I stayed with my bike at the sand dunes on Memorial day this year and I paid for it.
I don't know if I could have bailed either, because I fell into a hole and it would have been a long drop, but the long drop might have been better.
I came over the top of a sand ridge, and I was going fairly slow. Unfortunately there was a drop-off right after the ridge. It was more like a V-shaped 20 foot deep pit, with the pit walls being about 55degrees steep.
I was fully aware of my situation, and I thought I should ride it out, but what I didn't figure was that the windblown sand in that area was reallllly soft. I came to the bottom and my fromt tire sunk in the sand about 4-6". So you can imagine that my bike acted like a pendulem. My butt was still connected to the seat when it slammed my head and shoulder into the far "pit" wall--almost like I landed upside down. After driving myself to the hospital for what I though was a simple out of socket collarbone, I was told that my collerbone will now stick up (arm side) about 1-2" permanently. And let me tell you, that sucks.
Sorry to hear about your spine, this is a rough sport.
I don't know if I could have bailed either, because I fell into a hole and it would have been a long drop, but the long drop might have been better.
I came over the top of a sand ridge, and I was going fairly slow. Unfortunately there was a drop-off right after the ridge. It was more like a V-shaped 20 foot deep pit, with the pit walls being about 55degrees steep.
I was fully aware of my situation, and I thought I should ride it out, but what I didn't figure was that the windblown sand in that area was reallllly soft. I came to the bottom and my fromt tire sunk in the sand about 4-6". So you can imagine that my bike acted like a pendulem. My butt was still connected to the seat when it slammed my head and shoulder into the far "pit" wall--almost like I landed upside down. After driving myself to the hospital for what I though was a simple out of socket collarbone, I was told that my collerbone will now stick up (arm side) about 1-2" permanently. And let me tell you, that sucks.
Sorry to hear about your spine, this is a rough sport.
