Ed Holland

Hi Folks,

Had a scary one yesterday as it seems my bike tried to kill me ! I'm not exactly sure what happened, but I'd just got out of the saddle to give it a boost on a slight rise, and in a split second I felt and heard something binding the front wheel, then Blammo! no time to react... Sky-Ground-Sky-Ground-Sky-Ground. Luckily, Mrs H happened to be nearby and was quickly on the scene, plus paramedics & ambulance, who insisted on putting me on a board and going to Stanford ER for checks. Thank goodness for helmets (and I'm a former skeptic). Mine (just replaced) was smashed on impact, a big chunk missing from the right temple. Could have been my head...

I haven't had a chance to inspect the bike yet, and that is what is really freaking me out - the how and why of events on a seemingly innocuous bit of road, with nothing more than the usual spirited riding effort. Current theories are: something jammed in the wheel, or caused brakes to bind; partial fork failure. Both wheels were still on before I loaded the bike into the car, but thats all I know.

Sorry for the ramble - I'm still shaken up, even wondering about riding again...

Ed

Rootman

Thankfully you are all right and able to post this. You were fortunate. Wish you well as you mend, you're bound to at least be a bit sore in the morning.

bigbenaugust 

Where were you? Nothing in the road?

JoelS

I'm just glad you're ok!

I went down about 5 weeks ago. Happily riding along and then on the ground. My right shoulder and neck are still quite sore.

Lanceoldstrong

I am really happy you have no major injuries.

I hope you don't let this keep you from cycling if it is one of the joys of your life.

gpelpel

Really glad you seem OK.

to your helmet!

bikingshearer 

Crashing bad. Wearing helmet good. Sorry about crash. Glad helmet worked.

Here's to a quick and full recovery.

Red Rider

+100

Take some time before making a decision about cycling again...and heal up fast.

Ed Holland

Cheers everyone for the kind words

I have figured out what happened. Long story short, the battery pack fixing for my headlamp (velcro strap to top tube) let go. The pack then dangled briefly before finding a new home between the down tube and front wheel. Undone by my own safety gear - how's that for bad luck. Worst thing is a chipped tooth that will need a crown.

Anyhow, with a solid explanation under my belt and a few days to recover I think I might get my leg over again. Of a bicycle, that is

Think I'll modify the headlight battery to ride in an old water bottle.

Cheers again,

Ed (brakes on face) Holland

zandoval 

Man glad your OK - I have never been a fan of helmets but I wear one just cause of you'se guys - All in all I think we all are waiting our turn...

i n f a m o u s

Good to hear you're recovering. Is the bike okay?

I remember when I slid on my bike because I couldn't see the rail road tracks in front of me, someone passing by asked if I was okay and I replied, "Is my bike okay?"

Ed Holland

LOL! The bike seems in fine shape, though I will spend some time going over it carefully. Even my new bar tape looks unscathed! Sadly, the saddle that I recovered very cheaply with a nice piece of leather has suffered, and will need recovering. Might trawl Goodwill for an old jacket etc.

At the other end of the scale, here is what was left of my helmet. Close inspection reveals that it is riddled with cracks that cannot be seen in this image:

Doohickie

I think Bell has a crash warranty; take it back for replacement.

i n f a m o u s

Makes me want to reconsider using a helmet whenever I go out and ride because you never know what's going to happen.

rdtompki

Wish you a speedy recovery. My son had a near-crash yesterday of similar nature. He broke his hip in a crit crash 5-1/2 weeks ago and metal rod with screws later was doing his 30+ mile commute to work when he reached down for water forgetting his WB cage held his headlight battery. He apparently dropped the battery container and it only partially wedged between the fork and tire. Fortunately, he wasn't going very fast. He was somehow able to make it to Starbucks (no surprise there) so his wife could sag him to work.,

Ed Holland

Hey! Back on a bike today

Luckily I've a spare, old helmet. I have been looking into the return/replace policy offered by Bell, but sine it has to be shipped back to them, I'm not sure it's really worth the effort for a $30 purchase. Also, I was never particularly happy with the fit of it, so would like to shop around a bit more - it's hard to tell how they feel when on a bike even if you try on in store.
Cheers

Ed

lhbernhardt

If you're unhappy with the fit of a Bell, try a Giro or Specialized. Bells tend to fit round heads (like mine) better, while Giros and Spec's are designed more for long, narrow heads. At least that's been my experience with the top-end road helmets.

Once you find one that works, stick with it. You will also know what to buy online.

Luis

Ed Holland

I found a nice new Giro helmet on Saturday. Funny, I've had two from this manufacturer in the past, no problems except age. This one fit beautifully straight out of the box, is comfy & sits properly on my head when on the bike Not bad for $40. I'm amazed at the range of prices though, so far north of $100 seems absurd to me But then again, I've never been complimented on my fashion sense

As to the bike.... a slight scuff on my priceless and venerable Sora shifters and bar tape perfect (I'd just rewrapped). The rear wheel was out of true but alas this is not it's first mishap - I'd also got a stick tangled in it a few weeks ago - so after truing it up, spoke tension was a little too uneven for my liking. I've ordered a new rim and will rebuild, a nice way to spend a quiet rainy Sunday afternoon.

Cheers,

Ed

Beaker

Glad you're OK. I had a similar issue the other week on my commute home - I had forgotten to reattach the battery lead to the head unit on my handlebars and the connector got jammed between my front tire and the top of my fork. Fortunately all that happened was that I ground down the plastic casing on the lead, but it could have been a lot worse.

Regarding helmets - I used to be put off by the idea of spending north of $100 on a helmet, but beyond fit, the lighter weight of the higher end helmets makes them supremely comfortable for long durations of wear.

BlastRadius

Ed, glad your helmet saved you from much worse.
Beaker, one more reason I'm a fan of self-contained lights. I just got one of these, but there's even brighter, 1200 and 800 lumen.

Ed Holland

The last piece of the puzzle: I got the headlamp issue sorted out My wife found a straight sided bottle suitable for the battery pack, and with a little sponge padding, the electronics fit snugly inside. Best of all, when I pulled out the drink nozzle/valve and clipped the centre part out from the lid, the opening was the perfect size for the connector socket.

Ed

FusionOne

Glad to hear you're ok. I'm another one that's recommending a self-contained light like the Light & Motion USB from above, or if you want to go a lot cheaper, a Cygolite Expillion 700 for only about $130. They are light and simple. I have a really expensive Dinotte setup, but I never even bother using it anymore.

As for "bike is trying to kill me", I once had 4 front tube blowouts on descents on the same day. Obviously, there was something very, very wrong with my wheel. Somehow, I never went down, and I was lucky I wasn't in a severe corner at the time any of them happened. Still, that freaked me out so thoroughly that it took me 3 or 4 months before I got my descending skills back. I was always expecting the worst, and when you lose confidence in your equipment, you can no longer descend.

If this type of thing ever happens to anyone, make sure you give your rim tape a very close inspection to make sure it's doing its job properly.