I Survived my Operation

Well, I made it out of hospital alive, who'd have thought it? I was actually really well cared for, I can't make a single complaint which I find surprising.

I went down for the operation at about half 3 I think, all the anaesthetists were fellow iPhone users, I gave them some shit for using rubber cases then they pumped me full of something or other before poking needles into my neck to administer the nerve block. They were poking about for a while but I don't remember any pain, when they found the nerve my arm started freaking out, spasming all over the shop, it was quite funny and really interesting. I don't remember them putting me under so the next thing I remember was coming around and having some water cause my throat was pretty sore from the pipe that had been down it.

Back up in the ward I assume I was off my trolley for a bit but I felt no pain at all because the nerve blocker was in full effect, the right side of my face was numb as well as my arm which felt strange. I spent the night watching Season 6 of Curb Your Enthusiasm on my iPod before falling asleep. The pain kicked in at about 3am so I popped a couple Cocodamols which put me back to sleep.

Whilst waiting for my x-ray the next day I continued reading 'One More Kilometre and we're in the Showers' which is a book that I am more than happy to recommend. I was home by 3pm. Now I just sit and wait really, I'm in a sling for 6 weeks then I assume I will start the misery that is physio after that, at the moment my shoulder is still completely numb so I hope that rectifies itself!

My neck is killing, it's bruised to fuck where they were injecting the nerve blocker, look at all those damned muscles in the picture, they all hurt!

This is the area that broke, no doubt all the muscles around the clavicle will be withered and useless by the time the bone is fixed so I'm not gonna be back on the bike for ages :-(

Check out my monged face, it's usually pretty bloody funny looking but this takes the biscuit!

If laughter is the best medicine then Curb is surely the morphine of comedy.

The finished job, I already have 2 plates in my left arm, I am becoming more bionic by the day, I don't want any more no matter how cool robots are!

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Track Racing at Maindy Velodrome

Yesterday saw the first 6 Cat track event at Maindy outdoor velodrome in Cardiff. Me, Evs and Sion went up but only Sion could race cause me and Evs are temporarily out of action, gutted. The weather couldn't make its mind up, it was nice until race time then pissed down for a bit and soaked the track and kept off-and-oning throughout the rest of the day, nobody cared though.

Everyone enjoyed themselves, it's a nice change for us 'street' riders to hit the velodrome, I wonder how long before we see Chris Hoy skidding through rush hour traffic, haha. There were 6 different events:

- 1 Lap Time Trial (standing start)

- Devil - Bunch race. Last placed rider has to drop out on designated laps.

- Match Sprints - x2 laps, x2 riders - Head to head SpRinT!!

- Scratch race - Bunch race. First across the line wins.

- Cycling Unproficiency Test - Making use of the weird model village thing in the track centre...

I don't have the results yet, I wanted to get this up before I go into hospital tomorrow, I will update the post when I know. It was a great day out, thanks to Steve for putting it on, hopefully we can organise a collab event next summer at the track :-)

Numbering up just before the rain started

Pre-race briefing, was nice to meet Phil (on the right) who is from Swansea and is the proud owner of Julian Schmoos' legendary Mercian!

Awesome pose, mad steez

Sion blasting through the line

Actually quite a nice photo for an iPhone, I'm an ex-photographer don't ya' know?

Steve giving "the look back"

Zoooooooom!

I'm running out of captions :-s

I didn't get a shot of the fabled number 4, you had to be there.

Shooting with an iPhone is like shooting with a 1920's film camera: blurry, distorted and generally out of focus, but converting to mono always saves the day!

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I Have Been Really Hurt By A Car

A week ago I was on my way into town when a car pulled out from a junction right into the road in front of me, I tried my best to swing left around him rather than hit the bonnet but didn't quite make it, I hit the rear drivers side window smashing it into a million pieces. My collarbone followed through hitting the solid area above where the glass once was and I flew over the top of the car and landed flat on my back behind it. The driver got out and started shouting about how it was my fault and that I'd have to pay for the damage, he then said that he was more concerned about making sure I was ok and pulled his car over across the road out of the way.

A few people were on the scene by this point and within a minute or so they informed me that he was driving off, I assume he spoke to a guy who was parked in the bus stop and saw the whole thing and realised that it was actually his fault and not mine. I didn't really care because I'd touched my collarbone and realised that it was not in great shape. An ambulance just happened to be passing so there was no waiting about, I told them that my collarbone was broken but that the rip in my jeans was a lot worse than the graze underneath it. In the ambulance they took a look at it and told me it was a teeny bit worse than a graze then pumped me full of morphine, sweet!

I was attempting to go straight on as demonstrated by the red arrow, the witness in the bus stop is in green, the driver is in blue. The dashed line shows how I tried, in vain, to avert disaster.
A point-of-view shot of where it happened, the van is where the dude pulled out, you can see here how tight the corner I tried to get round actually is, I didn't stand a chance :-(
Just before I was put on the stretcher and bundled into the ambulance.
Morphine+gas=mongsville
Right clavicle, 4 pieces
The 'graze' on my right thigh required 3 stitches to put the muscle back together and 15 on the outside, gross!
I was stitched up and given a shit, useless sling and sent home to return 2 days later to attend the fracture clinic. After a four hour wait on the Monday I got in to see the doctor who said that I would probably need surgery and that I should come back on Wednesday to see the specialist (who agreed). So tomorrow I go in to have a plate installed, I already have 2 in my left forearm and really don't want any more but it's for the best.
I spotted this whilst having my leg cleaned, is it a sign?
Waiting for the specialist offered a perfect opportunity to shoot 'self portrait with x-ray'.
The driver has been traced, I don't know anything else about that and I don't really care, a solicitor will deal with him. Until yesterday I was very firmly in the 'shit happens' camp but now I am pretty pissed off about the whole thing, I am growing more bitter as the pain gets worse I think. Why do so many fucking drivers go about the place without really paying any attention to the bloody road??? I'm sure nearly everyone reading this will have at least experienced being scared whilst riding because a driver is useless, it's unbelievable how bad some people are at driving! Thats by the by though compared to the fact that this dude did a runner, I was actually involved in a hit and run! Thats the kind of this you see on The Bill or C.S.I not Llangyfelach Rd at 1pm on a Saturday afternoon, how dare this guy drive his death machine in front of me, pretend that he cared then fuck off???
You see, a year ago I'd have been flat on my back in the middle of the road cursing him for not finishing me off and putting me out of my fucking misery, I have suffered with bad depression for the last 10 years and been plagued by an unescapable fixation with death and how and when I will die, and what is there after death and what is the point of life just to die and everything I did became extremely difficult because it meant NOTHING.
No amount of medication or psychotherapy will ever cure me but since I started cycling 10 months ago I have been the happiest I have ever been, the bike offers me a freedom that I have never experienced before, I can go where I want, when I want and which ever way I want, my mind is clear when I ride, no matter how bad the weather or how steep the hill or how bad the driver I have no once though of dying whilst riding. And now I can't ride, I can sit on my arse and ruminate about life and death again with no escape from my own mind; skin and bones heal but I have wasted far too much of my life crying and shaking and screaming in fear of the knowledge of my own mortality.
This fuckwit has taken away my happiness and I am really pissed off, I am going to be wheeled into theatre for this operation fucking shitting myself that I will be anesthetized and not wake up, I may be faced with something or nothing and the not knowing is killing me. I know it is going to be fine, I will awake to months of physical pain and mental anguish and for the first time in my adult life I welcome that now knowing that I can, in fact, be happy.
I know what you are thinking. The bike is fine.

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Maindy Track Racing Tomorrow

Just a quick reminder that the 6 Cat event is on at Maindy Velodrome in Cardiff tomorrow, click the poster below for more info...

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Cycle Show 2009 - London

Kerry, Owen and me (Ty) hit the Cycle Show in London on Saturday, it was a nice day out, pictures:
This was just one of the many cutesy, attractive fixies at the show, practically every booth had one of their own, they nearly all sucked in the way that any ready made fixie does. As a first bike they would be ok I suppose but I stand by the conversion route, even though your conversion will be shit and have a terrible paint job and start falling part pretty soon it's still a great way to learn about how your bike works.
I'd seen this in a picture not so long ago and loved the idea of it, at the mo I'm carrying around a Pedro Trixie which is great and has a lifetime guarantee but it's a bit long and how often do I really need a lockring tool? This new folding adjustable wrench from Knog just looks awesome to carry for the occasional wheel adjustment. As with all of the other Knog stuff it's pretty AND functional, they should be available some time around the end of November.
Owen gives the BMX inspired PK Ripper the thumbs down, so do I. We aren't into trick bikes.
Kerry gives this one the thumbs up, it's an SE Lager and was at the nicer end of the 'bike in a box' ones.
Absolute classic jersey.
The new Bianchi Pista Via Condottie looked awesome on screen and at first look was pretty snazzy in the flesh too, but after looking past the shiny chrome and Celeste paint job I was left a little bit less impressed.
Owen giving the international sign of the spaz at one of the few belt drives in the show.
Just a funny picture of Kerry.
Kerry got a free tent to wear after signing up for something or other.
Thumbs down for another belt drive.
Like, seriously?
Kerry loving one of the handmade jackets in the Cyclodelic booth.
Sweet forks on one of the Globe Bikes.
Kinda nice looking but not all that really.
Cool customisable headbadge casing on the Globe.
Owen gobbling up some sweaty crotch.
There are the shite Urban Outfitters bikes, poop.
I don't remember what make this is but it's quite snazzy, not sure what the point is though.
Me rocking the fastest hat in the show.
There were a few 3-speed fixed gears in the show, the idea is good BUT the whole point of the fixed gear is that it has a single fixed gear is it not? With these you get all the fashion of the fixie with non of the misery of struggling up hills.
Victoria Pendleton talking about chocolate.
Vicky Pendleton absolutely LOVING Fixed Gear Wales, she loved it so much she said "this is NOT a sponsorship", I feel obliged to submit to her demands and not claim that she is our newest and most powerful ambassador.
Kerry in the most redneck, death defying hat of the show.
We all like to have a laugh at the Specialized Langster, but when we saw the new one with it's chrome forks and classic styling on the internet we were almost prepared to give it a chance. Unfortunately in the flesh it sucked ass, it's gross and cheap looking.
Me getting as close as possible to Eddy Merckx 24hrs late :'-(
This is one of the GB Team track bikes, it was IMMENSE! The highlight of the show for me, after all the pretty, shiny price point fixies this industrial, black beast was a breath of fresh air. It looked like a weapon, not a toy. I tried counting the teeth, I'm pretty sure it was 98 gear inches, booyaa!
Some serious bike porn!
Me loving it.
The Cyclodelic fully customised bling machine, nice!
Kerry giving one of the Demon bikes the thumbs up. We spoke to the frame builder for a bit, he was nice. You can get them fully custom right down to the lugs but they bring a VERY hefty price tag!
Nitto stem porn.
Kerry was loving Andy Schleck.
And this chap who I'm sure I should know but I don't (comment if you know!)
Trying out one of the Swobo's. She was quite fond of them indeed.
It's fair to say that Kerry doesn't love Contador, in fact she hates his guts, she still enjoyed stroking his winky.
She couldn't wait to try out some of the Eddy Merckx brand "energy juice".
After 6 hours we resorted to coming up with cool hipster outfits.
I just can't look cool.

All touched out and tired Kerry resorts to pointing at nuts.
-
And here are a couple of things we missed but Evs and Amy caught the day before...
Fuck knows how we managed to miss this beast, Bruce Bursford hit 209mph on this thing in 1996, wild!
The obvious highlight of the show, the one, the only, the legend that is Eddy Merckx! I was fuming that I couldn't get up there on the Friday to meet him, damn you Evs!
The biggest shock of the show was the £25 parking bill at the end of the day, fuck you London, fuck you very much!

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