Well, I was riding back to work at 8:50 am after the Wed morning hard 90K bike. I was feeling great. I had just set a PB of 4:08 on the timed Fortune Climb which is a tough all out climb during our ride. In short I was feeling good. Anyway, I was about to take a right turn 5K from my office, when to my horror, I see a Van driving straight at me at over 50 kph. At the time, I was chugging along at 35kph, never expecting to see a car in my lane driving AT me.
Anyway, as you all know, life went into slow motion. I tried to swerve, but had nowhere to go. He was closing on my too fast and was in the middle of my lane. I braked hard, and then ejected myself as vertically as possible from my bike, like my F-18 airforce pilot buddies. The van hits the bike square, the windshield hits my legs from the shin down. I fly over the van, roll over the top, do a somersault and miraculously land on my hands and right knee. The insticts from All those years in vaulting shows in the military back in the 80’s bailed me out.
I got up. The bike was snapped in half where the head tube meets the top and downtubes. Blood everywhere. No broken bones. Call 911 on my cell. The paramedics, fire department and police show up. Much to my protests, I am snapped onto a board, with a full neck brace and shipped off to the Queensway Carleton Hospital. One hour later, I am discharged with cuts and bruises. The policeman comes to the hospital, gets my story, which is identical to the 4 other witnesses who were nearby…BUT THE GUY WHO HIT ME HAD ANOTHER STORY. For crying out loud, he almost killed a FATHER and HUSBAND driving in the wrong lane. When will people claim accountabability for their own actions.
It turns out this dude was turning left onto my road but was behind a lady who was also turning left. He pulls out to pass and ends up in MY lane going full speed.
In any event, in Hinduism we have Vishnu the Creator, Brahma the Preserver, and Shiva the Destroyer (basically the circle of life instantiated in 3 gods). I had Lord Brahma riding in my jersey pocket with me today. Not to get all philosophical and religious on you dudes, but today is my son’s last day of grade 3 and I am happy to say I am alive and well enough to see him when he gets home from school this evening.
My bumps and bruises appear to be just that. I should be able to bike with no issues. I few days off running will be needed.
To celebrate LIFE, I will see my slowtwich and other tri friends this Friday at Irontour Lake Placid. I might not be laying down any smack on the bike, but I will tool around in the back and enjoy the company.
Now I need to get a new bike and fortunately the owner of my LBS www.cyclelogik.com has already said that he will let me use his own Cervelo Soloist team until the insurance issue gets settled. I guess I will be able to try out the Cervelo variable geometry thing earlier than I expected 