kangthe
October 1st, 2011, 01:39 PM
It's been almost a week now - here's my story - maybe someone can learn from this, it wasn't what I thought would take me down.
Been riding only a few months, took MSF read everything - shoei helmet, decent textile jacket, overpants, hiking boots.
Nice Sunday ride in the foothills - went into a section of road I was unfamiliar with but was being careful when all of a sudden 3 sportbikes come screaming up to my left when approaching a fairly blind turn. I turned my head to see where they were (and probably moved to the right a little), they passed as I looked front again and I realized I hadn't yet set up for the turn and was now too far right and too fast. I hit the brakes and saw the side of the road was dirt and looked soft and tracked the bike into the soft patch and then tried to turn left out of the dirt. Bike slammed to the ground and I kept rolling.
Only serious damage to me was something sharp split my riding overpants, jeans and went to my knee bone. Hairline crack and some damage to muscle/surrounding tissue. Surgery and now I'm in a velcro cast for 6 weeks plus. I might have been fine but the overpants shifted down and the split missed my knee pad by .5 inch or less.
The bike's in the shop now but I think it's likely a goner or at least more than I can afford to fix. No full coverage.
What I learned:
Get the full coverage if you can swing it -don't rationalize it away
Get the strap on armor stuff that goes under your pants - if I had it; I would have been perfectly fine
Drive with a buddy - I should have tried harder to find someone to ride with that was experienced.
Don't worry about the other riders - focus on your ride and if you get distracted; just brake and pull to the side and recollect your thoughts.
Finally, I have run into folks that were really great (mostly riders) that were really sorry to hear of the accident, but were truly supportive. So many others were full of stories/conclusions on how dangerous bikes are; figure now I should be convinced how stupid riding is etc Can't tell you how sick I am of that. I could have been injured similarly missing a stair step (then what, no more stairs?)
I may not be able to readily get back to riding due to $$ to replace or fix the bike and mostly because my wife was adamantly against it and now figures I got what I deserved (really); but, man riding really is terrific and I loved the whole 3 mos or so I was able to enjoy it.
Stay safe
Mike
Been riding only a few months, took MSF read everything - shoei helmet, decent textile jacket, overpants, hiking boots.
Nice Sunday ride in the foothills - went into a section of road I was unfamiliar with but was being careful when all of a sudden 3 sportbikes come screaming up to my left when approaching a fairly blind turn. I turned my head to see where they were (and probably moved to the right a little), they passed as I looked front again and I realized I hadn't yet set up for the turn and was now too far right and too fast. I hit the brakes and saw the side of the road was dirt and looked soft and tracked the bike into the soft patch and then tried to turn left out of the dirt. Bike slammed to the ground and I kept rolling.
Only serious damage to me was something sharp split my riding overpants, jeans and went to my knee bone. Hairline crack and some damage to muscle/surrounding tissue. Surgery and now I'm in a velcro cast for 6 weeks plus. I might have been fine but the overpants shifted down and the split missed my knee pad by .5 inch or less.
The bike's in the shop now but I think it's likely a goner or at least more than I can afford to fix. No full coverage.
What I learned:
Get the full coverage if you can swing it -don't rationalize it away
Get the strap on armor stuff that goes under your pants - if I had it; I would have been perfectly fine
Drive with a buddy - I should have tried harder to find someone to ride with that was experienced.
Don't worry about the other riders - focus on your ride and if you get distracted; just brake and pull to the side and recollect your thoughts.
Finally, I have run into folks that were really great (mostly riders) that were really sorry to hear of the accident, but were truly supportive. So many others were full of stories/conclusions on how dangerous bikes are; figure now I should be convinced how stupid riding is etc Can't tell you how sick I am of that. I could have been injured similarly missing a stair step (then what, no more stairs?)
I may not be able to readily get back to riding due to $$ to replace or fix the bike and mostly because my wife was adamantly against it and now figures I got what I deserved (really); but, man riding really is terrific and I loved the whole 3 mos or so I was able to enjoy it.
Stay safe
Mike