-----Original Message-----
From: M Otten [mailto:otten@...]
Sent: Wednesday, July 27, 2005 12:21 AM
To: arides@...
Subject: Question for someone with experience with biking.....

Dear Mr. Stern, I am pleased to see that there are local bicycle activities
other than the Bronx River Sundays, but I may have to wait a short while
before I am back up on two wheels. I had an accident about a week ago, and
am now healing well. But, I think I have an unusual question to ask, but it
is quite important for me to get an accurate answer:

When one has an 'over-the-handlebars' kind of accident, how does one most
typically end up in terms of body position, particularly with regard to
one's hands?

I need to know this, as I was last week in a bicycle accident where I lost
consciousness, and due to 'retro-amnesia,' I do not recall what happened.
Some people speculate that I lost consciousness before I lost control of the
bike, because when I was found, my hands were not in front of me, and the
backs of the hands were mainly scraped by contact with the pavement. The
obvious alternative scenario to expect is that I clamped too hard on the
front brakes and went over the handlebars. However, if I do not recall the
accident at all (I am missing about two hours of recollection due to a
concussion).

I shall very much appreciate any information based on your experience or
knowledge, or if you can refer me to any good source for such information.
I am healing well, and will soon be back on a bicycle, but it is important
to know if I am more need in riding lessons or need to be aware of a
potentially dangerous physical condition.

Sincerely, Mike Otten, Scarsdale, New York