An eventful ride!

Last Sunday I was on a solo road ride on my newish road/gravel/bike-packing bike (a Sonder Camino Ti with Force XPLR). Unfortunately I was a bit complacent (quiet country road on a Sunday morning) and despite there being a blind corner ahead I started to turn into the junction early, at which a car appeared and wiped me out. Ended up being launched upwards and hitting the windscreen with my left hip then rag-dolling back to the ground. It was my fault though, I don’t think I’d have been able to avoid me if I had been the driver, as it was it was a young woman who stopped immediately and was in shock/distress. A couple more cars arrived shortly after and rendered aid as although I wasn’t in much pain I couldn’t move my left leg and was winded/in shock so was struggling to crawl out of the road on my own! I think I was lucky with the shape of the car, with a higher front or long bonnet I might have ended up a lot worse off.

Only had to wait about an hour for an ambulance (police attended at the same time) and wasn’t really in pain and had various people offering me blankets etc. Ended up in surgery that evening for a hip fracture (needed the femur head pinning back in), initial advice from the surgical team (apart from one of them) was to do a hip replacement but I didn’t like the sound of the downsides being it’s only good for 15-20 years and you can get issues with dislocations from hyper extending the leg. I chose the fixation option as although apparently there’s at best a 50% chance of it being successful it’s the only chance of a full recovery. The downside being if it does fail (blood supply doesn’t reestablish itself properly and the femur head dies) I’ll need the hip replacement anyway and at that point it’s considered elective so a long waiting list (I’m in the UK so all free at point of care on the NHS but with waiting lists being one of drawb

I was moved to a specialist hip fracture ward post surgery and able to stand and walk with a frame the next day. Was discharged a couple of days later and just using crutches now, modern medicine is great! The care in hospital was amazing to, I was in a room by myself with a special bed and attentive nurses, doctors and physios. Couldn’t have asked for more even if I had been paying for private treatment. The NHS may be a bit broken at a national level but for me at least it worked brilliantly at a local level, not that this should be a political discussion!)

Anyways, back home and recovering now, hopefully in time to get back on the bike in time for Spring. Bit bored hence the post! Also just a reminder to take care out there and not let complacency work a familiar route etc get the better of you like it did with me, sometimes it’s our decision-making that’s the danger not cars!

Street view of my view would have been shortly before the incident, I should have stayed left until alongside the junction and turned at the last moment once I knew there was no oncoming traffic, instead I drifted into the opposite lane a bit earlier and paid the price https://maps.app.goo.gl/PMTHC1hbhjf9Lpah6

Have accident insurance cover for the bike so starting that process now, only got to ride it a few times but really enjoyed those rides and can’t wait to get back on it