All the Gear All the Time

by Lois
(N. Carolina)

In the MSF course you learn "all the gear all the time" I'm here to tell you it works. I was riding with my husband we were traveling along at about 45-50 it was a beautiful day the sun was shining I remember thinking this is going to be a great ride. We were going to the dealer to drop my bike off for the 1000 mile service, we decided to take the scenic route instead of the highway, so we started up the mountain. It had rained the night before hard enough that someones gravel driveway ended up all across the road, we came around the curve and there it was, I let off the throttle and got through it but got to close to the edge of the road. My back tire slipped off the road I stayed with it for a while but hit a rut and over the bars I went right back into the road.

My bike flipped up on the bars and rolled, I slid down the road on my shoulder chin and knees. My poor husband was watching this in his mirror trying to keep out of the way and stop at the same time. I tried to scramble out of the road I didn't want to be hit to. A car came up on us and stopped, the women called 911 and then proceeded to hold me down until EMS got there, I didn't want to be down, I wanted my helmet off and I wanted to sit up and see my bike but she wouldn't let me go. EMS took me to the hospital on a back board, I was fine I had 2 skinned knees and that was all, really my jeans didn't even have a hole in them, until EMS cut them up to my knees to check them out. Morale of the story my helmet was cracked but my face was fine (I wear a full face helmet always), the shoulder on my jacket is shredded but the armor kept my shoulder from being shredded gloves skinned hands fine.

Husband, shaken and thought about selling all our bikes for awhile, thank God he got over that.

Me, I'm fine was up and riding within the week, good thing at the time I had 3 bikes it took 3 months to get my bike back to 100% waiting for parts etc. but it was only 3 months old when we wrecked. I ride her all the time and love every minute