Have you ever crashed on a bicycle? I have – numerous times. How I got the scar on my knee from 1986 I remember vividly. My best friend, Roger, and I were being chased, we decided to split up. I took a corner a little tight, hit gravel, essentially slid under my bike across the road. I still remember pulling the leaves OUT of my knee. (I’m chuckling a little as I write knowing I just made my Mother & Aunt squeamish when they read this) I remember the trip to the ER when my mother could turn her vehicle into her own personal ambulance at a moment’s notice (this was not my first ER/stitches trip). Roger didn’t wreck that day but I do remember one epic crash of his. Yes, loose gravel was the culprit once again but at least he didn’t require stitches and an ER run. Unfortunately for Roger, he wrecked near my grandmother Merckens’ house. When it came to “cleaning out wounds” that women used a Brillo pad!
Training for a 70.3-mile Triathlon (about 10 years ago) I was pushed into a ditch by a car. This is why I never ride a bike at dusk any longer, at least I landed in a soft patch of grass. I was also chased (a few times) by a dog down a country road. I later stopped back to the farm and had a “stern conversation” with the owners.
What got me reminiscing about my great cycling feats? The beginning of the Tour De France (of course). The race originally began in 1903 to help an up-and-coming sports newspaper company build distribution over a rival competitor. The first race in 1903 wasn’t focused much on winning, survival seemed to be the key for most. There were only six stages (currently 21) that averaged 250 miles per stage. The riders rode through the night and over unpaved roads.
You can read more here: https://www.history.com/news/
What got me, specifically, thinking about my personal “biking mishaps” were the two major crashes that occurred during Stage 1 of this year’s race. In a world of too many selfies and posing for pictures in the wrong place, I think the woman posing with a sign that took out the majority of the Peloton is going to find some unwanted fame for a while. If you haven’t seen the video, as most of US media seems to have missed it, check it out: https://www.nbcsports.com/
Unbelievable!
Now, as I always look for “teaching moments” in life, I did show the video to Sydney and Rachel. A great example on why I want them wearing bike helmets. In another video we watched later, we saw the rider that bounced his head off of the road back up and riding again. Upon realizing it was the same cyclist Sydney says “did you see the road rash on his arm? At least his brain was OK from his helmet.” Lesson learned!
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As always, I hope that you are doing well, and staying safe & healthy!