So out for a nice gentle ride other day with my dog, bit rushed getting out the door and couldn’t find my phone but thought ‘not going far, I can go without’.
Had a lovely bimble and decide to extend ride and return via the itchen as a treat for doggo.
I’ve ridden this route tens possibly into the hundreds of times
Riding along the path by the river, few trees leaning after the wind. One of them a bit more than others then - bar clips tree, steering turns suddenly to left and fires me straight over the bars and down into the river, fully submerged but luckily can stand up in water (chest height) even with bike on top.
Manage to clamber out, soaked to skin (luckily mild weather) throw bike out onto path, reassure very worried spaniel (good dog) and get home rapid.
My reason for posting this? I’m a pretty unflappable sort - my line of work requires me to place myself in occasionally bottom clenching situations however the realisation of what had just happened and the potential other outcomes had me thinking.
It was mega quick!
I didn’t have a phone to call for help as I was local
I changed my route last minute
It was a miserable rainy weekday with everyone hiding indoors, I’d seen no one.
The river was running fast and deep and luckily where I went in there were no sharp bits of embankment, soft silt or entanglements. But in many parts of the route there are.
Anyway, lesson learned. I will now always have my phone in a waterproof dry bag on me. In addition I’ll have a proper think on my route choice.
Just thought I’d write this and maybe someone might remember this in a similar situation and take their phone.
Anyway, lesson learned. I will now always have my phone in a waterproof dry bag on me. In addition I’ll have a proper think on my route choice
Human nature, you won't, you will for a bit then one day this memory will fade and you will forget it. This time you basically saved drowning your phone.
Fair point
every cloud has a silver lining
This time you basically saved drowning your phone
I remember reading a short book about a headstrong guy that was a bit of a risk taker in various sports and got used to getting away with it. He went out biking and didn't tell anyone, came off and smashed himself up pretty bad, no phone reception. It read as a survival book but then suddenly, it changed to someone finding the body. I can't remember much else about it but suspect it was based on a true story.
how does a mobile save you from drowning is there a lifejacket app I don't know about ;?
It would have at least give me a chance of requesting help were I banged up/injured/washed down stream/ abducted by aliens.
phone also has a find me function so my wife could have helped emergency services recover my corpse (sarcasm)
still iPhones are getting smarter all the time
I nearly ended up in the Black Devon following a crank-strike induced OTB that let to an air-dab with my arm. 5 cm further and I'd have fallen in to the river head first. I was totally winded too. Chalked the outcome up to good luck.
It would have at least give me a chance of requesting help were I banged up/injured/washed down stream/ abducted by aliens.
Unless it died underwater
A few winters ago during a cold snap I decided to take a ride along the canal towpath - it had been minus 10 and most of the water was frozen. After 8 miles I came to a mildly sloping section so I unclipped a foot for stability and then realised it had been polished - I was dumped unceremoniously on my ar$e and me and the bike were propelled into the freezing water - I distinctly remember being underwater and looking up at the blue sky! Fortunately, the water wasn't frozen under the bridge and I was chest-deep - I managed to hook my bike with my foot and threw it back on the path. I got out and proceeded to 'squeegee' the water out my clothes - fished my phone out my pocket to find it worked, but poor signal - it then occurred to me that trying to phone home and trying to direct my wife to find me would take 20-30 minutes, long enough to get hypothermia - so I jumped back on my bike and proceeded to ride home - enough to get some warmth, but not enough to chill. My hands and feet were really painful by the time I got home and my teeth chattering - took 20 minutes in a hot shower to warm up.
I was out on the moors above Teesdale in the summer. Hopped off to open a gate, but my foot fell into a deep rut and a I kind of stopped dead then fell over, no big deal, all in one piece. If the rut had been shallower it could have very easily been an ankle snapping moment, the way my leg stopped dead, but not me.
No phone signal there at that spot, and I hadn’t seen a soul for the last two hours, and didn’t see another for the following two either.
Have now started using ViewRanger app, with its buddy beacon. Mrs seadog would at least have seen no updates, and would have been able to tell which track I was on.
Cold water is nasty. I've taken a few rolls WW paddling in the past in low temps- snow melt conditions etc. The shock is horrid and stops you (dead if you inhale it!). However, wearing the right kit mitigates things somewhat- not that many MTB riders wear a wetsuit/ drysuit when out on a ride.
Fast water is very 'entertaining'. I'm a big bloke and more than strong enough but could not stand up in a fast flowing Afon Tawe that was only 15-20 cm or so deep. That was scary. I found the boat about 2km downstream.
And then later that day a nice helicopter came to check that we were OK. I only know one police officer- my how we laughed when he stepped out of the chopper to take the piss out of me and my/ his mates!
was a more a silver lining you forgot your phone in a way so it did't get wrecked! I never put my phone in a waterproof bag. Although I do have a waterproof Sony now.