OK, so I start reading these and decided to join in on the “fun” of telling one’s story of crashes and follies. So I am out riding on the Seneca Park blue trail (one that I know VERY well by the way) on an early morning ride. Temp outside is a nice 29 degrees so everything you hit feels a little harder than normal.
There is a section that I always dismount from my bike and do a little hike-a-bike over a dry rivine. I’m coming back in from an incredible ride and I pass a couple of hotties just starting their ride. Guys are stupid when it comes to trying to impress the opposite sex…well at least I am anyway. I start to hammer a little harder and I am back at the section of the trail where I dismount. Not today! I decide that on this day I am going to try and clear the rivine. Keep in mind there is no jump, ramp, or anything that will help me clear this thing. I am not great at bunny-hopping anything wider than my downtube so this can only turn out bad!!
I started off pretty smooth and I felt like the king of world being up in the air. However, as I am coming down I can sense that my front tire is going to go straight into the opposite bank and get caught with me pretty much heading over the handlebars. Where the pain comes is as my tire sticks in the ground, the handlebar gets turned and as I am flying over the bars my thigh goes right into the bar. The placement of the bar was literally 1/2″ from the family jewels on my upper thigh. (The bike is OK though!!) As I am laying in agony on the cold ground I hear the two hottie riders coming to a screaching halt about 4 feet from me asking me if I am OK. I am in about the worst pain of my life right there and my pride gets in the way as I tell them that it’s all good! At this moment I wanted to do nothing but cry and get into the fetal position. After convincing them that it was just a small spill they finally ride off into the trail and I check the damage. I wish I had my digital with me because words just don’t do this any justice. All I saw was blue down there and it looked like someone whacked my leg with a baseball bat.
All I have to say is OUCH!!! I have learned that no matter who is watching me, there is no shame in dismounting the bike and taking a few safe steps over potential danger!!