Effin' OW!
Laid my bike down for the first time since I started riding today. Humility, thy name is asphalt.
I was at a stop, and I think I turned the front wheel too hard when I accelerated; the bike did a low-side skid for about ten feet with me under it.
Scorecard:
Helmet - Unscathed. Wore it, but my head never even touched the ground.
(Not that I'm complaining!)
Armor - Unscathed. Because I WASN'T WEARING IT. Stupid stupid stupid...
Chaps - Unscathed. See Armor.
(C'mon, it was a nice 80+ degree day. In WISCONSIN. I HAD to take advantage of it!)
Jeans - Right leg totaled at the knee. Nice big shred in the denim.
Bike - Scrape and minor dent at the edge of the exhaust pipe (this bike only has one).
- Rear brake pedal got jammed closer to the bike
(Hoping I can fix this with a prybar. Otherwise I need a new pedal).
- Some of the right-side grip wore away on the pavement.
- Some of the accelerator thingie that the grip is on wore away on the pavement.
- The right-side handlebar assembly got shoved forward about five degrees
(Imagine riding in a perpetual left turn)
(I'm hoping the little Allen bolts on the assembly are designed to let me move this back in place. Otherwise I might need to pay someone to do it).
Me - Right knee wore away on the pavement. Well, not all of it, but this is the first skinned knee I've had in twenty years. It's a doozy.
- Right forearm has a nice case of road rash. Luckily it was a concrete road and not REAL asphalt.
- Right shoulder took a twisting. Didn't dislocate - but feels like it was a near thing. Makes me damn glad it was a right turn - had I landed on my left side, that one would have popped for sure.
- Top of my right hand got scraped THROUGH my glove. No damage to said glove. WTF?
I did answer one pressing question - if I have to, I CAN lift the bike upright all by myself.
All said and done, it could have been worse. A couple on an Electro-glide stopped to make sure I was ok (this was still in the city) - the husband moved my bike out of the road while the wife did all the little tests to make sure I was ok. I swear, the biker community at large just amazes me. Yeah, the hand sign when you pass is nice, but this - this was above and beyond. Brought a tear to my eye. Or maybe that was the pain.
Anyway, I then rode the back 25 miles back home (because I had to).
So, God's messages to me today:
1: Yo, dummy. Wear your armor ALL THE TIME. Not just on days you plan to crash.
2: Ey, don't get cocky.
3: That new bike you been beggin' for? Y'ain't ready for it. Shut up.
Effin' ow. But at least it was low-speed, and I'm alive to feel it.
I was at a stop, and I think I turned the front wheel too hard when I accelerated; the bike did a low-side skid for about ten feet with me under it.
Scorecard:
Helmet - Unscathed. Wore it, but my head never even touched the ground.
(Not that I'm complaining!)
Armor - Unscathed. Because I WASN'T WEARING IT. Stupid stupid stupid...
Chaps - Unscathed. See Armor.
(C'mon, it was a nice 80+ degree day. In WISCONSIN. I HAD to take advantage of it!)
Jeans - Right leg totaled at the knee. Nice big shred in the denim.
Bike - Scrape and minor dent at the edge of the exhaust pipe (this bike only has one).
- Rear brake pedal got jammed closer to the bike
(Hoping I can fix this with a prybar. Otherwise I need a new pedal).
- Some of the right-side grip wore away on the pavement.
- Some of the accelerator thingie that the grip is on wore away on the pavement.
- The right-side handlebar assembly got shoved forward about five degrees
(Imagine riding in a perpetual left turn)
(I'm hoping the little Allen bolts on the assembly are designed to let me move this back in place. Otherwise I might need to pay someone to do it).
Me - Right knee wore away on the pavement. Well, not all of it, but this is the first skinned knee I've had in twenty years. It's a doozy.
- Right forearm has a nice case of road rash. Luckily it was a concrete road and not REAL asphalt.
- Right shoulder took a twisting. Didn't dislocate - but feels like it was a near thing. Makes me damn glad it was a right turn - had I landed on my left side, that one would have popped for sure.
- Top of my right hand got scraped THROUGH my glove. No damage to said glove. WTF?
I did answer one pressing question - if I have to, I CAN lift the bike upright all by myself.
All said and done, it could have been worse. A couple on an Electro-glide stopped to make sure I was ok (this was still in the city) - the husband moved my bike out of the road while the wife did all the little tests to make sure I was ok. I swear, the biker community at large just amazes me. Yeah, the hand sign when you pass is nice, but this - this was above and beyond. Brought a tear to my eye. Or maybe that was the pain.
Anyway, I then rode the back 25 miles back home (because I had to).
So, God's messages to me today:
1: Yo, dummy. Wear your armor ALL THE TIME. Not just on days you plan to crash.
2: Ey, don't get cocky.
3: That new bike you been beggin' for? Y'ain't ready for it. Shut up.
Effin' ow. But at least it was low-speed, and I'm alive to feel it.