Hey, I’m again!
Aren’t you thrilled?!?
[Oh well, looks like I’ve already failed at my resolution to freshen up my pop culture references.]
Shortly earlier than the vacation recess I acquired a press launch about an thrilling new calendar 12 months known as “2026.” On the time I used to be unable to share any particulars as a result of it was below media embargo, however now that it’s out and most of us have downloaded the firmware I’m free to share my first impressions. To date 2026 is rather a lot like 2025, and it retains a lot of the acquainted options, corresponding to every day sunrises and sunsets*:
*[Sunset, 1/1/26. Feature not available to users on the North and South Poles.]
In accordance with the press launch these celestial occasions now include a 40% enhance in lateral stiffness and vertical compliance–although in apply you’re unlikely to note, and at this level you’re in all probability higher off simply ready till 2028 to improve, since rumor has it they’ll be including a complete additional day:
It will eradicate that jarring change in cadence you at present expertise once you shift from February to March.
As for the conclusion of 2025, generally you attain the top of the 12 months with each fingers reaching skyward in triumph:
Different occasions you’re defiant and simply wish to go away all of it behind you:
After which there are these years you come skidding throughout the end line, like this:
This final situation, fairly actually, was the case for me. On Friday the nineteenth I bid you all a-doo, and by Sunday the twenty first I used to be delighting in an unseasonably heat day astride the Cervino:
That morning, I’d ridden over the George Washington Bridge and onto route 9W, which is the New York Metropolis metropolitan space’s Fredly Superhighway. With the bike operating easily, the open highway forward, and the vacations laid out earlier than me like a luxurious fortnight-long buffet, I might describe my way of thinking at this second as “blissed out.” Heading north, I had a option to make: hold going straight and finally make my method again residence by way of the Tappan Zee Mario Cuomo Bridge, or else flip onto the so-called “River Street.” The previous alternative entailed an extended however flatter journey, whereas the latter could be extra bodily difficult but get me residence just a little earlier. After some deliberation I opted for extra hills and extra household time, and altered course accordingly.
These of you acquainted with River Street after all know the fabled “Ranger Station climb,” the place the CRCA’s best Freds do limitless hill repeats like Lycra-clad Sisyphuses. (Not less than once they’re not Zwifting.) Coming into River Street from its northern terminus, I instantly started descending this stretch, as I’ve lots of of occasions earlier than. Now, I’m not a timid descender, however I’m not a “balls-out” descender, both. If something, I prefer to suppose I strategy the act of using a bicycle downhill fairly sensibly, exercising due warning and preserving my balls nestled safely in my chamois the place they belong. Nonetheless, the River Street climb is fairly steep, and one can attain Fred Woo-Hoo Velocity right here with out a lot bother:
In any occasion, I negotiated the descent responsibly and with out incident. Nevertheless, on the backside of the hill, the place the highway ranges out and also you enter the visitors circle, my trusty (at the least up till now) Cervino disappeared from beneath me–not within the sense that bike reviewers imply once they wax pretentious in regards to the magical journey qualities of carbon fiber, however within the “Holy crap, the place the hell did the bike go?!?” sense. All of that is to say that at one second I used to be in full management of my bicycle and myself, and on the subsequent I used to be executing form of a barrel roll throughout which era slowed and I used to be in a position to ponder the irony of this state of affairs as I flew by the air.
Simply earlier than dropping management I’d been conscious of a few stopped riders standing close by, and my essential feeling was embarrassment as I hit the bottom on my again, the bike now on prime of me and nonetheless hooked up to my toes. I then slid alongside the highway like butter on a sizzling skillet till I hit the retaining wall alongside of it. Right here’s the underside of the hill, and the wall that introduced me to a halt is the one on the left:
Now I had not been turning, or braking, or fishing round in my pocket, or distracted in any method within the moments earlier than I crashed. I used to be touring straight, eyes ahead, with each fingers on the bars. Nevertheless, River Street runs alongside the bottom of the New Jersey Palisades, which is the rock face you see right here:
Consequently, there’s usually plenty of particles within the highway from the not-infrequent rockslides that happen. In reality, solely per week or two earlier than my crash, I’d witnessed just a little mini rockslide proper in entrance of me whereas descending this very stretch, which I managed to keep away from. “Whoah, that would have been dangerous,” I’d thought to myself stupidly. So I’m fairly certain that what occurred is I hit a really small rock–or a bit of “gravel” if you’ll–and since I used to be on a primitive highway bicycle with 25mm tires and never a devoted gravel bike I misplaced management and down I went. In reality right here’s a few of that particles, which I used to be in a position to {photograph} as soon as I recovered my telephone:
That’s definitely sufficient to take you down for those who’re on a classic highway bike with slender bars and using the undersized, over-inflated tires of yesteryear, which I most definitely was.
Within the seconds after a crash, assuming you’re lucky sufficient to be alive and aware, you run form of a system test to evaluate the harm to your particular person, and to my reduction I discovered I used to be in a position to sit up and that I used to be roughly intact. Moreover, as I discussed, I used to be additionally in a position to get well my telephone, which had ejected itself from my jacket pocket however had luckily not traveled very far–and was additionally intact. Nevertheless, as I went to make use of it, glops of blood appeared on the display screen, and I noticed I used to be bleeding from someplace in regards to the face or head.
As I blotted myself with my fleece hat and fumbled with the selfie digital camera to examine the wound a park police officer appeared and knowledgeable me he was calling an ambulance. He was quickly joined by one other officer, they usually each waited with me. I additionally texted my spouse and did the outdated “Don’t fear, the whole lot’s completely high quality, however I had just a little crash and might you come decide me up?” routine. To my reduction I discovered I used to be in a position to get up and stroll round a bit. It was a beautiful Sunday and there have been plenty of riders out, lots of whom stopped to supply help or their well-wishings. They had been all very good, too, aside from one man who was just a little bizarre and loitered on the periphery for awhile and made me consider that child within the pilot goggles from “A Christmas Story” who’s method into the Tin Man:
Ultimately the ambulance arrived, and after wanting me over the paramedics agreed to go away me on the situation that I’m going someplace to deal with the gash simply above my proper eyebrow. Then my spouse arrived in THE CAR THAT WE OWN and took me residence. I acquired cleaned up and went to an pressing care the place they knowledgeable me that the minimize was so deep I’d must go to an ER and have a plastic surgeon shut it up or else I’d need to undergo life with a horrible pirate scar that might trigger individuals to run screaming and provides kids nightmares. So I headed to a close-by ER, the place the physician instructed me this was utterly unfaithful and that the pressing care all the time pulls this crap. She then closed the minimize up with ten neat little stiches and I went residence and had dinner.
However sufficient about me. What you actually wish to know is…
How’s the bike?!?
Effectively, like me it was fairly banged up, but additionally like me luckily nothing was irreparable:
I’m pretty sure the tubular tire got here off because of the crash. This isn’t to say I doubt my very own ineptitude. May I’ve glued a tire so poorly it got here off and precipitated me to crash? Completely. But it surely appears extraordinarily unlikely to me that this may occur whereas I used to be touring in a straight line. So I’m going to absolve myself and say the rolled tire was an impact and never a trigger.
Then there’s the opposite query everyone requested me that day, and that you just’re in all probability asking too:
Have been you sporting a helmet?
No, I used to be not, and I’ll handle that in an epilogue tomorrow. Nevertheless, I’ll say that the minimize was a neat slice virtually definitely attributable to the bicycle, and that it was in a location that might have been uncovered to a pointy bicycle half with or with out a helmet. Nonetheless, it could be disingenuous for me to not at the least acknowledge the topic or to reveal whether or not or not my emotions regarding helmets have modified, and I most definitely will…however not proper now.
Within the meantime, I’ll say that I did and do really feel extraordinarily lucky. Sure, even now I’m nonetheless fairly banged up, however not solely was I in a position to benefit from the holidays with my household, however I used to be even in a position to get again on the bike after a few days, albeit gingerly. Plus, whereas getting injured isn’t enjoyable, my accidents in all probability inspired me to relaxation greater than I might have in any other case, which I in all probability wanted. Typically the universe must slap some sense into you, and that’s precisely what it did.
And at last, talking of feeling lucky, whereas I’ll not have replied to everybody individually, I’m exceedingly grateful to these of you who made just a little end-of-year-contribution additional to my final publish. Thanks, thanks, thanks. I’ve very beneficiant readers, and I walked away from a high-speed crash. What extra might I presumably need?
2026 is off to a high quality begin!
