I took my bike over to the Oconee River Greenway this morning for a quick ride. I mostly just wanted some fresh air and to see if the greenway would be a good option for pulling my son Hogan in his bike trailer. It’s a mixed use path, and I’m not familiar with the layout, so I didn’t get up too much speed and didn’t really have a chance to get aero, but it was still a really fun ride.
Until a man attacked me with his car door.
The grounds crew was there working and as I rounded a corner, I realized they’d parked their big truck right in the middle of the path. I slowed down and moved as far to the right as I could, and just as I got to the truck, the man inside opened the door. My options were to hit the truck or hit the ground, so I bailed out into a pile of mulch. My first thought was for my bike, poor Prongs!, and then then I realized I’d just crashed in front of a big group of men, none of whom seemed too eager to help me up.
After assuring myself that nothing (on my or the bike) was broken, I stood up, dusted myself off, picked some bark out of my skin and, with an audience of a dozen, flipped my bike over and got my chain back on. It definitely bruised my pride more than anything else. I did get about 45 minutes of riding in before the fall though, and only had a brief moment of panic setting out. I’m still getting accustomed to riding on my own.
So, that’s my first fall out of the way. Seventy or eighty zillion to go, I reckon.
13 Comments
July 22, 2008 at 5:19 pm
Seriously? Nobody helped?
Jerks.
My first fall was in front of about 200 other bikers. We were all heading out for our second day of a three day/350 mile charity ride. A loooong line of us were leaving the camping site and pausing to get through the only light in the area. I clipped in and, groggy as I was from the first day of riding, forgot to clip out.
SloMo fall. I swear there were sound effects.
Totally embarrassing. Just think. Now you’ve checked that very necessary experience off of your list of cycling todo’s!
July 22, 2008 at 5:34 pm
IM Able Oh no! You weren’t hurt though? You got to finish the ride?
I
July 22, 2008 at 5:56 pm
OMFG. I can’t believe they didn’t offer to help you or anything. Boo freakin hiss. But I do agree, now it’s done and you are a member of the club.
Oh, and yes! Getting the email confirmation really helped it sink in! 70.3 here I come!!
July 22, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Sarah Boo hiss indeed! Although, I was so mortified, I didn’t even think about that until my husband boohissed when I told him about it!
July 22, 2008 at 9:40 pm
i knew that had to happen to people. im always scared when i drive that someone is going to throw open their door and ill rip it right off. not as bad as running into it, but you know.
amd screw those guys. i would have made a huge specticle and yelled, “THANKS FOR THE HELP, ILL BLEED TO DEATH BY MYSELF.”
jerks.
http://www.groundedfitness.com
July 22, 2008 at 9:43 pm
EGN Truly, I was so mortified, I didn’t even think about what asshats they were being. Delayed reaction, I’m afraid.
Also, I’ve been reading your site for an age, I hope you don’t mind that I’ve blogrolled you.
July 23, 2008 at 5:08 pm
I always heard you have an obligatory fall when you get your first clipless pedals. I know I certainly did. I had a nice shiny pair of speedplays I was so excited to try out with my Pearl Izumi shoes… clipping in was fine… clipping out sent me on a very slow and awkward fall in the driveway. I thought, “I got that fall out of the way and thank goodness nobody is here to see!”
Then on a big group ride that evening I was going to clip out where everybody was stopping at the end of the ride and it happened again! I got my right side out as I was slowly falling left. Haha… they said it was a graceful fall.
We had a guy last night wreck with a dog and ended up breaking his collarbone and dislocating his shoulder. Thank goodness you weren’t hurt.
Oh, I’m a new reader by the way.
July 23, 2008 at 5:19 pm
Allyn
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve clipped out on one side and then leaned the other way. Luckily I’ve never fallen from it, but it’s only a matter of time.
And I’m so sorry to hear about the guy you were riding with! I wish people kept their dogs in fences. I’ve never crashed with one, but I know people who have.
Welcome! I’m a new writer, so we should get along splendidly!
July 24, 2008 at 5:28 pm
had my first major crash on my new mountain bike.
i too, am glad i didn’t break anything.
just my wounded pride!
July 25, 2008 at 11:21 pm
Good for you for getting back on the ‘horse’-but I would have had to say SOMETHING to the audience you had about not helping and about being just a little careful about getting out of a truck as a bike is going by….and then I probably would have spit on someone.
But you were classy about the whole thing!
Loved your story on WritetoFight blog…keep up the great work loving yourself!
July 28, 2008 at 11:56 pm
What jerks! Don’t sweat it, you’ll never see them again, and it’s not like your the first person to fall off a bike!
August 3, 2008 at 12:01 pm
A normal person would have looked out the window before opening that truck door, especially being parked in the middle the Greenway. I fell over in front of a friend while talking in the driveway with one foot clipped in and one on the ground. Still don’t know how I managed to do that
August 26, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Hey Jenn!
Just came across your blog and wanted to say hi! I live in Atlanta, and went to school in Athens. The first thing I saw on your blog was “Oconee River Greenway” and thought “Oconee…GA?” I don’t know any other GA bloggers, so just wanted to say hello!