I had a bit of an accident today, and just wanted to thank everyone from Tim's ride for helping me out. The ride was going beautifully until I came around a corner and realized that the line I had picked for the turn included a portion of road that had crumbled away. Instead of swerving to avoid it I tried to just straighten up and ride it out, but there was a significant drop onto the soft part of the road and the front wheel planted, so I went up-and-over. The next thing I remember is being stuck under my bike. I guess the bike went up-and-over also and landed on my head.
12 hours later I'm home with one broken ankle and one skinned finger. My helmet did not fair nearly as well. My bike is okay though because I used my head as a frame slider.
This was by no means the hottest or sharpest corner of the day, I just picked a wide line at a time when the edge of the road was missing. Tony tried to make me feel better by telling me I set up wide on the turn because a cage coming the other way had pushed me to the outside on the previous turn, but I've got no excuses, I just f'ed up and I'm glad no one else got hurt. Sorry I screwed up the ride and Tim's perfect record as a leader.
So a big thanks to Tim for spending 12 hours making sure I got home and my bike got to DucPond, and another big thanks to Scott, Tony, Tazima, and Dana for coming to the hospital. And one more shout out to the random couple that threw me in their truck and drove me off the mountain to the hospital since there was no cell coverage.
This may just be the percocet talking, but you guys are awesome! :)
Aw nuts man! At least the silver lining is that you're ok for the most part. The broken ankle will heal, and it's really good to hear there wasn't anything worse that happened considering the mention of your mashed up helmet.
Speedy recovery to you - and glad to know that it will be a simple one.
!!!! oh man! I hope you get well soon!
I'm glad the lid served its primary function for the most part. Heal up soon!
Ouch. Glad you're OK. When you're up to it I'll buy you a beer at Asylum. Goes great with Percocet.
I was about to say, I'd better not see you on P St or 18th St with a beer in one hand and a Percocet in the other.
Wow...God speed to yor recovery...I am happy to hear that you only sustained slight injuries...Get well soon, and if I ever make it to Rhodeside...your drinks are on me!
Man! Sorry to hear that! Glad you are mostly ok! I wish you and your bike a speedy recovery! I wasn't sure I heard you right on your message until I saw this post. Get well and rehab the ankle and we will hit the shore soon enough. Take care [thumbsup]
Yuck story
Great responses
Good ending. Bikes can be replaced, body parts not so much.
Glad you're ok.
where was the crappy road?
Very sorry to hear about your get-off, and I hope you recover quickly. Maybe we can do one of the good local rides (e.g., up River Road out to Whites Ferry/Barnesville/Old Rag) to help you regain your sea legs, once the bike and you are fixed. I also have a pretty comprehensive set of tools so if you are doing any of the work yourself and need something just give me a call, since I am just a few convenient blocks away.
Usually I do my pre-flight check the day before but Saturday I didn't get to it until the morning of the ride. I hopped on the bike and the rear tire sank to the rim - a quick inspection revealed a big cotter pin stuck in the center of the tread, apparently a by-product of my ride last Sunday. As a backup plan I thought I'd take my Triumph instead, so I pulled that one off the Tender, out of the garage, and started kicking. Battery was dead as a doornail, despite having been on the tender (turned out to be completely dry). So right around the time you were arriving in Gainesville, I was arriving at Myers Cycle in Kensington to drop off my Ducati rear wheel for repair and pick up a new battery for the Bonneville. Oh well.
Dave
Thanks for all the well-wishes. I'm not sure where we were. Tim would know. The cop who came said that two bikers had died there recently. To be fair to the road though, the shitty piece that flipped the bike was right on the white line, so I guess I should not have been assuming I could use it, but a couple more inches would have been nice. Even as we were sitting on the guardrail waiting for help a few more bikes came around and were an inch from hitting the same piece.
Update on me: Unfortunately it's still in the "getting worse before it gets better" phase.
Percocet is your friend. Take it when you need it. And once you're off of crutches and such, do physical therapy for the ankle or it'll stiffen up. I know from experience.
Yeah, the road overall is a great road. I just managed to find a bad spot on the edge. I'll be going back there as soon as I can.
Quote from: Tim on May 26, 2008, 08:48:01 AM
Really, not a crappy road. Route 33 west of Harrisonburg, west of the small town of Rawley Springs, just east of the West Virginia line.
http://tinyurl.com/67s5hp
The accident ocurred just west of Laurel Wood Lane and Skidmore Fork Road, just west of the "R" in the "Rawley Pike" label for Route 33.
If you zoom out a bit, you will see why that road is a favorite of motorcyclists. I've been riding it for at least 28 years.
thanks, i'll have to check it out.
maybe spill some of that traction paint on the edge.. ;D
Sorry to hear about the wreck but it sounds like everything will be ok all things considered. Take care of your injuries and you will be back in no time.
Hey Rod, hate to hear about your accident...glad you are ok.
Curious, what gear were you wearing and how did it hold up? Were you wearing riding boots? Im hoping to learn something from your misshap.
Feel better!
I was wearing full gear and it seemed to do it's job. The pants were textile and armor, and I had a mesh armored jacket (I got some road rash on my back because the zipper on the jacket didn't fit the zipper on my pants, so it must have slid up a bit).
The jacket was the one I got from Ian, so you can read that thread for the details. Tony has the same pants so he probably knows what they are called.
I was wearing riding boots with ankle protectors, but they weren't the full racing boots. I'm sure that they made some difference though because I got a nice clean break rather than a shattered ankle. I have a follow-up appointment today to make sure I don't need surgery. Hopefully that will go well.
The gloves were some no-names that I picked up at a bike week vendor. They were combination of textile, leather, and armored knuckles. They did their job too since I didn't beak any fingers. One of the fingers ripped open though and they ended up cutting the skin off rather than stitching it. But that's still a 90% success rate.
I am glad you are going to be ok, and while the injuries are no fun, as I am sure everyone has said, and I know everyone has said it to Ryan, it could have been worse!
You should be back on the bike before the end of the season, right? LUCKY :) :)
Heal up quick!
If you need a good ankle doc let me know, a coworker profoundly messed up her ankle (screws, plates, overthruster) and this guy did a good job. Good thing with the clean break. The biggest problem is the soft tissue / cartilage damage and the fact that ankles and wrists don't have a great blood supply. As pointed out - do dat therapy.
FYI the Jacket was a Joe Rocket 'Pheonix' mesh jobbie. Guess it help up, though that sucks that it rode up on you resulting in the rash - but I guess it did it's job with any initial impacts since you seem ok that way.
Hope you're felling better than the other morning, and enjoying the time wasters I sent
Just got back from the ortho. Going in for surgery tomorrow to screw some bones together so that the ankle will heal right. I guess since I broke a bone and tore some ligaments my ankle started drifting to the outside. So 8 weeks of staying off it after the surgery, then remove the screws, then 2 more weeks in another cast. Easy.
Oh they figured out something interesting with the finger. The reason the skin was falling off was because it was burned, not because of road rash. I guess when I lifted the bike off my head I grabbed the engine and burned through my glove and then burned my finger without realizing it. Now it looks like a burnt hot dog.
I'm surprised Tim hasn't posted the silly pictures he made me pose for while I was still on the happy drugs from the ER...
Quote from: Duc and Cover on May 27, 2008, 03:09:07 PM
Oh they figured out something interesting with the finger. The reason the skin was falling off was because it was burned, bot because of road rash. I guess when I lifted the bike off my head I grabbed the engine and burned through my glove and then burned my finger without realizing it. Now it looks like a burnt hot dog.
We need that smiley that says this thread is useless without pics!
Make sure you treat that burn well. When I burned my calf on my header, I found that they made a product that is basically individually foil wrapped pieces of gauze that are pretreated with Vaseline. They were da bomb. Make sure that you get some Silvadene (or however it's spelled). It's a silver cream that is specifically for treating burns. Don't ever let your burn dry out. Keep it covered and treated at all times so it heals evenly, quickly, and doesn't get infected.
Good luck in your recovery, hope everything heals quickly and easily. [thumbsup]
Quote from: Ducatista on May 27, 2008, 03:24:08 PM
We need that smiley that says this thread is useless without pics!
Ok....you asked for it
Charred to perfection
(http://www.1322vermont.com-a.googlepages.com/burnt_finger.jpg)
As long as it's not your [beer] finger.
Quote from: Duc and Cover on May 26, 2008, 09:24:03 AM
Yeah, the road overall is a great road. I just managed to find a bad spot on the edge. I'll be going back there as soon as I can.
Sent you a PM, I have a video of that turn same day a little later. - Gene
<brian griffin>Awww your nasty! That's nasty</>
yeah, that's a good burn. When you go back to the docs, you might have then take a peak at it. Emily's advice on it is good - but depending on how bad it is, it might need some debredment to heal up right. debreding in doctor speak for scrubbing and cutting off the charred stuff to allow for better healing.
It sucks... oh man it sucks. But, if done right you can heal with little to no scars. If I didn't have that done to a solid 2nd degree burn over much of my right palm it'd be all scar.
Hope some of the soreness is passing.
[coffee] :o
wooo... that finger delivered the willies
straight to the sternum.
we're so glad you fared as well as you
did. many folks who were out over the
weekend did not make it at all / with
more serious injuries than what you've
got. heal up quick (from everything) so
you can get out and about again.
many blessings and speedy healing,
~ empress ~
Just put some mustard on it.
The nurse has spoken:
I showed your pic to my sister. She is an RN. She said you need to go see your doc and get a prescription for Silvadene (that cream I was talking about). It is very important that you do this, since your body has zero protection against infection there and you need to provide a bacteria resistant barrier and provide a good healing environment for it.
You have a nurse sister? You better give me her number in case I need any more advice :)
All the more reason to crash Girls Week 2008.
Quote from: Geaux on May 27, 2008, 07:10:53 PM
All the more reason to crash Girls Week 2008.
My family got a chuckle. [laugh]
Quote from: Duc and Cover on May 27, 2008, 07:05:32 PM
You have a nurse sister? You better give me her number in case I need any more advice :)
And my sister is very blissfully married and thoroughly spoiled rotten. They are a sickeningly cute couple.
Rod, sweetie, you look a little high in that pic.
Share the love. ;)
+1 on the silvadene.
And elevate that ankle please.
Quote from: JBubble on May 27, 2008, 07:38:56 PM
Rod, sweetie, you look a little high in that pic.
Just a little?
OOooofff...Nasty little digit! Make sure you get medicated laminated gauze covers for your road rash, and have ample bacetracin (sp) applied...Nothing worse than changing bandages and the skin coming back off!
Hey Rod,
That really sucked to watch you go down, and I was trying to not watch so as to avoid following you off so I really cannot say for sure what I saw. I guess the burn on the finger turned out to be worse than the broken ankle in terms of treating it, and we thought was just some skin at the time. All in all I am impresed the way you took a bad situation in stride and you somehow manage to just keep your spirits, as well as the jokes coming. I thought that was too funny when you later joked I would be hearing from your lawyer with your alternate version of events in which case I had bumped your rear tire and sent you off the road. All kidding aside, hopefully we can all take something positive away from that experience and it really could have been a lot worse, so we are lucky we still have you around.
Looking forward to your full and speedy recovery,
Scott
+Whatever for the silver burn cream. They used something similar on my aforementioned hand burn. Silver works as an antibacterial agent (if I remember right), and it's way important to protect burns from infection. As Em noted there's about 0 ability for your body to fight even simple stuff in that area right now.
Quote from: Duc and Cover on May 27, 2008, 06:01:58 PM
Ok....you asked for it
Charred to perfection
DUDE! That's gross.
I look forward to your full recovery and getting back together for Rhodeside and future rides. And, to seeing some new mods to your bike, not that you needed any excuses.
//Tony
Quote from: Duc and Cover on May 27, 2008, 06:01:58 PM
Ok....you asked for it
Charred to perfection
(http://www.1322vermont.com-a.googlepages.com/burnt_finger.jpg)
E.T. Phone Home 8)
Thanks for the pics. The surgery went very well. Now I can eat.
Good to hear.
Just remember if/when it comes time to take the bits out - ask to keep the pieces, they will let you. The plate that was in my hand made a nifty key chain [thumbsup]
One thing I noticed from the pic is that there is a negative bank on the turn where I ran off. (I'm not sure if that's the right term, but what I mean is that it is sloped downhill towards the soft shoulder, rather than banked uphill like a racetrack turn). I think that combined with me staring at the drop-off and thinking "Man I sure hope I don't go into that...oops now I'm heading right for it" were major contributors
Quote from: Duc and Cover on May 29, 2008, 01:50:31 PM
One thing I noticed from the pic is that there is a negative bank on the turn where I ran off. (I'm not sure if that's the right term, but what I mean is that it is sloped downhill towards the soft shoulder, rather than banked uphill like a racetrack turn). I think that combined with me staring at the drop-off and thinking "Man I sure hope I don't go into that...oops now I'm heading right for it" were major contributors
It's called an off camber turn.
Quote from: Ducatista on May 29, 2008, 02:46:39 PM
It's called an off camber turn.
Well since I don't even know what it's called I probably shouldn't be riding them. I'm not letting myself back on the road without taking some intermediate or advanced riding course. And if you see me on my bike before then, you all have permission to knock me out and steal my keys. Gene has recommended Cornerspeed. Any other suggestions? I tried signing up for the ERC last year but it fills up so fast.
The info on these classes was passed to me, and I passed it along as well. A rider I know recently took a private class from this group and had a really good experience. Personally I've got no FHE with them, but what I have heard is good
http://www.saddleupva.com/
They offer all levels of class, and even have individual instruction.
Another class is Lee Parks Total control. Tony did it last year - perhaps he can give some thoughts.
I've been a student of learning to ride a motorcycle for about ..... well let's just say since I was 14 and that was a long time ago. The day that I stop lerning will be the day I quit riding. I agree with Tim on courses using the MSF mterials, techniques, exercises - it's been well thought out amnd improved over the years. The instructtor training was 4 weeks(3 weekday nights and 4 weekends) when I got certified so that tells you something - and not that I'm a slow learner. For years, even when I was an MSF Instructor, I would take an ERC every spring, I did that until about 3 years ago. My recommendation for Cornerspeed was based on the possibility of being able to get into one of the rider courses this year VS the MSF, which at this point will be hard, but still worth checking out. The school Yuu posted about got it's start with the Buell Blast, they contacted me about it when they first started it, must have got my name from an old VA Rider Traing Program roster. I was pretty impressed with what they were trying to do and now it would have appeared to have morphed again. BTW you do know that a portion of your motorcycle registration fee goes to support the Virginai RiderTraining Program and several State Administrations have tried to raid the fund, never been successful - yet. Anyway, glad to see you are going down a path to get some formal trainng and hope you are back on two wheels soon. - Gene
In the Meantime, while you are sidelined you can do some reading, two books I think are outstanding are 1) Total Control: High Performance Street Riding Techniques by Lee Parks and 2) Sport Riding Techniques: How To Develop Real World Skills for Speed, Safety, and Confidence on the Street and Track by Nick Ienatsch. I continuously re-read theses books and glean new insights each time, understanding of the materials is enhanced by riding experiences and vice versa. I have learned much from these books but I know I still have so much to learn, and it is probably all there in those pages so will keep re-reading from an ever-evolving perspective knowing that the learning will never be done.
Regarding the MSF Basic Rider and Experience Rider courses, you can also take them from APEXCYCLEEDUCATION.com as an alternative to the classes at the community colleges. Cost a little more but you won't have to wait 2 or three months to get in generally, and I found it to be a great experience last year when I took the Basic Rider Course so I do not hesitate to recommend that group.
I am actually taking the Lee Parks "Total Control" class tomorrow in Fredrick MD, which something else to consider. It is supposed to be the level between the ERC and a first track day, it is in a parking lot at comfortable and controlled speeds up to just 25mph where they teach you the techniques from the book, and to actually "drag a knee." I am really looking forward to my first time. Ha! Hopefully Saturday it will happen for me, and I will post up all the naughty details [thumbsup]
Thanks for the all the info.
Tim, regarding the contract class for the ERC, I've got 3 other people that want to take it with me already. Maybe we can set something up for August?
Thanks,
Rod
Recommended Reading: http://ducatimonsterworldwide.org/index.php?topic=857.0
I would like to take ERC, depending on my vacations.
Quote from: Duc and Cover on May 30, 2008, 06:35:58 AM
Thanks for the all the info.
Tim, regarding the contract class for the ERC, I've got 3 other people that want to take it with me already. Maybe we can set something up for August?
Thanks,
Rod
If you need additional people to fill the roster for this...I'm in.
I'm interested. More learning never hurt anyone :)
If we get enough interest - perhaps this should branch out to it's own thread
Quote from: twolanefun on May 29, 2008, 08:13:37 PM
I've been a student of learning to ride a motorcycle for about ..... well let's just say since I was 14 and that was a long time ago.
You mean that they had already invented the internal combustion engine back then? [cheeky]
I'd be in for ERC, depending on work travel and Stillie's racing schedule.
Quote from: Geaux on May 30, 2008, 07:34:58 AM
Recommended Reading: http://ducatimonsterworldwide.org/index.php?topic=857.0
Thanks for all the good info everyone. I got a little trigger happy with Amazon's One-Click ordering and bought every book mentioned :) I'm looking forward to doing some studying, doing the ERC, and getting back to riding with my fellow CAMers. I feel lucky to be in a club with so many experienced riders that actually enjoy sharing their knowledge.
Quote from: Duc and Cover on May 29, 2008, 03:56:54 PM
I'm not letting myself back on the road without taking some intermediate or advanced riding course. And if you see me on my bike before then, you all have permission to knock me out and steal my keys.
WOW...I know you don't kick a man when he's down...but I am amazed no jumped all over this....when are we having the "Pop Rod in his nugget and steal his bike" party!?!?!?!...FREE BIKE...FREE BIKE....
just kidding man...and I can't add anything else new that hasn't been already said!...huge +1's and then some..
How is it coming? Are you on the mend? Hope all is well [thumbsup]
Rod - Just catching up with the boards, etc when I can - I'm still on the road..
Sorry to hear about the crash and glad to hear you're on the mend. Catch up with you in a few weeks..
Quote from: RodeoClown on June 06, 2008, 05:26:25 AM
How is it coming? Are you on the mend? Hope all is well [thumbsup]
I'm back downtown and living unassisted as of Wednesday. I'm crutchin' it to work and just relaxing other than that. It's only 3 blocks to my office, but holy crap it is a work out! I've got a 100 inch projection screen if anyone wants to join me for an evening of DVDs or Wii. There's nothing quite like some life-size Wii Mario Kart, and I might even share the Vicodin to enhance the experience.
The doc said everything seemed to be healing fine after the surgery. I have to stay off it for 7 more weeks, then the screws come out, then I can start putting weight on it but I have to stay in the boot for 2 more weeks. The x-rays are below for the med dorks of the board. Even though I didn't hurt the ankle bone, it's the one that was causing me the most trouble since I broke the bones and tendons that hold it in place.
They also determined that the break was from a twist, not an impact. The leg twisted so far that the ankle pushed against the fibula until it snapped. So I guess the riding boots did do their job because I inspected them when I got home and there is a pretty good gash in my ankle protector which I'm guessing stopped the ankle from shattering.
(http://www.1322vermont.com-a.googlepages.com/ankle_med.JPG)
Quote from: Duc and Cover on June 06, 2008, 09:11:50 AM
I'm back downtown and living unassisted as of Wednesday. I'm crutchin' it to work and just relaxing other than that. It's only 3 blocks to my office, but holy crap it is a work out! I've got a 100 inch projection screen if anyone wants to join me for an evening of DVDs or Wii. There's nothing quite like some life-size Wii Mario Kart, and I might even share the Vicodin to enhance the experience.
Good to hear. Does that projection screen get Speed? MotoGP Sunday, but I am nowhere near that area this weekeknd.
Good luck and take it easy and dont rush it.