A psa if you are going for a bike ride today

[ruthabagah]

Last Friday was such a beautiful day. As I was lying down on the pavement with the wind knocked down my lungs I had this feeling that this fall was harder than the other ones. When you ride anything with two wheels, you have to be prepared for a fall... It's part of the dynamics of 2 wheeler to be unstable, it's also part of the fun.


So I am here trying to breath with people looking down at me, even the lady who was driving the car in front of me, who did not put her turn signal @ 470/Quebec, and forced me t brake a little harder, until my front wheel seized and I did a great smack down on the concrete. Then the police officer, then the paramedics, and the fire department.... When they took off my helmet, the first thing they told me was that I wouldn't be alive if I wasn't wearing one. Then they showed me: the back of the helmet was flat! The front visor had so much road abrasion, you couldn't see through. The leather jacket and nylon/Kevlar over pant did their job, and I have no road rash, or laceration.
Now, gravity is a bitch though... 10 broken ribs, one collarbone, one scapula. I am going to be in pain for a long time... And I was @ 30mph.


There is no shame or uncool wearing a helmet, just certain death waiting for you somewhere.

[encorehunter]

My sentiments are with yours. I put mine down at around 20 mph and broke a finger and some toes. The kevlar/nylon did their job, but without a helmet, my head put a dent in the pavement. They sewed my head back up, without any CT or Xray, a week later it was itchy. During an itch session, something came loose, and through the freshly healed laceration, came a pyramid shaped piece of gravel that had been embedded in my skull. My mother always told me I must have rocks in my head for riding that donor bike.

I'm glad you are okay for the most part. The gear did its job.

On an interesting side note, my ER bill was within $20 of what it cost to fix the bike. I guess we were pretty even on hurting each other.

[HoneyBadger]

Wow, I'm glad you're not in any worse condition! I hope you heal up quick!

[sniper7]

I'm glad you had on all your gear! Hope you heal up quick

[Bailey Guns]

Bummer...get well soon.

[Mazin]

Heal up quick man!

[ray1970]

Not to sound unsympathetic, but sounds like maybe you were following the vehicle in front of you a little too closely.

Glad you are still around to post up about it so that others might avoid a similar mistake.

[ruthabagah]

Not to sound unsympathetic, but sounds like maybe you were following the vehicle in front of you a little too closely.

Glad you are still around to post up about it so that others might avoid a similar mistake.

She was stopped, and merged on my lane. But you are right, I should have been more cautious.

[2112]

Glad to see your doing ok, heal quick!

[OtterbatHellcat]

Wow, that sucks...hang in there and heal fast.

[ray1970]

She was stopped, and merged on my lane. But you are right, I should have been more cautious.

Ahh. Sorry. Misunderstood the original post. I thought you were behind her and had to stop suddenly.

Sorry.

Glad it wasn't any worse than it was.

I've been riding for over twenty-five years. Had to lay my bike down once. It sucks. (Had an eighteen wheeler pull out in front of me and block both lanes on a two lane road.)

Get to feeling better and back riding.

[Beer]

[hcr25]

Glad you are ok and are on the mend. Also that you were wearing a helmet. Being on two wheels is always fun as long as you watch out for the 4 wheeled vehicles.

Crashing sucks :)

[mtnhigh]

Heal up quick! Glad you were wearing your gear!

[ZERO THEORY]

It always blows my mind when I see 19-25 year olds flying around on some used R1 that they can barely handle at 70 MPH down Wadsworth with no helmet or leathers. You only look cool if you show off your goofy Oakely glasses, sweet Koi tattoo, and graphic t shirt.

I think of this because just over a year ago, while driving safely and at the speed limit, I merged into the right lane because a vehicle was turning left ahead of me on wb. 44th. At the same time, a young girl was turning north from eb. 44th and didn't see me from behind the vehicle I was moving around. She went to make the turn and did what is colloquially known as 'The Motorcycle Killer'. So at 35 MPH, while obeying all laws and paying attention to what I was doing, I was greeted by a Honda Civic's right front quarter panel.

This thankfully occurred in a 4,800 pound lifted Jeep that tore her motor from the mounts, caved in her front right axle, shattered the windshield, and deployed her air bag. But I think: if I had been on a bike and not protected, my brains would've been compost for the city of Wheat Ridge's road maintenance team.

[Jmetz]

Glad you're relatively ok. Good on ya for wearing your gear. Heal up man!

[KestrelBike]

Ugh that brings chills. No matter how carefully you ride, you can't make the others on the road do the same. Glad to hear you're all right!!

[ChunkyMonkey]

Get well soon!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Great-Kazoo]

Like Guns, HELMETS in this state, are a personal Choice. When i rode i wore a helmet sometimes, sometimes not.
Regarding the accident, you could have an air bag suit, encased in foam, 1Kilowat leds, and someone is still going to say they didn't see you. Do helmets save lives, of course, then again not always.

Happy to see you're alive and on the mend.

[Hound]

Been there... done that. Been down 3 times in my life. Twice on the road, once on the track. The guy did a lap leaking oil on a black flag and I caught the worst of it. Still have the helmets as teaching tools/ reminder. Nobody gave me the memo before. I am so glad you are OK and not an organ donor. Get back in the seat as soon as you can. That first ride is always.... interesting no matter how mich ypu mentally prepare but ya gotta do it. Ride with friends, it will be easier.

I would say ride safe but it sounds like you already do. I cringe every time I see some sweet young thing riding on the back with a tank top and flippers.

[bogie]

That sucks, heal up quick! And remember "pain is inevitable, suffering is optional"!

[mcjhr]

Heal up!

[Gman]

Ouch. Hope you heal up quick!

[XC700116]

Damn, sucks to hear that, glad you'll eventually be OK. I sold my street bike last year when I came to the realization that I had become to comfortable on it and I wasn't at high alert while riding in traffic anymore. That and that fawker was going to cost me my drivers license sooner or later hahaha. Either way, I was becoming too complacent on it so I decided to let it go and go back to dirt bikes, well, 2 months later broke my collar bone on the dirt bike [facepalm]

Anyway, heal well.

[RblDiver]

Wow, that sucks. A couple years ago I was riding a bit too fast, saw a car coming out of a parking lot and was worried they wouldn't see me (has a tendency to be a bit of a blind exit). Slam my brakes and flip over the handlebars, end up pretty cut up on my face. I think I scared the woman in the elevator as I was going back to my apartment to clean up. On the plus side, my hands were fine, that being the second time in 10 years my deerskin gloves took the blow instead of my hands.

[Irving]

Ouch, glad you are relatively okay. I hate getting motorcycle claims as sometimes I don't get a chance to talk to the rider. On another note, the best story I have from a motorcycle claim was from a lady riding a Harley that got t-boned by a Comcast truck pulling into the street. She kept the bike upright as she went through a bunch of front yards. The guy driving the Comcast truck got out and started talking shit to her!

[wctriumph]

Get well soon and LISTEN to the therapy people. Rehabilitative therapy is a good thing.

I like helmets, helmets are a good thing.

[blacklabel]

Ouch! Heal up fast.

[TFOGGER]

Glad to hear you survived your encounter, and I hope you heal well and quickly. Last Saturday was one year from my near-death experience, and I'm 95% recovered. Still fighting with the insurance companies, the med bills totaled $118K at last count, mostly covered by my insurance. Yes, I still ride.

[theGinsue]

Heal up quickly man.

I've been in a eerily similar situation (0720, Thursday, August 28, 2000) and still have my destroyed helmet to prove it which I happily show to those who don't find them necessary.

My wreck was @ only 35 mph. I recall a lucid moment in the Trauma Center when the officer who responded to the accident handed my wife my helmet and told her "If he hadn't been wearing this, he'd be dead". While I miss riding, I haven't riden since that fateful day. This was a decision based off of how badly others drive & put riders @ risk and making my wife happy. She gave me a choice - her, or a motorcycle. After what I put her through, I can't blame her a bit.

Even with the helmet, I received a severe concussion which to this day causes me major memory issues, just 2 broken ribs, a hole in my foot where the foot peg went through my shoes, and both hands broken so severely broken & road rashed (ate right through my gloves) they looked like Frankenstein covered his hands in ground beef.

PLEASE, all, if you ride, wear a helmet and safety gear. It may not look cool but it certainly looks better than wearing a pine box for eternity.

[KestrelBike]

Damn, sucks to hear that, glad you'll eventually be OK. I sold my street bike last year when I came to the realization that I had become to comfortable on it and I wasn't at high alert while riding in traffic anymore. That and that fawker was going to cost me my drivers license sooner or later hahaha. Either way, I was becoming too complacent on it so I decided to let it go and go back to dirt bikes, well, 2 months later broke my collar bone on the dirt bike [facepalm]

Anyway, heal well.

Any rider will still roll the dice on a crash in the dirt than on the street with static obstacles! Hope you're healing well, too!

[ruthabagah]

Heal up quickly man.

I've been in a eerily similar situation (0720, Thursday, August 28, 2000) and still have my destroyed helmet to prove it which I happily show to those who don't find them necessary.

My wreck was @ only 35 mph. I recall a lucid moment in the Trauma Center when the officer who responded to the accident handed my wife my helmet and told her "If he hadn't been wearing this, he'd be dead". While I miss riding, I haven't riden since that fateful day. This was a decision based off of how badly others drive & put riders @ risk and making my wife happy. She gave me a choice - her, or a motorcycle. After what I put her through, I can't blame her a bit.

Even with the helmet, I received a severe concussion which to this day causes me major memory issues, just 2 broken ribs, a hole in my foot where the foot peg went through my shoes, and both hands broken so severely broken & road rashed (ate right through my gloves) they looked like Frankenstein covered his hands in ground beef.

PLEASE, all, if you ride, wear a helmet and safety gear. It may not look cool but it certainly looks better than wearing a pine box for eternity.

wow. Mine hurt like hell right now, but after reading the detail of you injuries I will just shut up and stop complaining.

[XC700116]

Any rider will still roll the dice on a crash in the dirt than on the street with static obstacles! Hope you're healing well, too!

Yes, I'll take dirt wrecks any day over the slab and the moving objects on it. I've had a lot of wrecks on dirt, and a lot of very minor injuries, this was the first major one. I wear A LOT of protective gear on the dirt bike and I'm continuously amazed that nobody thinks twice about it on dirt but on the slab some think a lid is for sissy's. I'll take my sissy pants and wear it all the time thank you very much. A big benefit of it is that I like having a quiet and relaxing ride rather than wind ripping in my face and ears (never had a windshield of any significance on any of my bikes).

My sister is one of the few that rides without that has a pretty compelling argument. She's an RN and has seen most of it all, and she's made a conscious decision that she'd rather die than live with a traumatic brain injury. Which if you look at the statistics of crashes at hwy speeds is more likely to happen with a Helmet and Death without. Since she pretty much exclusively rides on the hwy and not around town it makes sense. And strangely enough, If she is riding in town she'll wear a helmet, but avoids riding in town at all costs. Dunno, makes some sense I guess but I'll take the helmet all the time anyway.

I'm healed up very well, a Fantastic surgeon, a plate and 9 screws, and some time has put me back to what I'd consider about 95%. I gained a lot of weight from not being active all summer (which I'm working on now) and I have some nerve damage that makes my right shoulder fell like it's fallen asleep all the time but I'll take that over loss of any of the function in it any day.

All in all I'm glad with my decision to step away from the street for a while since I was getting way to comfortable with ridiculous speeds on a bike capable of 175 MPH. It was going to cost me big at some point. Someday I may get myself a cruiser or a big bagger, but for right now I'm content on the dirt for my 2 wheel fun.

[theGinsue]

wow. Mine hurt like hell right now, but after reading the detail of you injuries I will just shut up and stop complaining.
Not at all brother. You've got plenty of pain to have to complain about. Reading your OP, I could mentally feel all of your pain.

10 broken ribs is going to be absolute hell for about 3 months, then another 3+ months a good pain and aches. My wife broke 7 ribs on Sep 21st in an ATV accident and watching what she's been going through has made me realize how lucky I was to only have 2 broken ribs.

You'll be out of commission for a while so don't be afraid to let us know if we can do anything for you.

[speedysst]

My "I love my helmet moment" was when I hit a deer going about 60mph last August. I walked away with a shattered wrist and soft tissue damage to my left leg. Bike was totaled though. I did get a $100 gift certificate from Competition Accessories for doing a review of my pants with the title "Yep, they work."

[patrick0685]

ouch...i know what your going through, i wrecked going about 25 broke the collarbone and scapula, went to the ER on a Friday night and they were worthless took an xray and said you might have a broken collarbone if you want you can see someone else on Monday. So still hurting Monday we went to a specialist who said there is something wrong but I'm not 100% and sent us to another place. They did the cat scan found out I had a broken (in 3 places) collarbone and broken scapula. A week later I had surgery. I was told by the DR that the scapula is one of the hardest to break and he sees about 4 or 5 a year, a bunch of plates and screws. I felt better within a week but I didnt have any broken ribs. Have you had surgery or you getting any?

[ruthabagah]

ouch...i know what your going through, i wrecked going about 25 broke the collarbone and scapula, went to the ER on a Friday night and they were worthless took an xray and said you might have a broken collarbone if you want you can see someone else on Monday. So still hurting Monday we went to a specialist who said there is something wrong but I'm not 100% and sent us to another place. They did the cat scan found out I had a broken (in 3 places) collarbone and broken scapula. A week later I had surgery. I was told by the DR that the scapula is one of the hardest to break and he sees about 4 or 5 a year, a bunch of plates and screws. I felt better within a week but I didnt have any broken ribs. Have you had surgery or you getting any?

no, no surgery. I have a collapsed lung too, we are trying to get this back in place first. I may not need surgery, but we will know tomorrow for sure.

[Aloha_Shooter]

Damn, you guys are making me want to sell my Road King and I only ride in fair weather and try to avoid traffic at all costs. Only scary moment (thus far) was riding up a road in moderate traffic when a light misty rain hit just before I got to a major intersection and I felt I wasn't going to be able to stop in time so I hit the throttle only to have the bike fishtail on me. Made it through okay but I think I gained a couple white hairs from that one.

Good luck on healing up, glad you you didn't have anything worse.

[patrick0685]

no, no surgery. I have a collapsed lung too, we are trying to get this back in place first. I may not need surgery, but we will know tomorrow for sure.

Let me know if you want my Dr's number He was amazing.

Here is my scapula:

http://i.imgur.com/dmFTiOc.png

[gnihcraes]

Glad you were wearing good gear to protect everything. Wishing you a quick recovery.

[hghclsswhitetrsh]

Man glad you're ok with all things considered. I'm the only one out of my group that wears a helmet.

[kawiracer14]

I've only crashed at the track, never on the street, and hope to never crash on the street. Its scary sliding across the pavement at 40 MPH.

[ChuckNorris]

Yikes! Hope you heal up fast!
Good thing you were wearing all of the right stuff - sounds like it could have been a lot worse!

[CO Hugh]

Glad to hear that you will heal up. I was driving by on Friday to Sams and saw the accident. I saw the backboard and was hoping the rider would be ok. Prayers for you.

[rockhound]

I have only ridden in dirt, it has been a long time ago for that, never had the urge to ride on the road every time I hear or see a story like yours I remember why, with the kiddos now here I prbabaly never will,

I am glad it didn't get the best of you, heal well

[Inconel710]

Glad to hear it wasn't worse man. My helmet story involves a woman driver as well. I was bicycling to work one fine morning, tight on the edge of the road because it was busy and I wanted to stay out of the way. Young lady drops her cigarette as she pulls out of McD's and hits me from behind as she's fumbling around for it. After rolling over her hood, smashing her windshield, and rolling onto the ground, my helmet had a nice flat spot right above my forehead from hitting the ground. Broke my wrist for sure and probably tore a rotator cuff.

[patrick0685]

whats the word on your breaks?

[ruthabagah]

whats the word on your breaks?
Gravel.... So far the insurance and police report are in tune for an accident without anybody else involved. The police report conclude that I wasn't driving too fast, and that I just wiped out. My insurance is talking to the lady's insurance to see if they can get me some medical bill money, but I am not sure why. Due it it's age and mileage (2003 and 60k) the bike will be a total loss, I am just waiting to see how much they are going to give me. That sucks, I really loved this bike.

and I am still at the hospital, enjoying the cute nurses, but suffering through every breath. Now I am kind of an exception: only bike trauma without drawing one drop of blood for as long as they remember.

[davsel]

Glad you made it.
How bout an upgrade? https://www.ar-15.co/threads/119337-WTS-2009-Harley-Davidson-FLHX-Street-Glide?highlight=street+glide
I'll even throw in all my safety gear.

[sellersm]

Some drivers are just clueless: http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/24508309/cyclist-driver-didnt-see-me-stuck-in-windshield


MANITOWOC, Wis. (AP) -- A Wisconsin man who became lodged in the windshield of a car that struck him said he turned to the driver and said, "Hello, I'm the guy you hit on the bicycle."
The driver did not respond, but continued on, running a stop sign and hitting another vehicle before he arrived home, the cyclist, Steven Gove, told HTR Media about the Saturday incident ( http://htrne.ws/1bI58jh ).

[ruthabagah]

Glad you made it.
How bout an upgrade? https://www.ar-15.co/threads/119337-WTS-2009-Harley-Davidson-FLHX-Street-Glide?highlight=street+glide
I'll even throw in all my safety gear.
I'll keep it mind.