| Because they look a bit nerdy I would often cycle | | | | My next sensation was one of total disorientation as I |
| short and local journeys without the protection of a | | | | found myself totally detached from my bicycle. I can't |
| bicycle helmet, but events on Sunday 28th March 2010 | | | | actually remember flying though the air but the laws of |
| changed that perception for me. It was a bit of a | | | | physics became very relevant at this point, I ain't |
| windy day but nevertheless John, Ryan and I decided | | | | Superman so it's inevitable that gravity is going to bring |
| to take a mountain bike ride across Herriot County in | | | | me plummeting to the ground sooner rather than later. |
| the North Yorkshire Moors. The planned route of | | | | It all happened so quick, I hit the ground and felt a sharp |
| eleven or so miles was to take us from Langthwaite | | | | pain in my left side, then the surreal feeling of being |
| onto Booze Moor to Washfold through the disused | | | | absolutely powerless to prevent my head ricochet off |
| quarry where we pick up some downhill single track | | | | the rocks. I can vividly recollect focusing on the edge |
| back to Langthwaite just in time for swift half of bitter | | | | of my vented cycle helmet as it hit a sharp rock with a |
| at the Red lion, the pub used in the TV version of All | | | | brutal blow. I closed my eyes fully expecting to lose |
| Creatures Great and Small. | | | | consciousness as the impact was miraculously |
| Leaving Langthwaite Car Park the initial climb should | | | | absorbed by the expanded polystyrene foam liners of |
| have been really hard but uncharacteristically the wind | | | | the cycling helmet, a combination of both sickness and |
| was on our backs pushing us up the steep tarmac | | | | relief quickly ensued as I thought "Thank God I was |
| road and onto the grouse path which wound its way | | | | wearing a helmet". |
| to Booze Moor. The path across Booze Moor wove | | | | Once I realised that I was in fact conscious and my |
| erratically up and down and left to right to Hurst Moor | | | | head had actually suffered no damage my first instinct |
| where we encountered a long sweeping downhill | | | | was to prevent further carnage, I scrambled to my |
| section that took us to the bridge over Skegdale Beck. | | | | feet and dragged my bike away from the main trail. I |
| The following up-hill climb through the hamlets of | | | | was enduring severe pain in my left shoulder as I |
| Washfold and Hurst was head on into the wind. By this | | | | frantically waved with my right arm to Ryan and John |
| time I was feeling pleased I'd worn my cycling trousers | | | | to a halt before they too nosedived over the rocky |
| rather than my mountain bike shorts and had the | | | | plunge. When they saw my pale traumatized face and |
| added extra protection of a wind resistant gilet. The | | | | the blood oozing from the lacerations to my left hip it |
| climb continued to through the disused Mine Workings | | | | didn't take them too long work out that this was more |
| to a stone wall then through the gate across a boggy | | | | than a simple tumble. As they dismounted their bikes |
| section of Fell End Moor, although this was a downhill | | | | and approached me I pointed to my left collar bone, |
| section the wind was so strong that we had to | | | | there was l large lump visibly protruding through the left |
| navigate the section in granny gear. The next section | | | | shoulder of my cycling jersey. "Looks like it's broken", |
| we hit was compact, rocky, proper downhill single | | | | said John as helped me remove my back pack and |
| track which came to a u-bend... then hallelujah the wind | | | | cycle helmet. "It hurts like hell, but I'm lucky it wasn't my |
| was behind us again. | | | | skull that was smashed" I responded while pointing to |
| Apart from the wind this was just like any other bike | | | | the severe impression left by the impact in the side of |
| ride, however, if you'll excuse the pun, things were | | | | the cycling helmet. |
| about to go downhill from here. John and Ryan were | | | | On the long walk back to the car with my right arm |
| stuck behind some ramblers so I was first to round the | | | | pushing the bike and my left arm tucked, sling style, |
| u-bend. The section was straight and fast with superb | | | | inside my half zipped cycling jersey, I had time to |
| views of the Akengathdale Valley, just ahead on the | | | | reflect on incident and how lucky I had really been. The |
| trail I saw a technical rocky section that stepped fairly | | | | annoying thing is I still don't know what I did wrong, but |
| steeply down about three to four foot, immediately | | | | the realisation of what could have been if I wasn't |
| ahead of that was a second u-bend that dropped | | | | wearing a cycling helmet still haunts me. The trip to the |
| steeply to the right. | | | | hospital revealed that I had torn the ligaments that hold |
| I applied the brakes to ensure that I traversed the first | | | | my collar bone in place, it may heal it's self or I may |
| obstacle at a sensible speed and moved my weight | | | | need surgery, either way it's looks like that I will have a |
| behind the mountain bike saddle to ensure safe | | | | deformed shoulder for life. I can live with that! It's got to |
| negotiation of the stepped rocky feature. As I went | | | | be a million times better than a life time of being spoon |
| through the obstacle I felt a satisfying pulsation through | | | | fed liquidised food. |
| the handle bars that told me the bikes front and rear | | | | I never did get that half of bitter at the Red Lion but I |
| suspension were reacting perfectly to each step in | | | | did get a new helmet to replace my damaged one, it |
| unison. As my front wheel cleared the last step my | | | | now goes with me on every cycle journey, no matter |
| thoughts turned to the well deserved half of bitter in | | | | how short. |
| the Red Lion about another mile or so down the trail. | | | | |