Ouch!
I spent a wonderful couple of hours covering miles of Stanmer singletrack that included plenty of out-loud whoops and big grins. On my homeward loop beginning on the east side of the park I approached a lipped jump landing on a downward slope that I have always found tricky. I have seen others buccaroo-ed by this ‘feature’ and have come close myself in the past. After a couple dry runs and sporting my new-found full sus’ confidence I had a go.
The actual tumble is a bit vague but I do remember the front digging in, me beginning to abort/bail over the bars and my feet getting tangled up in the bike – which followed me. Next thing I know I’m on the floor giving myself the usual post-tumble once-over and expecting nothing worse than the usual bumps and bruises. Oh dear, my left hand/wrist is kindof offset by an inch or two (see pic) and I can’t move it. Oh shit.
I was on my own and thankfully remembered my mobile so I called an ambulance, but they had trouble locating me so I had to shout after a passing mtber. “Tim” was a godsend and went to guide the ambulance which arrived in about 30-45 minutes. Once I was confident someone was enroute to rescue me I phoned wifey to arrange a rescue for my new bike which I was equally anxious about!
It transpired I’d broken BOTH wrists – one is a relatively simple fracture but I’ve mashed the end of the radius pretty bad on the other. Although the ambulance crew were fantastic my nhs experience went rapidly down hill from there, but that’s another story. As I type postie is bringing me a small shops worth of new CDs and DVDs to keep my recovery on track but I’ll be back out on the trails in a couple of months. See you all then.
P7Rich
PS. If you are Tim or you know Tim please pass on a further ‘thanks’.
PPS. I have never considered wrist protection since my teenage skating days. Bit late I know but the online order is already in.
Bloody hell! You must have landed pretty hard to break BOTH wrists. Credit to the guy who rescued you, lucky he was passing. Get well soon!
Rich,
how did you manage to type with two mangled wrists?
Healing vibes to you Rich!
Pete
Russ- thanks for your well wishes. I remember deciding l needed a BIT of pace! I don’t know exactly what happened but i suspect my wrists took the weight of the bike plus my bodyweight.
Mike – Good question! Thankfully my right wrist, though broken, was not displaced like the left and gives me a degree of independance.
Ouch Rich ! ! . . that looks and sounds so painful. Hope you continue to make good progress to recovery. I’ve a feeling I know where the crash took place and it always serves as a reminder that bad stuff can happen on your doorstep over stuff we do regularly.
Hope to see you back out soon on either the P7 or whatever fancy double-bouncy machine it is that you’ve now got. (like RedBull, full-sussers don’t actually GIVE you wings, just the deluded belief that you have them! haha)
Thanks Neil & Pete. I’ll deffo be out again once l’m able. Dying to already. Anyway, boring, dry, sunny summer riding is overated!
Well Rich.. I haven’t been riding for last 10 days.. Similar story to yours just the wrist is not THAT bad!
All I can say again is that No protection No crazy riding!
chin up m8 – hope you heal soon!
Thanks Rob. Chin hasn’t really dropped, these things happen. Casts came off this week and l have just entered a world of painful, boring physio. If current recovery rate continues l reckon l’ll be out doing a few road miles in a couple of weeks.
Went back to the scene of the crime a few days ago. Looks like l travelled 15-20 feet and fell maybe 5-6 feet in height. What a div’, I’m taking a parachute next time l go out!