massive injury report...out for two weeks :(

[Ryan Gibson]

Well, my training regime working to recover from an early season peak and get back to peak form for Downieville XC was interupted this past Saturday with a fluke road bike accident. In all my years of road riding (10 years/several thousand miles per year), I have never crashed my road bike, and hoped I never would.

 

It was a beautiful morning on Father's Day weekend as I rolled out Lucas Valley Road with seven other friends to do at 50sih mile ride around west Marin. As we rolled through Pt. Reyes Station heading towards Inverness, we slowed to turn left on Bear Valley Rd, which loops back towards Olema...we planned to climb Olema hill, then take Platform Bridge Rd. back into Nicasio and return to Ignacio via Lucas Valley Rd. I was leading our pack in a nice tight well organized, disciplined and experienced peleton. I used hand signals to the group to indicate slowing and our approaching left turn and I continued to watch for cars in the oncoming lane we were to turn across. Every time I make this turn I think how poor the sight line is around the blind turn out towards Inverness-this day would be an example of how dangerous this turn can be.

 

Traffic was clear ahead as I began the turn across the yellow lines and through the oncoming lane...just as I turned in an old Bronco going ~75mph (believe the speed limit is 30mph here) comes barrelling into view. I react quickly and turn to yell "car up" many times as loud as I can, knowing that if my group follow me through the turn in front of this grossly speeding Bronco, they are not likely to survive. As I turn back around I realize I myself may not make it...I take evasive maneuver and find myself able to avoid the Bronco, but unable to finish the corner. The only option (no shoulder) is a small shallow drainage ditch-I was expecting to get wet and dirty, but not to land on SHARP boulders.

 

As I crawled back out of the ditch to my friends asking if I was okay, I quickly realize that I am not pedaling home...my knee has just about been scalped by a sharp rock. Two fire engines and an ambulance arrive quickly and I am off to Kaiser in Terra Linda for some serious wound cleaning and stitches. Despite having had many injuries myself over my years of rugby, ice hockey, road motorcycle riding and racing, dirt motorcycle riding and racing, mountain biking, etc...and having been an EMT-B in college...I have never seen a laceration this bad. Not for the faint of heart, a picture of the carnage and gore is here -> https://picasaweb.google.com/andrewryangibson2008/Ouchie?authuser=0...

 

Despite the massive laceration, I was VERY lucky to avoid bone, ligament, tendon, muscle etc damage...and I am told I should be good to go in ~12 days (now 8). It is still very swollen, but think I might actually be able to spin around by the end of this coming weekend. Definitely a setback, but hope to be back on the bike and able to push very soon.

[Jim Hewett]

That road biking is dangerous!
Heal quickly.

[Ryan Gibson]

Thanks Jim...cross training and spening time with the fam :) Oh, and all this idle time has me thinking more and more about freshening up the Tallboy with a new frame and/or building up a Tallboy LTc. All four of the friends I was to go to Downieville on Monday ride Tallboys just like mine (xtr, carbon wheels, etc etc), and all four left them at home and demoed Tallboy Ltc's from Yuba Expeditions...one bought his demo bike, and the rest are plotting a group buy :) Said it took 10 mins off their ~1hr downhill time and felt like a better all around Nomad, while still climbing like a goat!

[Carl Sanders]

Damned lucky you weren't hurt worse. Did the Bronco even stop?  Heal up!

[Ryan Gibson]

Thanks Carl. Nope, Bronco didnt stop, but I was thankfully with a good group of friends. Unfortunately, my knee got infected, and I had to have full on knee surgery last Monday. While in there (both full open knee and arthroscopic in the knee sac), the doctor found and removed plica, found a small quad tendon tear (not bad enough to fix) and a small patella fracture. The surgery to remove infection and check everything out/remove plica, etc was more traumatic than the laceration, and I am now even farther out from spinning again :( I am super bummed, as I will miss the Death Ride, and might not even make Downieville. Anyone need emotional support and bottle handups???...I am your guy :)

[Carl Sanders]

Crazy...rode with your buddy Pers (sp?) on SFDB yesterday -- he said you were doing much better. Chin up. You'll be back on the ride soon.

[Ryan Gibson]

Ha, small world! Yes, I got very lucky to by chance get Piers as my doc, as he is an avid cyclist and doc to the TOC/naturally very focused and understanding of a cyclists needs for a fast but full recovery. Hope to be out there on the road soon! Probably 2-3 weeks. Best

[Paul Montgomery]

Just saw this post...heard it was bad, hope your on the outside of it now (with the 2nd surgery). Something to be said for wearing cow skin to keep things from making holes in people skin.