Re: OUCH!

["Cees De Groot" <cdegroot@xxxxxxxxx>]

On 4/20/06, ABSDoug <absdoug@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> If you think about it, hip armor.... can go either way.

Last year, I lowsided twice over diesel spills (on the same day, to
boot... I must have been following the route of a truck that didn't
have its cap closed), in full protective gear with EC approved armour,
speed around 30-50mph I think.

Two weeks ago, I picked up my bike in jeans and Goretex packlite
jacket. New tires. Duefully heard the dealer warn me, as always, about
the new tires. The second curve from the dealer, not even having left
the parking lot, a car caused me to take a tighter corner than I
wanted, by that time I was running down the shopping list so I didn't
think about my right hand applying the usual amount of throttle...
Anyway, two minutes later I had picked up my bike, inspected the
damage, and was back at the dealer because the right footrest broke
off (bloody cast aluminium...).

Two lessons learnt:
- - Goretex *is* rip-stop :-). The small hole in the jacket was easily
covered with a self-adhesive patch, saving a very expensive hiking
jacket (do you hear me, Cees? "Hiking", not "Biking").
- - I had a stiff hip for a week, a badly shaved knee, and some
scratches/burn marks on my lower arm. With protective gear, even where
one of the lowsiders involved an early stop by way of a crash barrier,
I had nothing but a badly bruised ego and some roadside-repairable
damage on my airhead. Not a scratch, not a bruise, nothing.

So that was the last time I quickly picked up my bike at the dealer's
in jeans :)

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