Crash Recap from Sun Valley Enduro Cup

Photo: Noah Wetzel

Photo: Noah Wetzel

This is going to be a short post.

On Sunday, I had what was easily the scariest mountain bike crash of my life. While I’m tempted to moan about how this year really seems to be trying to crush my soul, on this occasion I have to be thankful. I have been incredibly lucky to race bikes seriously for 2.5 years and not had a crash like this until last weekend. I was also incredibly lucky to roll out of this one with all my limbs intact, and no serious head injury. This was my first concussion, my first time to not remember crashing, and my first broken helmet (unless you count the one I stepped on, which I do not). So, a lot of firsts, ones that I am really hoping to not turn into seconds any time soon. I have a slightly sprained wrist, a sore knee and a laceration on my elbow. Other than not remembering the crash, I didn’t have any concussion symptoms and I finished the stage at race pace, which in retrospect, was probably not worth the risk given how much time I had already hemorrhaged, but obviously I wasn’t thinking clearly. On the mechanical side, I twisted a wheel and severed the hydraulic line for my dropper post. According to the evidence gathered from my POV camera and my GPS file, I probably clipped a pedal going around 28mph, so, obviously, it could have been a hell of a lot worse.

In other news, I had some good stage results, felt strong on the pedally bits despite my knee not quite being 100% and I felt mentally stronger than I have in awhile (up until things went to shit on the last stage, of course). I’m hoping I can take the positive bits, and build on those. I’ll be out for few days resting my head, knees and wrists, but plan on coming back stronger in a few weeks.

In the meantime thanks to everyone for the kind words and big hugs to Porsha and Pip for escorting me out of the woods, and to Leigh for bandaging my wounds and feeding me sour gummy worms, which are obviously the best cure for any ailment.

Moving on…But first, a gnar celebration pic.

postSVcrash

Syd Schulz

Pro mountain biker.

Average human.

I write about bikes and life and trying to get better at both.

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2 thoughts on “Crash Recap from Sun Valley Enduro Cup

  1. Still alive is good, minor concussion better than it could have been & the positive attitude afterwards? Priceless.

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