I picked up a Titus ML-1 on a closeout sale at Colorado Cyclist. This is a full suspension bike that is more aggressive than the Giant, and a couple pounds lighter to boot. After I replaced the cranks with a new Shimano SX (very stiff, very nice!), I only needed a new front derailleur and cables to get it on the trail. I love it when that happens! The Titus has more of an XC geometry, good handling and fast, I like it!
I've ridden it a couple of times but still hadn't gotten to know the bike as completely as I would like. Our family vacation in the Berkshires presented a golden opportunity to spend some quality time on the bike. With both of my boys out of the house the estrogen level at home is pretty high, but the girls indulge Dad in his biking as they know it ultimately gives them more time to shop or eat out or generally burn money. Life's little tradeoffs...
Our hotel was right on the edge of Beartown Forest, a state forest with miles of mountain biking trails and lots to explore. My expectations were high as I contemplated ride reports I found on the 'net and studied trail maps.
We arrived on Saturday just before the rain began, and Sunday passed with steady rain continuing. The Weather Channel promised sunny skies on Monday, but when I left the hotel it was still raining lightly. My arrival at the CCC camp inside of Beartown Forest heralded the end of the rain, although it was still overcast.
Everything was wet and there were puddles everywhere. Riding was challenging as my tires routinely slipped on wet rocks, but I thought it was a fun skill test and was enjoying myself. Within the first mile I rode into a smallish puddle that I would estimate to be 2 feet across and 3 feet deep; the depth was completely hidden from me, of course, until I saw my front wheel disappear past the hubs.
Inertia took over as the bike stopped in the puddle and I ejected over the front, whacking my left kneecap on the stem as I went by. Other than a lot of blood from the knee, I was OK so I pulled the bike out and kept riding. The knee was sore from the hit but I didn't worry about it. I rode the Turkey Trail and looped back onto the mountain bike trail, finishing on the road as I made my way back to my car. The bike gained 10 lbs or more of mud and it took several dunkings in a pond to get it off.
The knee wouldn't stop bleeding, which is inconvenient when your wife accuses you of getting hurt every time you go for a ride. For the record, I hardly ever get hurt; I bleed a lot, but it doesn't hurt! There was a lot of blood on my shorts, blood running down my leg, and blood on my socks, so no hiding this one.
I sliced my finger open last week and fixed it with super glue, but I didn't think glue would fix this guy as it looked like it could use a stitch or two to close. Had I realized this when I was on the trail I would have kept riding; stitches mean riding goes on hold. I cleaned it up in the shower and put a bandage on it, then informed my family that we were going shopping in Great Barrington, which had the closest emergency room.
I dropped the girls off in the shopping district and arrived at Fairview Hospital a few minutes later. Clean, relaxed, and very modern looking, I liked this place from the start! It didn't take long to see a doctor, who decided to X-Ray just in case I broke something underneath. Fortunately the X-rays showed no real damage, so we just needed to close the wound and I would be on my way.
Before stitching, the doctor started to explain what he was going to do as he was looking at the wound. At some point he must have noticed all the other scars on my leg because he stopped and looked at me and said, "...but you've been through all of this before, haven't you." Uh, yeah, more than just a few times. I was pleased he used the thick suture and took a wide stitch; sometimes you get these wannabe plastic surgeons who don't want to leave a scar, and invariably the suture pulls out or the skin rips and makes a big mess. Knees have a lot of pressure on them from a skin point of view, don't screw around; just fix it!
Two stitches is all it took to close this guy up, it hardly seems worth troubling the medical community for it. The stiches are in for 10 days and it may be two weeks before I'm back on a bike, but it's healing up fast and looks good.
My usual motto is that a good vacation is a great time, but a great vacation includes a visit to the emergency room!
Fairview Hospital in Great Bearington gets two thumbs up!
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