Our granddaughter that just turned 15 has been living with us because her father and two brothers moved to Oregon and she wanted to finish school here. Her parents are divorced and she's been going to her mother's house on the weekends. This weekend she stayed home with us so I decided it's a perfect day for a ride.
So we had a nice little ride though the hills and a little local town. My wife was on her bike. All went well until we came home and had to enter our gated community entrance.
We pulled up together as we always do, I stand up and push my butt with my wallet towards the mag reader and the gate opens.
This time my wife must have been a little barn sour and went through before me. Yep, the sensor picked up on the little gap between the two bikes and the metal arm came down on me.
Hit my right hand mirror and pushed it down onto my wrist then bounced off my helmet. My granddaughter is ducking and I'm trying to deflect it and we almost went down.
Of course my french started flowing and I'm thinking my wrist is broke it hurt so bad. I parked on the side as my wife turned around and came back. I stormed the office asking WTF was that and saying there's damage to my bike and me.
The dude working there came out and asked all the usual BS questions and kept saying I'm lucky it's now a breakaway guard. Besides that, he points out there's a sign that states "Only one vehicle at a time". I pointed out the wife and I have been coming through together for a couple years now and it's never closed on us. Of course it's our fault, blah, blah, blah.
I'm thinking there's a beam and when it senses nothing it trips the closing. I tell ya it was like a guillotine coming down. I was more worried about my granddaughter but now I'm sitting here with an ice pack on my wrist. Turns out no visible damage to the bike. The mirror didn't break. But there's a ding on my helmet. Funny thing is I didn't notice my helmet getting hit because the pain in my wrist was so overwhelming. Fun Sunday.

 

and so goes life ... could have been worse :>(

 

At least you did not have to "lay her down"........just saying Glad it was just minor and your granddaughter was not injured.

 

So she is going to live with her dad when she finishes the school year? At least she wasn't hurt!!!

 

Yeah could have been the old non breakaway arm! In retelling it my granddaughter says I pushed it with my hand and then flung it away. Explains why my shoulder hurts now too.

 

Yeah I've never considered "laying it down" a skill. I'll do just about anything to keep her upright.

 

Thanks, me too. She was my priority. Yes, she's going to live with her dad soon. She was really into Softball and as a Freshman was picked up for the Varsity Team. So we all felt that was best for her.

 

happened to us coming out of a lot in Canada. I actually paid for both - and went first. There was a person on duty that lowered the arm. Breakaway arm buy it hit my wife under the chin and it started to bleed.

Guy came out - said it was his fault - wanted to get medical attention for her. She refused - was just a little sore. From then on, we always made sure only one went through and watched for any arm movement.

Hopefully you are OK.

 

Glad to hear no major inuries. Sucks to have those kind of contraptions to navigate. But who knows better than the idiots who have them installed??

 

Those things aren't perfect. And I don't think the guard really knew what he was talking about. He said that even if we went together it would close on us. That's rediculous to me. As two bike's riding side by side would duplicate a car. I understand by my wife jumping the gun and going in front of us there was a dead space between us for a half second. This gate is fast too. I'm still sore and putting ice on my wrist makes my shoulder hurt! I'm pretty sure I pulled some tendon when I did the back hand throw. I was pretty reactionary. Looking at the metal pole now it has a small dent in it. I'm just amazed my mirror is that strong! No marks. And somehow it missed the windshield. The mark on my helmet will be a reminder.