I flipped bike, broke shoulder

[Ook]

Riding through parking lot, kid on bike zips out from behind parked car. I
apply brakes, bike flips, I break shoulder. The front brakes on this bike
are very strong, and it's not that hard to flip the bike. Is this normal?
Can anything be done to weaken the brakes? I'm almost afraid to ride the
damn thing anymore.

 

[Jay Adair]

I hit the rear brake firstest and hardest - then squeeze in some of the
front....but in a panic it is hard to keep off the front since, as you say,
it works so well.



"Ook" <Ook Don't send me any freakin' spam at zootal dot com delete the
Don't send me any freakin' spam> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Riding through parking lot, kid on bike zips out from behind parked car. I
> apply brakes, bike flips, I break shoulder. The front brakes on this bike
> are very strong, and it's not that hard to flip the bike. Is this normal?
> Can anything be done to weaken the brakes? I'm almost afraid to ride the
> damn thing anymore.
>

 

[D T W .../\\...]

"Ook" <Ook Don't send me any freakin' spam at zootal dot com delete the
Don't send me any freakin' spam> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Riding through parking lot, kid on bike zips out from behind parked car. I
> apply brakes, bike flips, I break shoulder. The front brakes on this bike
> are very strong, and it's not that hard to flip the bike. Is this normal?
> I'm almost afraid to ride the damn thing anymore.


senario #2

1) Shoulder healed.
2) Riding bike with weak brakes.
3) Bus goes thru red light,,,,,,,,,,,
4) Can anything be done to strengthen the brakes?

--
DTW .../\.../\.../\...

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per "Ook" <Ook Don't send me any freakin' spam at zootal dot com delete the
Don't send me any freakin' spam>:
>Riding through parking lot, kid on bike zips out from behind parked car. I
>apply brakes, bike flips, I break shoulder. The front brakes on this bike
>are very strong, and it's not that hard to flip the bike. Is this normal?

Depends on the brakes.

When your shoulder heals, maybe practice hard stops. What I do at the same
time I brake is get my weight on my feet and slide my butt back behind the
saddle. Do that a half-dozen times every time you ride, and it will be come a
reflex.
--
PeteCresswell

 

[Shawn]

Ook wrote:
> Riding through parking lot, kid on bike zips out from behind parked car. I
> apply brakes, bike flips, I break shoulder. The front brakes on this bike
> are very strong, and it's not that hard to flip the bike. Is this normal?
> Can anything be done to weaken the brakes? I'm almost afraid to ride the
> damn thing anymore.
>
>
Bummer. This may sound harsh right now, but it sounds like the problem
was with your reaction or skill and not with the bike. Front brakes are
supposed to be powerful. If it can't put you OTB on dry pavement, it's
messed up. You'll be glad you have a strong front brake on a bumpy 2000
foot descent after three hours of hard riding.
Practice is how you condition yourself to get the most out of them safely.
Heal fast and get out and practice.

Shawn

P.S. Won't hurt to take your bike to your LBS and have it checked over.

 

[LeeD]

Downhill situations, I always leave two fingers on the front brake
lever. My brakes aren't particularly strong (V brakes, old HooKooE)
and it stops fine, no locking.
Some old motocrossers, you'd leave 3 fingers on brake levers of weak
braked bikes (CZ, Montesa, Bultaco), and ONE finger on disc braked
watercoolers.
Leaving some fingers on the levers gives you Emergency subtlety, so
you don't do what you did.....

 

[Ook]

"Shawn" <sdotherecurry@bresnannextdotnet> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Ook wrote:
>> Riding through parking lot, kid on bike zips out from behind parked car.
>> I apply brakes, bike flips, I break shoulder. The front brakes on this
>> bike are very strong, and it's not that hard to flip the bike. Is this
>> normal? Can anything be done to weaken the brakes? I'm almost afraid to
>> ride the damn thing anymore.
> Bummer. This may sound harsh right now, but it sounds like the problem
> was with your reaction or skill and not with the bike.
<snip>

Sigh...I'm afraid you might be right...ten years ago I flipped over a speed
bump in a dark parking lot and broke my collar bone. I've hardly ridden
since then, and now this. My skill level is veeery low.

 

[LeeD]

"MY SKILL LEVEL IS VEEERY LOW..."
Gotta say, maybe NOT!!!
Most peeps crash with enough riding.
The ones who don't get hurt usually turn pro and are visibly making
money leading the pack.
The ones' who don't get hurt, but don't get fast enough are either
disinterested, or just don't have the talent to go fast enough to crash
and get hurt!
I got hurt lots, maybe due to lack of talent. But finally turned
Expert, broke another arm, and gave up racing.
Do we know anyone who rode lots and didn't have multiple broken
bones, clavicles, fingers, and ribs?
I knew a few, they weren't into riding!
Just about every Expert or Pro rider I know has gone thru a
succession of injuries, but they're aren't the lucky ones you see on TV!

 

[Shawn]

Ook wrote:
> "Shawn" <sdotherecurry@bresnannextdotnet> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>Ook wrote:
>>
>>>Riding through parking lot, kid on bike zips out from behind parked car.
>>>I apply brakes, bike flips, I break shoulder. The front brakes on this
>>>bike are very strong, and it's not that hard to flip the bike. Is this
>>>normal? Can anything be done to weaken the brakes? I'm almost afraid to
>>>ride the damn thing anymore.
>>
>>Bummer. This may sound harsh right now, but it sounds like the problem
>>was with your reaction or skill and not with the bike.
>
> <snip>
>
> Sigh...I'm afraid you might be right...ten years ago I flipped over a speed
> bump in a dark parking lot and broke my collar bone. I've hardly ridden
> since then, and now this. My skill level is veeery low.

There are lots of How To clinics out there. When our healed up try one.
I live in a dinky little town and even our local shop has them.
Build your confidence, skill, and enthusiasm gradually so that when you
have your next major biff, and you will-sorry, you'll be so wrapped up
in the sport that you will do what ever it takes to get back on the bike.
Works for most of us.

Shawn

 

[[email protected]]

Look everywhere while going thu parking lots and your
live longer. I enter a mall parking lot while its just about dead and
dark. But when leaving after work its like a battle to stay alive.

 

[[email protected]]

Skill is what you need to work on. Plus eye and head
movement.

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per [email protected]:
>Look everywhere while going thu parking lots and your
>live longer.

Couple years ago, I came off a railroad embankment into a corporate parking lot,
cornered around some cargo containers, and got clotheslined right at the Adam's
apple by some polypro rope. Couldn't swallow right for about two weeks. If it
had been steel cable I think they'd have found what was left half-eaten by the
buzzards.
--
PeteCresswell

 

[Robert Schultz]

Ook wrote:

>"Shawn" <sdotherecurry@bresnannextdotnet> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>
>
>>Ook wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Riding through parking lot, kid on bike zips out from behind parked car.
>>>I apply brakes, bike flips, I break shoulder. The front brakes on this
>>>bike are very strong, and it's not that hard to flip the bike. Is this
>>>normal? Can anything be done to weaken the brakes? I'm almost afraid to
>>>ride the damn thing anymore.
>>>
>>>
>>Bummer. This may sound harsh right now, but it sounds like the problem
>>was with your reaction or skill and not with the bike.
>>
>>
><snip>
>
>Sigh...I'm afraid you might be right...ten years ago I flipped over a speed
>bump in a dark parking lot and broke my collar bone. I've hardly ridden
>since then, and now this. My skill level is veeery low.
>
>
>
>
A few years ago while teaching a Learn to MTB Clinic, I watched in
horror as a newbie tagged a root and went OTB on a steep downhill. Then
in mid-air, he turned his body and rolled into a real nice landing. When
I asked him how he had done that, he credited his JuJitsu training as a
kid. Maybe you might want to consider something like this as it sounds
like your landings are a little on the hard side (2 major injuries to
the shoulder).

I figure I must fall well because I've been riding fairly seriously for
15 years now and I've had one hospital visit for a riding injury - I
fell in a parking lot and put my hand on a piece of broken glass :-(.
Now that's not to say I've had no other injuries, just nothing serious
enough for the hospital.

Rob S.