Road rash sucks

Both my pride and right side are a bit bruised this morning after a fateful decision to take a route on the bike that I normally don't take.

My morning bike ride started out just like any other but I've been thinking the last couple rides that I really should venture out and try new routes. Not that the scenario contributes all that much but when it's dark, I'm definitely looking for roads that have a good bike lane and are lit.

I took a left turn this morning that turned out to be exactly what I was looking for - nice bike lane, lit well and low traffic. After about 1.5 miles however, the construction signs start flashing in the wee hours of the morning. No big deal (usually) - just slow down, keep close to the curb and avoid the barrels.

You know how when a road is being resurfaced, they scrape the top layer off leaving a massively bumpy surface behind? This is the road I ended up on. And not just for a couple hundred feet...after a mile of being rattled so hard my water bottle was shaken lose, I decided that I needed to improve my position. Of course, the closest smooth location was the 1.5 foot section of the curb beside me.

Oh, one other thing to note - when they scrap the pavement away, it makes the road and edge of the curb uneven (e.g., the lip of curb is raised above the bumpy pavement). So if you try to swerve over onto the curb, your tires will meet the raised cement of the curb. If your body is leaning right and your wheels are caught on the lip of the curb, they will NOT move in the same direction. BIFF.

After laying there in the dirt for a minute trying to catching my breath and assess which part of my body hurt the most, I stood up and dusted myself off. Dammit that hurt. After a quick assessment of the bike to make sure I could still get home, I got back on and had to endure another .5 miles of the stupid bumpy road. Disoriented and still reeling that I crashed, I spent another 5 minutes trying to figure out where to go next. Nothing looked familiar. I'll just head east, toward the sunrise...

I made it home fine. I'll look over the bike this afternoon to make sure nothing is out of whack. Me, I'll be fine. My pride is probably bruised more than my body but I'll get over it.