Bike wash and things that piss me off

So yesterday was the bike wash to try and help raise some money for me since my hospital bills are so much and I just lost my job. A lot of my friends came out to get their bikes washed or a glass of lemonade. There were quite a few people that I didn't know that Jessica works with and knows. Also a few people just happened to be riding by and they stopped to donate some money and get there bikes washed too.

Overall it was a success and I am glad a everyone came out. It was nice to be out of the house (even if I did get a little sun burned) and see all of my friends and have a beer or two with them. Once everything is said and done, I will do something special for everyone.


Now onto some stuff that really upsets me to no end.

First, even though this didn't happen in the states, this is the kinds of things that we cyclist have to deal with on a daily basis.


Furious driver takes out- 50 strong cycle pack






This story makes me sick to my stomach. The fact that this guy could do something like this is baffling. I mean it is not like it was critical mass and all the lanes were taken up. This was a ride that "professional" cyclists were doing. They were following all the rules of the road, and this guy has to be aggressive to the back of the pack.

"One of the group said the motorist was "worrying" the rear of the pack"

Then he once he had enough with the back of the pack he,

"Pulled in front and slammed on his brakes, giving the riders no time to stop."

WTF!! I mean seriously. What was the purpose of that?


"Everyone's slammed into each other ... there were broken bikes - wheels busted and wheels snapped - and people lying on the road."Mr Cooper said: "Three female cyclists took the brunt of the accident, careering into the back of the braking vehicle, several of them being thrown into the air landing on the boot and roof of the car."Most riders were left with cuts and bruises and at least some damage to bikes, shoes and helmets, including some bikes sustaining thousands of dollars of damage".

This whole situation had me in an up roar when I was reading it. As I continued to read I just got more and more upset, one of the other things that pissed me off,

"A perfect example of the enmity were the jeers and taunts of several drivers - more than three separate drivers that I noticed - making their way past the aftermath of the accident, despite the fact that a police car and two ambulances were on the scene treating seriously injured people."


These cyclist have thousands and thousands of dollars worth of damage, all because of one jackass. Then you have the taunting assholes driving by while people are being treated for injuries. This is absolutely retarded. No one should have to fear for their lives when riding their bikes. Now it seems that we have to watch out for people when we are in groups. I always felt really comfortable with the " safety in numbers" Now it seems I might have to starting worrying about being harassed even more when I am riding in a large group, or even worse being hurt.


Now, something else that upsets me is hit and runs. There is no reason this should happen. If you are drunk or high or not paying attention or anything, and you hit someone, you should stop. Period. This story, is equally bad.

When are people going to just start paying attention to their surroundings, and stop being so angry?


til next time


OLC

It's been awhile

Alright, so I have been basically laying around since the first of the month. As many of you know that is when I was ran of the road by an older gent in a '85 dodge ram van.


The police report was not very forgiving, at least on my end. It stats that I was traveling at an un-controlled speed and that my bike didn't have brakes. Well, as far as the un-controlled speed, I was going down hill, but I had enough control to make a 90 degree turn and avoid getting hit by a old van. This was according to the eye witness report, that the van actually didn't hit me. The no brakes thing, MY BIKE IS FIXED GEAR, the drive train itself is the braking system. As many of you know I like to ride the higher ratio, but I had actually two days prior changed my gear ratio to 40x14 which is about the same as 48x16. So that means I was skidding my ass off to slow down so I didn't run into the dumb ass that decided to turn right in front of me, after passing me.

So now I have to get a lawyer to help me try and get some money to cover all of the hospital bills that I am going to have. This sucks ass. Before I even left the hospital I had a bill for more than three thousand dollars, and this is with insurance. It would have been for more than seven thousand without insurance. I just await all the bills that are slowly coming in that I will have to start paying on.

Since I am not really able to work, my job has cut my pay in half, which means (of course) I have less money to pay bills with. Now this is a lot better than not getting any money from my job while not working, it still sucks to know that this wreck is going to cause me to get in debt really quick.

So my days are now spent laying around in bed and thinking about how much it sucks that I can't really go and do anything. Can't work, because I can't stand for to long, can't ride, because of fear of getting hit while having this back brace on and it screwing my back up even more, not to mention, I just can't ride. I can't go for a walk, because doing it for to long kills my back, unless I take about 4 vicadon before going, but that in turn makes me dizzy, which might make me fall over. Even going to the grocery store sucks... I used to not want to go, but now I do, just to get out of the house. Over all this just sucks big donkey balls.

So what I have decided to try and do is restore one of the old 50's beach cruisers that I have. I have been wanting to do this for some time now, but haven't really had the time. I am doing this one because I want to, and two, because when I finally can ride again, I think that it will be good for my back to be as straight as possible and not lend over trying to be as aerodynamic as possible. I will be taking everything apart and sanding it down little by little. I know this because I know that I am only going to be able to do a little at a time, because of my back. What I really want is to get a new set of wheels for it since it is going to be damn near impossible to sand down some really old wheels that are covered in rust. I mean the bike was found in a pond.

The bike is originally black with white wheels and some whit pin stripes. I am not sure if I want to keep the stripes. I think that I am just going to have an all matte black cruiser with a black wheelset and some whitewall tires. I will try and keep you updated with the restore process.


On another note, I was supposed to be riding in the tour de cure this past weekend. Obviously I wasn't able to, but Jenny took my place. She rode 58 miles from San Marcos to Austin in just under four hours. I was really proud of her. I hung up some banners and congrats stuff all over her apartment. She also did the ride on her SS, the only reason she didn't go fixed is because her lock ring was loose and didn't want any problems out of it. So the next time you see her, tell her congratulations!!!! She did something that most people will never do in their lives.

Also thanks to everyone who donated money for the ADA for this ride. My goal was $150 and I was able to raise $250!!! Again, thanks to everyone.

Thanks again to everyone who has sent me get well soon cards and baskets and for coming to visit me while I was in the hospital. It really does mean alot.

One last thing, the Midnight Ridazz ride is tomorrow night It is eighties rock star themed, so go dressed in your best eighties rocker and ride!!!! The ride starts at nine at Donn's Depot. I will try and make it, but I would be driving a car and that is a real pain in the ass with this brace on.


til next time

OLC

TMNT

Alright, so last Thursday I was riding over to my friend Kirk's house and then to work. On my way from what I am told, I was traveling west on 12th street, and a van passed me and then turned right on to Alexander. Well I was right there also. I was apparently in the driver's blind spot, and he didn't see me,so it made me have to turn also. I don't remember any of this, this is just what Jenn was told from the eye witnesses and the driver.

So this caused me to jump the curb and then run into a tree. I'm not sure how I hit the tree or sign or whatever I hit, but it caused me to break two ribs and five bones in my thorax.




So now I have to wear a back brace that make me look like one of the TMNT. If I would have broken any of the bones lower, I would not be able to walk for the rest of my life. So I consider myself very lucky.

I also hit my shoulder which is swollen and purple and yellow.(will show pictures later, so check back)


I'm in yellow, the driver is in red.






This really sucks, and I am very sad that I will not be able to ride for quite sometime. I am very grateful that I am still alive and that I can walk, and that one day (hopefully soon) I will be back on my bike. I just wish that people would pay more attention when they are driving their vehicles. I mean this guy had to have seen me when he passed me, and then he turns and cuts me off. This is the same as a car being in the left hand lane and then suddenly making a 90 degree right hand turn, when there is a car in the right lane and the two collide. It is obviously the person in the left hand lanes fault. Now I have to wait for a police report so I can file a insurance claim the guy who ran me off the road, insurance company.

I have been in the hospital for almost one week (6 days) right now, pumped full of drugs and filled with absolute pain in my back, neck, chest and shoulder. All I want to do is go home and relax. I do get to leave today, but the police still haven't filed a police report yet. Which means, I have to come up with more than three thousand dollars for a hospital bill, until I can basically sue the guy who ran me off the road.

I am not going to be able to work also. Which means, that I am not going to be getting paid. On top of that the bed that I sleep on, is a futon mattress with no frame (frame broke). I am going to have to go and buy a new bed, because I will not be able get out of bed with the way my back is and how the brace is on. So that is going to cost me around 400 dollars as well.


So I am pretty much screwed...hopefully everything will turn out ok.


til next time



OLC