Down Goes Yates

Every cyclists worst nightmare...well at least it was always mine. Going down on the bike. I had avoided it for all my miles of cycling. I consider myself a very safe cyclist, always aware of my surroundings. I practice ride as if something terrible can happen at any moment and I obey the traffic laws. Yet, unfortunately sometimes the cards don't fall the way you want them despite your best efforts. Saturday was one of those days for me.

I was heading out for a 75 mile ride. I was getting within the final month of my Oceanside prep and I was really looking forward to testing the legs and the new fit on this ride. I was doing the ride solo so I was carrying two bottles with Malto on the frame and a bottle of electrolyte in my torpedo. A couple miles into the ride I had to cross a bridge which includes 1/8 of a mile on a highway and then I take the exit after crossing the bridge to then get out in the country. I have ridden over this bridge a few times. Nothing too crazy about it. Yet Saturday I was decending on the off ramp with good speed when I went over a significant bump in the road. My torpedo bottle ejected (which is VERY unsual. In fact I have never had it happen). I remember wondering whether I should stop or not to retrieve it. Just as I made my decision to stop, I came around a corner on the off ramp and looked to pull over to the side where there was a grassy area. I suddenly saw a storm drain, but it was too late. I didn't know if it was going to be a drain with a grate to it that I could just roll over or not, but I was about to find out.

Unfortunately for me it wasn't. My front wheel immediately sank a few inches and I went superman into the pavement. Now after typing all that, I'm not entirely sure on those details. Those are the events as to the best of my memory but it is kind of blurry. Once I hit the deck with my face I could immediately feel one of my teeth get pushed back into the jaw bone. I knew that wasn't good. I got up and was spewing blood from my face. I grabbed my bike and started to carry it. I felt around in my teeth with my tongue and realized I was missing one tooth for sure. Others appeared out of place. I was surprisingly calm. I used my beanie to help with the beanie and phoned my wife. I don't really remember exactly what I said but I basically told her to get over to where I was ASAP. I hung up the phone and realized that I was still pouring blood. Nobody had stopped despite dozens of cars going by every 60 seconds. Finally someone stopped and offered me something to stop the blood and to call 911. I thanked him for the towell and pointed to the phone on my ear as I was calling 911 right then.

Everything else is pretty non eventful. I did lose the one tooth and will lose two more. I am having the dental work performed by the best crew in Portland this week. In fact, my oral surgeon is the surgeon for the hockey team in town. I figured he would know a thing or two on implants :) Besides that I have a couple dozed stitches in my face. The road rash is healing surprisingly well. Amazingly I suffered no fractures. Not a single one. My face is a mess, but nothing that can't be fixed. Let this be a reminder to take nothing for granted. Always ride safe. Thanks for taking the time to read. Below is a picture I had the ambulance guys take on the way to the ER.

T