Because they look a bit nerdy I would often cycle short and local journeys without the protection of a bicycle helmet, but events on Sunday 28th March 2010 changed that perception for me. It was a bit of a windy day but nevertheless John, Ryan and I decided to take a mountain bike ride across Herriot County in the North Yorkshire Moors. The planned route of eleven or so miles was to take us from Langthwaite onto Booze Moor to Washfold through the disused quarry where we pick up some downhill single track back to Langthwaite just in time for swift half of bitter at the Red lion, the pub used in the TV version of All Creatures Great and Small.

Leaving Langthwaite Car Park the initial climb should have been really hard but uncharacteristically the wind was on our backs pushing us up the steep tarmac road and onto the grouse path which wound its way to Booze Moor. The path across Booze Moor wove erratically up and down and left to right to Hurst Moor where we encountered a long sweeping downhill section that took us to the bridge over Skegdale Beck.

The following up-hill climb through the hamlets of Washfold and Hurst was head on into the wind. By this time I was feeling pleased I'd worn my cycling trousers rather than my mountain bike shorts and had the added extra protection of a wind resistant gilet. The climb continued to through the disused Mine Workings to a stone wall then through the gate across a boggy section of Fell End Moor, although this was a downhill section the wind was so strong that we had to navigate the section in granny gear. The next section we hit was compact, rocky, proper downhill single track which came to a u-bend... then hallelujah the wind was behind us again.

Apart from the wind this was just like any other bike ride, however, if you'll excuse the pun, things were about to go downhill from here. John and Ryan were stuck behind some ramblers so I was first to round the u-bend. The section was straight and fast with superb views of the Akengathdale Valley, just ahead on the trail I saw a technical rocky section that stepped fairly steeply down about three to four foot, immediately ahead of that was a second u-bend that dropped steeply to the right.

I applied the brakes to ensure that I traversed the first obstacle at a sensible speed and moved my weight behind the mountain bike saddle to ensure safe negotiation of the stepped rocky feature. As I went through the obstacle I felt a satisfying pulsation through the handle bars that told me the bikes front and rear suspension were reacting perfectly to each step in unison. As my front wheel cleared the last step my thoughts turned to the well deserved half of bitter in the Red Lion about another mile or so down the trail.
My next sensation was one of total disorientation as I found myself totally detached from my bicycle. I can't actually remember flying though the air but the laws of physics became very relevant at this point, I ain't Superman so it's inevitable that gravity is going to bring me plummeting to the ground sooner rather than later. It all happened so quick, I hit the ground and felt a sharp pain in my left side, then the surreal feeling of being absolutely powerless to prevent my head ricochet off the rocks. I can vividly recollect focusing on the edge of my vented cycle helmet as it hit a sharp rock with a brutal blow. I closed my eyes fully expecting to lose consciousness as the impact was miraculously absorbed by the expanded polystyrene foam liners of the cycling helmet, a combination of both sickness and relief quickly ensued as I thought "Thank God I was wearing a helmet".

Once I realised that I was in fact conscious and my head had actually suffered no damage my first instinct was to prevent further carnage, I scrambled to my feet and dragged my bike away from the main trail. I was enduring severe pain in my left shoulder as I frantically waved with my right arm to Ryan and John to a halt before they too nosedived over the rocky plunge. When they saw my pale traumatized face and the blood oozing from the lacerations to my left hip it didn't take them too long work out that this was more than a simple tumble. As they dismounted their bikes and approached me I pointed to my left collar bone, there was l large lump visibly protruding through the left shoulder of my cycling jersey. "Looks like it's broken", said John as helped me remove my back pack and cycle helmet. "It hurts like hell, but I'm lucky it wasn't my skull that was smashed" I responded while pointing to the severe impression left by the impact in the side of the cycling helmet.

On the long walk back to the car with my right arm pushing the bike and my left arm tucked, sling style, inside my half zipped cycling jersey, I had time to reflect on incident and how lucky I had really been. The annoying thing is I still don't know what I did wrong, but the realisation of what could have been if I wasn't wearing a cycling helmet still haunts me. The trip to the hospital revealed that I had torn the ligaments that hold my collar bone in place, it may heal it's self or I may need surgery, either way it's looks like that I will have a deformed shoulder for life. I can live with that! It's got to be a million times better than a life time of being spoon fed liquidised food.

I never did get that half of bitter at the Red Lion but I did get a new helmet to replace my damaged one. It now goes with me on every cycle journey, no matter how short.