Bikes and Accidents in the Bush

[Roverray]

You can go for months and not have a fall but today made up for it.

Went out on bike this afternoon to check on cows with new calves.
Was jut idleing along through the bush in 2nd when all of a sudden a loop of fence wire picked up around my left foot then got picked up by the rear wheel tightening the loop now around my ankle and bought me down on the left side with my leg wedged under, and wired to the bike.

Managed to get clutch in and hit kill switch on way down or as I hit. Gathered thoughts and took stock after hitting the deck and tried to push bike up with right leg but there was not enough movement in ankle noose to allow me to lift it.
Now smell fuel so shut of valve as fuel is dripping from carby.

Unable to sit up as foot locked sideon. Manage to wind wheel back slightly with my right foot, to give some slack and managed to edge myself up as I slip the wire noose up my leg till I get bike on stand and I can stand beside it. Tried to slip my boot off to get free but not easy to manouver and eventially got enough slack to get free.

This could have been a lot worse when I thought about it, Had I been going faster it could have severed my foot or at least broken my leg, If it had been the right side the fuel could have ignighted on the exhaust and I could not get away. If it had been a large bike rather than the XL185 Honda it may have been very difficult to lift up and get off me given the situation.

End result- some minor bruising around ankle and left side as I hit the deck, broken clutch lever.

Later while tailing a bull home in first gear got tramlined by a small log almost entirely burried and not visible in the grass and down we went again. It is always worse when going slow because you have no momenteum to carry you to climb over them.

I think I might leave the bike in the shed tomorrow and not tempt fate for the third strike.

Take care when in the bush, help could be a long time coming. If anyone knows that is!

[Outlaw]

Ouch... take out the landy instead

[dirtdawg]

sounds like you need a quad bike!!!

[x-box]

Glad you got out ok, shudder to think of alternatives!

[Rosco]

Yep ... a quad for you

Bet you'd like to catch up with that mongrel bloke that travels all over the place leaving bits of fencing wire lying about ....

[Roverray]

Quads are fine in open country without long grass, logs etc but hopeless in breakaway and native forested country with lots of logs etc to try to get around.

You can ride a bike along a cattle pad that weaves around logs and between trees and push stock out of timber and creeks. A quad simply is not able to get there and stock soon learn to go where you will not follow, even quiet breeds like I run.

Most falls are slow speed and you learn to step off as the bike goes down, but some times you take a fall. Had a lot of falls since I started riding bikes in the bush more than 40 years ago but never had a broken bone - touch wood. worst injuries exhaust pipe burns in the old days - pre Jap bikes - BSA Bantam, and torn rib cartliges a couple of years ago.

Dont get me wrong, I love good Quads but in the right application, I would hate to have a quad roll on me. ( could be what happened in Antartica )

[Roverray]

Yep ... a quad for you

Bet you'd like to catch up with that mongrel bloke that travels all over the place leaving bits of fencing wire lying about ....

The area was an old soldier settler block area where fences etc were strung between trees etc at times and over the years wire gets picked up and travelled by stock. Fortunate for me it was plain wire yesterday and not barbed.

[isuzurover]

My uncle is a farmer and has had similar things happen. He once managed to somehow get trapped/crushed in part of his tractor/impliment hydraulics. Took him a couple of hours and a few broken ribs to get free.