Well, of course, the month began pretty sparsely and ended the same. Took a couple weeks after getting doored before I got on the bike, and a couple more before things began to feel less uncomfortable. Then I took it easy this week. Which is about a month, eh?
Got a couple good rides in though, and spent this final week using the Carlos D training model of not riding before a longer event. In this case, that’s the Marin Century, which I’ll be riding tomorrow along with a true Northern California rider to be named later. Hopefully, photos and writeup will follow, along with a decent start to August mileage.
Garnered 330 miles on 12 rides. This month was exclusively geared/coastable miles on the Hilsen, as the Quickbeam has been getting some evaluation and R&R.
I did end up doing more yoga class sessions (9) in a month than ever before - first because it was the only thing that I could do and then because it seemed to help restore movement and range of motion. No running, but I would’ve if I hadn’t bounced off the roadway last month.
2009 Bikey Miles So Far - 2285
Felt like I could finally wrap my hand around a wrench yesterday, so spent a little time fiddling with the Hilsen setup. I’d cut the housing too short when I swapped out the stem a while back, which sent the get-homer-on-the-road impulse into a tailspin. Now, however, the idea of gears seems good, as my left shoulder isn’t too ready for the stress of handlebar honking. Got a little twine-fixated, but really like the touch of wrapping near the barend shifter. Not my best bar wrap job, but it got things ready to ride. Which, after a quick swap to smooth tires, seems like a fine way to spend the morning.
Enjoy these while I’m gone -
Not much update yet on things - still haven’t really felt like pulling the bits off my bike to check things. Mostly this is because I’m trying to catch up on a less-than-productive work week last week, combined with the start of a couple of classes this week.
This “time” you speak of, she is an elusive creature, no?
But, there are some good things to report on the meat-bits front, I reckon. Last night, I could actually see folds at my knuckle when I straighten the finger out, so it seems like the swelling is going down a bit. I’ll spare you images this time around, as now it really just looks like a sewing project gone horribly awry. The doc is pretty sure that I sprained my Teres Minor, as I have some strength and motion in certain directions and pain in other specific angles. My neck is clicking and popping a bit, but in a good way so far - more dropping into better alignment as swelling reduces. Will probably get to see my chiropractor pretty soon since he won’t be working against the tissuue quite so much. Ice has continued to be my friend.
I’m really happy that the general antibiotic course is over with. That stuff was making me a bit dopey, which didn’t assist in the whole trying-to-work efforts of last week. Actually have had a few moments of sharpness this week, which never should be taken for granted.
Hopefully, the grumpy/funky mood of not riding will not infect me. The yoga (still very light and careful) is helping, certainly, but the “Not-Riding-Jim” is potentially a Kilkenny cat and so I’m watching him very carefully…
In nothing else, it would be nice to get a light ride in so I can change the beeriffic photo that has remained my most recent on Flickr since last week. Not quite sure what angle will be comfortable… Zeus with the moustache bars? Singlespeed mtb? Get the cables rigged on the Hilsen? Sounds like Saturday’s project.
Meanwhile, a pretty cool bicycle model (or two) has been announced by GP over at Rivendell Bicycle Works: The Roadeo. Announced first over on the RBW “Knothole” journal, he clarified and elaborated on some points after it kicked up two vigorous threads on the iBob list and over on the RBW Owners’ Bunch list. (While I’m thinking about it, do kids grow up reading about Bronco Nagurski anymore? Of course, I read a lot more about football players back then.)
The announcement is pretty exciting - having refined the larger clearance for bigger tire models with the Saluki/A. Homer Hilsen/Sam Hillborne, they created a model at the other end of the spectrum. The Rambouillet had previously been their “lighter” road model, but if you read through the description, it was always thought of as a versatile road bike that wanted to see trails and trickier topography. The limit really was brake reach, which got solved first through the use of a 650B tire size (Saluki/584) and then with the advent of the Silver Long Reach brakes (A. Homer Hilsen).
This meant that while the Rambouillet had a lot of attractive features and fans, it was in reality pretty close to the Hilsen - perhaps more change of emphasis than of the basic design.
But, a lot of folks have continued to ask for the Rambouillet and openly lament its disappearance from the Rivendell line. However, the Roadeo seems to offer a lot of the Rambouillet’s zippiness in a lighter framed model. It freakin’ sounds fast… (and you should just read through GP’s description, if you hadn’t by now.)
The other thing which gets mentioned in that post is a newer, leaner, meaner version of the Quickbeam. Which, if you haven’t figured out by now, is pretty much the bike I use for every type of riding. There’s something about that aesthetic of using a limited system to find a certain richness of experience.
Which, quite honestly, I’m looking forward to getting back to.
First, I wanted to thank everyone who commented here, over on Flickr or directly via email. Your thoughts are much appreciated.
Attended my yoga class last night for some extremely light movement. Though my range of motion was comically limited, my arm and shoulder feel a little better today. The joints are really tender still, my left shoulder continues to have some issues and my neck is not exceptionally happy, but it seemed to relax the muscle tissue a bit. Which helped me to sleep better.
That yoga is powerful stuff. I’m really glad I started it when I did. It has given me some useful strength in the upper body, which feels like it must have prevented further damage to my upper body when I hit the road.
Plus, as my wife reminds me, I fall really well.
Which isn’t really a joke attempt. You see some folks hit the ground like a sack of cement or a big sheet of plywood. All that force goes right into them. You wanna roll. Stick nothing out and roll.
Not that you have any ability to think about it in any way. As the saying goes, this thing happened so fast, I didn’t have time to react. (And, as fodder for another bit of writing, I kind of always thought I would have that time…) One second I’m heading home on a bit of familiar road and the next there’s a flash of white and serious pain in my right hand. I could hear myself vocalizing, can recall the feeling of my helmet contacting the ground (though it wasn’t the first point of contact) and a sense of pretty good impact - but in a very general way. (Based on what hurts the most, my right paw must have been pinned briefly between my brake lever and the truck door, and I hit first on the left side of my arm and shoulder. Must’ve rolled too, as I ended up lying on my right side in the roadway.)
I don’t recall going out, but the timeline is all screwed up. I could hear people yelling to dial 911, but it seemed like there were a lot of people around me all of a sudden. Someone was telling me to stay down.
The first thing I did, and this cracks me up, was run my tongue around my teeth to make sure they were all there. The doc later said it was a reflex action.
So, there I was. The road felt really hot, but I didn’t feel like moving. My neck and back just felt wicked wrenched, and my hand really hurt. Someone appeared with a wet towel and put it on my fingers. We all hung out in the street until the cops got there, which was danged fast. EMT’s pretty quickly afterwards.
Once they heard “back & neck pain”, they wouldn’t let me move either. Plus, the people who saw said I had gone out. The best I could do was say I didn’t think I had. At least I had “4 by 4″ movement.
Here’s the indicator: It was only about this time when I asked about my bike.
I actually think that’s pretty funny.
Anyway, the police and emt’s were great. The ambulance ride was really disorienting, because when you are strapped down looking up feeling your weight move right and left, it’s hard to figure out where you are. The lights go over your head in the hospital pretty much like in the movies and shows. The ER crew were pretty sharp, too.
The coolest thing in the ER were the spotlights. They hold this Star-Trekky device right were they need the light and then press a button. Something spins on the top of the handheld unit and these two high-intensity spotlights adjust themselves from the ceiling.
About halfway through the sewing, I thought the doctor was done. I guess that I didn’t really get a good look at things back in the street. It seems like he did pretty good work - you can check it out if you really want to:
(Yeah, you’ll have to click through to see the real image.)
It’s looking a bit better now, still pretty swollen, but not quite so meaty. I just have to remember to stop bending the damned thing. Anyway, this typing is catching up with my hands, so that’s the report for today.
Well, the month of June certainly ended with a bang - literally.
Thought I’d be able to nudge the year over the 2K mark before the month ended, but Monday’s homebound commute got cut short, and I don’t count ambulance miles. Good thing I decided not to be a hand model. (Of course, there’s probably some specific sub-genre that my newly detailed hand would be good for, but maybe I’m better off not knowing about such things…)
Saw a variety of scenery this month (here, here and here) and managed to get some decent rides in despite a little travelling.
Notched 384 miles on 17 and a half rides. Had felt pretty good for most of last Saturday’s hottin’ up ride, which was a 50 mile fixed loop. Only 3 yoga class sessions, but more walking and hiking. I guess I’m working up my nerve to start running (pre-cross-time!)
Again, all Quickbeam-fixed miles, except for one loop on the MB1.2009 Bikey Miles So Far - 1955
