First Ride Since Accident
Discussion
Today I had my first significant ride (i.e. a few miles) since a cycling accident in March when I was badly injured. By that I mean 3 days unconscious and a month it hospital.
Clearly it's not my intention to either worry anyone about future cycling or encourage anyone who has stopped after an accident to get back on if they don't want to. However, once I was physically up to it, I found my first ride easier and more enjoyable than I'd expected. So my advice to anyone in a similar position would be to take your time, relax, and just see how things go. One day you might find that getting back on comes naturally.
By the way, I owe a great deal of thanks to the Police (who looked after me and set my rescue in motion), the ambulance service, Kent/Surrey/Sussex Air Ambulance, King's College Hospital, Princess Royal Hospital and my lovely GP who must be sick of the sight of me, but has never shown it. A million
to all of them.
Clearly it's not my intention to either worry anyone about future cycling or encourage anyone who has stopped after an accident to get back on if they don't want to. However, once I was physically up to it, I found my first ride easier and more enjoyable than I'd expected. So my advice to anyone in a similar position would be to take your time, relax, and just see how things go. One day you might find that getting back on comes naturally.
By the way, I owe a great deal of thanks to the Police (who looked after me and set my rescue in motion), the ambulance service, Kent/Surrey/Sussex Air Ambulance, King's College Hospital, Princess Royal Hospital and my lovely GP who must be sick of the sight of me, but has never shown it. A million
to all of them. 
Good for you 
Any chance of the gory details of the accident? Can sometimes be helpful to know how these things happen to avoid it happening to others.
I've had a couple of nasty crashes on my my mtb but was lucky enough to be back riding after a week - it certainly makes you aware of how fragile you are. Not sure I could get back on after a proper serious accident such as yours.
Any chance of the gory details of the accident? Can sometimes be helpful to know how these things happen to avoid it happening to others.
I've had a couple of nasty crashes on my my mtb but was lucky enough to be back riding after a week - it certainly makes you aware of how fragile you are. Not sure I could get back on after a proper serious accident such as yours.
Thanks for the messages.
I have no memory of the accident and there are no witnesses. But it looks like I lost control on a very steep and rather bendy hill on a cold morning. The sort of road where 40mph can be done without even trying. If I was to draw a lesson from it, it would be to think more about what might happen when things start to go wrong. Hate to say it on PH, but having an accident at 40mph+ might well be very different from having one at lower speeds. By the way, I've been a keen cyclist for more than 25 years.
Just for your interest, I fractured my skull - even though I was wearing a helmet. The medical report said that the helmet had been subject to substantial impact. For me, that looks like the helmet did a good job. But I must say, the new one I've just got seems to fit even better and seems more secure. The cradle part (if that's what you call the part that actually touches your head) seems better designed and easier to adjust. And I was very careful that my previous helmet fitted properly.
I have no memory of the accident and there are no witnesses. But it looks like I lost control on a very steep and rather bendy hill on a cold morning. The sort of road where 40mph can be done without even trying. If I was to draw a lesson from it, it would be to think more about what might happen when things start to go wrong. Hate to say it on PH, but having an accident at 40mph+ might well be very different from having one at lower speeds. By the way, I've been a keen cyclist for more than 25 years.
Just for your interest, I fractured my skull - even though I was wearing a helmet. The medical report said that the helmet had been subject to substantial impact. For me, that looks like the helmet did a good job. But I must say, the new one I've just got seems to fit even better and seems more secure. The cradle part (if that's what you call the part that actually touches your head) seems better designed and easier to adjust. And I was very careful that my previous helmet fitted properly.
Well done. 
I've only been getting back to riding tentatively in the last few weeks myself after my 'collision' in June; not as serious as yours by any means, but I have lasting pain/damage to my thumb so it's a bit tricky. At least I know exactly how it happened and it wasn't my fault...
I've only been getting back to riding tentatively in the last few weeks myself after my 'collision' in June; not as serious as yours by any means, but I have lasting pain/damage to my thumb so it's a bit tricky. At least I know exactly how it happened and it wasn't my fault...
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