I bought my Ibis Mojo SL on the 26/01/2008
from Stif Mountain Bikes, well that is the actual date that is on my
receipt, however as I recall I had started speccing up my potential
ride the previous year, before even having my leg off.
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| Ibis Mojo SL |
Going back a bit in time to 2006 and a bit of a backstory to me getting my Ibis.
I recall having what was supposed to be a
fairly routine surgical procedure. This was to remove my right knee
cap, as the internal metal prosthesis I had had put in my leg in an
attempt to salvage my leg was catching on my knee cap and preventing
my leg from bending. It was also very painful. That year leading up
to 2007 I was to discover what pain was really all about.
I
can recall the morning after my surgery, waking up with a banging bad
head, and I mean pounding, that said I was ravenous and tucking into
my breakfast as I was sat up in bed, with a huge bandage around my
poorly leg.
There was a knock on my cubicle door and my
consultant came in. His first words were "I can't believe you
are sitting up in bed". "Huh" I thought. It was then
he informed me he had thought he had "lost me". I didn't
quite twig, thinking maybe after the anaesthetic I had been placed in
some corridor or another and been momentarily lost.
My
consultant then went on to inform me that surgery had not gone
exactly according to plan. Apparently the old knee cap had come out
as expected rather easily, however when the team had gone to bend my
leg, some blood vessels or another had got trapped behind the
metal joint and I began bleeding out. From the sounds of it this
wasn't just a case of putting a sticky plaster over the wound and
this would explain the reason for my banging headache. I was now
quite anaemic due to loosing so much blood.
I remained in
hospital for a little while, being monitored and my dressing changed,
then I was allowed home with some pain killers and a course of iron
tablets.
Community nurses began coming that very week to check
on my wound and within days of getting home I just knew something was
not right, my leg was killing me. After a few days of getting
dressings changed one of the community nurses came and on this
particular day my staples had all burst open and I had this huge,
angry hole in my leg that was exuding this horrible fluid.
The
community nurses began to come more frequently as my leg got worse
and worse, eventually coming 7 days per week and about 3 times per
day. Every day was agony and I began to feel my already poor quality
of life due to my limitations of my Kotz prosthesis spiral out of
control.
I wasn't sleeping, or eating and I had basically kind
of shut down with no interest in anything at all I just felt I was in
limbo. When I did manage to fall asleep, my underlying wish was that
I wouldn't wake up to face the next day.
Things got so bad nurses were coming out to
administer midazolam, also known as "twilight sleep" just to
give me some rest.
I went about a year in this horrible limbo,
being informed by my consultant that he was not prepared to carry out
any other surgery other than amputation. I was devastated. I had
fought since 1995 to save my leg and now I felt I was all out of
options.
It was then a wonderful community nurse came out to
see me on one of her regular visits. I have always remembered what
she said, maybe not the exact words, however more or less. She
started by asking me "do you know why most people get down or
depressed?" and she went on to explain, "It is either
because they live in the past, or look too far off into the future,
you have to learn to live for today". She then said "your
leg is always going to be your enemy and prevent you from living".
She went on saying "look you are in so much pain and your leg
doesn't work anyway, so why not think of amputation and imagine all
the things you could do". I don't know exactly what happened in
my mind but I can only describe it as a sort of cartoon "Light
Bulb" moment.
That week I rang my consultants
secretary and asked to arrange an appointment. From that moment I
never looked back and after waiting for a few weeks was given a date
for my amputation, which as I can remember was something like 3
months away. Now this may sound strange, but I was so excited at the
prospect of having my leg off and being able to get on with life. And
this is where my bike comes in.
I knew I would have to get rid
of my beloved Mini Cooper S. So I put her up for sale and sold her
practically immediately. I then began checking out YouTube video's,
knowing that I wanted to ride a bike again. At that point I didn't
even know if it was possible. Once I figured out it was I started
looking for the best bike on the market at the time and came across
the Ibis.
I contacted Stif Mountain Bikes and began the
process of speccing up my ride with the best component's money could
buy.
Like I say I was checking out YouTube and this is
also when another part of my journey began, as I discovered Brian
Bartlett and his unique Bartlett Tendon knee. Man I fired off loads
of emails trying to get in touch with Brian not realising he was in
hospital having his own problems.
I had my amputation on the
11th September 2007 and about 8 weeks later I was out learning to
ride on my NHS provided Total Knee. I loved being out after all those
years, however man did I hate that knee. Never mind I kept at it,
becoming fitter and fitter. I used to challenge myself and ride every
big bank in the locality. I wouldn't give in and can honestly say on
each and every bank I never got off and pushed. So we are talking
banks like Lanchester and the old bank near Lanchester vets,The
Peth. I rode Edmondsley, Iveston and Wolsingham, but to name a
few.
I had a whole new lease of life. I rode almost all of
2008, until sometime in October I started feeling unwell when out on
a few rides. One of which I remember quite vividly when being out
with my mate Carl. We were coming up through Beamish Hills and man I
just felt ill. I had stomach cramps and just really felt out of
sorts.
It wasn't until a few months later when coming back
from Leeds with my dad I again felt really poorly, and he immediately
took me to A&E at the Queen Elizabeth where I had had my leg
amputated. I was there hours and a doctor did all sorts of tests.
Eventually he came into the consulting room and informed me he had
found an enlarged node in my neck. Well this was the start of a whole
new journey, not one I would have chosen for myself, however I am a
huge believer in out of every negative there is a positive if you
look hard enough.
I was diagnosed with Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
Apparently as it is low grade it's considered "the best cancer
you can get", wow I feel real special LoL
And so jumping
back to present day and my trusty Ibis Mojo SL. The old girl has been
in semi-retirement. My dad and I were on tidying up our shed just the
other day sorting Bug bits and pieces and I uncovered both my
Sandman Fat Bike and my Ibis. The Sandman didn't need much to put her
right, a good clean and polish and her tyres blowing up. My Ibis on
the other hand just looked old and tired.
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| Going to change 3x9 Drivetrain |
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| A few scuffs n scrapes |
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| Chris Kind Hubs and currently 9 speed cassette |
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| Original gear was top spec in the day |
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| I fitted some Sram Guide RSC's and dropper post sometime ago |
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| Pace RC 41 Fighter forks, amazing forlks in there day |
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| Hoping I can sell on some of the old kit as it's still useable |
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| Changing the cockpit, hope the stuff I have ordered feels good on just guesstimated |
She is an old bike now, very dated, running 26-inch rims and not your more modern 27.5's or 29's. She has an old 3x9 drive train and her frame is a bit battered and bruised. Well I have decided to revamp her, yeah she will still be an old school bike, but with a little bit of modern bling, a bit like a resto-mod.
Here is a parts list so far:
1x10 Setup
Sram GX Rear Derailleur/ Medium
Sram GX trigger shifter
Race Face Turbine 35 Stem 70 mm
Race Face Next Carbon Rise bars
Race Face Grippler grips
Race Face narrow wide crank set 34T
KMC X10 Black Edition 10 speed chain
SDG Bel Air Lux- Alloy Saddle - when they
come back in stock.
Oh! And I may get a new Bottom Bracket as
I don't like the colour of the one installed on her at present,
doesn't exactly go with my black theme LoL
I suppose a lot of
people wouldn't be investing money in such and old bike, but for me this
bike holds particularly fond memories, it has been part of my journey
to recovery, and I am soooo looking forward to taking her for a spin.
I will post some pictures when she is fitted with new gear
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