Kim's Ride to Cross Out Cancer

Dear Forum, a not so funny thing happened to me on the way home from Kim's Ride on Sunday.  Here's the story...

You can get the details of Kim's Ride here, but basically I was invited to join the group (the race team at Rock & Road Cycle) leading Kim out from Burlington to Ashbridges Bay in Toronto.  

I thought it would be an opportunity for a great training ride (150km loop), and support a great cause.  (Kim is riding from Burlington to PEI...yes seriously, PEI...not pie...I would ride for pie; and she is doing it to raise money for cancer research)  Also, my pappy passed from cancer 8 years ago, which provided a little more motivation to be supportive.

Now, the start of this event was quite the event...3 police vehicles (we would have them as a police escort for the first 20km or so of the ride out), the local fire battalion and a truck, a huge Hammer Gel motorhome, Kim's support vehicle (a more normal sized RV), and a WinMar truck (a major sponsor).

Then before we started some crazy girl cut off all of her long, thick, dark hair to donate.  misconceptionz made some offhanded remark about shaving/scalping...I slowly pulled my tomahawk from my pocket, and he backed away...

And then we were off!  The support vehicles, with Kim, Fig, me, Blaze, misconceptionz, Peter, Dan, James, and two fellows representing Hammer.  The long train heading east on Hwy 5.  

Then we turned south onto Ninth Line.  Then just as we were crossing under the 403 overpass on Ninth Line, BAM!!!....a huge echoing boom...I thought one of the police officers had recognized me and opened fire (seriously one of the officers wondered if it was a gunshot).  But no, it was Blaze getting a flat (sometimes the high pressure road tires fail in this fashion).

And it was right around this time that the police and the Hammer boys were scheduled to let us go.  So we all pulled over as Blaze made his repairs, then we turned east and continued on without the escort.  Somewhat into our eastern foray both of the tires in Kim's trailer slowly flatted.  We stopped at Gears Bicycle Shop to effect repairs.  Sadly, I have to say Gears looked at this, not as a chance to be supportive but as an opportunity to take advantage of a situation (believe me, I am being rather kind to Gears in my telling of the events).  So we purchased a couple of tubes, Blaze ran off to buy some electrical tape at a convenience store, and we made the repairs ourselves.

And we meandered on...until...another flat...yes another.  

OK...enough.  This time it was Dan, but he also had a tear in the sidewall of his tire.  So a new tube, and some McGyvering with a couple of Rock & Road Cycle stickers, had us back on the road.

Eventually, finally, we made it to Ashbridges Bay.  A brief stop for natures call and some solid food (pizza and poutine at Pizza Pizza) and we separated with Kim, she proceeded east (her day 1 destination was Oshawa), and we headed back.  The casual pace out, and the numerous stops for repairs had left us well behind our anticipated time so we set out with the distinct intention to make up time.

We were zooming along, with a bit of a pace line going when I unexpectedly caught a bit of damaged streetcar track with my front wheel and before I could blink I was down...hard.  

Might of looked something like this...

OK, maybe not quite...anyways apparently James also went down at the same spot, but he was more or less OK.  I was not so much...I came down with my left quad on the handlebars and my left hand pinned between the bars and the pavement, and I used my right hand to brace myself to keep my face from impacting the pavement.  As I skidded along, the bike twisted to rest on top of me.  Dan was the first to get to me and pry my bike off me as I struggled up to assess the damage.

The scene...streetcar tracks in the distance in the left side...(the right side was closed for construction...hence the need to enter the left side and cross over).

I also have to say thank you to the couple in the white Mercedes SUV that pulled over to help.  In a city that seemed crowded with soulless zombies unaware, or unconcerned about their nieghbours (at least to this small town prairies boy), their offer of assistance was a bright spot at this point.  Whoever, you are, thank you...and positive energy sent your way. 

OK, if you are grossed out by gross things you may not want to see these pics.

OK, just kidding these are my hands.

So Peters left over PizzaPizza napkins, and Blaze's electrical tape, and Dan's nursing skills had the wounds cleaned and somewhat bandaged...enough to continue on.  Except...on inspection of my bike, my handlebars were broken...but rideable albeit without the use of the front brake or shifter.

I'd like to say we made it the rest of the way without incident, but I will let Blaze explain why he finished with one less water bottle, and why a motorist who obviously doesn't understand traffic laws has a dent on the side of his minivan.

Then James and Dan began to bonk.  We stopped at a Macs convenience for food and hydration.  Then off we went.  However, Peter had family commitments to get back for, and I wanted to get back to properly address my wounds, so we took off at a somewhat faster pace; leaving Fig, misconceptionz, and Blaze to look after James and Dan.  (Actually I think that Fig and misconceptionz left Blaze to care for James and Dan....and I think Dan had yet another flat...).

Anyways, we eventually all made it home...safe and sound??  Kim made it to Oshawa...and is on her way to PEI.  However, not quite the end of the story...

Two days later, Lois preparing supper sliced her thumb open with a kitchen knife.  Off for an emergency visit to our family medical clinic, the doctor and nurse sewed Lois up with 5 stitches...but they were more concerned about my hands...and apparently I have a fracture in the 5th metacarpal, but there is nothing significant they can do as treatment.  Lois is recovering well...and hopefully I can get back training again soon.  Hopefully I don't need a miracle like this..

Finally, another fellow MTBer had a 'tragic' event occur last week...this story for another post....coming soon.

Stay posted!!