echothree
Speeding Up
- Sep 8, 2008
- 170
- 1
Hey all,
As embarrassing as it is to admit, I probably have to report on my latest exploits. I was tonking down on the last section of the Odawara loop yesterday about 45kph on a Han Solo ride. I left pretty late in the day, so by the time I got to 10kms from Odawara it was getting dark. Pretty silly to be going that fast when I couldn't see, but all was going well enough.
All of a sudden I hit some speed bumps and my face is grinding along the road, and I think, "oh, I've crashed." My ears are ringing. I get to my feet and off the road and take a seat on the grass for a moment.
I'm bleeding everywhere and feel pretty second-hand, but figure I should try to get back to town. My rear tyre has blown out, the wheel is buckled, the shifters are bent at a wacky angle, plus my hand is starting to hurt and I don't think I'd be able to brake.
So I stick out my thumb... about ten cars go past, slowing a little but not stopping for the weird gaijin (it was pretty dark so they couldn't see me so well). Just as I was resigning myself to the ride back somehow a car stopped and a young couple were suitably shocked when they saw I was dripping with blood. We managed to squeeze my bike into their car and off to the hospital, where my rescuers waited (they were incredibly helpful; after the hospital they took me out to dinner, drove me to the train station, and paid for my shinkansen ticket to Tokyo despite my protests).
At the hospital they did a CT scan (hit my head pretty hard - I was wearing a helmet but I took most of the blow on my cheek). That was all clear, so I had my wounds stitched up. I look pretty scary - one eye is puffed closed like Rocky Balboa in the final rounds. I've got a broken bone in my hand, so on monday I'll go to the hospital and see if I can find someone to operate on it. (any advice on getting orthopedic surgery in japan welcome... I have travel insurance which should cover it).
A big bummer all around, but it could have been worse - I could have crashed on my good bike!
clay.
As embarrassing as it is to admit, I probably have to report on my latest exploits. I was tonking down on the last section of the Odawara loop yesterday about 45kph on a Han Solo ride. I left pretty late in the day, so by the time I got to 10kms from Odawara it was getting dark. Pretty silly to be going that fast when I couldn't see, but all was going well enough.
All of a sudden I hit some speed bumps and my face is grinding along the road, and I think, "oh, I've crashed." My ears are ringing. I get to my feet and off the road and take a seat on the grass for a moment.
I'm bleeding everywhere and feel pretty second-hand, but figure I should try to get back to town. My rear tyre has blown out, the wheel is buckled, the shifters are bent at a wacky angle, plus my hand is starting to hurt and I don't think I'd be able to brake.
So I stick out my thumb... about ten cars go past, slowing a little but not stopping for the weird gaijin (it was pretty dark so they couldn't see me so well). Just as I was resigning myself to the ride back somehow a car stopped and a young couple were suitably shocked when they saw I was dripping with blood. We managed to squeeze my bike into their car and off to the hospital, where my rescuers waited (they were incredibly helpful; after the hospital they took me out to dinner, drove me to the train station, and paid for my shinkansen ticket to Tokyo despite my protests).
At the hospital they did a CT scan (hit my head pretty hard - I was wearing a helmet but I took most of the blow on my cheek). That was all clear, so I had my wounds stitched up. I look pretty scary - one eye is puffed closed like Rocky Balboa in the final rounds. I've got a broken bone in my hand, so on monday I'll go to the hospital and see if I can find someone to operate on it. (any advice on getting orthopedic surgery in japan welcome... I have travel insurance which should cover it).
A big bummer all around, but it could have been worse - I could have crashed on my good bike!
clay.
