Holy hell. I've been doing this bike riding thing for a LOOOOOOONg time now..technically since I was around 5 or 6 or so. Since I lived in the hilliest area on earth (not really, but for a kid there were some whoppers there) it seems like someone was always catapulting down hills on bikes (or on the various body parts that contacted the pavement/chip'n'seal when they left said bike). I'm practically a PRO at this falling down a hill on a bike thing. (Slight road rash on the forearm and the "raspberry" on the forehead - which isn't quite as swollen now and isn't a surface wound, just a bruise...this was Sunday around noon.)But hell, when you get older, the pavement gets harder and your body doesn't quite bounce as well upon impact. That's right kids, I bit the big one on the QR this weekend. (May he rest in peace....) In all reality, I'm EXTREMELY lucky that I'm not more injured and even though I feel like HELL I do recognize that. It could be much, much worse. Hell, it SHOULD be worse. Thank God for all of those "practice" runs since I was a kid.
Going down a hill with a late-apex turn in it (Right is a profile of the hill - the bright blue is about a 16% grade, according to mapmyrun.com), realizing I was going a little too fast a little too late. Back brake - wheel slide, front brake - wheel slide. Well, tuck 'er in boys, this could be interesting. Decided to bleed as much speed as possible, grabbed both brakes and hung on, went off into the weeds - still trying to drop speed, stay upright and avoid the guardrail (with the big telephone pole behind it DIRECTLY in my trajectory). Avoided the end of the guardrail, that's good, but hit a HELLUVA divot as the banked roadway turns away and the shoulder drops off to the cross-road meeting. 
Divot effectively changed the direction of travel for both me and the bike. The force of the hit buckled and cracked my downtube, dropped my handlebars straight down and sent both me and the bike flipping into the air. (NOTE: Any time you are in the air long enough to have a series of conscious thoughts - you are in the air TOO LONG. My thoughts: tuck your head and let momentum roll me, relax my body, F*CK this is going to hurt...thump) Noah says I was quite high in the air, I got a good shot of the bike as I landed a good 3 or 4 feet higher than I was (and also upside down at that moment). I flew about 10 ft. laterally, bike went another 8-10 past me, landing in the brush (and taking a good lateral hit on the downtube). (Left is a "diagram" of the action - the green "dirt" sign is where I left the road, the red cross is the divot from hell, the "end" is where I hit and the red line is apx. where the bike landed, though it might have been a bit more in the woods)
Divot effectively changed the direction of travel for both me and the bike. The force of the hit buckled and cracked my downtube, dropped my handlebars straight down and sent both me and the bike flipping into the air. (NOTE: Any time you are in the air long enough to have a series of conscious thoughts - you are in the air TOO LONG. My thoughts: tuck your head and let momentum roll me, relax my body, F*CK this is going to hurt...thump) Noah says I was quite high in the air, I got a good shot of the bike as I landed a good 3 or 4 feet higher than I was (and also upside down at that moment). I flew about 10 ft. laterally, bike went another 8-10 past me, landing in the brush (and taking a good lateral hit on the downtube). (Left is a "diagram" of the action - the green "dirt" sign is where I left the road, the red cross is the divot from hell, the "end" is where I hit and the red line is apx. where the bike landed, though it might have been a bit more in the woods)I landed with a good thwack and turned my head to see Andre and Noah slowing down. I did a quick fingers, toes, ankles, head, knees check to see if anything was hurting (or missing feeling).
When all of the requisite parts let me know they were present and accounted for (and pissed off and hurting where applicable) I started to sit up. Now I know that's not the best idea usually, but my back was hurting MORE THAN ENOUGH to let me know that I hadn't broken it - I still had feeling, after all, and the pain was all lateral across my back and more in my ass than anything else. I took these as all good signs. (You can't see them, but there are 2 clean cracks all the way through the foam on the bottom of this helmet. There are also marks on the front, the top and enough gravel inside it to not surprise me that I keep finding it in my hair...) I also started running through the checklists internally - I knew what had happened, could run through it step-by-step, knew my name, who the guys were, were I was (or a good idea of about where I was) and that I was still upset about who the President was. Took the helmet off and took a look at it, same with the glasses. Asked the boys if I had any cuts on my face (I had started crying at this point and wanted to kinda start wiping off...). I also asked them to check if I cracked my frame. I knew I had done major damage, and I know I don't EVER want to hear the sound of carbon fiber snapping again, WOW that's a freaky sound. There's NEVER anything good about to happen when you hear that crackling and pop.
When all of the requisite parts let me know they were present and accounted for (and pissed off and hurting where applicable) I started to sit up. Now I know that's not the best idea usually, but my back was hurting MORE THAN ENOUGH to let me know that I hadn't broken it - I still had feeling, after all, and the pain was all lateral across my back and more in my ass than anything else. I took these as all good signs. (You can't see them, but there are 2 clean cracks all the way through the foam on the bottom of this helmet. There are also marks on the front, the top and enough gravel inside it to not surprise me that I keep finding it in my hair...) I also started running through the checklists internally - I knew what had happened, could run through it step-by-step, knew my name, who the guys were, were I was (or a good idea of about where I was) and that I was still upset about who the President was. Took the helmet off and took a look at it, same with the glasses. Asked the boys if I had any cuts on my face (I had started crying at this point and wanted to kinda start wiping off...). I also asked them to check if I cracked my frame. I knew I had done major damage, and I know I don't EVER want to hear the sound of carbon fiber snapping again, WOW that's a freaky sound. There's NEVER anything good about to happen when you hear that crackling and pop. My back hurt, but I was crying much harder for my beloved bike than for myself. Sure I was scared and figured that I had more than a couple bloody spots on me - but my poor little guy all 
broken was way more distressing, still is.
broken was way more distressing, still is.In reality, I'm lucky AS HELL. Knowing how to fall helped a lot. Knowing that crashing a bike is NOT the end of the world, it's going to happen if you ride long enough - helped me a lot. But knowing to stay calm and stay present through the process and try to affect the outcome and travel the best line possible was my biggest bonus. Noah says we were going about or at least 35. (My computer and tool bag were in the garage at the house) I know I bled quite a bit of speed before the shit hit the fan, but to fly that high, that far and land that hard (just ask my ass) I was still traveling at a good clip. Objects in motion...blah blah...unless acted upon by another force....divots suck. But to come out of it with ONLY a BUNCH of bumps and bruises, some gravel in my hair, ears, butt crack and shoes - no concussion, found both water bottles, all the components on the bike are salvageable, and I don't think I'll even have to trash the tri-top....I've already sent more than a few "thank you" prayers upstairs.
Gar says I've joined the elite group of people that have cracked a frame. While not a group I really WANTED to join, if I means the outcome I've had, I'll take it. That blessed little frame probably saved me quite a bit of pain. And as the boys keep saying every time I start crying, "Bike frames can be replaced, you can't." Good news: I didn't hurt Gar's new Rudy Project photocromatic glasses (I still think the one spot was snot) and my RUDY PROJECT Slinger helmet kept my brains in. (I would recommend they put just a smidge more foam at the very front - my forehead has the same request.) I will, from here on out, only be buying Rudy Project helmets. The Slinger's their new helmet in 2009 and one of the entry-level helmets. I'm probably going to upgrade a bit to the next level, but I will forever be thankful for that helmet. I know my head slammed into the ground hard 
(it took 2 showers to get out all the gravel in my hair - and to have the impact mark on my forehead from the SECOND thump it took...) and, well, enough gushing, I'm just a fan. A big fan. Good stuff. Other positives: as of Monday morning, almost all wounds have stopped oozing (one small spot on shoulder) and started healing, we got a helluva 25 or 26 miles in BEFORE I made it interesting, no concussion, the socks and the top washed clean of Gu (chocolate mint sacrifice in the back pocket of the top - scared the hell out of Noah when I sat up, looked like blood, but provided a snack while waiting for Gar and the car - also ensured that the paper towel "seat protector" didn't move in the car), never riding alone and always having good friends around to take care of me. 
(it took 2 showers to get out all the gravel in my hair - and to have the impact mark on my forehead from the SECOND thump it took...) and, well, enough gushing, I'm just a fan. A big fan. Good stuff. Other positives: as of Monday morning, almost all wounds have stopped oozing (one small spot on shoulder) and started healing, we got a helluva 25 or 26 miles in BEFORE I made it interesting, no concussion, the socks and the top washed clean of Gu (chocolate mint sacrifice in the back pocket of the top - scared the hell out of Noah when I sat up, looked like blood, but provided a snack while waiting for Gar and the car - also ensured that the paper towel "seat protector" didn't move in the car), never riding alone and always having good friends around to take care of me. 
The bad news: sQekR has bit the big one (Bike frames can be replaced)...the bike was one of my most prized posessions....so it still sucks and I'm still crying about it...but it took the hit and the impact and i didn't....my shorts are probably toast (they, too, took the brunt of the impact and are a bit stretched out) - I can't say enough about my Pearl Izumi shorts....minimized road rash taking the impact of 160lbs travelling downward at a HIGH rate of speed onto gravel....no gashes deep enough to even cause concern, more good stuff....HELL MY ASS HURTS...as does my shoulder, my back, my thigh and my hand. (We'll just not mention where this bruise is, other than to say it hurts..taken Monday morning.)
Looks like I'm eating Ramen for the next few months as I try to replace my bike ASAP. Anyone know where I can find a 2006 QR Seduza, size Small frame?
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