Crash Update

It's been over a month since I hit the pavement hard on a stretch of Carlsbad's Coast Highway. The bike is all back together, no worse for wear (thanks to Don and George) and a shiny new helmet was sitting on my desk upon my return from Eurobike (thanks again Don!). Body-wise, I'm mostly recovered, all of the scars have healed - even if the skin is still bright pink in pieces. Some slight discomfort is coming from my right shoulder, I think there's a hematoma under the surface too.

The best news is that the City of Carlsbad sent me an email last week, letting me know that they will be taking care of the road imperfections based on my experience. I'm looking forward to checking out the scene after giving them a week or so to do the work.

Attention To The Carlsad, CA Street Maintenance Department

Dear Fine City of Carlsbad, CA:

Please have your Street Maintenance Department remove the two abrupt bumps in the bike lane, located northbound on Coast Hwy, adjacent to the Encina Power Plant.

note - they don't look like much from this vantage, I hastily snapped the photo so as not to get blood on my phone

You see, these bumps are not all that obvious when riding your bike. Especially when your at mile fifty or so of your fifty five mile ride. Even experienced riders can lose their edge when fatigued - and two sharp rises in the road are not expected when the rest of the road is in near-perfect condition.

Riders of all levels can lose control when their bikes, sending them careening towards the pavement. Contact with which can create...

broken helmets...

broken bike parts...
and, worse of all, broken (and missing) skin...
I'll heal quickly, but replacing the helmet saddle and wheel will cost me several hundred dollars. I accept the risks inherent in road cycling and realize that I need to be aware of the road ahead. However I also expect the roads to be maintained at an adequate level. It wouldn't take a crew of two to three city workers more than a couple of hours to remove and patch these spots.

Please fix this section of road before more cyclists are injured.

Thank you,

Chris H.
Carlsbad, CA

Helicopter Testing

Because who doesn't enjoy watching extreme helicopter testing? And breaking stuff.

Note the cables hanging from the tail, these (doomed) birds were operated via remote control.

R.I.P. Dave "Crash" Collins

Although I only met Crash once, riding with him at McGonigle Canyon in December of '08, I recognize the important impact he made on the Southern California mountain bike scene. R.I.P. Crash.