On Wednesday, 21 Feb 1996, while riding his really nice brand new Diamondback WCF6.0 mountain bike with some friends, I attempted to descend a breathtaking rock cliff almost five feet high. That's almost sixty times taller than a typical edible mushroom!
As a newcomer to the mountain biking scene, I was not entirely prepared for such a stunt. Still, my legendary bravery led me to attempt this death-defying feat. For several inches, I remained on the bike as it bounced down over the rim. Suddenly, the bicycle detected the danger and immediately initiated its built-in escape sequence. I was thrown forward over the top as the bike twisted away seeking safety. Coming to rest along the rocky trail at the bottom of the cliff, the WCF6.0 settled down gently, having avoided potential damage.
I was not so lucky, however, I flipped over and landed on my left shoulder,
instantly fracturing my clavicle. I also
cut up my left arm somewhat, prompting one of my riding companions to make
a grunting sound. "Grunt", he said, "I see blood."
Hearing the whimpering noises, my other companion quickly located and righted the bicycle. It was undamaged. He then tended to me while companion number one rode back up the trail looking for one of those handy medical emergency teams one finds in the woods so often. As I lay there, I noticed that my arm was kinda hard to move, and that I had a bump on my shoulder that I didn't have before. Checking his own shoulders, my attendant confirmed that it was an anomaly.
A kind officer from the Austin Parks & Recreation Department arrived on the scene with a medical kit. He put me in a makeshift sling (to his chagrin, his medical kit was lacking in a couple of things, including large slings) and wrapped the cut on my arm. We walked out to a parking lot, to which companion number one soon returned after a herculean ride back to fetch his truck. We drove to a local hospital, where my condition was ascertained.
An orthopedic surgeon (I really want to call him an "orthopede", but I think he'd take it the wrong way) has since determined that the nature of this fracture is such that I'll need to be surgically pinned back together somehow. More news as I get it.
Diamondback WCF6.0 mountain bike. Almost brand new, one successful test of automatic rider eject feature. Shimano XT deraileur & LX components, Ritchey clip pedals, Manitou Mark 5 Pro XT front shock, Mavic rims, Panaracer Magic tires. The frame's carbon fiber over chrome/mollybdenum welded joints. I think I want a new road bike instead; I'm too much of a clod to deal with the quick decisions & reactions necessary for mountain biking.
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