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Skin vs Pavement?

I

ihategeeks

100 W
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Mar 26, 2013
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Pavement wins.

Took a bad angle into a corner at the same time an oncoming speeding SUV was dead smack in the middle of the road. So I forcibly dumped myself into the corner vs taking a wide turn into the grill of the SUV.
I was in shorts and a T-shirt. I skid for a good distance and I got some good rash on spots of my right side, worst on the arm and leg, also shoulder, hip, and ankle. At some point I also dinged my left knee very badly , I'm assuming to jam myself from rolling and onto my back (backpack with locks). I would say I was going no faster than 25. Slid a few seconds, had lots of time to think of how much skin was melting off and how much of an idiot I am for several reasons. The best part was the 2 miles left to ride home and the cool wind against all that exposed skin. Also, the look on faces of folks I went past.
At least I was wearing gloves! :D


Haven't looked at the bike since. Rear brake cable is either just misaligned or broken. Frame battery popped out a little, I just kicked it back into place. Bike is tank, I am not.

For those that want to know, road rash is just like your worst blistering sun burn. I'm popping aspirin to sleep.
 
I've done that before on a motorcycle. Unfortunately (?) since you don't hit the car, the car has no liability to you, even if you caught the whole thing on video, and they were clearly on your side... It's Sophie's choice between getting hurt worse and compensation, and getting hurt less and no compensation.

Sucks doesn't it?

I also high sided a push bike in a race a few months ago. Similar - helmet saved me, but road rash all down my left side, shoulder to knee.

Hope you heal up well. Good thing about road rash alone is that aside from the scarring, there's no permanent loss of mobility and flexibility.
 
My knees down to my shin are covered with past "war wounds". Some areas no longer grow leg hair. I think the worst area visually are my knees.

This thread is as good a place as any to post strategies on keeping scars to a minimum. :idea:

I'm thinking once the wound has scabbed up, you (pardon the reference) "puts the lotion on the skin"? Vitamin E?
 
Sunder said:
I've done that before on a motorcycle. Unfortunately (?) since you don't hit the car, the car has no liability to you, even if you caught the whole thing on video, and they were clearly on your side... It's Sophie's choice between getting hurt worse and compensation, and getting hurt less and no compensation.

Sucks doesn't it?

I also high sided a push bike in a race a few months ago. Similar - helmet saved me, but road rash all down my left side, shoulder to knee.

Hope you heal up well. Good thing about road rash alone is that aside from the scarring, there's no permanent loss of mobility and flexibility.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the guy stopped and asked if I was ok, I knew I had no legal recourse on the matter and just said frock off.
I don't want the law involved when it comes to my bike anyway : /
 
Define "Too Fast." When you have to stop INSTANTLY, nothing is holding you to the bike. The bike does prevent a controlled fall. If he had a moment to look at things and think he might have seen a way around, but there's just no time when they're suddenly crossing paths.

I will say it's better to ROLL than to slide.
 
I would say with 2 wheelers, one way to describe "too fast", is the not being able to tighten your turn.
Having rode motorcycles for 50 years, I can't count the number of times I have strayed across the center line, and cursed myself for being a dumb A$$ and knowing I entered too fast for my line.
Anybody who has ridden long enough knows what I'm talking about.
 
Ouch, here's wishing you a speedy recovery.

I've been in a similar situation a couple times and for some reason I instinctively roll when I go down. I'm not sure why it happened the first time, perhaps muscle memory from years of getting taken down playing soccer. Either way, it works so well that it's my go-to strategy now. The last one happened about 6 months ago. I've found that rolling means you spread out the road load on your body. Instead of getting severe road rash in a couple places, you get light road rash in many places, which seems to heal in a couple days and is more of a discomfort than a pain. Rolling also reduces the impact and helps you dissipate energy and come to a stop with a lot more skin left. I think that's why the parkour guys roll out of high jumps, to dissipate all that energy over a larger surface area.

Anyways, stay strong and remember the important thing is that you have lived to ride again!
 
I have left a lot of skin on pavement over the years, riding bikes, motorcycles and ebikes. Now riding with a badly scratched elbow, business as usual. Taking a slide is always the best crash for you and the bike, you don't want to go flying high side or hard stopping on a hit. I wear gloves and boots and long pants at all times, leathers when it is not too warm... It does help limiting crash damages.

I wish you to recover and ride soon.
 
Glad you survived well enough to learn from the event. +1 for sacrificial skin/abrasion protection. As with racing, the problems happen on the corners. Its habit to try to preserve momentum on a bicycle. One of the biggest benefits of electric is you can slow down at corners for the cost of only a few seconds.
 
MadRhino said:
I have left a lot of skin on pavement over the years, riding bikes, motorcycles and ebikes... wear gloves and boots and long pants at all times, leathers when it is not too warm... It does help limiting crash damages.
Click to expand...
I'm into the Sons of Anarchy, the story, its telling & acting, the attire & scenery.... inspired to dawn some leathers, complete with ES patchwork, especially for my MXUS >50mph build. Gonna have to get me a motorcycle helmet too.
 
motomech said:
Going too fast?
Click to expand...

Too fast for the turn I did do, not too fast for the turn I was going to do. If I didn't have an oncoming suv in my half of the road I would have just widened the turn.
Lesson learned though, I'll be going bike speed into any turns I don't have perfect vision of from now on.

By now on I mean week from now when I have skin again.
 
I have lost skin and suffered pain due to the idiocy of car drivers and other idiots while I was perfectly doing everything right on two wheels.

Look, it's going to happen. Your only real solution is to always wear either leather or some artificial fabric jacket, YES, IN THE GOOD OLE SUMMERTIME TOO, so that when one of them morons forces you to either eat their bumper or slide on the pavement you are protected.

Believe in faireys or wear protective garments. Your choice.
 
Hehe... Currently waiting for scabs to finally "go away". Did the Flying Ebiker Road Pancake last week.

So. Both hands with some skinned nuckles. (In this test, forgot to wear usual welders leather mitties - hand gloves.)

Right elbow (didn't need that much currently anyway).

Right hip (didn't seem to affect usual stagger, thank various gawds on Ebike Nation or otherwise).

Right ankle (see hip above).

Managed NOT to bump coconut AGAIN. (See Gawds above plus raise glass. Two or more maybe.

... and object of current Ebiker Lust? She/current ver my Horny Little Devil... no more than re usual scratch or two extra, apparently.

Mighta finally shook one of two right side bolts loose from out of front wheel/frame connection thingee, as was noticed and easy/speedily replaced sorta by Big (sneaky) Guy/ Ebikery Master/now near/ new Neighbour (nEVer neighboor) and current El Supremo/ El Prez/ Numero Uno/ No_ONE/ aka "The Skipper" of Head Office TERA INC. Toronto Ebiker Terror etc. Or some long similar name.

(Oh yeah. And road/pavement dust stuff imbedded lightly in both forearms.)

To be continued re ride on ES thread "Converting Hammacher Schlemmer cheapo trike", AKA the adventures re some (damn) Mad "Crazy Dud(e?)" in converting to road-legal high-speed wheelchair.
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=57408
 
Whatever the SUV was doing, you did exactly the right thing. Road rash vs smack into metal, pick the road rash every time. Such a delicate vintage, as flavors of pain goes. Just perfectly grinding the tip of so many nerves. Ahhh.

You are a savvy rider, an inexperienced guy would have just locked the brakes, inevitably going in a straight line into the SUV.

Good for you, you knew how to steer to relative safety instead of trying to just lock up the brakes and hope for the best. Knowing how to lay it down for life when you must is a skill you need, and you have it. Hit cars feet first if you have to hit a car.
 
You already glommed onto the most important lesson: don't override your vision. Sorry for your injuries, it must hurt like hell.
 
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