October 2nd, perfect day, SO, her little sister and b.i.l. show up early Sat. AM ready to ride with us down to the Kansas Flint Hills and to take in the Cassoday bike ???show?? whatever you want to call it where 1500-2000 bikes of all descriptions show up from sunrise to early afternoon in this tiny Kansas town. The other couple had not been in the area before so I pulled off at a convenience store parking lot on the NW edge of Manhattan to show Mike the purposed route. This being a week-end which we we spend in a lightly settled area south of Manhattan he decided to go ahead and gas up, we had about 146 on tanks at that time. My SO was standing over to the side holding my helmet when I made the brilliant decision to also fill up.
I don't know what happened but think that I made a slight turn to the right on approaching the pumps and my hand slipped down and pushed on the plastic cramp buster. What I do know is that the engine roared to life, the bike ended up doing a 173.6 degree reverse basically spinning like a top on the concrete with my right leg pinned under neath.
I do know my ankle hurt and I needed help getting out from under the bike. A young lady from the convenience store suggested that I come in and sit down and should would give me a bag of ice. No argument there. The four us spent the next hour debating whether to go on or return. I lost the argument so then we debated how to get my bike and everyone back to Lincoln.
After for pills, ibupro something or the other, I limped out to my bike which Mike had fueled up and turned in the right direction for me. Gingerly touching my foot down on the right side I thought what the heck? Told my SO to get on. Didn't find out tell later how apprehensive she was about this foolishness.
Watertville, Ks., has an interesting old old hotel that I thought the others would like to look at and was on the way back so I pulled us into the "downtown" area so they could take a look, parked my bike, hobbled around a bit.
By now we were all getting hungry. There is a really good Mexican eatery in a converted mansion in Marysville, Ks., so not overly bright I stopped there and did some more hobbling around.
Made it home with out any more issues.
Wife kept saying, "have it looked at" I kept saying it will get better. Finally after about 10 days I read an article in Readers Digest that ignored ankle injuries could develop into long term issues. No kidding! Yep ex-ray showed the fibula was broken. Orthopedic surgeon kindly informed me that had I had a misstep it would have shattered and then @#@#@##@.
Bike damage? Really not too bad, bent the right side guards. Only lasting problem is the bolt that holds the front guard to the frame seems to be stripped and I can't access it to either tighten or remove.
Lesson? Well it is stupid not to have an injury "looked at" quickly. Watch for the cramp buster at parking lot speeds? Yeh keeping the "walking boot" handy, with a top heavy bike and my innate clumsiness I will probably need it again.
And yes, very soon the other couple will come down from Callaway, NE., and we will finish the trip the others didn't want to back then.
I don't know what happened but think that I made a slight turn to the right on approaching the pumps and my hand slipped down and pushed on the plastic cramp buster. What I do know is that the engine roared to life, the bike ended up doing a 173.6 degree reverse basically spinning like a top on the concrete with my right leg pinned under neath.
I do know my ankle hurt and I needed help getting out from under the bike. A young lady from the convenience store suggested that I come in and sit down and should would give me a bag of ice. No argument there. The four us spent the next hour debating whether to go on or return. I lost the argument so then we debated how to get my bike and everyone back to Lincoln.
After for pills, ibupro something or the other, I limped out to my bike which Mike had fueled up and turned in the right direction for me. Gingerly touching my foot down on the right side I thought what the heck? Told my SO to get on. Didn't find out tell later how apprehensive she was about this foolishness.
Watertville, Ks., has an interesting old old hotel that I thought the others would like to look at and was on the way back so I pulled us into the "downtown" area so they could take a look, parked my bike, hobbled around a bit.
By now we were all getting hungry. There is a really good Mexican eatery in a converted mansion in Marysville, Ks., so not overly bright I stopped there and did some more hobbling around.
Made it home with out any more issues.
Wife kept saying, "have it looked at" I kept saying it will get better. Finally after about 10 days I read an article in Readers Digest that ignored ankle injuries could develop into long term issues. No kidding! Yep ex-ray showed the fibula was broken. Orthopedic surgeon kindly informed me that had I had a misstep it would have shattered and then @#@#@##@.
Bike damage? Really not too bad, bent the right side guards. Only lasting problem is the bolt that holds the front guard to the frame seems to be stripped and I can't access it to either tighten or remove.
Lesson? Well it is stupid not to have an injury "looked at" quickly. Watch for the cramp buster at parking lot speeds? Yeh keeping the "walking boot" handy, with a top heavy bike and my innate clumsiness I will probably need it again.
And yes, very soon the other couple will come down from Callaway, NE., and we will finish the trip the others didn't want to back then.
