Crashes

gugafan05

How often do most cyclists crash? How do you recover from a crash? What is the smartest way to take a fall? Any answers would be greatly appreciated.

Boyzie

Crashed today for first time, been riding for app 2 months. The front wheel caught some sand as I went around a bend to fast. Landed on my hip. Ego bruised more than the hip. Lesson learnt, slow down at certain times.

tumbleweed77

went riding with a friend during the 2nd week after I got my first roadie.. we were racing on a bike path and my front wheel hit her back wheel and sent me flying into the sand on the side of the road while my bike was stopped by a bush... amazingly nothing was hurt, though i did have to spend that night cleaning sand out of my break levers and gears. ... of course there's always that first crash when you get clipless pedals too... when down in a driveway to a grocery store and couldn't get up cause my bottom foot was still clipped in... haha

valet_dave

My advice on taking a fall is don't land on your face! Wear gloves and try to use your hands to slap the ground to slow your fall (Ju-jitsu practitioners call it "break falling" and it actually works). I made a mistake coming down a driveway too fast on to the road and basically went over the handlebars. The damage occurred because my hands slipped below the handlebars, meaning I couldn't raise them to protect my face. I basically ground off a lot of my teeth on the road and earnt some nice abrasions. All of my safety gear and bike was unscathed (helmet/gloves).This was after doing the daily commute for a year or so... riding the same roads and paths ever day. I basically got over confident and spent too much time worrying about my average speed, rather than slowing down and being careful to avoid what are now permanent injuries.

xroads

Took my first fall after a month of commuting. Was climbing sloped driveway from road to pavement. Front tyre climbed up, just before rising slope of kerb. However rear tyre was less fortunate and decided to skid at an angle (rather than climb) along the rising slope of kerb. Rear tyre skidded, and bike and I ended flat on the pavement grazing to a halt on the asphalt.

Helmet was no use to knee! Broke fall with lower arm. Elbows and palms saved.
Have a lovely deep grazed knee to remind me in future to be more careful climbing kerbs! Picked myself and bike off the pavement, bike was okay . Continued journey to work with red blood grazed knee, and got first aid there.

Ellis456

Crashed about two weeks ago, was raining that day and took the corner to quick, but fell to the side and had my hands(gloves on) on the floor, more embarresed then hurt lol, some marks to handlebar ends and seat that's it, lesson learnt to be extra careful in the rain and on corners.

OldSoldier

Best advice is don't crash. If you can't avoid a crash, don't get hurt. If you must get hurt, don't wreck the bike. If the bike gets wrecked, sorry for ya buddy, happens once in a while.

Don Shipp

I've been commuting now in London for over 25 years, I've been knocked off just twice, and one of those was today.
I was waiting at the lights (I'm good like that) and next to me was a small van. Plenty of room between me and the van. When the lights changed, off we both went, then something hit me from behind. The back of the bike was lifted up and then I went over sideways, badly grazing my right arm and a few other bits. I've also got a few bruises that I'll know more about in the morning.
How did it happen? Well, the van was towing a trailer and the trailer was rather wider than the van. It was the wheel of the trailer that had gone under my back wheel and tipped me over. Definately something to watch out for in future.

__________________
"Boudreaux pissed me off, what should I do?"
"Nothing, just shut up and take his advice."

e0richt

I have to know, did the guy know he knocked you down? did he stop?

Don Shipp

Yes, he stopped, a bit further down the road. He didn't come back to see if I was OK or not, but he did wait until I had picked up the bike and caught up with him.
It was an RAC van towing a broken-down car. The van driver told me that he knew that his trailer was a problem for cyclists (he'd put red tape on the mudguards of the trailer to make them more visible).
He hadn't known I was next to him because I was on his left-hand side and he was watching his right-hand side. Possibly I was in his blind spot, the visibility from a van is worse than from a car. I hadn't realised that the van was towing a trailer with wide wheel axles because it was behind me at the lights.
I honestly cannot say for sure that it was his fault. If the van and trailer was at the lights already when I arrived and filtered up the inside then it would have been my fault. If I was there first then it was definately his, but I couldn't say, either at the time or now, which it was. However, I really don't see how I could have filtered up the inside without being aware of the trailer.

__________________
"Boudreaux pissed me off, what should I do?"
"Nothing, just shut up and take his advice."

BornInZion

There are two types bicyclists- those that have crashed, and those that will crash.

In about 12 years of riding, I have crashed four times. I wouldn't be concerned about it. Four bad days in twelve years? pffft

__________________
Some people say the world is round, and others say the world is flat. But I say it is mostly uphill!

Ny Cykel

I am scared, afraid, very afraid, I have yet to land on anything harder than water. Odds are I will have to face the ground one day, i'm 49, i dont wanna.

The only time I ever crashed, riding the local bike only trial, took a detour, looked like fun, got tooling along real good and the road ended at the river,
Got real wet.

tumbleweed77

you mean you actually rode your bike off the road into the water!?! omg... that must have been funny to see.... were you and your bike ok?.... i ride my bike sometimes on a trail along a flood control canal and the road slopes steeply down along each side ... it terrifies me sometimes to think that it wouldn't take much for me to end up sliding down either side.... you're lucky that there was water

tumbleweed77

okay, well now i've had my first "real" crash... was riding w/ my group at about 25 miles an hour when something got caught in my front brakes... went to brake and wham... my bike sent me flying onto the pavement... ouch! I got off really lucky though, only a few road rashes, a hole in my thumb and a bunged up knee. bike got off w/ a few scratches to the brake hoods and derailler. course, i also had good luck and landed right in front of a firestation... so they came out w/ their truck.... managed to ride 15 miles home w/ a push from two guys... what's sad is that we actually passed people. best advice for falling? don't land arms out stretched... best way is to fall on your forearm and roll onto your shoulder while tucking your head in... this comes from a gymnastics background and works VERY well for warding off nasty injuries save road rash. stay safe and wear that helmet!