Was writing an email to a friend of mine about my cycling accident, and realized it would make a good blog post. So here it is:

Tom,

Just wanted to speak to the irony that occurred when I crashed into that big pile of gravel back in August:

I have two powerful headlights for my bike, but I don’t always use them both when out riding in the dark. Sometimes, I only take one of the lights because I don’t want all the “extra weight.” And besides, you can get by with just one, especially in those 20 minutes or so before sunrise.

But on that morning, 20 minutes before sunrise, on my way to the Tuesday Gainey Ranch Village ride, I had both lights on the bike, and had them on high, figuring, “You got ‘em, you might as well use them.”

I remember marveling, just minutes before the crash, at how bright those lights were, how they let me see way down the road. I could angle one closer for the pot holes, and one further out ahead.

I remember thinking, “A lot of the riders (from Gainey Ranch) don’t have lights when they ride over in the dark to the start line, since they live so close by – they probably figure it’s only dark for a few minutes. But they really should be using lights.”

I remember a conservation I had with Tom a few years ago, when I had told him, “I think riding at night has gotten an ill-deserved rap. It’s safer than people say it is. For one thing, I can see perfectly well with both of these bright lights – and cars can see me, probably even better than in the daylight, especially when I use my Dinotte tail light (I don’t usually have it on the bike – too much hassle. I use a pair of smaller (and lighter) self-contained tail lights). That Dinotte tail light is so bright cars get way out of the way when they pass by. And besides, there are less cars out on the road at night to begin with.”

Yes, these were my thoughts at the time, and then, just a few minutes later, I’m flipping end over end into that big pile of gravel.

Moral of story: If you are riding in the dark, even if it’s in that magical time just before sunrise, and you know you’ll only need your lights for a few minutes, then dad gummit, use those lights! Better to spend a couple hundred bucks on good, powerful lights, take the hit of a couple of pounds of batteries (as if that’s going to make any difference anyway), and then USE THOSE LIGHTS. Better to spend the bucks and the minor hassle than ending up in ER with a huge hospital bill.

And even then, that might not be enough to avoid an accident. After all, that’s why they are called accidents.

Bryan

P.S. I’m in the therapy doldrums now. Yes, there’s improvement every day, but we’re talking millimeters, when it comes to range of motion. My arm and shoulder are sore and swollen all day, every day, from all that therapy. (The Doc says that’s normal.) I’m forever having to ice that shoulder. And I still can’t reach up (without the aid of other arm) and put the keys into the ignition in the car, even though I’ve been trying to do that for weeks.

The good news: I can almost reach the handlebars of my bike, without it hurting too much. A few more weeks and I should be able to ride my bike on the indoor trainer.