Last week I was out on a ride with 2 coworkers out Buckhorn road west of Ft. Collins. We had just finished the major climb of the rout and beginning the decent on very gravelly road surface when I came around a corner to see a stopped cyclist (my co-worker Robert) and a stopper car side by side blocking the road! At 25 miles per hour down 8% grade on gravel over asphalt my options were limited. Stopping was not going to happen in time. I swung to the 36" wide gap between the car and the outside of the oncoming lane. I rolled along the edge of the road for about 20 feet before sliding off the road and down a 15ft bank at about 15mph. Flipping over the bars I came to rest on some bolders and logs at the base of the 4 white trees in the picture bellow:
The impact was on my helmeted head and shoulder blade. My back hurts! I laid there a few minutes to see if the intense pain would pass but it did not. I crawled up the hill and lay on the roadside trying to find the least painful body position. My ride was certainly over, only about 25 miles into an 80 miler ride:
At that point I noticed Steven with a bloody arm and realize he crashed behind me as well. He locked up his rear wheel and skid though his gatorskin and the tube, and then swerved off the same side of the road to abound the car. His landing spot was softer but his shoulder was also hurt.
It would seem that the lead rider Robert swung his turn into the oncoming lane whit an oncoming car ridding the line and the both stopped in a panic side by side. If either party would have kept going, nobody would have been hurt. Son of a #%*! My bike was still in one piece and I avoided a potentially deadly crash and took the painful but sirvivable option. Some times you have to pick your lemons in life.
The pervious week I had logged my longest week ever, 275 miles including a killer 80 mile gravel road ride. I was feeling awesome and on my way to log another week well over 200 miles when I crashed. Some shots from the gravel group ride the week before. Steven riding to Ft. collins on the Horizon and myself fixing a flat:
So now after a full 7 days off the bike I am back on my bike riding to work, somewhat uncomfortable but not in a ton of pain. My back is recovering each day. I should be back at 100% in another 2 weeks, I hope.
After the crash I saw my life and plans in a new light. I don't want to leave my wife states away for work. I need her love and support too much. Since that is decided, I also scrapped my all in one bike build idea. I'm now going to build a full on XC race bike with flat bar and lockout suspension fork. I will also need to leave Fischer Plumbing for a new team next year. No need to paint my bike team colors. I bought a blank Carbon frame from China and did my own graphics with 3m reflective tape. I'm pleased with it so far:
