HAND BRAKE

When Kevin Myatt dropped his chain powering into Dragons Tail in Whakarewarewa a few days ago he couldn’t in his wildest dreams have imagined how the slam would unfold. After sliding along the ground he realised the bike was still with him and glancing down at his wrist he soon realised why. His brake lever had slid up his arm (slicing it open on the way) and then pierced the skin on his wrist surfacing a few centimetres later, as Kevin puts it, he was now “at one with his bike”. More after the jump (not for the squeamish)…His riding buddies Julia and Tim called the ambulance and quickly removed the brake lever and caliper from the bike whilst Kevin Stemmed the blood flow from his own wrist. Now I’m pretty sure that you like me have never seen this type of wound before, as it happens neither had any of Rotorua’s health professionals, starting with the ambo guys; when one realised there wasn’t enough light to shoot a good photo he instructed his partner to use the flashlight to illuminate it better. Kevin didn’t fare much better at Rotorua hospital either where at least 10 hospital staff heard about the brake lever and turned up with personal cameras and cell phones.
Even the radiologist who had been on strike admitted on seeing the wound that she was glad she came in to work!!! A general anesthetic and 15 stitches later, Kevin was good to go. As soon as the stitches are out he’ll be back in the forest and is not deterred one ounce by his freakish (yet slightly entertaining) wound.

Tagged

0 Responses

  3. you forgot to mention that while I was on hold to 111 Kevin (hardman) said “if they don’t hurry up I am going to ride out of here”!!!111 then asked me “was it an accident?”
    No – that takes real skill mate!!
    We are all wishing you a speedy recovery and look forward to the usual one-handed wheelies!!

  4. you forgot to mention that while I was on hold to 111 Kevin (hardman) said “if they don’t hurry up I am going to ride out of here”!!!111 then asked me “was it an accident?”
    No – that takes real skill mate!!
    We are all wishing you a speedy recovery and look forward to the usual one-handed wheelies!!

  13. From Daniel’s FB page (Parker Adam Evans)The most amazing freak accident–and the hand is ok! Glory be. I love the 911 query: “Was it an accident?”

  14. From Daniel’s FB page (Parker Adam Evans)The most amazing freak accident–and the hand is ok! Glory be. I love the 911 query: “Was it an accident?”

  29. I’ve always thought it generally good, injury reducing advice to hang onto your handlebars when crashing, but that’s taking it waaaay too far.

  30. I’ve always thought it generally good, injury reducing advice to hang onto your handlebars when crashing, but that’s taking it waaaay too far.

  39. I’m curious if there were sharp edges on the lever that led to this. I had a much more modest but slightly similar accident on my road bike. I was riding the hoods and a guy swiped the front of my hand. My finger was sliced open on a sharp edge of my DA STI lever (the newer 10spd ones don’t have the sharp edge and neither do my 9spd ultegras). While it was somewhat of a freak accident, as this one appears to be, I also think those sharp edges are a bad design (sharp edges near skin == bad news).

  40. I’m curious if there were sharp edges on the lever that led to this. I had a much more modest but slightly similar accident on my road bike. I was riding the hoods and a guy swiped the front of my hand. My finger was sliced open on a sharp edge of my DA STI lever (the newer 10spd ones don’t have the sharp edge and neither do my 9spd ultegras). While it was somewhat of a freak accident, as this one appears to be, I also think those sharp edges are a bad design (sharp edges near skin == bad news).

  43. The above picture isn’t pretty…. Here is the story… another odd accident, but no cool X-Ray…

    So my husband and I went for a ride here in Denver, in the Green Mountain area. Cool place, neat trails, little bit rutty with some loose stuff. We are about 50 ft from the car when I hit one of those ruts and the loose stuff. The Lizard Skin Lock-on Grip made an impression when it came in to contact with my thigh. The grip went in 2 inches, missed arteries, but it left a nice hole for the doctor to sew up after the ambulance took me to the hospital. I thought that my husband was gonna pass out from seeing my open flesh wound. This is on my front left thigh half way between the knee and the hip. There are 14 external stitches and about 5-6 internal stitches to sew the muscle together where it was torn. I wanted a before shot but the hospital wouldn’t let him take one..Damn! It will be a couple of weeks before I am riding again, but in the mean time I’ll be looking for less evil grips!

    It took a month before I was on my bike again, and about 6 months before the wound itself healed fully over.

    I can tell you I will never look at my handlebars the same again…and I got rid of the lock-on grips!

  44. The above picture isn’t pretty…. Here is the story… another odd accident, but no cool X-Ray…

    So my husband and I went for a ride here in Denver, in the Green Mountain area. Cool place, neat trails, little bit rutty with some loose stuff. We are about 50 ft from the car when I hit one of those ruts and the loose stuff. The Lizard Skin Lock-on Grip made an impression when it came in to contact with my thigh. The grip went in 2 inches, missed arteries, but it left a nice hole for the doctor to sew up after the ambulance took me to the hospital. I thought that my husband was gonna pass out from seeing my open flesh wound. This is on my front left thigh half way between the knee and the hip. There are 14 external stitches and about 5-6 internal stitches to sew the muscle together where it was torn. I wanted a before shot but the hospital wouldn’t let him take one..Damn! It will be a couple of weeks before I am riding again, but in the mean time I’ll be looking for less evil grips!

    It took a month before I was on my bike again, and about 6 months before the wound itself healed fully over.

    I can tell you I will never look at my handlebars the same again…and I got rid of the lock-on grips!

  45. Hay guys and gals. Hay Dman I don’t think it is to do with the leaver being sharp at all in my case. I think it is all about force. I weigh around 95kgs so add a bit of speed do the calc’s and wa boosh leaver stuck in hand.
    Hay Kerry, bad luck. Did you have bar plugs in the ends of your handle bars?

    Big shout out to HOPE TECHNOLOGY I love your components!!

    Thanks Kev

  46. Hay guys and gals. Hay Dman I don’t think it is to do with the leaver being sharp at all in my case. I think it is all about force. I weigh around 95kgs so add a bit of speed do the calc’s and wa boosh leaver stuck in hand.
    Hay Kerry, bad luck. Did you have bar plugs in the ends of your handle bars?

    Big shout out to HOPE TECHNOLOGY I love your components!!

    Thanks Kev

  47. Did you risk giving your brakes a bleed after your brakes gave your wrist a bleed? Sorry should put a stop to poor brake jokes! Hope you heal quick and are back on thr bike asap.Paul

  48. Did you risk giving your brakes a bleed after your brakes gave your wrist a bleed? Sorry should put a stop to poor brake jokes! Hope you heal quick and are back on thr bike asap.Paul

  49. I wouldn’t be able to leave that in, no matter how painful I’d have removed it before the paramedics got there!
    Epic stack though! I remember in the ‘Milk Race’, a pro road race in the UK a few years back one of the British riders ended up with a brake lever in the leg after a crash. He pulled it out & carried on racing…

  50. I wouldn’t be able to leave that in, no matter how painful I’d have removed it before the paramedics got there!
    Epic stack though! I remember in the ‘Milk Race’, a pro road race in the UK a few years back one of the British riders ended up with a brake lever in the leg after a crash. He pulled it out & carried on racing…

  59. Hey! As a medical professional and bicyclist, this truly has to be one of the most interesting and “cool” picture I have ever seen. I love it! I am sure that you had different thoughts about that, but I absolutely love this kind of injury. I hope you heal quickly and get right back on that bike asap!! Get Well Soon!!!

  60. Hey! As a medical professional and bicyclist, this truly has to be one of the most interesting and “cool” picture I have ever seen. I love it! I am sure that you had different thoughts about that, but I absolutely love this kind of injury. I hope you heal quickly and get right back on that bike asap!! Get Well Soon!!!

  71. […] man is not holding his brake in that x-ray. Don’t click the link to Spoke Magazine if you’re squeamish about blood otherwise you might throw-up into your keyboard. A brutal, […]

  72. […] man is not holding his brake in that x-ray. Don’t click the link to Spoke Magazine if you’re squeamish about blood otherwise you might throw-up into your keyboard. A brutal, […]

  73. […] man is not holding his brake in that x-ray. Don’t click the link to Spoke Magazine if you’re squeamish about blood otherwise you might throw-up into your keyboard. A brutal, […]

  74. […] man is not holding his brake in that x-ray. Don’t click the link to Spoke Magazine if you’re squeamish about blood otherwise you might throw-up into your keyboard. A brutal, […]

  77. Awesome looking injury Kevin! Chicks dig scars! I got the big chainring stuck in my ankle and the pedal in my shin on a ride once, but your photos are heaps better. Keep riding Rotorua!

  78. Awesome looking injury Kevin! Chicks dig scars! I got the big chainring stuck in my ankle and the pedal in my shin on a ride once, but your photos are heaps better. Keep riding Rotorua!

  125. Today I put the very same brake into my shin. It made a deep hole, and needed stitches, but doesn’t really compete!

  126. Today I put the very same brake into my shin. It made a deep hole, and needed stitches, but doesn’t really compete!

Leave a Reply