My first set of broken ribs occured when I transitioned from damp grass to a smooth blacktop basketball court. I had ridden the route at least 100 times. This day, the grass was slightly damp from a previous super light rain mist. As I exited the grass (15mph) onto the pavement, I started a slight baking turn to avoid some kids. My BBSHD Mid drive (cadence sensing) was in maximum PAS level and the rear tire spun out so fast, like I was on ice. Totally my fault. I never thought my mid drive would spin out my rear wheel. Since then I am wisley paranoid and avoid damp grass when possible. Now I ride predominately with torque sensing which is much safer and more forgiving.
My second event was three weeks ago. Riding slowly (7mph?) making a lazy right banking turn on a paved trail when my rear tire slipped off of the 3" lip of the trail. Slammed my bike down so fast it was like I had slipped on ice. Totally my fault, but my ribs took 100% of the blow. Healing nicely, on schedule, but I hate not being able to ride in the meantime.
I currently ride a
Carbon Fiber Luna Z1 with Ultra Mag mid-drive, and torque sensing. I ride fairly aggressively mtb/enduro style, with most of my riding on grass and dirt, which is way more forgiving than concrete. I have come to the conclusion that since I ride twice daily, about 50 miles per day, I have increased the odds of having accidents way beyond the casual rider. It's only a matter of time before I go down again due to my own error, mechanical malfunction, encounters with the village idiot, or cynical divine intervention. It makes sense to cover my vitals with protection. I keep advising my riding buddy to at least wear elbow pads, "one day you will go down on your elbow and you will wish you were wearing pads". Each of those two times I hit the concrete my elbows took a hit too. They were totally unscathed because of the pads.
I often take friends riding with my two spare e-bikes. Now, I always make them wear elbow and knee pads, along with a helmet of course.
One thing I never do, for safety reasons is share the road with automobiles. That is just crazy in my opinion. The odds are stacked heavily against road bikers. Even city bike lanes are just crazy suicidal in my opinion. My brother rides with a bike group and all they do is ride on the road with cars, wearing nothing but a helmet. I tell him "there is a reason that NHTSA keeps statistics on bike/auto encounters". They happen a lot, and they are often times fatal.
Anything can happen while riding a bike. My cousin was riding leisurely on the paved trails down by the Potomac River basin in Wash D.C., when rider heading towards him crossed into his lane and collided head on. My cousin ended up in the hospital via ambulance. He has a scar from his knee to his ankle and needs physical therapy. If he had been wearing knee pads he would be in better shape today.
Last story. When I broke my ribs three weeks ago, I was riding with my brother in-law who was just given him a clean bill of health form his doctor on his broken collar bone which he broke in May while riding e-bikes with me in Lake Como, Italy. In Lake Como, were nearing the top of Mt. St .Primo, on a paved trail. He was walking next to his bike, he tripped, fell onto the seat, propelling him over the bike onto the concrete, landing on his shoulder, breaking his collarbone! (his hospital stay was zero dollars!). If he were wearing shoulder pads...
When I was twelve, I would have scoffed at riding with a bike helmet, there was no such thing. Besides, my fiends would have made fun of me. Now that I am older and wiser, with protection technology so advanced and unobtrusive, it makes common sense
for me to take advantage of the safety opportunity.
Ride long, and prosper
