OUCH!!!

As a lot of you know, the HACC Hammerfest lunch time ride gets fast...and fast equals dangerous. However, speed is not what caused me to crash today...it was a little girl about 9 years old.

It went down like this...we were headed out on our usual Tuesday lunch time ride. As we were rounding the turn before the beach, I saw a little girl on her bike followed by a lady pulling a kid trailer behind her bike. I saw the little girl stand up and peddle hard as a couple in our group passed by her. As I got closer, I swung wide to ensure I was very far away from them. Just as I started to pass, the little girl stands up to peddle hard, her left foot slips off the peddle, she wobbles and swerves right into my path, and then she falls...right in front of me. I hit the brakes as hard as I could, locked it up, see my front wheel hit her or her bike (not sure), fly over her and her bike with my bike still attached to my feet, and land hard in the middle of the road. I took most of the fall with my right elbow, shoulder and right side. OUCH!!!

I laid there in the middle of the road for a second, not sure what just happened...then I remembered that I was lying the middle of the road in a turn. I jumped up, grabbed my bike, and made my way to the side of the road...already inspecting my bike for damage. I noticed the chain off but nothing serious so lean my bike against the wall and start assessing other damage...blood on elbow, pain in my side. Then a couple of other guys pull up and start asking me if I'm alright and helping me check things out. I truck drives by and offers a cell phone...no need. I can hear the little girl saying "I'm sorry" over and over. The lady comes over and asks me if I'm alright. I am, bike is, no problem. I ask her if the little girl is alright and she says that she is but she is very sorry. I tell her not to worry. She gets a couple of our thoughts about her and her kid riding in flip-flops and we are off riding again.

I do a couple of early turns to get back with the front group, take third in the sprint at the end, and call it a day. Jason hooks me up with some great bandaging before I head back to work...thanks Jason!

Ended up with a pretty scraped up elbow and a few on my back...bike was good, front wheel may need aligning...definitely could have been worse for me, the little girl, or my bike!!!

Best thing said today: "I am worried everyday by you getting hit by a car while riding to and from work and you ended up getting taken out by a little girl." - LT Fortino (my boss).

Here is a bit of the damage...