If I take a spill it's me

Yesterday I took a tumble off my bike.

Since I started riding again a few months ago, I've had "issues" with my tires. Well, really with the inner tubes. I replaced the front one twice, after buying the $3 cheap one. I eventually bought the $6 self-sealing one and now have no problems.

I replaced the rear tire with the cheap one, also. It loses air everytime it sits, but never when I ride it. So, with that in mind -and because I bought a pump - I've yet to replace that one with the more expensive self-sealing one.

But, the one problem I seem not to able to correct is getting that rear tire centered between two bars. It seems that after a while, the tire sort of moves closer to the side bar, rubbing against and slowing me down.

So yesterday, I stopped at an innersection for a stop light -after passing three cars on the side of Foothill who got into a minor fender bender. Somehow, I missed the warning.

So, the light turns green, I put all my strength into my left foot to take off and the bike goes nowhere and I tumble, as Helen Mirren once said, tits over heels. I landed on my left side, scrapping my skin off my elbow down my forearm. I also had the wind knocked out me -something that has not happened since I was kid. It was brief few seconds of not being able to suck in any air, but it quickly passed.

I sat there for a few seconds, then realized I was in the street, and got up. I picked up my bike, which just a moment ago had slung me like a bad cowboy off a bull, and dragged it to the side of the road. Sure enough, the rear tire had shifted and grabed hold of the left bar.

My arm was bleeding, I was 10 miles from home and had no tools to fix my bike.

I made my way back west on Foothill, passing where the three-car fender bender had happened. There was a twenty-something girl being comforted by what I guess was her boyfriend. Maybe, I thought, this was her first accident. But I was just as shaken as she was, could I get some lovin from the boy?

I looked across Foothill hoping to see a hardware store, a auto store, anything that sold tools, because I was not pushing my bike all the way home. I saw one of those useless .99 stores (until now, that is).

I trudged across the street, blood oozing down my arm and beginning to feel a pain in the left side of my chest.

Anyways, I was able to buy a wrench and also bought some gauze to clean up my wound. I did have an extra bottle of water, which helped make my arm look a little less like I had just fought a battle -and lost.

I fixed my tire, and headed home.

So, today I looked at my wounds beyond the arm, as I discovered a nice bruise and scrapped skin on my inner thigh, plus I probably bruised a rib, as my left side under my arm is all tender, and sometimes hurts when I take a deep breath. My left arm also hurts, and not only where I turned my skin into road rash.

I did ride this morning, and it was uneventful. I still need to replace the inner tube on the rear tire, but I also think I need to take to the repair place and have them tighten the rear screws better so I don't make an ass out of myself agian.

Plus, I guess, I need to consider buying a helmet. While I came no where near my head when I fell, it could've happened.

So, I feel lucky, if not just a little sore.