I'm just gonna go with "Ow"

I've been riding a lot just recently so when some friends came over for the weekend it was a rare opportunity to ride with people. On Saturday we took part in the Cycle Chilterns Brewery Ride - this involved a road ride to the Chiltern Brewery for a free beer, or two, some seasonal spirit and wine tasting and warm mince pies with brandy butter. The ride was followed by a pint, an early evening pub dinner and then more wine at my house. Well, when you start drinking at 11am on a Saturday, things are only going to go one way.

Riding on a bridleway. Honest, it even says so.

On Sunday we decided to go off road and explore some local bridlesways and, er, 'other' paths. Paul, Chris and Rachel had all ridden some of the routes last year when they came round for a ride. I was still injured at the time so didn't ride with them, just had the pleasure of hoovering the carpet and mopping the floor on their return. All was going well and we were having a pleasant ride in the sunshine including lunch at the cafe in the woods. After a few hours we started heading back. I checked the map and we had to look out for a bridleway and take a sharp right off the damp, muddy lane.

Bang! I was down. I'd dropped the bike making the 90 degree turn. I think I put my hand down first, although my shoulder and back hurt too, as did my hip, and I think I hit my head but I can't really remember. Oh hang on, memory loss is a sign of a bang on the head, isn't it?

Anyway, first things first, is the bike alright? All intact, just a chain off. Phew. So aside from a large mud patch down my right side, all was good. Off we went. Moments later Rachel's new Trek came out in a sympathy puncture and while the usual tag team puncture repair act took plac between the other three, it gave me a bit of time to get myself together again. I checked my helmet for any sign of damage but three were no dents, no scuffs, not event a spot of mud. The throbbing in my head said I'd definitely banged my head but it all happened so fast that I really can't remember. But memory loss is a sign of a bang on the head, isn't it?

Ridgeway path to lunch

Moving on... we were soon home for tea and cake without further incident. Though the phrase "that 's gonna sting in the morning" was used more than once.

And sting it did. A nice bit of gravel rash on my thigh, stiff neck, couple of cuts and grazes and a penny-sized bruise on my knee. In the afternoon my ribs ached slightly and my palm was bruised. I decided to have a rest day.

By chance, I've been seeing a chiropractor regularly since my injury in 2012 and fortunately I had an appointment booked for Tuesday evening. I mentioned the small bike incident to her almost in passing, after all, it's not unusual for us cyclists to slide over like that.

Well, my 'injuries' as mentioned above were nothing compared to her prognosis: a crooked neck, six twisted ribs, my pelvis had been shunted up and back on one side and I had a dislodged fibular head. Crikey, all that from one little fall. Had she been holding a clipboard standing at the end of a hospital bed I'd have thought the recipient of such injuries had just had a lucky escape from a car crash. But I've learnt over the years that professionals are keen to make things sound fancy and complicated - its how they justify their jobs and outrageous hourly rates. As it is, I'm sticking with "ow".