Sunday, November 20, 2005

Crash

It has been quite some time since I've kissed pavement. Today it was in the 40s and rainy- maybe it was in the mid 30s. All I know is that it was raining and above freezing. I was a few kilometers from home when I realized my combo of bike gloves with liners was not going to be warm enough, so I stopped to put on my real winter gloves. I took off again, headed down through an underpass and the next thing I knew I was on the ground. I could hardly stand up. It was at that point that I realized there was a large patch of glare ice under the puddle of water that I was lying in. I was angy enough to keep riding- and a bit wary of any standing water. I also chose the road more traveled. The rest of the ride was uneventful, aside from the fact that my feet were soaking wet. Cold, wet feet do not make for a fun ride. I really need to solve this issue- and I think it will involve more than just fenders.

The nice thing about crashing on ice is that there is no road rash. I have some swelling and a bruise beneath my knee, but that is no big deal. No shredded clothes or damage to the bike.
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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Eric, I must admit, this whole blog thing just blows me away, but really, with the image I have in my head of you talking, it makes your narrative come alive. Did I ever tell you about my husband Bill "kissing pavement"? He was flying down a hill too fast for his crappy Kronos bike (I told him it was garbage and to seriously upgrade, but NOOOO, when he felt a small vibration of the frame between his legs, then WHAM!His bike folded like a cheap tin can. He also didn't know to press his legs firmly together against his frame to stop the vibration FAST.He's a (still) living advertisement for helmets; his was crushed on impact, but his head was the only thing that didn't get busted.I guess the point here is that you should consider yourself lucky- just a bruised knee and ego!Eric, it looks like you're living amongst block upon block of smooshed together housing developments surrounded by water, and I don't see traffic lights or signs on the roads. Are people that polite in Norway? I also never imagined you with your bike left outside- ever, without you on it, that is.How many hours of daylight have you this time of year? Is this the cause of your insomnia, or is this whole complete life change contributing? I don't know- I haven't read Focault in many years, but nerd that I am, I enjoyed him.I too am a long time veteran of the sleep wars. The good news is if it keeps up for long enough, you really stop longing for sleep, you stop feeling like your caught in some form of hell, and well, you get alot of reading done :-) It was really nice to read up on how you're fairing. Take Care, Bridget

11/22/2005 1:04 AM
filtersweep said...

I have definitely had worse crashes- although I don't yet have my national ID number, so I don't know what sort of medical coverage I have at the moment. Besides, I really do not want to interview for jobs with any damage, if you know what I mean. In the grand scheme of things, this was barely a flesh wound. I did surprise me greatly, however.

There are almost NO traffic lights here- roundabouts abound- they are everywhere. My first trip here was terrifying, because at casual glance, they appear to be anarchy- a t-boning in the making. Now I think they are brilliant- no waiting at lights when there is no cross traffic. Of course, everyone needs to respect WHO has the right of way- and that would never work in the me-first driving attitudes in the US. They require some sort of social consciousness. Drivers are far more polite than in the US. Pedestrians can cross in a crosswalk without even looking at traffic. Bikes and peds take priority over motorists. It is quite cool.

The lack of road signs makes finding places next to impossible. When there are signs, the streets arbitrarily change names. It is worse than in Saint Paul!

Housing is really jammed together in the hills. I think everyone wants the good views.

My insomnia is gone. I think it was a combination of jet lag and post-move ennui. When I first arrived and realized I had no return ticket (that this was no vacation), it was a bit overwhelming. Now everything is feeling comfortable, normal, and like home.

I am riding a beater bike that I slapped together myself out of spare parts- not my good road bike- so no worries. I still baby it more than I should. Although I have given up on trying to keep it clean.

Anyway- nice hearing from you again... hope all is well at work.

11/22/2005 1:19 PM

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