When the stairs win, with more broken arm.

"ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com" (ita97) 10/31/2020 at 16:29 • Filed to: None

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My biking posts on Oppo have slowed down a bit, as I broke my arm falling off the Salsa last month. It was the regular Saturday night Zombie ride, and leaving the second brewery I almost made it down a flight steps down to the public sidewalk below. There may have been some liquid courage involved, but my thinking had been along the lines of “... hey, I can ride steps no problem on my mountain bike, there’s no reason I shouldn’t be able do the same on my gravel bike...”

It turns out I under estimated how much more difficult riding stairs would be on a rigid, drop-bar bike on skinny CX tires. I was most of the way down when I went otb onto the sidewalk below. The sound of the impact made the nearest riders stop and circle back to see what was left of me. I initially got back on the bike and rode a couple of blocks until I realized I couldn’t downshift the rear derailleur. Not because the bike wasn’t fine, but because my right wrist was incapable of doing such a motion. When I stopped and sat down on the ground, I began to realized I wasn’t okay. I ended up getting a ride home, even though I was only a couple of miles away. It was all uphill through campus to my house, and the bike wasn’t in a gear I could slowly climb home in. It also would’ve been a terrible idea.

Finally tally was a small fracture in my wrist, a very small fracture at the head of my radius, a broken rib from my chest falling onto my wrist and testing my helmet with my head in it (no concussion, it was a pretty small head impact). I ended up in the full-arm cast, which wasn’t useful for much more than pointing dramatically at things. Fortunately I’m left-handed, so I haven’t had to learn any new life skills to do things like ass wiping.

My friends did a wonderful job of decorating the cast, complete with multiple hieroglyphic style depictions of the events leading to the cast. This past Monday I graduated to a short-arm case, which has made life better. I can even ride with this cast, at least on my mountain bike around town doing non-mountain bike things. Drop bars would be weird, but it works just fine for the upright riding position slowly around town on the Stache when I don’t really even need to use my right arm for anything other than shifting.

Tonight will be my Zombie ride return, albeit slowly playing tail gunner in the back on my mountain bike while in costume. And yes, riding around on pavement with my mountain bike on 29x3.0 rubber is absolutely absurd. It is so slow, and so loud. I can spin out in top gear on level ground without really trying all that hard, and there is so much tire hum. It will be awesome to ride again tonight, even if only doing so slowly on a widely inappropriate bike as the tamed cyclist.

A month of no riding has had some effects. I went to the garage everyday to longingly look at my bikes, and my chains have never been cleaner or better lubed. My Stache hasn’t been this clean since it followed me home from the bike shop.  I’ve got one more week in the cast and then hopefully I’ll be back to riding for real again.

VincentMalamute-Kim > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 10/31/2020 at 16:37

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Glad it wasn’t worse and you’ll be fine soon.  I’m glad you posted this to remind me not to do stupid stuff on the bike.

Chariotoflove > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 10/31/2020 at 16:38

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Bonus points for going with green. 

dogisbadob > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 10/31/2020 at 16:39

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next time, go fast enough so that you completely fly over the stairs :p

No really though, get better soon

dumpsterfire! > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 10/31/2020 at 16:39

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Hope you have a slow boring, but complete recovery.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Chariotoflove 10/31/2020 at 16:40

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Green is my favorite color.  They were out of it on Monday, so I had to fall back on blue for the short cast.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > VincentMalamute-Kim 10/31/2020 at 16:41

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I liken it to off-course excursions in racecars.  You don’t want to have them all the time, but if you never have off-course excursions you’re simply not pushing hard enough to know where the limits are.  

Chariotoflove > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 10/31/2020 at 16:43

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Still better than white or silver. Too  many people worry about neutral colors for resale.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Chariotoflove 10/31/2020 at 16:51

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Also learned: shifting the manual transmission mustang in the household was weird with a long-arm cast on my right arm. Some gears worked, some I had to skip. Shifting my RHD manual Pajero was no problem, though.

Cash Rewards > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 10/31/2020 at 16:56

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I wouldn’t have made it half as far as you did if I tried stairs on a bike with drop bars. Oof.  Glad you’re doing better.

But riding tonight, you’re going to be that guy in the jeep wrangler you hear 3 blocks away, but never can hear the sound of the engine over the tires.

VincentMalamute-Kim > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 10/31/2020 at 16:57

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Good point.

For me though, I think I’ve gotten old enough where I no longer feel a need to know where the limits are. And with lessons that heal faster!

Wouldn’t have helped with your particular ouchie but your story is making me think of investing in elbow and knee pads.

Chariotoflove > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 10/31/2020 at 17:02

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Makes sense. 

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > VincentMalamute-Kim 10/31/2020 at 17:14

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Well said, Sir; well said.

VincentMalamute-Kim > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 10/31/2020 at 17:31

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The rolling resistance of the fat tires surprises me. We rode down Trail Ridge Road (12K’) to Estes Park (7.5k’) and I had to pedal all the way down (3.0" f and 2.8" r) to keep up with my friend who coasted all the way on 2.3" tires.

We did the ride a month ago on my 38mm tired gravel bike and him still with his 2.3" tired mtn bike. I had to brake all the way down to keep from running into him.

I envy the top tube bag mounts on your Salsa. hmm ...  I bet I could drill a hole, place a Rivnut and make my own...

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > VincentMalamute-Kim 10/31/2020 at 17:38

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Indeed. They’re stupid on pavement and gravel , but damned awesome on the trail. I did a 30 mile gravel ride on this bike on ditch banks and river banks, and they were both overkill and so much more effort than my Salsa on the 650b x 2.2 XC wheelset is on the same route.

  So far even rock gardens on this bike haven’t left me wanting full squish. They have so much traction and flotation in sandy arroyo bottoms, and soak up rock well enough to make me feel good about getting a hardtail.

VincentMalamute-Kim > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 10/31/2020 at 18:10

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woah, 2.2" on the Salsa. They don’t look large in the photo. I have 650b x 38mm on my gravel bike and I always think they look very big from the saddle.

I should go look up what the widest tires I could fit on my gravel bike. 38mm for road riding which is what I use the bike for. Too uncomfortable for actual gravel roads.

You must younger - I want the full susp just for the comfort on rocks.

facw > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 10/31/2020 at 18:13

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Ouch...

I sold my tadpole trike to a guy who blew up his arm mountain biking, and wanted to be able to ride something  over the summer while he got healed up.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > VincentMalamute-Kim 10/31/2020 at 18:22

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That picture (and when I went down the stairs) is on my 700c x 33 wheelset for the bike. I use that wheelset for impersonating a road bike.

For gravel rides I switch to the 650b x 2.2 wheelset. I’m 35.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 10/31/2020 at 19:08

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You to yourself know you were tipsy and had no suspension

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/31/2020 at 19:31

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“How hard could it be?" in Clarkson's voice definitely went through my head.

smobgirl > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 10/31/2020 at 19:41

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Well I’ll add “stay off stairs on bicycle” to my list. I probably would’ve gone over the bars on the first step though! Hope it heals up quick. 

Nom De Plume > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 10/31/2020 at 20:55

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ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > smobgirl 10/31/2020 at 21:21

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Thanks. I'm well on the way.

VincentMalamute-Kim > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 10/31/2020 at 22:22

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Those are big tires! Looked it up, my gravel bike only fits up to 42mm so I’ll use a 22 year old Stumpjumper for actual gravel rides. Your 2.2" tires are wider than my Stumpjumper’s.

I’m 20 years older. By then you may also find a rear shock nice just for comfort.

RallyWrench > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 11/01/2020 at 01:21

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Oh shit! Glad you're on the mend and able to pedal again. Tough being off the bike, hope you find strength again quickly. 

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > RallyWrench 11/01/2020 at 03:12

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Thanks!