TOPSFIELD — Dave Smith bicycled to work for about a decade without a hitch — until he hit a big bump in the road that left him with the use of just four fingers.

Now, the proprietor of The Bicycle Shop in Topsfield says he's grateful for his bicycle helmet, the help of friends, neighbors and coworkers, and even the aid of his own customers.

"Customers have been quite understanding and assisting," said Smith, who can answer the phone and run the cash register but is still at least a month from being able to pull a bike down from a rack.

Though his left arm is in a sling because of a broken collarbone, and his right thumb is broken, Smith said he's glad for the timing of the accident on Aug. 16. He was headed to his Beverly home after a busy tax-free holiday in the store. Much of the summer rush is over, and the business has successfully moved from its old Main Street location to the new Topsfield Station behind the Topsfield Post Office.

"Luckily, it isn't that crazy right now," he said. "Two months ago, it would have been disastrous."

A neighbor, Sarah Smith (no relation), is driving him to work each day while his wife, Rebecca, picks him up. He's also getting advice from two professional cyclist neighbors, Tim Johnson and Lyne Bessette, about coping with the broken collarbone; Johnson has broken his collarbone three times.

Smith said the accident made him appreciate his helmet even more, saying the spill could have been fatal and would certainly have caused brain injury if he weren't wearing it. At the time of the accident, he was riding on Beverly's Cabot Street. Manhole pipes were sticking above the surface because the roadway had been ground down before getting repaved.

"They were painted orange, but there were too many in too short of a time," he said. Smith added he might have been moving too fast because he was eager to get home after a busy day in the shop.

He said he doesn't know how long it will be before he can ride again, but he'll return as soon as the doctors allow and he gets his bicycle's front fork repaired.