My Mountain Bike Story

I like to bike.
That was short poem, but it's the truth, too!
I have a mountain bike, a 21 speed [3 front, 7 rear gears]. It's a Magna, and it's heavy [I could have purchased lighter, but lighter = more expensive, and heavier = more of a workout, so I opted for cheaper ;-)]. Got front and rear shock absorbers, which is kinda cool - I like the configuration pretty well. Made one modification, as I have changed the brake pads to Aztec composites from the original rubber stoppers.

There's trails around here, so they say, but I have not checked them out yet. When I lived in Michigan, there was a county park with many trails nearby. I used to go riding there, enjoying cutting across the prairie, stopping to look at the lake, challenging the hills. Very wooded, almost got run over by a doe and a couple of fawns who were jmping across the trail!

Once, I wrecked my bike [I have had it rebuilt and safety-checked]. I was coming back from the park along the asphalt bike path, and when I pulled up on the handlebars to cross a curb , the front wheel and tire kept going straight. It became in slow motion [I realized that riding a horizontal unicycle was not a good idea!] and the front forks dug into the path, causing me to flip forward. I still have scars on the back of my hands, where they landed between the handlebars and the pavement.

I managed to turn my head slightly, but still hit pretty hard. I still have my shades and helmet. The sunglasses look like someone has taken a wire wheel to them, and the helmet is crushed in front - I'd have had a skull fracture for sure if I was not wearing it, and maybe would have died or suffered brain damage. As it was, I broke my nose, and have a scar on my upper lip where it tried to stop and the rest of me did not wish to. Nice scar on my shoulder road rash], and an inflamed rotator cuff on the other shoulder.

At the emergency room, a plastic surgeon was on duty, so I got stitched up really nicely. Later, when the swelling went down enough, he would set my nose as the fracture was displaced. Here's the funny part: doc's name was Mohammed Ali [almost like the boxer!!]. I looked like I had had business with Muhammed Ali, for sure!!

To keep my nostrils from growing shut, he inserted plastic tubing in each nostril. I had a gauze underneath in case there was leakage, and I wore a little mask over that so it would not look so bad. So, when I went to work later [I missed two days after the crash and three days a week later after getting my nose set], I was sitting at my computer when Kim, whom I worked with, came in. I turned around to see who was coming into the office, and she gasped!!! So [imagine a nasally voice, as though I was pinching my nostrils shut and talking at the same time], I asked "What is it?". She laughed and said, you reminded me of Hannibal Lecter [Anthony Hopkins' character from the movie "Silence of the Lambs".] Man, I loved the recognition.

Getting the tubes out a week later was welcome, but still not pleasant. The air was cold and sweet [although I had a nosebleed for a while], and as I sat in the recovery room, the lights went out!! All was well, I sure wasn't going anywhere ;-)

Anyway, I still ride. The bike is fine, and my nose is actually better now than ever [I think I had broken it, non-displaced, a couple of times playing football and baseball, so now that annoying lump at the top is gone. There IS an interesting crevice at the top, where the cartilage connects to the bone. It's not visible, but you can feel it. Remind me, and I will let you feel it for yourself. I think it's hilarious.]

That's my story ;-) and it's true! Have a great day.