At the start of the week I was very alarmed to hear about thousands of birds falling out of the sky in Arkansas and other similar events happening all around the world.
My blog site also took a dip as the word 'birds' surged to the most searched item in search engines.
Religious bloggers soon loaded their own sites with Bible verse, Hosea 4:1-3: "The land dries up, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea are swept away."
My main anxiety was not from being hit on the head by a 'Pythonesque' blackbird, but from the omens that such an event may portend.
It even made me look at my Christmas presents in a completely new light.
I got a T shirt that depicted a man falling from his cycle
I also got a funky new cycle helmet .....Were these signs too?
In a state of near paranoia I visited York just after Christmas I noticed a bike that appeared to have been thrown in the river.
The culprit probably was unaware that the river Ouse was frozen and the cycle lay bruised and broken suspended on the surface, there for all to see and to haunt him.
Was this a sign for me too ? Did it for tell an impending cycling disaster?
I certainly was not going to take any chances !!!!!
On New Years Day I cycled ......... very tentatively
On the 2nd day of the month....... just tentatively
On the 3rd day my caution was fading
My the end of the week I scoffed with cynicism of 'The signs' that I had previously encountered and cycled with gay abandon.
My exuberance masked my senses and I failed to register the odd slipping sensation coming from the chain.
Today I set off as usual at 6am in darkness with an icy road -3 degrees c.
After about 5 miles and whilst travelling about 20 mph the three images ambushed me.
My chain snagged in the derailleur, which sheered off and tangled within my back wheel.
I had two options:-
Crash right and be hit by a car
Crash left and cross my fingers
I opted for the second one and was dispatched from my bike just like in the picture.
At that point my helmet came into play as my main impact was on my head an shoulders.
Then thirdly as i looked around I saw my bike suspended on a film of hard frost.
Spooky !!!!!!!
Anyway I had to take a day off work and take bike to bike hospital.
New rear wheel and new rear derailleur system which hurt me far more than my head.
So the moral of the story is if blackbirds fall in Arkansas make sure your helmet is on tight
Wow, I've never seen a break like that before. Omens huh! Next year, it might be an idea to ask for a lotto ticket and a Tshirt with a big grin on it!
ReplyDeleteOuch! I trust that you will shortly be 100% and that all the bike will ultimately require is the application of lots of cash.
ReplyDeleteMy brother-in-law snapped his rear derailleur off on Vail Pass a few years ago. I was amazed to learn from others on the bike tour that this is not an uncommon occurrence among cyclists.
ReplyDeleteI suppose with Reverse Logic you could view this another way. This actually did you a great service,it forced you to buy a new Transmission System. It got you to replace your Wheel ,Dérailleur,Chain so everything is new again .
ReplyDeleteThe Dérailleur or Wheel could have come off in some remote location or even in the Deserts of America far from Civilisation. So think of this as a Godsend ,you were actually Blessed with good luck on this occasion. Not many People get this good Fortune in their Lifetime.
The only time I have misfortune with Birds is when they Drop Yellow stuff on me from the Sky. I was watching a few Hundred Brent Goose's or should I say Geese in my local Park when they Bombed me with the Yellow material from the Heavens.