Rookie mistake results in pain and humiliation

[khendar]

So I was switching out pedals on my wife's mountain bike in preparation for a ride on the weekend. The existing pedals were well on there and when the thread finally cracked the wrench and my hand slipped suddenly, into the chainring, gouging a nice 4cm long, 4mm wide 5mm deep gash on one hand, and skinning the knuckles on the other.

I'm a massive wuss who doesn't do well around blood (especially my own) and so went into mild shock when I saw what I had done. I went into the house and raised my bleeding hand to my wife and said "fix it please" before nearly passing out. Its now cleaned and dressed but I suspect it might need stitching.

I'll post photos when I work up the stomach to take them

[elStado]

So I was switching out pedals on my wife's mountain bike in preparation for a ride on the weekend. The existing pedals were well on there and when the thread finally cracked the wrench and my hand slipped suddenly, into the chainring, gouging a nice 4cm long, 4mm wide 5mm deep gash on one hand, and skinning the knuckles on the other.

I'm a massive wuss who doesn't do well around blood (especially my own) and so went into mild shock when I saw what I had done. I went into the house and raised my bleeding hand to my wife and said "fix it please" before nearly passing out. Its now cleaned and dressed but I suspect it might need stitching.

I'll post photos when I work up the stomach to take them

I did a similar thing last week changing over my pedals, except I managed to not draw to much blood (just a little nick on my knuckles and a scratch on my forearm).

Dangerous stuff this DIY business.

[toolonglegs]

Love my rubber hammer for that job... sure you are not the first or last on this forum to do such a thing.

[foo on patrol]

Bugger!

Foo

[wombatK]

Having watched a mate nearly do the same thing earlier this week, I can feel your pain khendar.
I'm no doc, but your description of the gash seems very worthy of prompt medical treatment.

Maybe you haven't torn or cut any muscles or tendons, but if you have the sooner you get
them looked at, the better treatment outcomes will be. If the gash is 4 or 5 mm deep and as long
as you've described, it might well need stitching at the least.

Like many blokes, I've got the war wounds to show for not seeking treatment on hand injuries
as quickly as I should have. It's not fun sitting in waiting rooms etc.,. to get medical treatment,
but it's better than carrying a life-long regret.

Hope you recover quickly and aren't deterred from more DIY fixing.

[Crittski]

I hate getting blood on my clean drivetrain...

[khendar]

Ended up going to emergency at 1am last night. I was planning on just going to the clinic this morning but I was getting paranoid that it needed stitching and that 12 hours later would be too late.

Warning slightly gross high resolution wound image below:
http://timparkinson.net/pics/IMAG0004.jpg

Turned out not to need stitching, but they drowned it in saline and betadine, used 10 steri-strips to close it, and gave me a 10 day course of anti-biotics. I'm still planning on going mountain biking tomorrow, so lets see how that works out.

[PawPaw]

Did my knuckles a few times in my teens enough to learn about the safe use of leverage.
Now I enfold hands in rags or thick gloves when removing cassette lockrings, etc. and use rubber hammer when appropriate.
I also grease threads and use a torque wrench when doing stuff up.

[InTheWoods]

Doh hope it heals up nicely. Looks deepish.

I was taking my pedals off today to put my new ones on, using a proper pedal spanner too. Right one came off ok. Left one wouldn't budge, tried using a rubber mallet, no luck. In the end I had to stand on the pedal with my left foot and on the pedal wrench with my right one and bounced up and down on it... and only then it finally decided to give in.

[Mulger bill]

Where's the black night when you need him?

I'd be holding off on the dirt ride for a few days Khendar, a big chance of reopening a non sutured wound IMO.
For some unaccountable reason, I found the sight of claret dripping through a glove to be more disturbing than looking at the bleeding wound itself (five stitches, right forefinger).

Heal quick mate.

Shaun

[hotfoot]

Owww Owwww....lots of sympathy to you...hope it heals fast and well.

[khendar]

Where's the black night when you need him?

I'd be holding off on the dirt ride for a few days Khendar, a big chance of reopening a non sutured wound IMO.
For some unaccountable reason, I found the sight of claret dripping through a glove to be more disturbing than looking at the bleeding wound itself (five stitches, right forefinger).

Heal quick mate.

Shaun

ER doc said it should be fine for riding. It's not going to be very hardcore, just a leisurely trail ride with a group. It didn't bleed much anyway even when it was fresh. I have a bunch of spare dressings which I'll take along just in case.

Thanks everyone for the words. Glad to know I'm not the nugget to do this.

[jules21]

for safe removal of pedals, try to position the spanner where you can squeeze it in your hand against the crank arm - i.e. fingers on spanner, thumb around crank arm. you get good leverage that way too.

[khendar]

for safe removal of pedals, try to position the spanner where you can squeeze it in your hand against the crank arm - i.e. fingers on spanner, thumb around crank arm. you get good leverage that way too.

There was a video that someone on this forum posted the other day of a tool which hooks onto the end of the crank and gives you another foot of leverage to help loosen/tighten the pedal threads. A simple enough concept but might be a worthwhile investment I think.

[Baalzamon]

for safe removal of pedals, try to position the spanner where you can squeeze it in your hand against the crank arm - i.e. fingers on spanner, thumb around crank arm. you get good leverage that way too.

And also place the chain on the big chainring. That way you hit chain and not chainring. Will hurt but not as much

[drubie]

for safe removal of pedals, try to position the spanner where you can squeeze it in your hand against the crank arm - i.e. fingers on spanner, thumb around crank arm. you get good leverage that way too.

There was a video that someone on this forum posted the other day of a tool which hooks onto the end of the crank and gives you another foot of leverage to help loosen/tighten the pedal threads. A simple enough concept but might be a worthwhile investment I think.

Pedals don't need to be super tight, they're threaded so they shouldn't loosen.

I like the squeeze method myself for removal after impaling myself on a big chainring a few years ago (left a nasty looking triangular scar at the base of my hand underneath the thumb muscle). Hurt like a bastard for weeks.

since then I took the advice that before removing the drive side pedal, put the chain on the big ring (beaten by jules)

[MichaelB]

....Warning slightly gross high resolution wound image below:
http://timparkinson.net/pics/IMAG0004.jpg

....

Pfft, that's nothing. I was expection much worse.

It'd hurt but.

[scotto]

....Warning slightly gross high resolution wound image below:
http://timparkinson.net/pics/IMAG0004.jpg

....

Pfft, that's nothing. I was expection much worse.

It'd hurt but.

barely a flesh wound. Not from Adelaide are you !!

[Eleri]

I put the opposite pedal up resting on a stair (the ones in my house are wood and perfect for the purpose) so it can't move. I put the pedal spanner on the other one and use my foot to push down on it if it's too tight, rather than using my hand.

Then, before I undo it, I turn the bike round and do the other side.

It might help that I have speedplays and they don't damage the woodwork ... much - really it wasn't me that made that small mark in the stairs, it was always there

[ColinOldnCranky]

....Warning slightly gross high resolution wound image below:
http://timparkinson.net/pics/IMAG0004.jpg

....

Pfft, that's nothing. I was expection much worse.

It'd hurt but.

Yeah, same for me. I was hoping for something a little more gratuitous - like these:
http://i991.photobucket.com/albums/af39/colinoldncranky/ForLinks/20100313-Finger01-K100.jpg)
http://i991.photobucket.com/albums/af39/colinoldncranky/ForLinks/20100313-Finger03-K100.jpg

[PawPaw]

Yeah, same for me. I was hoping for something a little more gratuitous - like these:
http://i991.photobucket.com/albums/af39/colinoldncranky/ForLinks/20100313-Finger01-K100.jpg)
http://i991.photobucket.com/albums/af39/colinoldncranky/ForLinks/20100313-Finger03-K100.jpg

Come on...where's the torn tendons?

[khendar]

....Warning slightly gross high resolution wound image below:
http://timparkinson.net/pics/IMAG0004.jpg

....

Pfft, that's nothing. I was expection much worse.

It'd hurt but.

barely a flesh wound. Not from Adelaide are you !!

I'm sorry my little scratch isn't impressive enough. I'll make sure to at least nick a tendon next time.

[Crittski]

Lol, someone had to say it. Painful scratch, but nothing needing stitches...

[msg]

The best way to look at any injury is to repeat to yourself " Bones mend, cuts heal and chicks dig scars"

[ColinOldnCranky]

Yeah, same for me. I was hoping for something a little more gratuitous - like these:
http://i991.photobucket.com/albums/af39/colinoldncranky/ForLinks/20100313-Finger01-K100.jpg)
http://i991.photobucket.com/albums/af39/colinoldncranky/ForLinks/20100313-Finger03-K100.jpg

Come on...where's the torn tendons?

Not torn as you point out. However the emergency room staff firstly couldn't believe that it hurt (I would have thoughthat the torn skin itself would have stung but all I felt was a stiff (well, it was dislocated as well) finger that felt like it had been numbed with an anaesthetic).

But mostly they were all queuing up to see the tendons and bones and stuff underneath moving as I worked the finger as there was also bugger all blood. Apparently it was a rare opportunity as they usually only see the detail by manipulating cadavers and not where the subject applies effort.

Half a dozen visits to the plastics people at RPH over a couple of months and then some time in strapping and it recovered fully.