Went down today - feeling shook up and stupid
10-18-20, 02:51 PM
#26
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Not sure how old the OP is, but there is an age of around 55 when people's eyes change, and it becomes much harder to see detail in shady areas of the road especially on bright sunny days, and ESPECIALLY when wearing sunglasses. I have started looking over mine on shady descents so I don't miss anything.
That has worked OK so far, but one thing I did hit unexpectedly was a fairly large dip from a gopher or squirrel hole. With no edge to stand out, those can be very hard to see in shady areas of the road.
That has worked OK so far, but one thing I did hit unexpectedly was a fairly large dip from a gopher or squirrel hole. With no edge to stand out, those can be very hard to see in shady areas of the road.
No headache yet, almost 24 hours later. I don't think I hit my head too hard. Of the other injuries, it's my "hip" (not really the hip, but the trochanter) that is most sore. I was on the trainer earlier today and it made it's soreness known.
10-18-20, 02:54 PM
#27
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If there isn't any damage to the helmet I wouldn't suspect any concussion. But what do I know? YMMV.
I've had three wrecks in about 8 years time. The last two about 14 months apart. The one that cracked my skull last year I was up and going the next day, but because I seemed to be in more fog than ever, I didn't ride for over six full months. It took five months for me to feel that I'd recovered and no more fog. Scrambled thinking was norm before the concussion and it seems just my normal scrambled thinking with no fog now. <grin>
But even the other two crashes from essentially the back tire wanting to take the lead from the front tire left me with sore hips and shoulder for several weeks. Not so much that I didn't ride, but it took some effort initially. The older I get the more the joint soreness seems to take awhile to go away. The crash 8 years ago was much harder a blow to my hip, but I only limped for a week.
I'm hoping crashes come in threes and I've had my last one for a while.
I've had three wrecks in about 8 years time. The last two about 14 months apart. The one that cracked my skull last year I was up and going the next day, but because I seemed to be in more fog than ever, I didn't ride for over six full months. It took five months for me to feel that I'd recovered and no more fog. Scrambled thinking was norm before the concussion and it seems just my normal scrambled thinking with no fog now. <grin>
But even the other two crashes from essentially the back tire wanting to take the lead from the front tire left me with sore hips and shoulder for several weeks. Not so much that I didn't ride, but it took some effort initially. The older I get the more the joint soreness seems to take awhile to go away. The crash 8 years ago was much harder a blow to my hip, but I only limped for a week.
I'm hoping crashes come in threes and I've had my last one for a while.
I feel for your battles with brain fog. That was one of the issues with my concussion some years ago. In that case, the aggravating symptoms didn't show up at all for a week or two after the incident, so I don't think I'll know if I'm out of the woods for a while.
10-18-20, 04:04 PM
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I'm not going to offer condolences as I think praise is more applicable here. Good for you! You done good. Nice job of avoiding injury. Quick crashes like that really test one's instincts and yours are obviously correct. You learned a new thing - always check ahead before checking back. A helmet mirror might have been a good idea, too - helmet or eyeglasses mirrors allow one to scan for what's back there.
The top tube looks definitely repairable to me. A repair will only add a few grams to bike weight and will be as strong as the original structure. That would be my approach if I really liked my bike - which I do.
Repairing you - if you have road rash, the latest and greatest repair aid is hydrocolloid bandages. They have Tegaderm beat all hollow.
I never had the luxury of crashing so close to home. I've always had to remount and just keep going. The blood on your socks is supposed to be a sign of whatever . . .stupidity probably. Luckily I never broke the bike. Maybe 20 y.o. carbon had more carbon in it.
The top tube looks definitely repairable to me. A repair will only add a few grams to bike weight and will be as strong as the original structure. That would be my approach if I really liked my bike - which I do.
Repairing you - if you have road rash, the latest and greatest repair aid is hydrocolloid bandages. They have Tegaderm beat all hollow.
I never had the luxury of crashing so close to home. I've always had to remount and just keep going. The blood on your socks is supposed to be a sign of whatever . . .stupidity probably. Luckily I never broke the bike. Maybe 20 y.o. carbon had more carbon in it.
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10-18-20, 04:08 PM
#29
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Contact Calfee, they can fix it.
https://calfeedesign.com/carbon-repair/
https://calfeedesign.com/carbon-repair/
10-18-20, 05:55 PM
#30
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The last time I took my Trek 930 to an off-road MTB trail, I fell three times. First, I never did any of this off-road stuff before, and 75 is too late to start. Second, the 1992 bike came with toe clips and I left them on that day. I don't use cleats but when riding on the road, the clips just keep my feet in position. In each case, I fell because my feet were trapped and i couldn't catch myself. No real injury, but like the OP, I felt rather stupid. Now I do paved or other hard trail or road riding only and I use only flat pedals. No more MTB trails for me - I really don't like getting my bike dirty! 
10-18-20, 05:55 PM
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Sorry to hear. Glad you didn’t hurt your head.
i also took a bad fall years back and cracked my Giant Defy frame in two places. It was repaired somewhere in Orlando area, for about $500, and they did a great job. I can probably find them again if need be.
i also took a bad fall years back and cracked my Giant Defy frame in two places. It was repaired somewhere in Orlando area, for about $500, and they did a great job. I can probably find them again if need be.
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Last edited by wthensler; 10-18-20 at 06:05 PM.
10-18-20, 06:50 PM
#32
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There are two local places that repair carbon. Appleman Bicycles and Cyclocarbon. Appleman has done repairs for me before and I can drive there in less time than it would take to pack a bike for shipping. I've sent him some photos.
I haven't been able to bring myself to look the bike over carefully. There could be other frame damage that wasn't as noticeable.
I haven't been able to bring myself to look the bike over carefully. There could be other frame damage that wasn't as noticeable.
Last edited by MinnMan; 10-18-20 at 07:03 PM.
10-19-20, 09:46 AM
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Very sorry to hear about the crash but don't feel stupid. Sounds like it could happen to anyone. Always best to think through the whole series of events and ask yourself what you could have done differently and integrate that into your riding.
The one thing you mentioned is looking over your shoulder to check for traffic before making a left. One thing that I did a couple years ago was to start using a Take-a-look mirror and now do not feel comfortable riding without it. The ability to see what is coming up on you with a glance is a good thing and can keep you from taking your eyes off the road ahead.
The one thing you mentioned is looking over your shoulder to check for traffic before making a left. One thing that I did a couple years ago was to start using a Take-a-look mirror and now do not feel comfortable riding without it. The ability to see what is coming up on you with a glance is a good thing and can keep you from taking your eyes off the road ahead.
10-19-20, 10:00 AM
#35
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Yeah, I've seen you post about your crash before. That truly sucks. The concussion I had about a dozen years ago (not from a bike crash) wasn't so bad that I lost consciousness or memory of the event, but I suffered with symptoms for months - sleeplessness, headaches, and extreme aggravation at certain sounds. The sound of two drinking glasses clinking together became torture for a very long time.
I hit with my body first, and then my head grazed the pavement. I got up right away, got out of traffic's way, and moved to the sidewalk. Another cyclist stopped and asked if I was OK. My first answer was, "I don't know", but I walked around to see if anything really hurt, and a moment later told her that I was OK and that I lived nearby.
I rode the bike home, slowly, and didn't notice the big obvious crack in the frame until I got to my garage and dismounted.
I hit with my body first, and then my head grazed the pavement. I got up right away, got out of traffic's way, and moved to the sidewalk. Another cyclist stopped and asked if I was OK. My first answer was, "I don't know", but I walked around to see if anything really hurt, and a moment later told her that I was OK and that I lived nearby.
I rode the bike home, slowly, and didn't notice the big obvious crack in the frame until I got to my garage and dismounted.
The scary thing is that I have been cycling for a good 30 years or so, and never really heard much about TBIs. So far this year, I had one friend essentially disabled by one, and another that had a close call. We were all wearing helmets, and good ones at that. And we weren't going terribly fast (I was probably going 12-14 MPH). It's not going to stop me from riding, but it does give me pause.
Glad to hear you're aware of what to look for and that no symptoms have showed up.
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10-19-20, 12:30 PM
#36
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Ouch! Glad you had the lid on. Sorry about the bike! Forecast is for upwards of 8 inches tomorrow so you have plenty of time to get the road/gravel bike sorted out.
10-19-20, 01:35 PM
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I'm usually pretty intrepid for winter riding, but under my present circumstances, this is extra reason to hang out in Watopia for a while.
10-19-20, 01:46 PM
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Glad you are relatively OK. No self-blame needed. It's just one more learning experience.
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10-22-20, 08:10 AM
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half a mile from my house, after a very enjoyable 55 mile ride, I hit a big pothole just as I was turning around to check traffic, in preparation for a left turn. It's a road I ride all the time, but somehow I found a pothole that I didn't know.
Down I went (going maybe 18 mph). No major injuries to the body - bruises on my right shoulder, elbow, hip, and thigh. I hit my head on the right side also. I don't think I have a concussion, but it's always hard to tell at first. My other experience with a concussion, I felt a big blow to the head - like a bomb had gone off - on impact, but the symptoms (headaches, and then later other symptoms that lasted months) didn't show up for a few days. This didn't feel like a big blow at all. Maybe my nice Giro Synthe MIPS helmet (now in need of replacement) saved my bacon.
Oh, and the top tube of my Felt is cracked pretty badly.
I think I escaped without major bodily consequences, but I feel out of sorts. Time will tell.
Down I went (going maybe 18 mph). No major injuries to the body - bruises on my right shoulder, elbow, hip, and thigh. I hit my head on the right side also. I don't think I have a concussion, but it's always hard to tell at first. My other experience with a concussion, I felt a big blow to the head - like a bomb had gone off - on impact, but the symptoms (headaches, and then later other symptoms that lasted months) didn't show up for a few days. This didn't feel like a big blow at all. Maybe my nice Giro Synthe MIPS helmet (now in need of replacement) saved my bacon.
Oh, and the top tube of my Felt is cracked pretty badly.
I think I escaped without major bodily consequences, but I feel out of sorts. Time will tell.
10-30-20, 09:23 AM
#42
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A follow-up report:
Almost 2 weeks later. No sign of a concussion (phew!). I still have a gnarly scab on my hip, though.
I've spent most of the last two weeks on Zwift, partly out of caution, partly because the weather has been crappy. I'm beginning to venture outside again. Saturday afternoon looks nice.
The bike is being repaired by Appleman Bicycles. The quoted price is $300. It will take a while, but the season for road bikes is mostly over here anyway.
Giro offered a 30% crash-replacement discount for a new helmet. Thanks GlennR for the tip.
Still wondering how I let it happen, but grateful that I wasn't really hurt badly.
Almost 2 weeks later. No sign of a concussion (phew!). I still have a gnarly scab on my hip, though.
I've spent most of the last two weeks on Zwift, partly out of caution, partly because the weather has been crappy. I'm beginning to venture outside again. Saturday afternoon looks nice.
The bike is being repaired by Appleman Bicycles. The quoted price is $300. It will take a while, but the season for road bikes is mostly over here anyway.
Giro offered a 30% crash-replacement discount for a new helmet. Thanks GlennR for the tip.
Still wondering how I let it happen, but grateful that I wasn't really hurt badly.
10-30-20, 09:37 AM
#43
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I've been contemplating a Mipps helmet for a while now. No better reminder / advertisement / motivation / kick in the butt than this thread. Glad to hear the crash recovery (bike and body) is coming along well.
10-30-20, 09:52 AM
#44
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11-27-20, 01:41 PM
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I stopped riding motorcycle dirt bikes after getting knocked out for the second time within a year, I was in my late 50’s. I credit the quality of my helmet in preventing lasting consequences.
These days I chase my adult son on a mountain bike, on single track trails. I biff, so far without injury. I think my motorcycle experience has helped me develop the ability to not tense up or put out a hand when I biff. Just let it happen. Tuck and roll.
I am more concerned riding road with a group, going fast, inches apart. I also can’t help myself from backing off slightly when we’re cornering at speed. I’ve seen a few road crashes. Riders slam to the ground in an instant. The good news is there isn’t time for the rider(s) to stick out an arm,
I can’t imagine not wearing a helmet. Or not riding.
To the OP, glad you had no lasting effects from your crash. And glad you wear a good helmet. Me too.
These days I chase my adult son on a mountain bike, on single track trails. I biff, so far without injury. I think my motorcycle experience has helped me develop the ability to not tense up or put out a hand when I biff. Just let it happen. Tuck and roll.
I am more concerned riding road with a group, going fast, inches apart. I also can’t help myself from backing off slightly when we’re cornering at speed. I’ve seen a few road crashes. Riders slam to the ground in an instant. The good news is there isn’t time for the rider(s) to stick out an arm,
I can’t imagine not wearing a helmet. Or not riding.
To the OP, glad you had no lasting effects from your crash. And glad you wear a good helmet. Me too.
