Two Types of Cyclists

There is a saying that there are two types of cyclists: those who have crashed and those who will crash.  I joined the latter category 12 or 13 years ago in spectacular style when a dog darted out in front of me and sort of just stopped.  Unlike some people that can't remember their crashes, I can still clearly remember flying over the handlebars, flipping upside down and landing square on my back.  My helmet was crushed and my phone in my back pocket shattered (not to mention the back of my jersey tore up), but my bike--which stayed clipped to my feet the entire time--was unscathed.  other than waiting after having the wind knocked out of me, I rode the rest of the way home more angry than hurt.  I also vowed from that day forward that I would always buy the absolute best helmet money could buy because I have no doubt that one saved my brains from splattering on the road.

When the damage is on the BACK of the jersey, you know it was a bad crash.  I kept this jersey as a reminder of what can happen at any given moment.  Stupid dog!

The other day I was riding with a friend of mine and we got to talking about how Katelyn was doing on her bike.  He asked if she had crashed yet and when I said she hadn't, he asked if we had talked about crashing.  The rest of that ride and the days that followed, I tried to find the right way to talk to Katelyn about the subject and I came to realize that talking to your daughter about the inevitability of  crashing is just as scary as having the discussion about the birds and the bees. I mean, how do you tell your kid that someday she will be sprawled out on the pavement with a certain percentage of her skin missing?  And if that is not bad enough, you have to talk about the ensuing shower and the seething pain that awaits when road rash hits water.  No, it is definitely not a conversation that any parent wishes to entertain. And so, like the birds and the bees conversation, I found that postponing it for another time was the best course of action.

The SUV won this round! The shower afterwards SUCKED!

On the plus side, I have noticed that Katelyn's bike handling skills have continued to improve.  She holds a straight line much better, she can accelerate and stop when riding in a pack, she has hit holes in the road and managed to control the bike, and I taught her how to bunny hop, just in case she needs to jump some unavoidable object.  Also, she is better about watching for hand signals and knowing when and when not to pull onto a road or cross a street.  With that being said, I consider myself an exceptional bike handler and still this past year I managed to crash into a Toyota Forerunner--well, it was more managing to slide completely UNDER the vehicle since that is where I ended up.  Nevertheless, what I am trying to say is, crashes happen.  They just do.

So it was with mixed emotions that I saw Katelyn move into the second category of riders today.  We were out riding with a group of six riders and we had been riding a faster ride--pushing harder than we normally do.  With only two miles left to ride, I came up to a 4-way stop sign.  As I rode up, there were no cars in sight and we got ready to roll though the intersection.  Then, I saw a car approaching so I quickly yelled out to the group and a second later, felt something hit my back tire.  I turned around to find Katelyn down on the ground.  Apparently she didn't see me or the rider behind me stop and she hit him and someone bumped me in the process.   As I evaluated the situation, the first thing I noticed was road rash on her knee.  Then I found myself watching her; how was she reacting?  Was she scared?  Ready to cry?  Nervous about riding?  Would she want a car to come pick her up?   But her response was, she turned to the rider she hit and profusely apologized to him.  She ignored the road rash, picked herself and her bike up and we rode the rest of the way home at a normal pace.

a little knee scrap and a bit on the shoulder.  Will be sore tomorrow!

This is Tegaderm.  Awesome stuff--especially on joints!

Once we got closer to the house, I asked her what the best thing she did in that situation was.  She first said, "I apologized to Ted for hitting him?"  I told her that was definitely good but I was looking for something else.  Her next response correctly was, "I got back on the bike."  When we got home, she showered and cleaned her road rash and we put some Tegaderm over the abrasion.  Side note:  Tegaderm is the most fantastic stuff for road rash.  It is a clear covering that you leave one for 4-6 days and it keeps the road rash moist and heals it from the inside out without ever scabbing.  That way, in case you have to continue cycling day after day after day (sound familiar?), you can ride without ever dealing with cracking scabs--especially on knees or elbows.

Ride over and still smiling.  I couldn't ask for more from this kid.

So that's it.  We ride, we crash, we pick ourselves up and we ride some more.  All the while, we pray that when we do go down, it is just a little skin we lose and nothing more.

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