…thank you! Especially the Scottish chap who talked me back into consciousness, I can’t recall your name but you’re an absolute star. Thanks also to the first-aiders from the shop and everyone else who helped with getting me into the ambulance in one piece. For the record, I didn’t sustain any major injuries and I’m pretty much fine, just cuts, bruises, a very stiff neck, and fifteen or so stitches in my face.
Top tip: don’t take an unfamiliar demo bike to trails you’ve never ridden before when you’re not feeling very well. You’ll end up ballsing up a jump and then using your head as a brake, which will knock you out cold and result in you spending the day in Gloucester A and E getting your spine checked out and your face stitched back together. I have to say the NHS is bloody marvellous, the paramedics, doctors, radiographers and nurses who dealt with me did a top-notch job, every one of them.
I’m still not entirely sure what went wrong on that jump, all I can recall is parting company with the bike, looking down at the surprisingly distant floor from a very alarming angle and thinking “This is going to hurt…” It did.
Taped to the trolley for a few hours before getting the all-clear from the docs:
Full-facer looks like it did it’s job:
A complete and utter idiot earlier today: