CRASHED AND BURNED ON SONICS BIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!! (SORRY MATE!)

[Tony 1-4]

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SONIC, HOW THE HELL DID YOU NOT COME A CROPPER ON THAT BIKE?

I have just had a rather nasty accident that ended up with me spending 3 hours in casualty. My own fault really as I didn't check the bike properly.

I was riding the bike up and down our street the day before a race meeting at Braintree. I decided I wanted to get the feel of it before I took it to the track. I live in a cul-de-sac and did a few sprints up and down our street. The very last go, before I decided to put the bike in the van, I gave it my all and was going full pelt down the raod when the chain came off. I think I somersaulted twice using my head as brake pads on the tarmac.    I got up and felt an immediate cold trickle down the back of my neck wich was blood. My wife rushed me up to A&E and they used a whole tube of superglue to close the opening on my head. I now look like the elephant man with a growth like thing on the top of my head. 

I got to Braintree the next day and reset the tension on the chain. I was coming down the start hill in a practice lap (in front of my little bruv I might add) and the same happened again. I just managed to stay on but it scared the hell out of me.

When I got back to the van, we looked at the set up and the spacer on the 3 piece crank was miles out of line so it was making the chain jump off the rear freewheel.

As luck would have it, I took my old bike as well and manged to change the plate just as racing was about to begin. I went for a ride around the carpark and the old bike felt so strange that I decided to pull out.

I missed the first moto and my little bruv talked me into just pumping round just to get my regional points so I did.

But you all know what it's like when you get up on that start gate. I went for it!!. I got 2nd in my first race behind little bruv. Got    in the next one. Could have got    in the last one but fu**ed up over a jump which resulted in me putting my feet down. My little bruv took the opportunity to make the most of it. I then got    in the final. Was really chuffed considering my confidence took a huge kick in the nuts with the near miss.

Was really gutted I couldn't race the new bike as you were right Sonic, it does ride beautifully    Can't wait to race it for the first time. You were right about not changing a thing although I have changed the black Haro seat to a red Elina ultra light ('cos I wrecked the Haro one when I stacked!!!)

[thecrooch]

Another Race another stack Tony.... sounds like i would have probably got in the way of that as well..... glad i stayed in bed... big ups for taking a stack like that and still racing the next day!

and i dont think Sonics bike was ever used to the warp speeds you are putting through it Tony....

How many turned up for the OS in the end?   Was hammering it down my way with big winds as well - didnt fancy the hour long motorway slog let alone the racing....

[pickle]

nasty!  i had the same thing happen to me in the motos at MK this year 

[Tony 1-4]

nasty!  i had the same thing happen to me in the motos at MK this year 

Yeah, but I bet you had a lid on, not like this fu**ing idiot!!. The funniest thing was the nurses face when she asked how I did it. You can just imagine the expression when a 41 year old told her he fell off his BMX bike!!

Crooch, we missed you man and everyone else who never bothered. There was a great turn out generally. Even had some semi's (no not semi-ons, although I nearly did over my new bike!). It was raining when we got there although that stopped for the racing. Certainly never lashed it down at any point and there was no wind at all. I know this cos I put a tarp over the back doors of my van as an awning and it never moved all day. The track wasn't in bad nick either (as Peter Kay would say "It's that fine rain").

Sadly though there was only 3 old school 'cos all you fair weather riders wanted to stay in doors! Totally agree though Crooch, it's a fair way to go if it's pi**ing down when you wake up. Probably would have done the same myself. I only raced 'cos Sam said to get ol school recognised he needs a minimum of 3 on a gate. So I soldiered on. Bloody glad I did now.

[KGB Matt]

I Must admit if i had known there would only be 3 of you i would have bought my old school bike and not my cruiser.

The old school bike will now be stripped and sold off.

Matt

[sonic-1]

  dam that sounds nasty !!!! when i built it i set the chain run with my lazer chain checker , as it did the same to me after i first put it together at zippsters shop except it was just slow ride up road after gettin it out the back of the car  !!!! its been fine since , the chain had a slight lose spot after nearly crashing at hernbay where i managed to run my own foot over  but since then its been no prob at all
must be all the power yer putin through it 

[thecrooch]

I Must admit if i had known there would only be 3 of you i would have bought my old school bike and not my cruiser.

The old school bike will now be stripped and sold off.

Matt

didnt think you were going??  bloody hardcore you Oatens.... thought you were quad biking or something  i took advantage of waking up early cos of the clocks and as the tree outside my house was trying to bend itself in half i decided that i'd give it a miss.

mind you was bored as fook with no riding.....

how did you get on with the cruiser Matt? you were looking quick at daggers on saturday...

the next winter series race at braintree clashes with daggers winter regional!!!!

[kdubbmx]

Tony, nearly every old school rider that makes a comeback goes through this crashing stage (i did) look a clive gosling as well!!

Doesnt matter if its the bikes fault or yours it just seems to happen!!

What always happens next is something just 'clicks' & you slot back into the groove & ride like you used to (or better),

Can put you off a bit but i promise you that if you keep it up you'll be back up to speed & all the old skills come flooding back (eventually)

I know it feels a bit strange but putting a lid on every time you ride is a good idea as well. 

[mr.magoo]

cool, so does that mean, once my knees healed or operated on, i can look forward to less crashes and injuries, cos i aint half getting it in the neck off her indoors!

[kdubbmx]

cool, so does that mean, once my knees healed or operated on, i can look forward to less crashes and injuries, cos i aint half getting it in the neck off her indoors!

Yeah, you were unlucky, for what i can tell you were a rad rad rider BITD, you are still the same person with the same arms/legs so theres no reason at all why you cant be again!!!!

Just cover all the bases, get fully fit before you let it all hang out, make sure you're happy with the bike your riding & wear the right protection.

Someone that gets run over doesnt never cross the road again, dont let it put you off, bounce back!!!!!! 

[mr.magoo]

yeah i is mentally ready to do it all again, just not the knee.... almost fit, fully protected, just need to realise that i need to let Billy get in front of me before i try to turn in, not when he's only half way past

Not blaming the equiptment, but am finding it difficult with all round vision using  a full face, and perhaps the near on 22"TT frame gave me a false impression on exactly where my front wheel was, in comparrison to Billys back wheel, perhaps a 20"TT frame would've let me turn in without rubbing on Bill and spitting me off

[kdubbmx]

I tore my kidney on a crash during DH race in august 07 & that made me question getting on a bike again, but when i was healed & pain free i rode my bike & suddenly felt 'free' again.

A life with riding is better than one without.

You should be happy with your bike & your helmet so try different lids & frames until you find what your happy with.

Good luck

Keith

[Tony 1-4]

Just a thought, but after seeing Magoo's injury's, Zippy's, Nishiki's broken bones and anyone else who knows me, does anyone have access to a suit of armour I can borrow?!!!!!

[crazycraig]

TTIUWP

[mr.magoo]

Suit of armour would be good, but failing that a job that pays sick pay would be even better

silly thing is my stack that did my knee was the smallest wipe out i've had since i've been back, the other two were much harder, the front flip cracked/snapped my armour, no injury.

The face plant in my first A Final back only gave me mild concussion for a week, so nothing different there in my behaviour

forgot.. i want sick pay and monday to friday work £50K salary and 5 hour working day, company car, and fuel card, preferably playing with kids bikes Then i could do all Nationals too

[southern andy]

I did the same on one of my first ride backs in February this year, came off at Andover. Dislocated my Sternoclavacular Joint, broke my collarbone, cracked three ribs and screwed my rotator cuff thing in my shoulder. Six weeks off work but i still have the dislocation now. (collarbone has come away from the breastbone)

Four/six weeks after healing from that and my first time on a bike since my Andover crash, i again came a cropper at Chandlers ford rearranging the look of my knee, seven or eight stitches later and an ear bashing from the wife, she decided i wasn't good enough to ride a bike without stabilizers.

Both those crashes were on a new school bike, took one of my old school to Bournemouth and stayed on it.   What does that tell yer.

[mr.magoo]

unlucky mate, feel for you....

i've been lucky, i know the first injury i get that keeps me off work will probably be the end of my fun on bikes

[Tony 1-4]

forgot.. i want sick pay and monday to friday work £50K salary and 5 hour working day, company car, and fuel card, preferably playing with kids bikes Then i could do all Nationals too

Sounds like Ruffells old job!

It's not the racing that seems to bother me, it's just racing around like a prat outside my house. Ok, my first race at Braintree in 25 years was completely my fault. I had 1 practice lap, slowly, just to get used to the bike again and the next lap I went flat out and tried to jump a huge set of doubles. Looked at 'em again yesterday after having raced at a few meets and thought "what the f**k was I thinking".  ; I think it's all the natural body armour I have on this 17 stone frame that's keepin' me from gettin serious injury.Old school boys, you gotta love 'em!!!

[mr.magoo]

so thats my problem, i need to put some weight on, perhaps the 13stone just aint bouncy enough

[Zippy]

I spent the first two years back falling off a lot because I was finding my limits. I then fell off and badly broke my wrist and didn't think I'd get full use of it back. Thought about giving up but the bug had bitten hard and deep by then so there was no way that was going to happen.

I came back in 2007 having missed most of 2006 and was a completely different rider, A lot more in control of myslef and the bike and my riding skills had improved a lot as well. I also started winning regularly which was nice.

First half of this year I lost the love of racing a bit but still carried on as I was desperate for that Number 1 plate, however after the first few races I began to enjoy the racing again and had some great battles with Paul and Gary. It was those that reignited my love for racing.

I'm really looking forward to next years old school series because there's going to be some great racing and some very close battles. Thank god I'm in cruisers next year. 

[mr.magoo]

don't think i'm gonna be in any close battles, thigh muscle is wasting away, through this bloody injury nearly half the size of my good leg and no chance of physio/exercise cos leg is still very imobile

[kdubbmx]

Muscle builds up very quickly once the injury is healed, muscle memory is very good, get a turbo trainer so you can ride at any time + indoors, plenty of protein intake when you start training.

Will be good as new before you know it 

DONT race until you are good & ready though.

[mr.magoo]

thinking not gonna run before i can walk, but forgot i have trouble walking no news from hospital about MRI scan almost 4 weeks ago (i think), and worse of all still can't turn a crank a full rotation

[kdubbmx]

I had a trochanteric bursitis of the hip (google it) earlier in the year & NHS wait would've been long, it was bad enough that i couldnt walk or stand & was in constant pain.

I went private for a scan & they saw what it was straight away & got me back in the next day & fixed it & its been good as new since 

The money it cost me didnt change my life, but the treatment they gave me certainly did!!!!!!!

If you have the money to get it fixed tomorrow then i would say get it done!!

All the things i've done since having it fixed were worth a thousand times what i paid 

Think about it.

[mr.magoo]

couldn't agree more, perhaps i could sell 'em a kidney to pay for the cartilage clean up

seriously i agree, but wife would give it the ....how much, if were gonna spend that youre not playing on bikes anymore incase you cost us anymore money.....you just know that'd be coming.

But would be interesting to know what kinda money that would cost, cos would be good to have a normal life again.