North To South Brevet & The Big HIT

San Diego Top To Bottom 200km Route

Sandy had a organized Brevet today... his 200km down to Imperial Beach and back to Oceanside. I didn't like the entry fee or the whole day out, so I opted for a 130km populaire starting in San Marcos. I'd ride the route over to the College Ave. start and join up with them down to Torrey Pines before cutting off and finishing up the route.

I had been riding the Madison SS of late and had just done a new recon out to Pine Valley on the 22nd (Old Barham Town To Pine Valley #3160), several populaires each week & dusted off the Ursa Minor(#2084) & Rainbow 1.24(#2376) this last week on the blue single gear. Feelin' good, I left home early under nice weather and 2 layers up top.

I met Sam near the College Ave. McDonalds in Oceanside around 0600. No one around the big parking lot, so Sam checked the revised start location on his cell. Just down the street near the SLR Bike Path at Mace Buchanan Park. I handed Sam back some Cygolite cables and rolled down the hill ( I had borrowed cables to try to get my Cygolite 720 to work on the fly with external batteries. Sam's model 800 works but my #720 never did ). Sam wasn't riding today.. had to prep for a trip back to Indiana on family things.

I handed out some 10-paks of SDRando Cards to a few riders, chatted around and paid attention to Sandy's route instructions. I rode with Lisa N. and Osvaldo C. as we hammered along the SLR toward Oceanside. Several riders missed the Market control near downtown. I backed off and soon Hector joined up after Oceanside. I left our small group at Carmel Valley and headed Eastward. After a free banana stop near Camino Del Sur, I was pushing good as I arrived back in San Marcos on So. Rancho Santa Fe Ave.

Rolling northward, just after a green light intersection (San Marcos Blvd) and a slight downhill, a SUV abruptly turned
right, crossing the bike lane into the 7-Eleven. No signal, no warning, no chance! I was near 10 feet behind the SUV and couldn't turn left due to traffic flow. I eased the brakes, yelled and thought about jumping the curb. NO. The SUV did a slight curb hop into the driveway, so no chance there either. LIGHTS OUT!

Accident Scene: SUV dragged me some distance from the bike

I quickly realized people were buzzing around me.. a fireman and a off-duty nurse took charge. Ambulance only a few minutes away. Cover me up with something, stabilize my neck, keep me calm. I was lying in a puddle of fresh blood as the SUV driver came over and stated: "Sorry, I didn't see you". A San Marcos Sheriff soon arrived, cleared out the driver and took charge. A few minutes later, I was loaded up and on my way over to Palomar Medical Center in west Escondido.

Then the tough-stuff really began!

- randorides