Whilst out for a spin this morning I spied a solitary balloon, gently blowing down the road.

‘Aha’ thought I, ‘That’ll make a nice satisfying pop when it feels the wrath of my skinny front tyre.’

Alas, it was less ‘knife through butter’ and more ‘small child bouncing on spacehopper’.

Result: front wheel bounced skyward, rider out the side door at speed. Mech hanger gone. Road rash on leg, arse, and shoulder. Chunk missing from elbow.

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Balloon 1: me nil.

Yes, yes I do feel quite foolish now.

Balloons are knobs.

Haven’t you been taught how to behave around balloons?

Rapidly Deflated ego..

Many moons ago when out on my mountain bike I saw a coke can, I thought I’ll see how accurate my front wheel lift could be. Landed the front wheel dead on the can, brilliant. Then the dawning realisation that the can had grabbed the front wheel and seconds later I went otb doh!!!!!!

Without deflation, you’ll find ballooning costs…

Taken down by a balloon 😆 sorry but that’s funny.

I think you may have paid the price for not knowing your balloons!

That one looks like one of those punching balloons with the elastic tether.

A much tougher prospect. Wily, too.

Remember kids – Know Your Balloons! It might save your elbow.

Get that cleaned up!

Friend of mine fell off and had a hole smaller than that in his elbow, ended up needing to have it cleaned up and sorted out under general anaesthetic.

Get that cleaned up!

Friend of mine fell off and had a hole smaller than that in his elbow, ended up needing to have it cleaned up and sorted out under general anaesthetic.

All right, lets not blow this up out of proportion…

Balloon puns aside, I’ve consulted a nurse and she reckon’s it’ll be reet as long as I get all the crud out and then give it the good news with TCP.

Theres alot of hot air about needing a tetnus jab after an open wound like that.

Amputation…..’tis the only way to be sure (arm…not balloon).

Well I’m not sure how many would have confessed to that so well done.

Stray balloon at the side of the road? I reckon you had a lucky escape.