chunkygoat
Member
Well....after 5 years and 37,000 miles, I can't say I've ever had a more startling moment in my life.
So, as it goes - I'm hitting the back roads after work, its a beautiful summer day with perfectly clear conditions and no cars in sight. I approach one of my more favored series turns with, lets just say, a substantial amount of speed. It's an S curve which you can almost ride straight through, over the crest of a hill, with no driveways in sight. This S curve/hill apex is followed by a long downhill roller coaster style humps.
So I proceed through the S turn and can see straight through all the humps for the duration of the downhill. I see in the distance some leaves scattered through the street and honestly don't think much more about it (MISTAKE). As I'm traveling through the scattered leaves, I rode over something. This wasn't a PILE of leaves, it was scattered, I could see the road top mostly. Well underneath the leaves was something: a pothole, a 2x4, a tree branch, something solid like a cinder block?
I am not sure what it is frankly, but the impact was so forceful, that it superman'ed me in the air -- and I feel and hear a jolt as wheels CLUNK. I landed hard on my hind side on the seat, and somehow managed to instinctively keep the bike up and straight. I feel a hard wobble and out of fear of continuing, I ever so slowly applied brake and coasted to a stop.
I was by myself with no cars in sight, on a nice day, with perfect visibility for over a mile -- perfect conditions. I have never received a ticket, and only dropped her once at a very very slow speed in the rain. I don't squid my way to work and back every day -- I am a very conservative rider. I was however, hitting the roads hard at that moment -- something surely even the safest riders are guilty of on occasion; But, I don't want to deny my squid moment as I was most definitely traveling well over the speed limit.
So I wanted to share this as an example because I consider myself a reasonably safe rider -- that it isn't always other people, or an animal, or a bad line -- it can be a completely unforeseen circumstance in perfect conditions to even the best and safest riders. So I like to tell my lesson learned and I feel what I take from this most -- do not underestimate an obstruction. Whether its a painted line, a crab-apple, or a piece of paper lying in your path -- a pothole might lie under that piece of paper 3 feet deep. I certainly will not look at a handful of leaves scattered in the street the same ever again.
So I am happy I am alive, bike still standing -- with only the minimal damage inflicted. Not the best of days, but a lesson learned the hard way is better than a lesson learned the dead way. I'm still here to ponder this, which I am grateful for. Thanks for hearing my reflected thoughts. I hope somebody takes something from this.
View attachment 49165
View attachment 49166
View attachment 49167
View attachment 49168
View attachment 49169
So, as it goes - I'm hitting the back roads after work, its a beautiful summer day with perfectly clear conditions and no cars in sight. I approach one of my more favored series turns with, lets just say, a substantial amount of speed. It's an S curve which you can almost ride straight through, over the crest of a hill, with no driveways in sight. This S curve/hill apex is followed by a long downhill roller coaster style humps.
So I proceed through the S turn and can see straight through all the humps for the duration of the downhill. I see in the distance some leaves scattered through the street and honestly don't think much more about it (MISTAKE). As I'm traveling through the scattered leaves, I rode over something. This wasn't a PILE of leaves, it was scattered, I could see the road top mostly. Well underneath the leaves was something: a pothole, a 2x4, a tree branch, something solid like a cinder block?
I am not sure what it is frankly, but the impact was so forceful, that it superman'ed me in the air -- and I feel and hear a jolt as wheels CLUNK. I landed hard on my hind side on the seat, and somehow managed to instinctively keep the bike up and straight. I feel a hard wobble and out of fear of continuing, I ever so slowly applied brake and coasted to a stop.
I was by myself with no cars in sight, on a nice day, with perfect visibility for over a mile -- perfect conditions. I have never received a ticket, and only dropped her once at a very very slow speed in the rain. I don't squid my way to work and back every day -- I am a very conservative rider. I was however, hitting the roads hard at that moment -- something surely even the safest riders are guilty of on occasion; But, I don't want to deny my squid moment as I was most definitely traveling well over the speed limit.
So I wanted to share this as an example because I consider myself a reasonably safe rider -- that it isn't always other people, or an animal, or a bad line -- it can be a completely unforeseen circumstance in perfect conditions to even the best and safest riders. So I like to tell my lesson learned and I feel what I take from this most -- do not underestimate an obstruction. Whether its a painted line, a crab-apple, or a piece of paper lying in your path -- a pothole might lie under that piece of paper 3 feet deep. I certainly will not look at a handful of leaves scattered in the street the same ever again.
So I am happy I am alive, bike still standing -- with only the minimal damage inflicted. Not the best of days, but a lesson learned the hard way is better than a lesson learned the dead way. I'm still here to ponder this, which I am grateful for. Thanks for hearing my reflected thoughts. I hope somebody takes something from this.
View attachment 49165
View attachment 49166
View attachment 49167
View attachment 49168
View attachment 49169
