I have hesitated to write this, thinking readers would find it of little value in the midst of so many other rider ‘experiences’ to read about. Friends advised me otherwise.
I’ll make it brief and if you have questions, send them my way. There are others on this forum who have had the same or similar experiences - I hope they jump in as well.
On March 30, I was putting one of my bikes on its center stand, something I had done hundreds of times, and my Achilles tendon ruptured - snapped like a rubber band. The sound was gruesome and it felt like I had been struck by lightening on my lower right leg. Then, nothing. No physical pain but the emotional pain was immediate and immense. I knew something very serious had just happened and the plans for riding later that day, for the weeks and months ahead were no longer certain. Walking was out of the question too, as I was to learn.
As I imagine many of us do when an unexpected calamity strikes, we look back in an attempt to discover what we did or didn’t do that contributed to the issue. I can not be certain but I believe I was thinking about something other than the task at hand. Having lifted this bike easily twice earlier in the day, I was not fully concentrating on positioning my body properly, placing the ball of my foot precisely, pressing and pulling slowly and smoothly. I don’t recall and I never will know with certainty what I could have done differently.
I am riding again, much to the chagrin of my physical therapists, and being very cautious when putting both feet down, not trusting my right leg, which has atrophied significantly. Mt doctors say my surgically repaired tendon will require 6 months to a year to fully heal and that I may never regain all the functionality I had before. One thing is for sure, no more center stands for me - ever.
Some experiences are best had vicariously - let’s hope this is one.
I’ll make it brief and if you have questions, send them my way. There are others on this forum who have had the same or similar experiences - I hope they jump in as well.
On March 30, I was putting one of my bikes on its center stand, something I had done hundreds of times, and my Achilles tendon ruptured - snapped like a rubber band. The sound was gruesome and it felt like I had been struck by lightening on my lower right leg. Then, nothing. No physical pain but the emotional pain was immediate and immense. I knew something very serious had just happened and the plans for riding later that day, for the weeks and months ahead were no longer certain. Walking was out of the question too, as I was to learn.
As I imagine many of us do when an unexpected calamity strikes, we look back in an attempt to discover what we did or didn’t do that contributed to the issue. I can not be certain but I believe I was thinking about something other than the task at hand. Having lifted this bike easily twice earlier in the day, I was not fully concentrating on positioning my body properly, placing the ball of my foot precisely, pressing and pulling slowly and smoothly. I don’t recall and I never will know with certainty what I could have done differently.
I am riding again, much to the chagrin of my physical therapists, and being very cautious when putting both feet down, not trusting my right leg, which has atrophied significantly. Mt doctors say my surgically repaired tendon will require 6 months to a year to fully heal and that I may never regain all the functionality I had before. One thing is for sure, no more center stands for me - ever.
Some experiences are best had vicariously - let’s hope this is one.
