MetaChat - Where did that curb come from?

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24 July 2009

Where did that curb come from? WARNING; BLOOD So I wrecked my bike. First good one in a long while, maybe my worst ever, actually.→[More:]

I'm typing this now because my left fingers are going to swell up soon.

As it says, I hit a curb I kinda knew was there, but because I was night-riding and unusually for me taking the sidewalk, I hit this thing and went airborne. That was the fun part.

Then there was this mad scramble of flesh and metal and concrete, then I had enough oomph to stand up and take inventory. I was banged up a little, but my bike took it hard too.

It's a DSB (Department Store Bike) -- a Target special -- otherwise known to purists as a BLO (Bike-Like Object). But it's served me well for ten years, about 6 cents a day, evened out. Considering how heavy I've been and how I keep doing things like throwing the gears the wrong way, it's all held up to the abuse.

I've been preparing to convert it to my second bike, as there's enough money in the budget for me to get a decent Trek or Giant in the $500+ range. I've even been thinking about serious biking for the first time in year, doing stuff I've never done like multi-day cross country rides and unsupported rides for charity (like around Lake Michigan). I need to lose weight and keep it off for my blood sugar control, and I may as well make it a lifestyle.

So all that was percolating in my mind tonight, and then it became the grand guignol. Ah well. Battle scars!

I am going to feel this in some very odd places tomorrow. I hope I can move.

post by: dhartung at: 00:25 | 15 comments

Ahh, I'm sorry. Please take care of yourself, that looks awful! I'm glad there's a silver lining in all of this though.

posted by theicono 24 July | 00:29

"I've even been thinking about serious biking for the first time in year"

As have I, I cannot really afford the cost of a gym, and I have about 3/4 mile length of residential street with light traffic and no stop signs just outside where I live.

I hope the wounds are not as bad as they look.

posted by Ardiril 24 July | 00:38

It's a DSB (Department Store Bike) -- a Target special -- otherwise known to purists as a BLO (Bike-Like Object). But it's served me well for ten years,

I have one of those too. Best $55 I ever spent - 10 years as well - and it has hundreds of miles and even a triathlon under its belt. It brooks no slights.

Sorry, though, that you bit it so badly. That's a lot of road apples. Have you gotten proper first aid for it? Looks like it'll sting like hell, but ...are you sure you don't need stitches? At the very least it looks like your knee needs irrigation and an antiseptic and a loose, light, clean dressing for overnight. And definitely some Tylenol. Keep everything clean with soap and water and head right to the doctor if you don't see healing progressing, or have any swollen hot areas that might be infected.

Seriously - that's a major wipeout. Glad your injuries aren't more urgent, but they're worth taking really good care of. Ouch ouch. That's like a good solid 10-year-old-kid bike-jousting wipeout, circa 1978.

posted by Miko 24 July | 00:53

Oh, as I say, Ardiril, I'll live. I overreacted once as a kid when I wiped out on gravel and walked myself to the ER to have it all picked out. Probably unnecessary. This is not worse than that.

My fingers starting to stiffen up, I may not be nettng much tomorrow.

I'm mostly kicking myself for hitting a curb I should have rememebere d was ther. And for the damag to my bike.

See, my 'e' finger is going

I could have banged my head or worse and I am always going to worry about head injury now that I have a history of it (from gtting whacked in the head by a drug dealer with a 2x4 last fall). But my helmet doesn't have a scratch.

posted by dhartung 24 July | 00:53

Miko, thanks, I got it pretty well cleaned out and under gauze. There's nothing like flaps of skin or exposed cartilage. It had an interesting "layered" effect as thoguh I hit it up to three separate times. But it's mostly front-to-back parallel scratches up to two inches long.

Really, I have so many other scars from being property joustabout around my parents rpoperty that this is only slightly more than usual. My main concern is that as a diabetic things do heal more slowly. But triple anitbiotic helps with that.

posted by dhartung 24 July | 00:57

Oh, and I'm pretty sure nothing is broken anywhere. I can move all my fingers even though they're sore, and I can move the knee, I just don't ... like to.

posted by dhartung 24 July | 00:59

Ouch x 10. Well, have a good night's sleep and hope it doesn't hurt too much in the A.M.

posted by Miko 24 July | 01:20

I go down on my bike (can I SAY that?) about once a year. I will consider it an omen if I go down and stay down.

What usually gets me are either wet leaves, or hitting irregularities (tracks, little curbs etc) at an angle.

I am glad that you are OK. Glad you had a helmet on, even if it did not come into play.

posted by danf 24 July | 09:45

Oh, I always wear a helmet now, danf! I'm post head injury so it's a requirement.

It doesn't hurt as bad as I was worried now, but ripping the bloody gauze off ... now that was a trip. :-S

I cannot touch type with my left hand at all though.

posted by dhartung 24 July | 10:17

Ouchie! Sounds like your knee is being taken care of but what about your hand? Are you sure nothing is broken? You might want to try ibuprofen for the muscle aches (instead of Tylenol). Please take it easy for the next few days, you're gonna hurt in places you didn't even know existed.

I had a spill like that as a kid. I turned up a driveway to go into the library parking lot. I didn't quite turn far enough and my front tire caught on the lip of the driveway and I lost control. My knees and hands were shredded.

posted by deborah 24 July | 11:35

I feel your pain... although my tumble last year was not as bad. When you're feeling better, give your helmet a very thorough examination. I thought my helmet was fine at first too, then I noticed it was cracked through in a couple places. And even if you don't see damage, it wouldn't be a bad idea to replace it.

Sorry you have a boo-boo; but I'm glad it wasn't worse. Good luck getting a new bike; that'll be fun!

posted by Doohickie 24 July | 12:06

Ow. Ow ow ow. Definitely ibuprofen. And some polysporin.

posted by chewatadistance 24 July | 13:44

Well, I'm thinking about going to urgent care for the finger. Sites like WebMD suggest that you really can't tell at first and it should be x-rayed and evaluated.

I have no head or neck soreness so I really think I lucked out there.

Once I get some oomph back I am going up there at night and guerrilla-painting that curb with yellow safety paint. It's hard to see even in the daytime, actually.

Bing aerial -- it's the gray dot in the middle. Note how the white crossing lines guide you right into it.

Google Street View (look to right)

Oh, bitter irony alert. The building where I crashed has had a sign up for ages saying "603 Days Since Last Injury" without changing it. I just always hoped the safety officer was too busy checking on safety stuff to update the sign. (It is a sign company.) Anyway, I can no longer mock the sign.

posted by dhartung 24 July | 15:06

Wowee that's a pretty bad one - even worse then when I took a hard spill off a Segway when I was on vacation earlier this month. (y'all might need a facebook account to see that picture).

Anyway, my big scrape developed an infection and I had to take some antibiotics for a week or so, but it's healing just fine now. Keep an eye on it and if it starts getting inflamed and draining pus then you know what to do.

posted by muddgirl 24 July | 15:29

Well, part of my scrape is just starting to scab over (the big bloody one has a ways to go yet).

I do so hate the way the gauze binds itself into my skin. Gotta change it more than three times a day, I guess.

posted by dhartung 25 July | 11:20

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