Went riding yesterday. It was the first ride of the season. It ended up being a short lucky 13 mile ride. It might have gone better, except I wrecked not even a mile into it.
On a side street near my house I looked back over my shoulder to check for cars. When I did, my front tire went of the road. Now this street doesn't have gutters. The asphalt just ends and the ground immediately drops into a ditch. In the next moment I was on my left side, lying on the street. I lost a bunch of cool points, but fortunately, I don't think anyone saw me.
My hands were bleeding and blood dripped onto the handlebars. Recently, to prove I'm approaching middle age, if not already there, I started carrying a handkerchief. But I didn't have one with me on the bike. It would've been nice to have something to wipe off my hands, especially after putting my chain back on. I wiped off the blood and grease in the grass the best I could, and resumed my ride.
I did graduate to bike shoes with cleats that attach to your pedals, and this was my first real ride using them, but I honestly don't think they were the cause of the wreck. If I did anything wrong after going off the road it was trying to get back on immediately. I should've rode down into the ditch, which is only about a foot and half deep, and regrouped. Rookie mistake.
OK, well, the wreck was embarrassing, so I thought I'd better blog about it and put it out on the internet.
On a side street near my house I looked back over my shoulder to check for cars. When I did, my front tire went of the road. Now this street doesn't have gutters. The asphalt just ends and the ground immediately drops into a ditch. In the next moment I was on my left side, lying on the street. I lost a bunch of cool points, but fortunately, I don't think anyone saw me.
My hands were bleeding and blood dripped onto the handlebars. Recently, to prove I'm approaching middle age, if not already there, I started carrying a handkerchief. But I didn't have one with me on the bike. It would've been nice to have something to wipe off my hands, especially after putting my chain back on. I wiped off the blood and grease in the grass the best I could, and resumed my ride.
I did graduate to bike shoes with cleats that attach to your pedals, and this was my first real ride using them, but I honestly don't think they were the cause of the wreck. If I did anything wrong after going off the road it was trying to get back on immediately. I should've rode down into the ditch, which is only about a foot and half deep, and regrouped. Rookie mistake.
OK, well, the wreck was embarrassing, so I thought I'd better blog about it and put it out on the internet.
Congrats on your first wreck! I am glad you survived. I wreck at least once a year and so far I have only sustained superficial damage. You know guys dig scars, right?!
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