Vintage Veloce

I did put it in the sun today... so it wasn't "cold" but it wasn't really warm either. Like getting the valve in: reaching in one side of the tire would pull the tire up toward the side with my hand. This meant the far side of the tire pulled in, actually past the hole so that the hole was no longer reachable inside the tire. I can't imagine having strong enough fingers to push the far side of the tire out of the way! I ended up just getting lucky when the valve accidentally fell in the hole with my hand out of there.

Figured I've give a follow up! It's almost a year since my break, and I'm doing great. I can jog and jump on the injured foor, and doo calf raises, etc. Ankle is pretty strong and I've been out to the desert a couple times in the last two months. I'll be out there again next week! I suffer from a bit of "spookyness", meaning, I'm not completely comfortable all the time, mentally. But I'm riding OK and having fun. I think I just need a couple hundred dirt mikes without any problems to "clear my head"! I had q first real tumble on the second day of my first trip back, and it felt good to get up without any problems! On the "toes in" stuff we talked about earlier in the thread: that isn't working very well for me. Interestingly, that is how I ride a street bike, but it seems a lot harder to shuffle my feet around on the dirt bike, especially while standing on the pegs. I stand most of the time, and if I'm on the balls of my feet it takes a funny weight shift to the other foot to move the foot forward to the brake/shifter and back. Also, with the boots and knee braces and tank getting the balls of my feet on the pegs isn't the easiest thing. But don't worry, I'm motivated to figure it out. 😉

Doc went in and got the hardware out a couple weeks ago and the stitches came out last week. Finally walking again and start rehab tomorrow! You can actually see the screw holes in the latest x-ray, pretty neat. Buddy asked me to go riding this week... sadly, I need a bit longer. But I'm getting there.

Thanks Bruce! Still hanging on the couch here. One of the best exercises I have found (and I don't do enough!) was something I saw Dungey doing in a video. He stood on a bosu ball, flat side up, in the "attack" position. And he had an elastic strap with handles in his hands but wrapped around a post 5 feet in front of him. He leaned back a bit holding the elastic straps like handle bars, and then pumped his arms forward and back, like riding through some whoops. It's a pretty good simulation, for a gym exercise.

My whole motivation in going to the gym is so I can ride. And I need to up my workouts when I can again. Also, for those tip overs: wear lots of padding. I love my Alpinestars Bionic protection jacket, EVS Web Pro knee braces and my padded/armored under shorts.

I couldn't believe how long the butterfly bandages lasted, I finally pulled the remnants off this morning and cleaned things up a bit. And the wound looks great. Slowly healing. Still not weight bearing... sigh. But, I got some new stickers for the knee scooter!

Is that a home and a runway to the NW?

Very Interesting...

Same boots! Regardless, boots don't do anything to prevent the rotation of your toe outward or inward, rotating the lower leg axially. As I mentioned above, Asterix makes a tether to prevent rotation like this... but in my opinion that just pushes the rotation up your leg and puts your hip at real risk. The tether: https://www.asterisk.com/products/anti-rotation-tethers

Did some reading, and I guess a lot of guys do recommend getting up on the balls of your feet while standing, at least when you won't be needing to brake or shift. Of course they warn about moving your feet forward over jumps and guys talk about breaking ankles on landings. I might need to buy some ankle saver pegs... Like I said earlier, I am considering it, but it does seem like an awkward position. C

Sadly, It wasn't available... I'll have to add some stickers!

Just ordered an "all terrain" knee walker with 12 in wheels and knobbies...

Oracle, that sound MUCH tougher than my ride! I can't imagine manipulating the bars with broken collarbones. For me the hardest parts involved stopping howling in my helmet, recovering and then getting the bike up and getting on the bike. I had to do all that hopping and standing on just one leg. And I couldn't even use my right foot my foot to push the side stand up because it hurt too much. I remember standing there next to the bike, on one foot, wondering if I could get the side stand up without falling over! Once I was on the bike, it was very delicate, but I was relatively OK. I just held my right foot up and prayed there wasn't much sand. Almost lost it once... that would have been bad! Dr Austin plans to remove all the hardware in 3 months, so it doesn't bother me in a boot or otherwise.

As it happened, I was certain my toe caught on the edge of the trail when things got wiggly. I was standing, so the feet were on the pegs. It did all happen very quickly and I have considered that maybe my toe caught the mud as I went down. But I remember being upright and the stabbing pain as my toe rotated outward! That memory is fairly embedded in my brain. Perhaps I should have been with my toes on the pegs, but I don't do that much as I like access to the brake and shifter. Does anyone pull their feet back and ride on their toes? Actually, I'm certain my gear saved my knee! I was wearing my Sidi Crossfire boots, EVS Web Pro knee braces, Alpinestars Bionic protection jacket and my new Bell Moto-9 helmet. I figure the boots saved my foot and the knee braces saved my knee ligaments. But something had to give... so it was the bone between the knee and foot. My hip was sore for about two weeks, but is fine. I know some guys with Asterisks tie the boot to the knee brace... I think if I had done that I might have wrecked my hip instead.

I'm hoping someone on the forum lives nearby and could give me 15 minutes of help here in North Park (in the city). Yesterday morning, riding in the Anza Borrego desert, I caught my toe in the mud and broke my fibula in two spots. It was a long day getting home and diagnosed. But the muddy KTM is stuck in the back of the truck and I can't get it out (being on crutches with a broken leg) and into the garage I have some friends I could ask, but none of them are familiar with unloading a bike from a truck with a ramp, and as we all know it can be a "procedure". And my wife isn't up to trying this. So... is there someone nearby who knows this process and could unload it for me? I'd really appreciate it! (PS, will the mud be a problem to leave on there a couple months? Usually I would hose this off pretty quickly.) Carl

Thanks to Erik and his son Preston, my bike is out of the truck and nicely hosed off! Thanks so much guys! Really, I can't tell you how nice this is! Best wishes, Carl

I will PM you...

That is very cool Erik! Let's see if someone closer is available. I can be flexible on timing, as I'm not going anywhere, and the bike is safe in the truck for as long as necessary. And I have a pressure washer.

Jdawg, thanks for the reference. I had seen that website, and it is good to know others have had good results with them!

Does anyone know of a local San Diego shop that does vapor blasting?

That is one kind. Other guys use glass beads in water. My impression is those guys sell the equipment. Hmm... I guess I could call and ask if they have sold it to anyone local. I've seen pictures of great results from guys who use the water & beads on engine cases.

Is there any good riding right near Yuma? The closest OHV place I see to Yuma is Ehrenberg. Obviously Glamis is just over the border in California. I was thinking of going to Yuma, staying there and checking out Glamis, but was wondering if there was anything cool in AZ near Yuma...? Carl

Yes, I should have said, I'm on a plated bike.

Thanks Ken, but I can only make it during the week. Those both look to be on the California side. I'm curious about stuff in AZ... C

Met Brian (Bp619) In Borrego Springs Tuesday AM and we had a good ride and another great one this morning, Wednesday. About 60 miles Tuesday and 40 miles today. Now relaxing and cooling off at the pool.