Day 40: Major Disaster (Jackson)

The first thing to say is that I have had better days and that I will get better. All injuries appear to be superficial, as can be seen in the following to photographs.

Unfortunately the bike did not make it. As can be seen in the next two photographs.

Nor did the helmet ...

Note the striations on the surface of the helmet, which reflect the type of road surface it (along with me!) landed and slide along. These markings also appear on my sunglasses!

Apparently I am lucky, but to be lucky I needed to be unlucky in the first place. It would appear that I am lucky that I did not sustain more serious injuries: the helmet did its job as I landed head first on the Bridge deck that crosses over the Mississippi!

The initial bad luck arose shortly after making the decision to ovrtake Lou, whilst accelerating off of the bridge. We, Lou and I, were cycling on the hard shoulder of the two laned carriageway and, as I accelerated towards Lou I checked to see whether there was any traffic behind me on the inside line. There was not, so I moved into the line only to be confronted by the following cycle unfriendly death trap whilst travelling at a speed of 20 odd mph:

These expansion plate slots are perfectly designed to accept 20 inch wheels.

Also, given my speed I had about a second or so to react! Needless to say the crash was inevetable as my attempted "bunny hop" was only sufficiant for my front wheel to clear the first row of slots. So as the bike effectively stopped instantaneously when it fell in to the second I was catapulted over the handlebars and then, I think, the bike kind of somersaulted over me!

Thus ending my cycling for the day. So yet again, Sue had to rescue me from the side of the road.

Ah, but, tomorrow is another day ....