A Valuable Cycling Proverb

I think this is a great motto / idiom / slogan / catch phrase. It's available for purchase as a bumper sticker from The Morning News. I could be aggressively optimistic and say that my personal slogan is "ride better and harder than everyone else and be the first to the finish line", but that's not really very realistic. So when I'm alone on a long training ride, or I'm out of gears heading up a hill, or I get dropped from the elite group on the Saturday ride, or I'm headed into the wind tunnel on Shary Road south of Military, this is the best slogan going.

Bike Repair

Due to the accident, I had to purchase several items to replace those damaged in the crash:

• Fizik Arione Saddle
• Silver Bianchi Nastro Manubrio Bar Tape
• Giro Atmos Helmet
• Pearl Izumi Gel-Lite Tour Gloves
• Crank Brothers Quattro 3-Hole Cleats
• Profile Design Stryke Bottle Cages (2)
• Castelli Sleeveless Jersey and Bib Shorts

Rough cost for all of this was about $515. But we all know that cycling is expensive. More importantly, here's some commentary on the various shops and sites that provided the items:

• Saddle and tape were bought on eBay. Got a great deal compared to other alternatives. Saddle was 25% cheaper than best online price. It has 20 miles on it, so it's technically used. But it arrived with the original packaging, and looks brand new. These items arrived, from separate suppliers, before anything else I bought online. As long as you do your research, eBay is a great way to go.
• Crank Brothers cleats arrived 2nd. They run a small but great company, and I'll keep giving them business if I can. They're bigger in the mountain bike world, but their Quattro pedals are a great product.
• Cages and gloves were bought a local shop. I paid 30% more for the gloves than Performance Bike's price. This irritates the beejeezus out of me.
• Helmet was bought from Bike Nashbar. It was the first thing I bought, and I still haven't received it. Their website tracking has been down for 3 days, and I called them and now know that I won't receive the helmet until Monday. This is causing me to miss my weekend rides. Additionally, I now know that Nashbar and Performance are sister companies, so you pay taxes since Performance has stores in San Antonio and Austin (at least). I got a great deal, as the price was about $25 less than local bike shop. But if I had known how long it would take to get the helmet, I would have paid more so that I could ride this weekend. I'm not happy with Nashbar.
• Jersey and bibs haven't arrived yet, but I ordered them late from Performance Bike. I actually love buying cycling clothing because of all the graphic design choices. Quality of design is debatable, but selection is not.

Hopefully this is useful to someone. Maybe not. And for those of you that like photos, here's a shot of everything I've received so far:

Items Replaced Due to Crash

Injury Update

A week has gone by, and all of my minor injuries are healing quite well. I had my finger checked out by an orthopedic surgeon, and it is nothing more than a "jammed" finger. The ligaments around the large knuckle of my middle finger were pulled, and it will just take a little time. All of the bruising is gone, but the finger is still stiff. My minor road rash is almost healed. Photo attached for your enjoyment.

And lastly, no problems with my head. No headache, no nause, no nothing. Mama was worried, but all is well.

Week Old Road Rash on Left Arm

Helmet Crackin' Fall

Today I rode in the Benefit Ride for Emily Marie Hinsley, sponsored by Team McAllen. I planned on riding the 40 mile route, but around mile 20 my plans changed.

I was riding in a single paceline with about 10 riders. We were cruising at about 22 MPH, and had just passed the 1st rest stop at about mile 17. We didn't stop, so I decided to have a Clif Shot Gel. I was 2nd from the end of the paceline, so it was as safe as it could get. I heard someone call out "road", and noticed a shattered 2x4 strewn along the shoulder of the road. We passed the road junk, the line reformed, and then I crashed.

Or, rather, we crashed. The rider directly in front of me touched wheels with the rider in front of him and went down. Since I was riding with one hand eating gel, I didn't even touch my brakes. I hit him and his bike, and went over the handlebars. Somehow, I turned over in midair, and landed on my back. My head slammed into the pavement. It didn't hurt, but the impact force was as high as any I can remember, even going back to junior high football. I yelled a gigantic curse word, got up, and started checking for injuries. I realized I was still holding the gel, and in anger flung it into the roadside weeds.

My left arm had about 8 inches of typical road rash. The middle finger on my left hand felt either 'jammed' or broken (I now think it's not broken). My jersey had several shred holes on each shoulder, although I wasn't bleeding and didn't seem to have road rash on anywhere other than my arm. I took off my helmet, and that's when I realized the magnitude of the impact. The back of my helmet was destroyed.

Smashed Points and Major Structural Damage

Close-Up of Structural Damage

Cracks Shot from Lower Angle

After I looked at the helmet, I realized something was wrong with one of my shoes. One of the cleats had ripped off the screws, and was still attached to the pedal. This is mainly because I was using a three-bolt pattern adapter, but this still amazed me. Also, both carbon bottle cages broke into pieces upon impact with the road. My bike has the typical damage: torn bar tape & torn saddle. I'll check for cracks in the carbon frame, but I couldn't find anything.

I decided my day was done, and hitched a ride with the SAG wagon. Once home, I started cleaning things up. My back doesn't have road rash, but it's basically one big bruise from the impact. Same with my hip and upper left arm. I'll probably be sore tomorrow, but I took some acetaminophen and for now I feel okay.

Lastly, and probably most importantly, the other rider was having serious back pain, so we called an ambulance. Didn't seem like a spinal injury, but rather muscle spasm or strain. He was transported, and is hopefully okay.