Had a few crashes this year but two of them quite messed me up.
First one was at the beginning of August when out biking with the mrs. Going downhill I took the 'quick' route down the steepest part. Had to cross a quiet road and could see it was clear apart from a family stopped in the area where the kerbs were dropped. Not enough time to kill much speed and not enough skilz to bunny hop the kerb fully. The rear wheel hit the kerb and I did a comedy somersault and threw my head around a little. Got up laughing and embarrassed.
Turns out that the fall had caused a tear in an artery in my neck which caused a blood clot which went on to cause a stroke through the night. Not good, hospitalised, double vision (one eye was looking at last week the other the next), unable to swallow, voice changed to an intermittent Barry Gibbish falsetto, off work, off my bike, unable to walk. Got over the worse of it pretty quickly with only a few remaining symptoms. Back at work 5 weeks later.
Itching to get back on the bike I was soon biking to and from work again as soon as my balance allowed me. I was even extending the routes from the direct one of 4 miles to ones along the coast of 14/15 miles each way.
All going well... until biking home through the woods one night, in the dark, downhill, in the wet. Lost control of the front wheel as it skidded on some wet wood. Went over and smacked my head on the ground. Put my left arm out to break the fall. Ended up dislocating the shoulder and snapping a bit of bone off. Mrs was NOT happy as I called her from the woods saying I might need a little help getting home.
Arm/shoulder is getting better but it has now taken weeks! It was easier getting over the stroke than it has the shoulder injury. I start physio on that tomorrow after just finishing it for the stroke.
Wife wants to chop up my bike, I explain that it must be jinxed and that I need a new one.
I've promised to stay off it till the new year, Roll on 2012!
At 47 I know now that I don't bounce as much when I fall as I used to!