Thursday, November 11, 2021

Disc vs Rim brakes

This story can be seen from three different perspectives. Jugen, Werner with their intimate view and the third from the rest of us who came later.

THE STORY:
There is time when the difference between  disc brakes and rim brakes is crucial. So it proved in a recent escapade with Jurgen and Werner.
Borh were zipping along the bike path at Abbotsford, Jurgen being the forward scout with Werner next in line, around a corner, over a rise, down the hill .....and what happens? A surveyer with a rampant, predatory big yellow box appeared in their direct path. Now for the challenge. Who can stop fastest and hardest. Disc brakes won, which is the good news. That meant Jurgen, who was leading, won. He had the discs. Werner, right behind him did not. 

They collided

The rest is a construction of what we think took place as neither participant can remember a thing. Jurgen ploughed the concrete path with his left thigh, left elbow, left knee, left wrist and left rib. Rib not broken, we think. Anyway, he rode back to Bayswater, cursing every bump on the Bayswater bike path and headed home for R and R and red wine.
Werner was carted off in an ambulance having spent a good 3 mins unconscious on the pathway. We just hoped he was only unconscious as there was no initial sign of movement. When he came to, he had no recollection of the event, wanted to stand up and get riding again. This did not happen with a couple of us pinning him down until the medics arrived. No obvious injuries according to the ambos, just a precautionary ride to a hospital somewhere in Melbourne.
Both bikes fared better than their riders. No damage.

Kirsten

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