Text from Minami Chaya

This year, I went to MADE to help prepare the SimWorks booth. It had been five years since my last visit to Portland, and I was looking forward to experiencing the local atmosphere and feeling the vibe of the SimWorks community in person.

After MADE, we all went riding on the C2C Trail, and I crashed. My instincts as a reporter kicked in, so I took photos of my injuries as they happened. Here’s a brief report of my experience.

In the final stretch, about 10 km from the campsite, I hit a pleasant singletrack. The mountain was getting darker, and the descent was starting to feel a little cold, but since I thought I was almost there, I didn’t put on my long pants. I chased after Serena, who had already disappeared out of sight. I was enjoying a good pace, forgetting that the bike I rented didn’t have suspension. I had once guided MTB tours on the Yamanobushi Trail, so I felt confident!

Before I knew it, I was going faster than I had intended. I couldn’t clear some surface gaps, and in the end, I crashed! I was launched forward, landing on my head, but as shown in the photos, the underbrush on both sides was soft and cushioned my fall. My helmet was securely fastened, and while it hurt a little when I got up, I wasn’t in any major pain, and everything was okay… except for the injury on my shin.

A few minutes earlier, I had thought, “Should I take off my helmet because it’s hot?” and briefly unbuckled the chinstrap. I’m really glad I put it back on properly!

Kelsea, who was assisting with the ride, brought the first aid kit, so I applied pressure and made my way to the campsite, which was our destination for the day. There was no signal at the campsite, and we weren’t sure what the best course of action was, so everyone used their knowledge and decided to wash the wound with water and apply pressure to stop the bleeding. That concluded the treatment for the day – and it turned out to be the right approach.

The next day, I watched everyone ride. I went to the hospital the following day. However, it was already too late to stitch the wound, so I was told to wait for natural healing, LOL.

A few days later, my lower leg started swelling up. I wasn’t sure if the hospital’s diagnosis was correct, so I became anxious. In those moments, I decided to post my current situation on social media and received messages from knowledgeable people, which provided a lot of mental support. I am truly grateful.

When I got injured, Curtis from Retrotec said to me, “Whenever you look at that scar, you’ll always remember Oregon,” which lifted my spirits. It made me feel positive, just like I’d expect from an American. The scar will probably stay with me for life, so maybe I’ll even get a tattoo to commemorate it!

There are many different types and severities of injuries or issues that can happen while riding a bike. While we have to leave the more complex matters to experts, for minor injuries that don’t require a change in the itinerary, it seems like we just handle it ourselves. The injury I experienced this time is one that is quite common in cycling accidents, and if you know how to deal with it, it can be handled.

After this series of events, I started thinking about sharing my experience of the healing process, how to navigate hospitals in the U.S., the importance of insurance and procedures, what to be cautious about when heading out for rides, and the first aid kit I actually used. That’s why I decided to create a zine to share all of this!

I also learned some basic principles of modern trauma treatment, so I’ve summarized everything I can share based on my personal experience.

Most of the details about my injuries were written while I was in the U.S., but I put together my first aid kit after returning to Japan. More than anything, I felt that having a kit that is easy to quickly access and use in an emergency is important for initial response. For that reason, I think it’s a good idea to bring a first aid kit in your native language.

Now, I’ve compiled the following first aid kit and emergency kit into a dry bag, and I keep it easily accessible in the car during travel or when attending events.

In thinking about what to include in my first aid kit, I bought a few books for reference. The basics were very educational, but since bike-related injuries have some unique aspects, I realized there were parts that needed to be customized and adjusted based on my own experience.

I also attended a first aid seminar recently held at Circles, and it was a very educational session. The seminar covered real-life experiences of common cycling injuries and troubles, and we discussed the principles and better choices in those situations.

For those who haven’t given much thought to first aid before, I think just attending a session like this at least once can really change your perspective and how you think about these situations.

SIM BOOKS: If You Got Injury: Wound Edition

Pages: 30 pages

Size: Approx. 22cm x 14cm (8.6″ x 5.5″)

Price: $8.00