Took a dive today...

saintsfan342000

Well it was really more of a flip than a dive, actually.

So it's about 7 am and I'm on my way home from campus following a 3 1/2 mile run with some friends. I'm eager to get home so I can shower up and get back to sleep, so I'm haulin' ass on my Trek 7.2 FX. I come to this one tricky area of campus where there are 4 barriers, basically aligned as though they form the 4 corners of a square with sides that are maybe 50 feet long. For whatever reason they have steel cables tied from one barrier to the next, such that the cables run perpendicular to the direction I'm riding. I guess they put them there to prevent cars from entering campus at this one spot. Anyways, I'm sure you can see where this is going...

I'm riding down the road without my glasses, it's early and the sun still hasn't broken the horizon yet, and I can't recall exactly how they position these cables. Well rather than play it safe I squint as good as I can and decide that it's safe for me to just keep on riding...WRONG. About 3 feet away from the thing I see the cable and I don't even bother to apply the breaks. I just get ready to get uncontrollably launched off my seat. Bike hits the cables, cable snaps, bike comes to a stop, I fly over the handlebars BUT because I had that fraction of a second to prepare myself I'm able to sort of "push off" the handlebars such that my feet more or less stay under me. I hit the ground feet first then plant with my right hand, and after realizing that I made it through relatively unharmed, I go and check on the bike. Water bottle flew off, chain came off the crank, and the only irrepairable damage was that my front reflector got snapped off. I hoped back on, thanked my lucky stars, and rode on home, only to realize upon getting there that I'd lost my keys in that ordeal and had to ride back to the scene of the accident to find them.

Long story short:
(1) It was a horridly stupid move on my part.
(2) That Trek sure can take a lickin'
(3) Somebody upstairs likes me because I sustained virtually no injury, minus a slightly bruised right hand, which was not nearly bad enough to keep me from taking my C'dale out for a Monday night club ride.

Thanks for reading.

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Simplicity and reserve will be practiced and petty effects and frippery avoided.

mongooseboy

Even though that made me laugh a little, I'm glad your ok I know about the preparatoni thing, i was screwing around in my back yard once on my brothers bike, somehow it was set up so the front brake had about half inch of play and then locked up...well bike started to endo but i somehow managed to jump off and push off the handlebars like you and landed on my feet...I wish I could do that on the trails!

You wont forget anytime soon where those cables are I bet...ride safely and dont forget your glasses!

have a good day

CAMPYBOB

Check your fork and headtube area CAREFULLY. Inspect it for the next few rides also.

kdelong

+1. Cracked welds are difficult to find until they break right in the middle of a monster downhill run!

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One life, one chance. Don't waste it!

limerickman

Good suggestion by Bob : make sure that your wheels are aligned and that the headset and frame are in tact.

I had a spill a couple of weaks ago : after changing tube on rear wheel, I didn't tighten the back wheel properly.
Took a shrp right in the main street, little bit of surface oil.
Rear wheel slide from under me - I went right, bike went skidding left.
Slow crash.

So make sure to check your bike thoroughly before you go for your next spin.
Even experienced (supposedly) riders like moi, overlook things.

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.."But finally the last thing I’ll say to the people who don’t believe in cycling, the cynics and the sceptics. I'm sorry for you. I’m sorry that you can’t dream big. [I]I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles. You should believe in these athletes, and you should believe in these people. I'll be a fan of the Tour de France for as long as I live. And there are no secrets" - this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it - Armstrong 2005 TDF
morelike hypocrisy.