!@&#^% sand!

[Jeremy S]

I had my first real fall today, when I was surprised by a big, deep pile of sand extending into the road. I lost traction and slid out onto my left side, into the road. Fortunately traffic stopped instead of running me over. Also fortunately, I had dropped my friend on his DF a while back, so he wasn't there to crash into me. I got myself and the bike out of the road in what felt like seconds. A driver in the opposite lane stopped to ask if I was OK -- I was!

Inventory of damages:

• Bloody ankle
• Scraped forearm
• Smashed mirror
• Shaved brake lever tip
• Scraped pedal and crank arm
• Scraped rear quick release lever
• Shredded shoelace
• Permanent(?) fear of sand

And, that looks like it. I couldn't find anything majorly wrong so I rode 30 miles back home with no drama.

 

[1happyreader]

Sand

Jeremy,

my sympathies go out to you.

Living in Florida but I still freeze up anytime I encounter sand.

later,,,, bye

 

[Rick Youngblood]

Hope you and your Silvio get

Hope you and your Silvio get well soon. Hate that stuff.

We have an area, coming downing from the Shasta Dam that we share the road with ATV's and dirt bikes. They kick gravel up-off the road shoulder onto the paved surface of the road which entails cautious riding through this 1 mile windy section. It's a 6% grade - going up, it's easy to miss the gravel, but coming down fast is a different story.

 

[castlerobber]

Nasty stuff, that

Glad it wasn't worse, and you were able to ride home. Hope you aren't too sore tomorrow!

Went out to ride yesterday on a nearby paved-but-potholed rural road. Just a couple of miles into the ride, I noticed wash gravel (bare rocks, from gumball-sized to ping-pong ball sized) piled on top of some of the potholes. Was able to ride around those, but then came upon a stretch where the rocks were spread several inches deep, the entire width of the road, for close to 100 feet. !@&#^%, indeed. Even cars were having trouble getting through it.

Since that part of the road is within the town limits, I think I'm going to have a word with the mayor tomorrow. It was an annoyance for me to have to walk the Q around the rocks; it's outright dangerous for a motorist who comes up on the rocks at speed, especially in the dark.

 

[MrSteve]

Sand Traps

-they suck!

Did you warn your DF riding buddy?
I'm sure that you did... but he sort of got dropped from your story too.

Stuff on the road that sucked me down:
-nails;
-morning dew in the shade;
-fall leaves;
-sand -of course-;
-gravel and, most embarrassingly,
-nothing. Well, not 'nothing' exactly, but possibly too much speed
combined with, probably, not enough road.

Stuff on the road that missed:
-busses, trucks, cars, motorcycles, dogs on and off lead, peletons, bicyclists,
pedestrians, rocks, trees, birds, and so on.

The common denominator that ties in with most hazards on the street are corners.
That's where these hazards usually lurk.
They're unseen, hidden from view.

Sorry for your bike: it could have been worse.

Ride safe,
-Steve

 

[Jeremy S]

Did you warn your DF riding

Did you warn your DF riding buddy?

No! I was pissed off and just wanted to ride out of there. Didn't even occur to me. Next time I will!

Sorry for your bike: it could have been worse.

Oh, definitely.

Thanks for the sympathy guys.

 

[Robert Holler]

Yikes! Glad you are OK. I

Yikes! Glad you are OK. I will have to bear this in mind the next time I decide to bomb downhill on a ride. If I am on a climb and will be returning on the same road I usually survey the surface in advance to look for hazards to avoid later.

Robert