What if you Encounter the Pavement

Sooner or later, all cyclists will fall, and the almost inevitable result is road rash. Such abrasions usually require only basic care. Here are a few solutions for fast healing.

First response. Before sizing up skin loss, evaluate the injured person's whole self. I've seen riders with cracked-open helmets, but no idea they had hit their head. If you're with a group and the injured rider has slowed or slurred speech, call for medical assistance, without delay. Solo? That's a good reason to carry a mobile phone. Got a gash that's more than a scrape? The rule is: If you can't stop the bleeding by applying pressure for 15 minutes, you need stitches.

Post-crash, a cyclist often sprays the wound with his water bottle. That's not a bad idea to get rid of dirt. But the bacteria on the bottle valve are bad. Antiseptic wipes are the top pick to clean the wound.

To get the grit out of the wound, wash the rash as soon as you get home. To clean it well, you should begin with painkillers. She starts by blanketing the wound with 10x10cm gauze pads saturated with antiseptic wash. The antiseptic wash should have lidocaine, you can buy it at your local drugstore. Let the gauze soak in for a few minutes until the nerves are numbed. Then gently wipe the grime from the scrape, using soap and water. You need to get all the grit, bits of asphalt, sand, stones – everything. That stuff can have bacteria behind it. Stay clear of products that contain iodine, alcohol and hydrogen peroxide, those damage skin cells. The less damage there is to the skin, the faster it heals. For stubborn, sticky contaminants like road tar, you could use baby oil or dish-washing liquid soap. Either will dissolve the tar, and you won't need to scrub.

After you wash the area cover the abrasion to keep it clean and moist, apply Bacitracin, which kills bacteria and prevents the wound from drying or sticking to the bandage. Then use generic, nonstick, gauze-type bandages, secured with medical tape. Use cheap dressing until th oozing slows down, maybe a few days. Tehn it's time for advanced hydrocolloid bandages like Tegaderm – precious stuff for road-rash victims. Put them on, and just leave them for a week until they fall off. They keep bacteria out, but let water come through and evaporate.