First Ride. First Crash.

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

9:32pm

Yesterday I went up to Murray and got all measured and sized and bought a road bike. I’ve been wanting to start “cycling” for a while now. It seemed like a good alternative to running since I’ve been having so much knee pain lately. I’ve had to basically cut down to running once or twice a week and it really gives me a lot of pain for 4-5 days after. I started physical therapy on Monday and I’m hopeful I’ll recover over the next 4-5 weeks. So cycling was going to be my new “thing” until I can run again, or if I can’t really run again.

I was anxious to try out my new bike today but it was raining. I wasn’t sure it was a good idea to ride in the rain so I checked with my biking friend, Tara, who does a ton of cycling. She said she loves riding in the rain and she offered to go with me on my first ride and show me the ropes. Great! I was so excited. We headed out on the Murdoch Canal trail and she taught me a ton. I was feeling great and loving it! We made a wrong turn and I tried to turn around only to find a car coming right at me. They honked. I sheepishly waved and realized I should be more careful. We were heading back on our 18 mile ride and we came to the Dry Creek “gulley” where the trail goes down a pretty steep hill with switchbacks. I was following Tara and we were trying to go slow and in control since it was raining and slick and the path was steep and curvy. Apparently I wasn’t going slow enough. Or maybe I leaned to far into my turn but all of a sudden the bike just slid out from under me and laid down on the path, along with me going about 15 mph. I hit my knee and elbow pretty hard and got some road rash but just as I fell I rolled onto my back to protect myself so I slid on my back for a lot of it. I got up and realized I was fine and nothing was broken. My knee and elbow were bloody but I was good. I hopped back on my bike and rode the last 2 or 3 miles home. It was a little embarrassing but mostly just frustrating! I’m not uncoordinated. I try to be careful. And yet on my very first ride I crashed! I guess they say you’re not really a cyclist until you crash. I told Tara I guess I’m just an accelerated learner!  I wanted to learn everything in one day. Haha!

Anyway, it was so ironic that I  spent all this time and money  to start cycling to protect me knee and on my first ride I crash and hit my knee on the pavement. I probably wouldn’t have done this much damage to my knee in 100 miles of running. >>Sigh<<

My new bike.