I figured in a bike accident last June of 2014 after going down a rough, rocky and steep slope during one of my first time adventures in a remote island close by together with my friends. The place is familiar to both tourists and locals because of its natural and man-made scenic. To get there, you'll have to take a small boat from the mainland which will cost you just a few bucks and reach your destination in about 15 min to 20 min probably.
The accident caused me scraped skins below my right eye, on my cheek bone, and on my left knee. I had a deep cut on my chin that required seven stitches to close it, a minor fractured left wrist that had me wore a cast close to a month or so, and a torn pants.
I decided to write down some of my thoughts about it and you can take this advice or tips whenever you feel it's useful when going for an adventure or a bike trail.
Bring your own bicycle. As much as possible and whenever you can, try to avoid renting. I'm not saying that renting a bike is bad, it's just that, you're in for less risk when riding your own bike. Nobody is more familiar with it than you. You know the feel, the fit, the grips, the brakes. You've taken a ride on it for a long time and you've treated it like a trusted friend. Apart from these, you can save by using your own bike.
Check the rented bicycles. If you can't avoid renting, do a thorough check with it. Take a quick ride on it to get you familiar with the bicycle. Check the breaks well. Have a feel for the height, if you're not satisfied, ask the guy to adjust it for you. Try to shift speed and check if it works. Don't forget the chair, it should be properly fixed and doesn't loose easily.
Avoid renting the same types of bicycles. This was probably one of our mistakes. My friends and I rented the same color, the same type, the same model of bikes. We decided to park them beside each other near a tree after we've reached our destination. Upon returning, we just took off and rode with it not knowing if we have switched bikes or not. In my case, I can't forget how that right hand break caused the front wheel to stop on a down slope. I'm used to a right hand brake to control the rear wheel and I'm pretty sure I checked the bike I rented before that.
Take note of the emergency numbers and watch out for trail warnings. I was lucky enough that my friend was riding behind me when that happened. Importantly, he's able to get the emergency number to call for assistance. Trail warnings can easily get lost of our sights specially when you're not really minding about it or when your excitement adrenaline are high. I didn't notice the steep slope warning sign and everyone seems to be just riding their bikes downward so it's easy to get caught with the majority.
Bring along extra first aid kits. I believe this is quite a very common advice when trailing but just to emphasize it once more. The emergency response team may get some time before they'll reach your location. Better to get prepared.
Have a friend or two to get along with you. If you can, try to tag along a friend or friends when going out to unfamiliar places. You'll get to form a support group when unexpected things happened along the way.
Plan your adventures well. This should be at the top of my list here, to plan your activities well before setting out. Our adventure wasn't really planned out, it was just as the spark of the moment, my friend invited me and he invited another friend of his and we three just met on the same day. Originally, he planned to go fishing and I planned to go taking pictures. We only got to learn about renting bikes after we arrived there. We are all first timers in that place.
Travel light and wear protective gears. I was carrying my camera equipment at my back when I was rolling down the slope. This plus a misplaced hand brake are just the perfect recipe for a disaster. So, if we have planned our adventures well, these could have been avoided.
I was able to recover following the post therapy sessions, although I still find my wrist a bit stiff. The bonus part was when my doctor took a picture of me while he was holding my phone to be part of my remembrance after removing the stitches on my chin. He convincingly asked me if I actually want to have one. Cool, huh? Hope you get something out of my unfortunate adventure.
:)
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