Writing this the next day, my right shoulder is killing me. There is pain down my right side. I took some ibuprofen, which is helping a little.
We got our real first snow Thursday. I put my snow tires on yesterday to go out for a ride with a friend. The snow was mostly melted but there was still some slush and possible ice, especially on the side of the road. I had Gatorskin tires on before this, which probably wouldn't handle anything even a little slippery.
I had split up with my friend and was riding in a bike lane, when my bike suddenly stopped and threw me over the handlebars. I landed on my back. Apparently my right shoulder hit first. I got up and picked up the bike to see what was wrong. The front wheel was completely stuck, not turning at all. In the dark it was hard to see clearly.
A woman walking her dog saw me crash and offered me a ride home, even saying I could leave the bike in her garage. She said she trusted me because her dog didn't growl at me. She seemed more worried that I wouldn't trust her with the bike, but I didn't really think twice about it. She offered me a beer. Her boyfriend came home with a pickup truck so she was able to use that to get my bike home instead of leaving it in the garage. He also trusted me off the bat, not doubting her explanation. I really wish everyone could be as honest as this couple. It's unfortunate that so many people can't just trust each other.
When I was home and could see my bike in the light, I was able to see what caused the accident.
In the dark, I thought my brakes dislodged and were in the spokes. It was actually a thick metal bar I must have run over, not seeing it in the dark and slushy road conditions. Somehow the spokes grabbed the bar, causing the tire to stop hard when the bar hit the fork and brakes.
I guess I'm just glad this happened in a bike lane with no cars nearby. Although if I was riding in the traffic lane, this would have been easier to see in the road. And of course, all trash is disposed of in bike lanes anyway.