How To Start A 3 Day Bike Vacation: Crash

Crash hard.

On the first day.

1.5 miles into a 17 mile ride.

On a moderate foot high drop.

In the lead so your riding partners get to witness it and wonder if you broke a bone.

And have to brake hard so they don't run over you.

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Mark picked me up at the Phoenix airport around 3 PM and headed straight to South Mountain to ride the Desert Classic trail. I changed, we met Mike (a local who runs an excellent website covering the area trails) and headed out.

I felt good to be back on the bike - maybe too good.

I spotted a short, 1 foot drop and decided to pull up the front to air it out a bit. Except I spazed and for some unknown reason yanked the bike to the right. I instantly knew I was going to crash. With me in the air and the bike angled to the right the front wheel hit the ground and instantly washed out, slamming me down on my left side.

I hit hard enough I bounced (Mike saw the bounce). I lay there letting the waves of pain register and hoping none of them are the bad kind that means serious injury.

At this point Mark says "Dude, you didn't break your collar bone, did you?" This has the opposite of a soothing effect as I frantically feel my collar bone, half expecting to feel something bad. (While Mark's comment was alarming, it wasn't nearly as bad as Fish's buddy.) Turns out it was not broken, thankfully.

Slowly I figure out I'm not seriously injured. I have some good rash on my elbow, shoulder, hip and knee, but it's not too bad.

I try to block out the confidence chilling effect of the crash, but I was only partially successful and rode pretty timid and without much gusto. Still, it was a nice ride and the Helipad trail was good.

Mike was great to ride with, even though it was obvious he could have gone much faster.

It's sweet to ride in short sleeves, sunshine and 70 degrees.