Calling all bike physics folks: Help figuring out a crash

Since I'm laid up bored with my injuies, I thought I'd seek some crowd wisdom figuring out a crash.  Here are the details I know.

Monday night about 6:40, I was riding the North Branch trail northbound at the Oakton overpass. It had rained a few hours before, but the trail was not very damp. I had just finished the climb over Oakton, and was beginning the descent. I was going about 18, when I felt the bike begin to shimmy, maybe indicating a skid. Next thing I know, my back is on the ground (backpack taking the brunt, or so I thought) and my Bern helmeted head bounces off the pavement.  I quickly stand up, noticing my right wrist is sore.

I pick up my bike to see if it's rideable, and the rear rim is bent so badly, it's jammed against the seatstay. 

In the following days, I learn that I've fractured my right wrist and elbow, I have a bruise on my right back just below the backpack, and I have slightly pulled muscles on the left front ab & left side of my neck. Also, I was wearing gloves, and I have a bruise on my right palm, but no sign of abrasion on the glove. Where I hit my helmet, there is also no sight of anything other than a direct impact.

From what it looks like, I was whipped down at great speed while no longer traveling forward. In addition, my potato chipped rear wheel shows signs of great stress.

I have read about highsiders on motorcycles, but haven't been able to explain how I was seemingly whipped backwards, not forwards. Does anyone out there have any light or questions that could help solve this mystery?

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Permalink Reply by Madopal (16.5 mi) on May 11, 2012 at 6:01am

And the final piece.  If my hand was caught on the hoods as it rotated, I had a defacto rotational wristlock.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wristlock#Rotational_wristlock

"Once the radius and ulna have been brought to their extreme positions, further twisting motion will put severe torque on the wrist. In martial arts, standing rotational wristlocks are often accompanied by the opponent instinctively willingly throwing him or herself to escape or alleviate the lock."

Let that be a lesson to anyone who was taught the "hold on to the handlebars" school of crashes.

Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on June 4, 2012 at 5:56am

Happy you are recovering!  It was nice to meet you in person Saturday at the Glencoe Grand Prix.

Permalink Reply by Madopal (16.5 mi) on June 4, 2012 at 11:57am

Thanks, Julie!  Great meeting you as well.  I graduated to a smaller wrist brace today, so I'm hoping to try my first ride on two wheels maybe on Friday.  I need to get ready to get back on so I can make it down for the Bike to Work rally.

And thanks to everyone for all the investigating.  Made my healing time go much more quickly.

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