Crash on the Sunday ride

[Mark C]

Durrance is a narrow rough windy road and I wouldn't suggest we go that way, I like the idea of turning left onto West Saanich at the intersection with Wallace Drive and ride single file to Observatory hill. If we do stay on Wallace I think splitting the group into small packs at TBG stop sign would be a good idea.

[EricS]

Not sure it matters who causes a crash, I'm sure it was an accident, right? As for sending best wishes to the injured, I really appreciate the messages, however I was not even in town (Provincials in Aldergrove). Perhaps use last names if you know them. Was Eric Partlow out? French Eric? I'm not sure, but if we're going by second hand recounts, I'd say it was Todd H. Does anyone really know? Healing vibes to whomever went down.

[norman marcy]

Durance is narrow but not busy as I recall

[David Hill]

Lots of good ideas on how to ride safely, and where. We split up this Sunday into smaller, manageable groups, and it seemed fairly safe along Wallace (although that damn headwind!).

I have a much bigger concern, and that is related to the reports I've heard about Eric's crash, apparent significant disorientation (including reports of him seeming to black out a number of times), and then insist on riding home. I understand that an ambulance was called, and that several people tried to convince Eric to get a ride home. At least one person who was on site said his helmet was cracked. Another rider who is a doctor, apparently strongly recommended he take the ambulance, and seek a CT scan as soon as possible. It doesn't sound like a minor crash to me.

A person in a state of shock or disorientation may make some ill-advised decisions, and I think it is incumbent on Tripleshot as a club, to have some policies around having someone ride home after a significant accident. If it was serious enough for an ambulance to attend, and professionals were worried about his health, we should have a policy that the rider doesn't ride home.

Great that TS members rode home with him, but honestly it probably made more sense to flatten his tires and make sure he got medical attention. If he refused, it might have been due to his shock or injury, as much as obstinance. I recall insisting on trying to ride a 90-degree bent bike to work after being hit by a truck...the drivers took me to work and within a few minutes after the adrenaline wore off I couldn't walk, and was on crutches for a week.

Anyway, I would strongly support a policy and general practice that we insist injured riders get home and medical help safely, and if they refuse, we pull their TS card until they've seen the error of their ways.

Also, wishing Eric & Lois good recovery and strong helmets...

[mfarnham]

While I think it's difficult to come up with hard and fast rules that will fit every situation, I think David makes a really good point about how the group sometimes (hopefully rarely) needs to step in and make decisions for people who have crashed--especially if they've hit their head. In this case, there were two broken helmets and so a serious possibility of concussion or worse for each rider. Most of us would likely try to insist on riding home in a situation like that ("I'll be fine...I don't want to trouble you..."), but the group shouldn't let them when it's as bad as this particular crash was. In many situations, it's probably fine to call them a cab, but someone should ride with them, and they should ride straight to the ER with them, if there's good reason to be concerned about the possibility of internal bleeding or a broken bone. In this particular case, it sounds like an ambulance would have been a very appropriate choice. If there's ever concern about receiving a bill for the ambulance, the club will cover it.

I got back on my bike once after hitting my head at the start of a ride, and felt kind of weird (jangly brain on all the bumps) for the rest of the ride. Later, I decided that was not a good idea. I'm sure I would have argued if someone had insisted that I end my ride there, but that would have been a good call. We don't have to send people in an ambulance to the ER for every crash, but be prepared to err on the side of caution when the situation seems to call for it.

Other takeaways from this incident? It doesn't sound like either rider did anything wrong. Group size was probably a factor. Riding double may have been a factor (especially given group size). Communications were a factor (warnings not passed down the line...also related to group size). Last Sunday we split our lead group of ~14 into a group of ~8 and ~6. One group went 2-up, one went single file. Both seemed very happy with the experience. We had a big gap in between, and at least one car passed, very safely. It spent time in between the two groups waiting for a clear opportunity to make the second pass. All seemed pretty comfy and friendly. The first group slowed past Willis Point Rd, and we were back together (single file) heading onto West Saanich.

Martin

[Lister Farrar]

If it helps the discussion, any head contact in TS youth rides or FastTrack means a call to parents for a ride home. It's easier with adult authority over kids, but it might make it easier for the club mates to insist on a lift home if it's a club policy. I know its easier for me now knowing it's our program policy. The prospect of a second hit on the way home doing really serious permanent damage is pretty scary. And as adults, we do have the previous era experience to overcome, of football and hockey players being told to walk it off and having life-long (some not so long) symptoms.

I've also noticed that Kurt Innes, probably the most qualified and highest level cycling coach (L5 and Olympics) I've worked with, and works in the national sports system in talent development, is particularly careful with any symptoms of concussion. Including when there's no damage to a helmet, because rapid movements can also cause a concussion. I've watched from behind one TS kid take a minor fall mtbing, definitely no head contact, but rapid head movement, and she showed symptoms of nausea and weird emotions, sleepiness and laughing. She was off training, and had to wait for a week of no symptoms before starting training again.

One last thought; base line brain function tests help docs determine later after an incident if there is a brain injury. The brain lab at uvic tests people as part of its research. I haven't done it, but the director I met once at a school league race told me it's a bit like a video game of tracking objects. Takes an hour.

Why bother? One TS youth rider got hit in the head with a basketball in PE, showed concussion symptoms that didn't get better. Later a physio checked and treated for whiplash and she got better quickly. Turns out whiplash and concussion can look the same but are treated differently. So she didn't need to have the long time off training.

Oh yeah. Its free. More money for Oakleys and coffee.
https://www.uvic.ca/research/labs/chris ... /index.php

[EricS]

I have a much bigger concern, and that is related to the reports I've heard about Eric's crash, apparent significant disorientation (including reports of him seeming to black out a number of times), and then insist on riding home. I understand that an ambulance was called, and that several people tried to convince Eric to get a ride home.
...
Also, wishing Eric & Lois good recovery and strong helmets...

Holy hell!

Dave! Come on! Read the previous comments! My mom will freak out when she sees this! FYI I have not been in a bike crash in 36 years!
Sheesh!

Eric (at least, this Eric, I suppose all the other Erics are at home with concussions)

[shawn]

Chiming in here with a very big thumbs up for the words of caution expressed by David, Martin and Lister. Any kind of head trauma needs to be treated with care - whether it's an actual blow to the head or a shake - until the consequences are clear. A person's history of brain trauma is also significant and, while we may be able to describe a clubmate's bike in delightful detail, we typically don't have such knowledge of their medical history.
Shawn

[Roland]

Holy hell!

Dave! Come on! Read the previous comments! My mom will freak out when she sees this! FYI I have not been in a bike crash in 36 years!
Sheesh!

Eric (at least, this Eric, I suppose all the other Erics are at home with concussions)

Maybe you just don't remember crashing because you hit your head?