A Bike Crash

While Land Girl did not do much a week ago to warrant a post, I figured I had better write about a recent event in my life, since Land Girl told me that there should be a blog post about this. It was not as definitive as she usually says, "There better be a blogpost about that!", but close enough. Due to my foot problems I have been doing more biking, and have not done my daily walk since early January, although I have done two short hikes (on ground or grass) in that time frame. Perhaps at some point the medical providers will figure out the issues, but so far, they have failed me. On Tuesday morning, June 14, I had a misfortune of a crash while biking.

I bike for about 40 minutes, generally the same route, but may alter the route based on how things are going on a specific day. My last section of the route has me enter the cul-de-sac on which we live by its only road intersection then I bypass our house that is on the right getting up speed to go around the cul-de-sac a few houses beyond. I do this to approach our garage from the left, gaining speed, so as not to downshift going up our steep driveway. And, until that day, I found it sort of fun--seeing how fast I can go around the cul-de-sac bulb.  Apparently, I should not be going as fast as I was, particularly with detritus on the pavement.

Land Girl has seen me do this and seemed rather perplexed as to why not just go up the drive rather than bypassing the house. I think she did her favorite thing when she first saw me do this, which of course is to shake her head. For some reason, I think she confuses the head shakes, as they are most always side to side (disapproval or no) rather than up and down (approval or yes). Going by the house that one day a month or so ago she must have been mistaken in shaking her head side to side, surely she meant up and down.

How did I crash?  I hit detritus from the leaf out of Locust trees which are one of the common street trees on our street. That detritus combined with the rain from the day before left a squishy, slippery layer on the pavement. The result of the crash was road burn and some large contusions on my left forearm, near the elbow, my left knee and calf, and my left hip. A couple days later I started suffering a stiff neck. Thankfully, I had on cargo shorts with thick pockets which I think helped protect my hip from even more road burn. Luckily, I did not have my phone with me as that may well have gotten banged up as it is usually in my left pocket. Of all the bruises the one on the hip seems to be the worst, but it has, due to the cargo shorts, little road rash. I am also lucky that the road was repaved a few years ago and it has yet to be seal coated. Seal coating puts all those little pebbles colored black with tar which results in a more rough surface--ideal for road rash and cuts, and ripping off skin. With the bike on top of me, I laid on the pavement for a moment to mentally assess my injuries before getting up. I got up and walked the bike to the garage. I entered the house, expecting my wife (aka Land Girl), a registered nurse to be there, but she was not. I called upstairs and looked and called out the back, but no nurse. I then tended to myself wiping off the road rash and getting an ice pack. I was about to get a cloth to put between one of my bruises and the ice pack, which I decided against, when Land Girl walked in, she was visiting a neighbor, and saw me holding the ice pack. She asked if I got hurt. I told her the story. She had walked with a neighbor that morning and she said the neighbor slipped on the same stuff, but did not fall. My bike wheel and I were not as fortunate.

I expected a lecture, about biking too fast, but she was actually more sympathetic and even said she was sorry she was not home to help tend to my wounds. I think this is because she knew how bad it was since the neighbor slipped. Later of course, she said she tells me to be careful, to which I responded that she had not said be careful that morning but take it easy. The take it easy was a reference to the heat. I of course may have jinked myself because I made the comment as I got in the garage that I will live up to my middle name, which I have told her in the past is "Careful." I think I have to stop telling her that is my middle name.

I thought I was careful, but the top of the leaf spoils was dry, and below was wet. I wonder if E-bikers, and E-Assist bikers have crashes, and what that can do to the electronic system of their bikes? You can spot e-bikers quite easily and not by looking at the bike, but at the position they ride the bike and that very smug smile on their face going up a hill without a care in the world. I see this frequently now. In fact, that Tuesday of the crash I passed one on a bike path. The most smug of the smug faces of these electronic bikers where a couple at Hartman Creek State Park. I was doing some off road trails, but passed on the mountain bike trails, and there they were heading toward me with their four inch wide fat tire bikes made more for winter than mountain biking. I was going down a hill, and there they are coming up with the smirks on their face, not breaking a sweat, despite the heat, and hardly peddling. I saw them on the way back too, with the opposite--they going down and I going up. These E-bikers could well be singing a song from Mary Poppins as they looked like practically perfect people peddling the path. Needless to say with the little effort they expend they had not to worry about their faces getting to the red color of their fat tired bikes.

The day after I crashed, a Wednesday, I was more careful on curves. I am on the bike path coming to an intersection by Chase Lumber and I see a five or six year old on an electric scooter on the bike path. Not the type of scooter you stand on, but those that like like small motor bikes that you sit on. Really, a small kid riding an electric scooter. I am not sure the rules of electric powered items on a bike path. Driving down the road in an electric car, perhaps some will wish to avoid a back up and just tool down a nearby bike path. To meet American Association of Highway and Transportation Engineer Standards, bike (or recreation paths) should be minimum 8' wide, preferably 10' with a 2' clear zone on each side, plenty of room for a car as one way traffic.

I am not sure what is next for my feet, but I hope I can once again, and soon, get back to activities, such as golf, badminton (maybe take up pickle ball, even TJ Watt plays it), hiking with Land Girl, and of course a daily walk where I can travel paths less used, take time to enjoy the surroundings, and look at wildlife. In the meantime, I will watch the speed on curves and watch for kids on scooters, not to mention the smug expressions of the practically perfect people that are E-bikers.