[sidhe]

So I went out again this morning with my friend to ride on Coronado island. I bought shoes and clipless pedals yesterday, and yesterday afternoon I did 10 fantastic miles with them. I was very happy, and very confident!

Possibly too confident.

So we're riding along (I was following my friend) and I was in my zone and didn't pay attention to the fact that I was getting really close to the edge of the pavement. And went right over. The "shoulder" at that point was sand (we're riding along a beach, after all) and iceplant (low-water groundcover that fights erosion). Thankfully the iceplant is spongy, because I couldn't get my foot unclipped fast enough to catch myself. I went riiiiiiiiiiight over, bam. Unfortunately there were half a dozen other walkers/riders around, and everyone saw! I was fine, I was just kinda irritated with myself. Got up, got dusted off, got back on my bike. Injured dignity.

I tested all my gears, and one is kinda wonky. I'll have to take my bike to the bikeshop tomorrow. So I moved in front of my friend, and then I got this weird panicked idea that she might fall over, and if I was in front how would I know? So I turned around to look, with my foot still clipped in. This was a mistake. My handlebars are crooked because my arms extend to different lengths because of an old elbow fracture, and when I turned to look behind me I turned the front wheel. You guessed it, I went right over AGAIN!

This time I actually landed on the pavement with my rear end and slid down the edge into the sand on my hands. My bike ended up in the iceplant. I was wedged in, and my friend had to come up and lift my bike off the top of me then help me up. Again people saw...oi, SUCH injured dignity!!

When I fell the second time I just had to sit there and laugh at myself Here I was, so impressed with my bike and my shoes and my riding and my activity level...and I was celebrating by falling on my butt! I mean, who, after they've learned to ride 25 years earlier, still falls off their bikes on a perfectly flat, straight, smooth road...TWICE??

So I have to confess that I'm not the world's most graceful or coordinated biker. But at least I got out there and did it! And we finished our 20 miles. And I'll have some lovely bruises!

(I cross-posted this to the Support forum.)

[marny]

Oh boy. Well, you aren't the only one!
Years back I was standing with my bike ready to go on a ride with my brother. Before I knew what was happening, I lost by balance, fell down, and gashed my ankle with one of the gear teeth. Like you, I got right back up and rode. By the end of the ride, my sock was stained with blood, and my ankle was swollen the size of an orange.

You took the action to go ride-- no matter what was working against you.
You rock.

[Magic Flute]

Great stories, thanks for the laugh.
last summer I took my bike out on the dirt road that runs about 3 miles behind our cabin which is up by the Canadian border. On my return trip I saw what looked like little puppies... and then a very big mama bear with her cubs, not puppies. I was stranded about 2 miles from the cabin and started riding away from her, when I checked back to see if she was gone...she was still there. Finally one of our neighbors came by in his pickup truck and gave me a ride home.
who would have ever thought bike riding could be dangerous? lol
Bumps