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The guys in the club wanted to do this first-year rally - "Bike Around Midlothian." The route promised nice big hills at the Cedar Hill escarpment SW of Dallas. Lots of the other local racers showed up too including one of our new national champ juniors and the local hotshot cat 1 team.
By the time we got to the far end of the 65 mile course the fast guys were long gone... it didn't help that turn markings were poor and hard to see so we had to backtrack a couple times. A group of 15-20 of us were rolling along nicely, came down a hill, around a blind curve at about 30 to see to a wooden bridge - the kind with 2x6's in the direction of travel, with longitudinal gaps between them.
No paint on the road, no flags, no signs, just a 30mph hill, blind curve and boom.
I was on the front with my clubmate, we hit the brakes and started yelling behind us to slow down. The trick with these bridges is to line up on a single 6 inch wide plank and ride it all the way across.
Anyway, one of the guys behind us didn't hit the bridge right; all I heard was a clatter and suddenly lots of yelling. Look back to see the dude going over the side of the bridge.
He fell roughly 20 feet, landed in the mostly mud bottom on his camelback. One of the guys was an EMT (pure luck) and went down to care for him.
Called 911, couldn't get reception down in the valley, climbed the hill to find an address and tell them where we were.
By the time the FD showed up, maybe 15 minutes from the crash, the guy was alert and talking but still laying down there in the mud. The FD told us to clear out so we did... if I hear more I'll post up.
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Bike was destroyed. Frame broken in at least 2 places, front wheel just shredded, no signs of spokes anywhere, rear wheel crumpled.
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All that's left of the front wheel
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So... to the organizers: a bridge like this is very dangerous at speed in a fast group. Some road markings and warning paint might have prevented this. Overall it was a very well-organized event, thumbs up for everything except the route marking crew.
I'd come back again, despite this accident. I really enjoyed these roads. The course has lots of skinny Texas backroads, great views and low traffic.
Bonus: the champ. This kid's 14 and regularly kicks azz around here. Now he has the jersey as well.
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By the time we got to the far end of the 65 mile course the fast guys were long gone... it didn't help that turn markings were poor and hard to see so we had to backtrack a couple times. A group of 15-20 of us were rolling along nicely, came down a hill, around a blind curve at about 30 to see to a wooden bridge - the kind with 2x6's in the direction of travel, with longitudinal gaps between them.
No paint on the road, no flags, no signs, just a 30mph hill, blind curve and boom.
I was on the front with my clubmate, we hit the brakes and started yelling behind us to slow down. The trick with these bridges is to line up on a single 6 inch wide plank and ride it all the way across.
Anyway, one of the guys behind us didn't hit the bridge right; all I heard was a clatter and suddenly lots of yelling. Look back to see the dude going over the side of the bridge.
He fell roughly 20 feet, landed in the mostly mud bottom on his camelback. One of the guys was an EMT (pure luck) and went down to care for him.
Called 911, couldn't get reception down in the valley, climbed the hill to find an address and tell them where we were.
By the time the FD showed up, maybe 15 minutes from the crash, the guy was alert and talking but still laying down there in the mud. The FD told us to clear out so we did... if I hear more I'll post up.
Bike was destroyed. Frame broken in at least 2 places, front wheel just shredded, no signs of spokes anywhere, rear wheel crumpled.
All that's left of the front wheel
So... to the organizers: a bridge like this is very dangerous at speed in a fast group. Some road markings and warning paint might have prevented this. Overall it was a very well-organized event, thumbs up for everything except the route marking crew.
I'd come back again, despite this accident. I really enjoyed these roads. The course has lots of skinny Texas backroads, great views and low traffic.
Bonus: the champ. This kid's 14 and regularly kicks azz around here. Now he has the jersey as well.
