Stacks on!
I had my first trike stack yesterday.
I was riding along the road, and turned left into a driveway to get back on the footpath. The driveway had a gap in the easement for gutter flow and the front wheel got caught in the gap and I went over sideways, resulting in a big graze on my left knee. My water bottle was sent flying into the street, but my walking stick remained in its holder which is good to know. I would have needed my stick more than my water bottle to get myself up.
2 cars stopped to help. The people got me on my feet, got the front wheel and handlebars back in alignment and got the chain back on. The trike was rideable to get home but it will need a check up. I have an extensive supply of wound dressings so I was able to patch myself up when I got home.
I’ve learned to tell people that they will need to lift me to get me up off the ground. Because of lack of strength in my calves I can’t help them help me up until my butt is higher than my knees and my quads can take over. It works really well as they understand completely what to do. They grab me under my arms and lift.
I think the people who stopped to help were a bit shocked by my “yeah, I’ll be right” attitude! They’re looking at this woman with a big, red, bleeding graze on her knee, who’s just stacked it spectacularly, hitting the pavement at about 30 kms/hr and she seems completely unfazed by it!
I love that I have a tough, get on with it attitude. I always have. I’ve been symptomatic with CMT all my life and I never wanted anyone to feel sorry for me. Empathy, sure but take your pity and shove it up your jumper.
Obviously, I didn’t want this to happen but I there are lessons to be learned from it. Mostly, don’t go so fast or at least slow down more when you’re turning into a driveway. Also, avoid driveways with the weird little gap! I’ve watched enough riders in the Tour de France come unstuck by tram tracks to know it rarely ends well! And I’m also a little bit proud of myself. Firstly, it was always going to happen. It was inevitable that I would take a tumble at some point. But now I’ve got the first crash done with, and I handled it pretty well. It also made me think what would I do if no one had stopped. So now I have a plan for if my trike is unrideable and I can’t get home: call a friend who lives nearby and has a van; call my Brother-in-law who has a big 4×4 or call a wheelchair taxi to get me and my trike home.
Solution oriented and CMT TOUGH!!
But I am a bit sore today!!!
Peppa's Place 