Last year, during my December holidays, I prepared for an extensive cross border, Southern African trip. One part of the preparations was a of course brand new set of tyres. At that stage I was packed, passports and malaria tablets pocketed and everything including the helmet polished. I only had to do one short trip down the road to the fill up with fuel at the garage before I come home and pack my load for the next morning 6am when I would hit the road. It was the first corner en route to The garage where I wiped out and had the bike fall on my knee, dragging me along for the next 10 meters. I was doing about 30km/h at the time of impact. I was still able to walk and ride but experience told me in another 2-3 hours I'd be out of action for 2 weeks. That was indeed the case.
And that was my trip- binne in sy m**r. I spend the next few days on my couch just staring into space, unable to comprehend what had happened and how quickly it happened. So much excitement had built up in the 4 months I prepared for it.
The fall - like any other time when you fall off a bike- is just so stupid, u'd kick yourself if only you had one good leg to do it with. The tyres that I had fitted just that morning still had the factory wax on and could turn any tar road into an ice rink. As always, the tech who fit the tyres told me, "take it easy for the next 100k's ne!!" and I remember thinking, yeah yeah, i've been riding for 15 years, i'm not stupid. Well I'm not...all the time - just in that moment when I completely forgot I had new tyres and leaned in the corner like the zealous cowboy I am- with full intention of putting it as low down as the situation allowed me. Apparently the situation allowed me to put it as low down as the tar.
Everyone said, it possibly happened for a reason and I have since accepted that I missed out on 3 weeks of life enriching adventure.
I just wanted to know - are they any other riders out there who wiped out on account of new tyres? I don't want to feel so alone in my stupidity.
;D
And that was my trip- binne in sy m**r. I spend the next few days on my couch just staring into space, unable to comprehend what had happened and how quickly it happened. So much excitement had built up in the 4 months I prepared for it.
The fall - like any other time when you fall off a bike- is just so stupid, u'd kick yourself if only you had one good leg to do it with. The tyres that I had fitted just that morning still had the factory wax on and could turn any tar road into an ice rink. As always, the tech who fit the tyres told me, "take it easy for the next 100k's ne!!" and I remember thinking, yeah yeah, i've been riding for 15 years, i'm not stupid. Well I'm not...all the time - just in that moment when I completely forgot I had new tyres and leaned in the corner like the zealous cowboy I am- with full intention of putting it as low down as the situation allowed me. Apparently the situation allowed me to put it as low down as the tar.
Everyone said, it possibly happened for a reason and I have since accepted that I missed out on 3 weeks of life enriching adventure.
I just wanted to know - are they any other riders out there who wiped out on account of new tyres? I don't want to feel so alone in my stupidity.
;D
