunately I didn't skid. After patching the tire I picked up as much as I could of the broken slate, swept some off with a piece of cardboard or gatorboard sign material. I kept one piece as a souvenir -- it's shaped like an arrowhead and about as sharp.
After that I started mounting my headlights a bit lower to pick up more shadow from road hazards.
Fortunately I wasn't blasting downhill toward the curve, but coming from a flat section toward the uphill bit. I hit that loose gravel and skidded sideways but didn't fall. Made me more appreciative of fatter tires with plenty of tread. If I'd been on my road bike I'd probably have gone down.
Warped the rear wheel but was able to ride to the shop slowly. It could have been a lot worse. I posted a warning on a couple of local bike pages on Facebook to warn other folks.
Then a little over a year ago one November evening I heard a *clink!* and *hiss!*. Some slate had fallen off a construction crew's flatbed trailer. This time I was on the road bike with skinny slicks, but was heading in a straight line and didn't skid.
It was the same color as the pavement, and blended in so it was almost impossible to see in the fading light. Slate tends to break not only into pieces but into thin layers, some as thin as a credit card and razor sharp. It was scattered so evenly across the road it would have been impossible to avoid even if I'd seen it. Fortunately I didn't skid. After patching the tire I picked up as much as I could of the broken slate, swept some off with a piece of cardboard or gatorboard sign material. I kept one piece as a souvenir -- it's shaped like an arrowhead and about as sharp.
After that I started mounting my headlights a bit lower to pick up more shadow from road hazards.
02-19-19, 11:05 PM
#9
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None of this, of course, was applicable to jppe, but the surface sure was/is.
02-19-19, 11:10 PM
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I know some folks dislike low mounted headlights because they feel it exaggerates road hazards. I needed a couple of rides to adjust to the different perception of even small bits of gravel, etc., but overall I'd rather see everything than miss something important. It's not much different from typical car headlight patterns, which are typically lower than bicycle handlebar mounted headlights.
02-20-19, 09:52 AM
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I know some folks dislike low mounted headlights because they feel it exaggerates road hazards. I needed a couple of rides to adjust to the different perception of even small bits of gravel, etc., but overall I'd rather see everything than miss something important. It's not much different from typical car headlight patterns, which are typically lower than bicycle handlebar mounted headlights.
Great idea!! I've never gotten comfortable riding at night just for those reasons of not being able to pick out stuff I'd probably subconsciously avoid during the day. Maybe it I just rode a little slower???
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02-20-19, 09:55 AM
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Unfortunately landed on my right hip and it was dislocated and broken. I had a full hip replacement the next day.....I'm nowhere near the conditioning I was when I crashed but trying to get better ever so slowly. Riding slower but still enjoying being out on the road.
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02-20-19, 09:58 AM
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Ouch. That stuff can be hard to see in some situations. A couple of years ago a road crew had freshly chipsealed an intersection where lots of cyclists ride -- fast. No warning signs. They left loose gravel scattered around and it blended in with the fresh chipseal (which has the lumpy texture of gravel but sorta epoxied into place). It was an overcast day and there was no shadow to distinguish the loose gravel from the fresh chipseal.
Fortunately I wasn't blasting downhill toward the curve, but coming from a flat section toward the uphill bit. I hit that loose gravel and skidded sideways but didn't fall. Made me more appreciative of fatter tires with plenty of tread. If I'd been on my road bike I'd probably have gone down.
Warped the rear wheel but was able to ride to the shop slowly. It could have been a lot worse. I posted a warning on a couple of local bike pages on Facebook to warn other folks.
Then a little over a year ago one November evening I heard a *clink!* and *hiss!*. Some slate had fallen off a construction crew's flatbed trailer. This time I was on the road bike with skinny slicks, but was heading in a straight line and didn't skid.
It was the same color as the pavement, and blended in so it was almost impossible to see in the fading light. Slate tends to break not only into pieces but into thin layers, some as thin as a credit card and razor sharp. It was scattered so evenly across the road it would have been impossible to avoid even if I'd seen it. Fortunately I didn't skid. After patching the tire I picked up as much as I could of the broken slate, swept some off with a piece of cardboard or gatorboard sign material. I kept one piece as a souvenir -- it's shaped like an arrowhead and about as sharp.
After that I started mounting my headlights a bit lower to pick up more shadow from road hazards.
Fortunately I wasn't blasting downhill toward the curve, but coming from a flat section toward the uphill bit. I hit that loose gravel and skidded sideways but didn't fall. Made me more appreciative of fatter tires with plenty of tread. If I'd been on my road bike I'd probably have gone down.
Warped the rear wheel but was able to ride to the shop slowly. It could have been a lot worse. I posted a warning on a couple of local bike pages on Facebook to warn other folks.
Then a little over a year ago one November evening I heard a *clink!* and *hiss!*. Some slate had fallen off a construction crew's flatbed trailer. This time I was on the road bike with skinny slicks, but was heading in a straight line and didn't skid.
It was the same color as the pavement, and blended in so it was almost impossible to see in the fading light. Slate tends to break not only into pieces but into thin layers, some as thin as a credit card and razor sharp. It was scattered so evenly across the road it would have been impossible to avoid even if I'd seen it. Fortunately I didn't skid. After patching the tire I picked up as much as I could of the broken slate, swept some off with a piece of cardboard or gatorboard sign material. I kept one piece as a souvenir -- it's shaped like an arrowhead and about as sharp.
After that I started mounting my headlights a bit lower to pick up more shadow from road hazards.
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02-20-19, 10:02 AM
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But maybe I'll take a paint can out and do some sort of hazard warning on the road???? Good tip!
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02-20-19, 10:06 AM
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I recall reading in Bicycling magazine about how as eyes age, it gets more difficult to distinguish light and dark areas of the road (especially in shade or when wearing sunglasses) and so as a result, hospitals see a lot 55+ riders who were injured as a result of not seeing potholes in the road. I know my vision in low light conditions is terrible these days, and I've mostly given up wearing sunglasses when driving, because subtle details are much harder to see while wearing shades (less so with high quality lenses).
02-20-19, 10:33 AM
#16
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That's pretty major and... it happens so quick. I was sidelined for years due to a cranky knee that I'd busted up in the 70s and then, a failed knee replacement. Needless to say, I'm pretty happy to have made it back and I know I'll never get much faster but like you, I am still enjoying being out on the road.
02-20-19, 11:03 AM
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Finally rode past the spot where I crashed 6 months ago. It’s a very innocent looking spot, just like one we all have ridden by numerous times.
I guess some of the gravel was out on the pavement that night. It’s hard to see in the pictures but there are a number of pieces of gravel that are larger than what you might normally see. I guess they were just large enough to launch my bike up into the air. Unfortunately I was on the bike when it went flying and still on it when it landed on it’s side!!
All signs of skin and blood on the pavement had washed away!!
Got in 80 miles today. My longest ride with my new hip.
I guess some of the gravel was out on the pavement that night. It’s hard to see in the pictures but there are a number of pieces of gravel that are larger than what you might normally see. I guess they were just large enough to launch my bike up into the air. Unfortunately I was on the bike when it went flying and still on it when it landed on it’s side!!
All signs of skin and blood on the pavement had washed away!!
Got in 80 miles today. My longest ride with my new hip.
02-20-19, 02:57 PM
#18
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Inquiring minds want to know, why were you riding so close to the edge?
Heal fast!
Heal fast!
02-20-19, 09:15 PM
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I was probably 1 1/2-2’ into the road from the white line. The gravel had made its way out into the road. I was riding in a paceline with one of my regular groups. We weren’t killing it but were traveling 21-22 mph. I was 4th or 5th from the front with a group of about 15. I suspect I drifted just a smidge to the right of the rider ahead of me. I couldn’t have been on the edge of the asphalt as my hip and chin bounced off the pavement and not the dirt so I had to be at least a few feet into the road. No one ahead of me signaled for debris. I was the only rider that went down but the rider behind me rode over my front wheel. I had pinch flats in both the front and rear tubes.
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02-21-19, 10:42 AM
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Braver man than I, I have no idea where I crashed, memory loss. And I have no desire to see that spot either.
02-21-19, 12:54 PM
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02-27-19, 11:52 AM
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Sorry to hear about your accident. For my own mental health, as soon as I was able to, I hobbled over to my accident location while still on crutches, just to examine the site and make sure I didn't do anything too stupid. But I avoid that piece of road now like the plaque. Rubber side down!
