After the Fall
I took a spill in September on the Kogswell. Dumbest kind of fall: I was gaining momentum up a hill going about 8mph when one of the grips slipped off and I pulled the wheel perpendicular and went down hard. It was the little half-grip on the right side -shortened to make space for the Nexus grip shifter. It had been loose for a while, and I found myself twiddling with it while I rode. I should have tightened it with some cloth tape underneath, but I never did.
So, down I went – hard, but not dangerous because of my slow speed. I haven’t ridden much for the rest of the year -a 40 mile ride here and there, but my shoulder was hurt, now better, but I still need to go to PT to finish it off.
Its not a big deal as far as crashes go. But its interesting how easily bliss can be derailed by a little dumb thing. Falling happens to everyone on a bike – the goal is to make it less likely to happen. Clearly, my neglect of the grip was going to bite me eventually.
Still, I plan to ride a Super Rando series next year – starting with the Rainbow 200K in San Diego. Here’s to happy riding in 2011!
vélo flâneur 
Know what you mean. I wreaked on my knee right after thanksgiving, and that’s kept me mostly off the bike since. It’s always the stupid JRA ones that really hurt!
Indeed. Although I’ve used the should as an excuse (plus the house purchase and tenure file due) for No Exercise At All. So, I’ve got a long way to go before I’m in shape. Rainbow will be harsh.
I hope you’re recovery is going well. Loose bar ends are what prompted me to recently drop a bunch of cash for new handlebars. I became weary of frequently re-attaching/re-adjusting them. Incidentally, I’m laid up for unrelated reasons, having had some much-needed surgery done. Newly upgraded bike, and no way to ride it for several more weeks
So here I am, reading cycling-related blogs all Winter…
Not a bad way to spend recovery time.
don’t take this the wrong way – but you should switch to lock on grips. they have c clamps that screw down with a small allen bolt and are far superior to simple rubber grips. hope you heal soon & happy new year.
I have those. Just not installed on this bike!
I used to have a real passion for track racing. I looked forward to Tuesday nights, and trained, and read forums about track racing. Then I got tangled up and went down in a pack on turn three, and I’ve really struggled to find any motivation to race again. I went out a couple of times the next season, but quickly found better things to do with my time. Lately, I’ve started missing the track a bit more, and maybe in another year or so I’ll be ready to get back on that Pista.