Went for a quick ride with Mrs. Last Tri to celebrate her new Giant TCR Composite purchase. Within 5 minutes of leaving home she goes off the lip of the road into the gravel and tries to correct and go back on the road. She dumps it bad. A little road rash, bruises, sore neck and a sore head. Her helmet has a small crack and its own road rash. (WHERE YOUR HELMETS-NO EXCUSES) This is her second crash - she dumped it pretty good at Wildflower.
Now she is talking about never riding again. I am bummed as she is my primary riding partner. I am debating trying to talk her back into it. If she has a worse fall then it will be my fault. Of course, she could go the next decade with peaceful rides and no falls. She likes riding but feels somewhat jinxed. I told her to think about it for a week and don’t make snap decision when she is aching. Am I being selfish?
I would just leave the new bike in the living room. New bikes have the ability to communicate with our brains and express their desire to be ridden via some wavelength doctors have yet to identify. If staring at her new bike all the time doesn’t make her want to ride, then she definetly does not want to ride.
Bummer! Sorry to hear that, crashing sucks! I dumped my beautiful steed a few months ago, and I was surprised how long the fear of repeat is still lingering… Somehow I always thought I was too good to crash…
I’d recommend not trying too hard to pursuade her until she’s over the shock. She’s probably mad as hell at herself for it right now.
no, absolutely not! I’m almost 36 and this is a lifestyle for me. I can’t imagine my life without biking, running and swimming. ok, well maybe swimming! You talk as if 44 is like one foot in the grave!! haa!
< You talk as if 44 is like one foot in the grave!! haa! >
I don’t think so. I better not since I am older than her. She thinks she is getting to old to have these kind of impacts on her body. She said she might get alzheimers from getting hit in the head, like an old prize fighter. I think she gets mad a me because I never crash.
maybe you could go to a grassy field and practice some bike handling skills,slow speed stuff so she isnt worried about getting hurt if she falls,the more you worry about falling the more you fall,riding needs to be natural not something you have to think about, now go find that field and have some fun,fall of a few times and laugh about it,this will get her riding again,PS tell her shes HOT for a 44 year old,maybe this will help also
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Years ago, I bought my girlfriend a bike for her birthday. I planned a little ride of, oh, 20 miles. I didn’t think about her fitness level and the course included a slight climb along a ridge. I waited at the top for her, and waited, and waited. I finally went back down for her and she was standing there, glaring at me, with no bike. She was so frustrated trying to ride up this hill, she got off and threw the bike down the ridge.
I fetched it, used my spoke wrench to get the wheels to spin freely through the brakes and we rode home in silence. I apologized (did no good) and never suggested another ride together. We therefore never rode together again. I’m not sure she ever rode the bike again. It was maybe six months later, we split up.
I understand your wife’s pain…5 months ago had my first accident (just like your wife had), road rash, bruised hip. Then 2 weeks ago I was cut off in a race and ended up with 25 stitches in my leg, a concussion and numerous bruises. My friends (who don’t do Tris) were telling me to not ride anymore and blah blah blah…isn’t crashing part of the sport (well, hopefully not often)? I can’t wait to get on my bike again, I love this sport.
I think she’ll come around. We can be stubborn, but after some time it wears off! 
You talk as if 44 is like one foot in the grave!! haa!