Interesting crash
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I've just had an interesting experience after my right handlebar grip came off in my hand and my
cycle "jack-knifed" quite spectacularly.
Such occurences are fortunately rare, but I imagine they will happen once in a while. How do more
experienced people than myself prepare for and deal with similar hazards? Obviously, having a
well-maintained bike helps, but are there any manouvres one should practice for when the unexpected
does occur?
Bicycle now repaired in such a maner as will prevent similar events in future. Perhaps elbow and
knee guards should be mandatory for cyclists? ;-)
--
Daniel Auger - dja25@granta.cam.ac.uk (Please remove Granta to get a valid address.)
"Daniel Auger" <dja25@granta.cam.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:Pine.LNX.4.44.0304021300550.30642-100000@potoroo.eng.cam.ac.uk...
> I've just had an interesting experience after my right handlebar grip came off in my hand and my
> cycle "jack-knifed" quite spectacularly.
>
> Such occurences are fortunately rare, but I imagine they will happen once in a while. How do more
> experienced people than myself prepare for and deal with similar hazards? Obviously, having a
> well-maintained bike helps, but are there any manouvres one should practice for when the
> unexpected does occur?
>
> Bicycle now repaired in such a maner as will prevent similar events in future. Perhaps elbow and
> knee guards should be mandatory for cyclists? ;-)
>
> --
> Daniel Auger - dja25@granta.cam.ac.uk (Please remove Granta to get a valid address.)
>
Nasty. Something like that happens in a split second so if you're going to fall you're
going to fall.
Grips should be pretty tight on your bars. I put mine on with hairspray which is nice and slippy
when wet but keeps those grips on tight (so tight that they're buggers to get off when you need to
remove them).
I've had a couple of nasty spills. You can't plan for them at all but you can prevent the odds of
them happening by observing some rules. When on the road your chances of being in an accident
increase several fold at roundabouts and junctions. I ride with an imaginary gauge in my head that
indicates accident probabiltiy as I go along. This helps you assess the risk as you ride.
Catastrophic mechanical failures you can help prevent by inspecting your bike before you ride.
"Daniel Auger" <dja25@granta.cam.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:Pine.LNX.4.44.0304021300550.30642-100000@potoroo.eng.cam.ac.uk...
> I've just had an interesting experience after my right handlebar grip came off in my hand and my
> cycle "jack-knifed" quite spectacularly.
I use bar ends - little cut down ones that stop my hands coming off the bars on fast and bumpy
downhill bits.
John
Here's a question about crashes: over the last three winters I've had several spills - ice patches,
wet leaves, etc. I've noticed that every single time I've fallen, I've falled to the left. That is,
my wheels have slipped out to the right and I've fallen on my left side. Is this just co- incidence
(a priori probability of 5 successive crashes in this direction is less than 1 in 30), or is there
something non-obvious about bikes that would make this direction of fall more likely to happen?
For the record, I don't have one buttock larger than the other or anything...
Ian
--
Ian Walker Remove the yummy paste in my address to reply. Homepage: http://www.drianwalker.com (http://www.drianwalker.com/)
On Thu, 3 Apr 2003, Ian Walker wrote:
> Here's a question about crashes: over the last three winters I've had several spills - ice
> patches, wet leaves, etc. I've noticed that every single time I've fallen, I've falled to the
> left. That is, my wheels have slipped out to the right and I've fallen on my left side. Is this
> just co- incidence (a priori probability of 5 successive crashes in this direction is less than 1
> in 30), or is there something non-obvious about bikes that would make this direction of fall more
> likely to happen?
It's probably often the safer side to fall to. Perhaps you do it instinctively? I normally dismount
my bicycle to the left, so I suppose it might be natural to fall that way?
--
Daniel Auger - dja25@granta.cam.ac.uk (Please remove Granta to get a valid address.)
Colin Blackburn <colin.blackburn@durham.ac.uk> wrote: ( Finally, is your cycle computer magnet
mounted on the ) left or right?
Good grief! Are there people who mount their magnet on the wrong side?
Ian Walker <i.walker@marmitebath.ac.uk> wrote: ( For the record, I don't have one buttock larger
than the other or ) anything...
You do, you know.
There'll be nothing /that/ symmetrical about you, unless you're the only one.
In article <oprm1ovgmrlhb4wp@news.bath.ac.uk>,
i.walker@marmitebath.ac.uk says...
> Here's a question about crashes: over the last three winters I've had several spills - ice
> patches, wet leaves, etc. I've noticed that every single time I've fallen, I've falled to the
> left. That is, my wheels have slipped out to the right and I've fallen on my left side. Is this
> just co- incidence (a priori probability of 5 successive crashes in this direction is less than 1
> in 30), or is there something non-obvious about bikes that would make this direction of fall more
> likely to happen?
It might be you rather than the bike. Falling to the left may be safer as you are falling way from a
potential traffic stream. Or, maybe your route just involves lots of left bends in the morning when
its more likely to be icy? Finally, is your cycle computer magnet mounted on the left or right? ;-)
Colin
In article <MPG.18f60be28842890e9898ab@localhost>, colin.blackburn@durham.ac.uk says...
> as you are falling way from a potential traffic stream. Or, maybe your route just involves lots of
> left bends in the morning when its more likely to be icy?
I should also have added here that left bends are generally sharper than right bends so you may be
more likely to come off to the left.
Colin
On Thu, 3 Apr 2003 10:14:49 +0100, Colin Blackburn <colin.blackburn@durham.ac.uk> wrote:
> In article <oprm1ovgmrlhb4wp@news.bath.ac.uk>, i.walker@marmitebath.ac.uk says...
>> Here's a question about crashes: over the last three winters I've had several spills - ice
>> patches, wet leaves, etc. I've noticed that every single time I've fallen, I've falled to the
>> left. That is, my wheels have slipped out to the right and I've fallen on my left side. Is this
>> just co-incidence (a priori probability of 5 successive crashes in this direction is less than 1
>> in 30), or is there something non-obvious about bikes that would make this direction of fall more
>> likely to happen?
>
> It might be you rather than the bike. Falling to the left may be safer as you are falling way from
> a potential traffic stream. Or, maybe your route just involves lots of left bends in the morning
> when its more likely to be icy? Finally, is your cycle computer magnet mounted on the left or
> right? ;-)
>
I'm not sure this is anything that I'm in control of! If there was any control then I'd try not to
fall in the first place (I've still got the scars on my hip from when a dog ran out in front of me
back in December).
I think it must be the magnet after all :o)
Ian
--
Ian Walker Remove the yummy paste in my address to reply. Homepage: http://www.drianwalker.com (http://www.drianwalker.com/)
Thus spake Daniel Auger <dja25@granta.cam.ac.uk>
> On Thu, 3 Apr 2003, Ian Walker wrote:
> > Here's a question about crashes: over the last three winters I've had several spills - ice
> > patches, wet leaves, etc. I've noticed that every single time I've fallen, I've falled to the
> > left. That is, my wheels have slipped out to the right and I've fallen on my left side. Is this
> > just co- incidence (a priori probability of 5 successive crashes in this direction is less than
> > 1 in 30), or is there something non-obvious about bikes that would make this direction of fall
> > more likely to happen?
> It's probably often the safer side to fall to. Perhaps you do it instinctively? I normally
> dismount my bicycle to the left, so I suppose it might be natural to fall that way?
The rays, buggrit!
--
Helen D. Vecht: helenvecht@zetnet.co.uk Edgware.
On Thu, 3 Apr 2003 09:34:36 +0000 (UTC), Geraint Jones
<Geraint.Jones@wolfson.oxford.ac-spam.uk> wrote:
> Ian Walker <i.walker@marmitebath.ac.uk> wrote: ( For the record, I don't have one buttock larger
> than the other or ) anything...
>
> You do, you know.
>
> There'll be nothing /that/ symmetrical about you, unless you're the only one.
>
He he. I originally typed 'grotesquely larger', but must have lost the key word during editing!
--
Ian Walker Remove the yummy paste in my address to reply. Homepage: http://www.drianwalker.com (http://www.drianwalker.com/)
In article <b6gv0n$op7$1@daedalus.wolf.ox.ac.uk>, Geraint.Jones@wolfson.oxford.ac-spam.uk says...
> Colin Blackburn <colin.blackburn@durham.ac.uk> wrote: ( Finally, is your cycle computer magnet
> mounted on the ) left or right?
>
> Good grief! Are there people who mount their magnet on the wrong side?
Obviously. Tsk.
Colin
On Thu, 3 Apr 2003 09:31:03 +0000 (UTC), Geraint Jones
<Geraint.Jones@wolfson.oxford.ac-spam.uk> wrote:
> Colin Blackburn <colin.blackburn@durham.ac.uk> wrote: ( Finally, is your cycle computer magnet
> mounted on the ) left or right?
>
> Good grief! Are there people who mount their magnet on the wrong side?
Don't know. But by adding a second/third or more you can prove P*** S****'s assertion about there
being no correlation between speed and accidents.
Tim.
--
God said, "div D = rho, div B = 0, curl E = - @B/@t, curl H = J + @D/@t," and there was light.
http://tjw.hn.org/ http://www.locofungus.btinternet.co.uk/
Ian Walker <i.walker@marmitebath.ac.uk> wrote in message news:<oprm1ovgmrlhb4wp@news.bath.ac.uk>...
> Here's a question about crashes: over the last three winters I've had several spills - ice
> patches, wet leaves, etc. I've noticed that every single time I've fallen, I've falled to the
> left. That is, my wheels have slipped out to the right and I've fallen on my left side. Is this
> just co- incidence (a priori probability of 5 successive crashes in this direction is less than 1
> in 30), or is there something non-obvious about bikes that would make this direction of fall more
> likely to happen?
>
> For the record, I don't have one buttock larger than the other or anything...
>
> Ian
I'm not sure if this is related or not, but I've found that whenever I need to do a sharp u-turn, I
feel much more comfortable moving across to the other side of the road and turning to my left rather
than the more obvious turn to the right from my present position.
Is it just me? Do we have a natural bias in our balance like left/right handedness?
M
Ian Walker wrote:
> Here's a question about crashes: over the last three winters I've had several spills - ice
> patches, wet leaves, etc. I've noticed that every single time I've fallen, I've falled to the
> left. That is, my wheels have slipped out to the right and I've fallen on my left side. Is this
> just co- incidence (a priori probability of 5 successive crashes in this direction is less than 1
> in 30), or is there something non-obvious about bikes that would make this direction of fall more
> likely to happen?
>
> For the record, I don't have one buttock larger than the other or anything...
>
> Ian
>
> --
> Ian Walker Remove the yummy paste in my address to reply. Homepage: http://www.drianwalker.com (http://www.drianwalker.com/)
roads are crowned. But unless you ride on the wrong side of the road I would expect a UK cyclist to
fall on his right side. /Marten
Colin Blackburn wrote:
> In article <b6gv0n$op7$1@daedalus.wolf.ox.ac.uk>, Geraint.Jones@wolfson.oxford.ac-spam.uk says...
>> Colin Blackburn <colin.blackburn@durham.ac.uk> wrote: ( Finally, is your cycle computer magnet
>> mounted on the ) left or right?
>>
>> Good grief! Are there people who mount their magnet on the wrong side?
>
> Obviously. Tsk.
>
> Colin
If it's on the wrong side, is your speed negative ;-)
--
Mark
Murk wrote:
> Ian Walker <i.walker@marmitebath.ac.uk> wrote in message
> news:<oprm1ovgmrlhb4wp@news.bath.ac.uk>...
>> Here's a question about crashes: over the last three winters I've had several spills - ice
>> patches, wet leaves, etc. I've noticed that every single time I've fallen, I've falled to the
>> left. That is, my wheels have slipped out to the right and I've fallen on my left side. Is this
>> just co- incidence (a priori probability of 5 successive crashes in this direction is less than 1
>> in 30), or is there something non-obvious about bikes that would make this direction of fall more
>> likely to happen?
>>
>> For the record, I don't have one buttock larger than the other or anything...
>>
>> Ian
>
> I'm not sure if this is related or not, but I've found that whenever I need to do a sharp u-turn,
> I feel much more comfortable moving across to the other side of the road and turning to my left
> rather than the more obvious turn to the right from my present position.
>
> Is it just me? Do we have a natural bias in our balance like left/right handedness?
>
> M
The first time I cycled in France, when I came up to a small roundabout it felt really awkward going
round the "wrong" way.
--
Mark
Colin Blackburn wrote:
> I should also have added here that left bends are generally sharper than right bends so you may be
> more likely to come off to the left.
Most of my falls have occurred while turning left. Inevitably if I happen to be turning left then
that's the side I'll fall on. As well as the turns being sharper, I'm likely to be travelling
faster on a left hand turn than on a right hand turn simply because I don't have to wait for a gap
in the traffic.
--
Danny Colyer (remove safety to reply) ( http://www.juggler.net/danny ) Recumbent cycle page:
http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/recumbents/ "He who dares not offend cannot be honest." -
Thomas Paine
Colin Blackburn wrote:
>>Good grief! Are there people who mount their magnet on the wrong side?
>
>
> Obviously. Tsk.
Which _is_ the right side then? The side with the best path up the front brake cable, obviously. It
could be either left or right hand side.
--
-Alex
----------------------------------
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