This entry was posted on Sunday, December 16th, 2007 at 17:03 and is filed under South America. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
After the meeting in Viedma I joined a group of Germans to ride down the east coast on the way south. Sebastian, Uchi and myself started first with Ra, Ali and Korolla following an hour behind. The plan had been to take a ripio (gravel & sand track) road down the coast so we could avoid the painfully dull Rta 3 again. We were all riding pretty slow at first but gaining speed and confidence on the gravel & sand track as we rode on. After a while, the other Germans caught up with us and the boys (as boys do) started going faster and faster. It feels great to ride on these roads at speed. You feel like you are in the Paris Dakar Rally with clouds of dust behind you and gravel and sand spitting up from under your tyres.
A real sense of speed and calm and control takes over, but, as in life, all good things have to come to an end…… I was riding at about 70mph on this ripio surface for a good hour or two and feeling pretty good about life. The thing about ripio roads is that the faster you ride, the easier it feels to ride. You start gliding over the surface instead of bumping and sliding about in the gravel. This leads you into a false sense of security which made me have my fist big crash of the trip.
We were looking for somewhere nice to spend the night camping wild and coming the other direction were two big bull dozer vehicles with massive scoops on the front. They were smoothing over the surface of the track as it becomes corrugated and portioned by car and truck tyres. So, I pass these big bull dozers and start going faster and faster again. 30 seconds later I’m flying along at 70mph like before totally oblivious to the fact that the track had turned into more sand than gravel due to the smoothing process. 40 seconds later and my front wheel goes into an uncontrollable wobble. I try to fight it straight and power out of the weave but its too late. Before I have time to soil my underwear, the bike buckarooed me and flipped itself over into the dirt at 70mph.
I lay there on the gravel surprised to be conscious and tried to work out if I was hurt. Miraculously, I could feel no pain and had the use of all my limbs. I stood up and took a look around. The bike was buried in the side of the road and my luggage boxes were about 10 metres further down the road with all my possessions scattered across the place. BOLLOCKS !!!
I automatically assumed that my trip was over there and then. No bike, no luggage, no nothing ! The others caught up with me and instantly started to pick up my things and we all got our tools out and assessed the damage. Surprisingly the bike was intact apart from the left hand luggage box was battered out of shape with the fixings ripped off, the handlebar clamps were bent and hanging out of the top yoke and the clutch lever and mirror were bent. L Ali wandered off into the bushes and in a complete stroke of luck, returned with a scaffold pole. What it was doing there in the middle of nowhere is anyone’s guess but it helped to bend the pannier frame out of the back wheel. The handlebars were soon back together but there was no way to straighten them without breaking them but at least the bike was ridable. I’m really surprised how tough this bike is. Many a bike would have been written off and beyond repair by this crash and my Metal Mule box still looks like a box and is useable if a little awkward.
By this time is was getting late so we decided to all rough camp on the side of the road. I was feeling sore by now. My lower back and ribs were pretty bruised and it was a major effort to bend over and move about but nothing a dose of painkillers couldn’t cure.
It actually turned out to be a really good night. Due to me crashing we camped in the scrub in total darkness. All lying together on a sheet staring up at the most amazing night sky I have ever seen. There were more stars than black. Mists of stars, comets and satellites were flying about all night. We lay there making silly jokes (usually at my expense) and looking on the very bright side of life.
So, I’m now riding with 1 battered and bent luggage box which is strapped up to the bike and bent handlebars. The important thing is that I’m still mobile and travelling.
December 16th, 2007 at 20:54
Hi Ted,
don·t forget…. this could be the crash of your life….!
I sincerely hope so and that You won·t have any more (at least sizeble ones)!I·m really enthusiastic aboput everything that You are going through, above, under, over etc. because thats what all us “lurkers” hope will happen, one day, to ourselves. Fix the inperfections when You can/want to and send more…. a lot more descriptions of what You are living on your travel. I, and most others who enter in your blog and others of the kind, are possesed by our computers, morning, afternoon and evenings to read your tales of far abroad. (I even go to see if any news has arrived, during the night, having a pee)!
Lots of very and true best wishes along with the usual and also very true wishes for…. love and peace,
Dan
December 17th, 2007 at 04:40
Hi Ted , glad you are still in one piece ! Keep smiling and having fun – you lucky bugger .
December 17th, 2007 at 08:30
Well done doofy!
December 17th, 2007 at 09:30
Ted, baby… Glad to hear you are in one piece and the bike is not too badly damaged. Its good you are in a group as I think the damge could have been much worse if you were riding on your own. Don’t be tempted to twist the throttle too far and remember that big lever on the right hand side of your bars, it slows you down!!!
Take care.
Smokey
December 17th, 2007 at 19:43
I’m glad you’re OK and that it was “soft sand… Damn, Ted, try not to learn those kinds of lessons the hard way. No matter who you’re with, ride your own ride. I’ll tuck your experience away in the deep of my brain so that when the same situation presents hopefully I won’t have to gather up my stuff. Stay well!!
Tom
December 17th, 2007 at 23:31
Bloody idiot!
Well come on, you don’t really expect sympathy of me do you? hehe
Look after yourself you nutter
Luce x
December 18th, 2007 at 19:47
[...] Touring TedMagnum I know many of us have enjoyed Ted’s musings here and know that he’s currently in South America living his dream. I hope he doesn’t mind me posting it here, but you might want to read about his crash. He’s OK, but the blog makes for a good read. Touring Ted ? Blog Archive ? oooops I crashed ! [...]
December 18th, 2007 at 22:31
Reminds me of my face plant on the Valdes Peninsula. I was going only half your speed or less and did my head hurt. On another matter, I was given your name by Maria and Alistair whom I guess you met in Viedma. I had to abandon my bike in an underpass under Ruta 3 south of Comodoro Rivadavia. Maria could not find it, but suggested you may know someone heading south who could take another look to see if it is there. Enjoy! Marty
December 18th, 2007 at 23:02
Nice one Ted! Good thing them XT’s are hard as nails eh? I slid mine into a van in Romania at 30mph and apart from the forks twisting in the yokes (easily sorted) the only damage was a totally stuffed set of handlebars. It seems to be the only weak point on the bike, I’ve just ordered my third set after a bit of an adventure up north…
Good to hear you are OK.
Take it easy!
Matt
December 20th, 2007 at 10:37
glad your enjoying ted, take it easy because we want you back to cheer us on the hubb!! i’m in wales at moment and dreaming of my next trip which you was doing not so long ago! have a good one and take care.
December 21st, 2007 at 19:25
tha wants t slow daan lad,tha nod as young as tha think tha are tha knows
damn good read ted & ride on dude
January 22nd, 2008 at 02:57
Oh sh*t…your indestructible boxes aren’t indestructible. Bummer, but really glad you’re not permanently damaged. Your white gear needed a good dusting.