Race crash poll
03-23-16, 12:53 PM
#1
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Race crash poll
I'm back from the 41, it's been a while.
Anyway, here's a question that came up over there and this crowd is probably better equipped to answer. Since the poll option isn't very useful, I guess I'll just post some questions and if you guys want to answer I'm curious to see the results.
1. Have you wrecked in a race? How many times?
2. If you've wrecked, what frame material were you on?
3. Did you have any frame damage in any of your wrecks?
4. If the frame was carbon and was damaged, did you repair it?
There seems to be a general fear of racing crits on carbon for newer riders. I've never had any problem with it and I've crashed twice in races without any frame damage. I've also noted elsewhere that carbon can be repaired for certain types of damage (and for a somewhat hefty sum) while a cracked aluminum frame is toast.
I'm not trying to get the backstory on whether the wreck was your fault or how you feel about one material versus another, I'm just wondering how often frame-damaging crashes actually occur in races.
Anyway, here's a question that came up over there and this crowd is probably better equipped to answer. Since the poll option isn't very useful, I guess I'll just post some questions and if you guys want to answer I'm curious to see the results.
1. Have you wrecked in a race? How many times?
2. If you've wrecked, what frame material were you on?
3. Did you have any frame damage in any of your wrecks?
4. If the frame was carbon and was damaged, did you repair it?
There seems to be a general fear of racing crits on carbon for newer riders. I've never had any problem with it and I've crashed twice in races without any frame damage. I've also noted elsewhere that carbon can be repaired for certain types of damage (and for a somewhat hefty sum) while a cracked aluminum frame is toast.
I'm not trying to get the backstory on whether the wreck was your fault or how you feel about one material versus another, I'm just wondering how often frame-damaging crashes actually occur in races.
03-23-16, 01:37 PM
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1. Yes. Three times. Two RRs, one Crit.
2. Carbon/Aluminum mix, Aluminum, Aluminum.
3. Yes, cracked carbon in crash one (couldn't be repaired), dented then cracked aluminum in crash two. No frame damage in crash three.
4. No. Could not be repaired due to carbon/aluminum mix.
The more important question, I think, is the myth that crits are somehow more dangerous and crash filled than RRs. My experience has proven that to not be the case. Yes, I went down in one crit, but I have seen many more crashes and seen much more horrific damage to bikes and racers in RRs than in crits.
2. Carbon/Aluminum mix, Aluminum, Aluminum.
3. Yes, cracked carbon in crash one (couldn't be repaired), dented then cracked aluminum in crash two. No frame damage in crash three.
4. No. Could not be repaired due to carbon/aluminum mix.
The more important question, I think, is the myth that crits are somehow more dangerous and crash filled than RRs. My experience has proven that to not be the case. Yes, I went down in one crit, but I have seen many more crashes and seen much more horrific damage to bikes and racers in RRs than in crits.
03-23-16, 01:52 PM
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It can be scary and ego-damaging the first time around! Even after that in fact..
Just tallied mine and it was nine wrecks since I started in 2009.
All of those on carbon frames; two of them required the frame to be fixed.
03-23-16, 01:53 PM
#7
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1. Yes. Three times. Two RRs, one Crit.
2. Carbon/Aluminum mix, Aluminum, Aluminum.
3. Yes, cracked carbon in crash one (couldn't be repaired), dented then cracked aluminum in crash two. No frame damage in crash three.
4. No. Could not be repaired due to carbon/aluminum mix.
The more important question, I think, is the myth that crits are somehow more dangerous and crash filled than RRs. My experience has proven that to not be the case. Yes, I went down in one crit, but I have seen many more crashes and seen much more horrific damage to bikes and racers in RRs than in crits.
2. Carbon/Aluminum mix, Aluminum, Aluminum.
3. Yes, cracked carbon in crash one (couldn't be repaired), dented then cracked aluminum in crash two. No frame damage in crash three.
4. No. Could not be repaired due to carbon/aluminum mix.
The more important question, I think, is the myth that crits are somehow more dangerous and crash filled than RRs. My experience has proven that to not be the case. Yes, I went down in one crit, but I have seen many more crashes and seen much more horrific damage to bikes and racers in RRs than in crits.
03-23-16, 02:00 PM
#8
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2008
2 crashes. Both in road races, both in rain. Steel bike. No damage in 1st crash. Nasty creased dent in top tube from second crash. Bike was 20 years old, so I considered it toast at that point. 10 or 11 races that year.
2011
1 crash. Crit. Aluminum bike. No damage. Only did two races that year.
2012
One crash. Crit. Steel bike. Minor dent in top tube. Still racing that bike, dent and all. That's from at least 17 races entered.
2013
Crashed FOUR TIMES. What a stupid year. Two in road races, two in crits. Steel bike. No damage. Probably did somewhat fewer road races than 2012, due to moving long-distance midsummer. I had another crash racing cyclocross that fall, broke my collarbone. Also a steel bike. Also undamaged. But that's a different thing.
2015
One crash. Crit. Steel bike. No damage. That's from 12 or so road races entered.
Geez, it looks like I crash a lot. Doesn't feel that way, but there you go. Totalling up crits versus road races, that's four RR crashes, five crit crashes. Too small a sample size to draw a real conclusion.
2 crashes. Both in road races, both in rain. Steel bike. No damage in 1st crash. Nasty creased dent in top tube from second crash. Bike was 20 years old, so I considered it toast at that point. 10 or 11 races that year.
2011
1 crash. Crit. Aluminum bike. No damage. Only did two races that year.
2012
One crash. Crit. Steel bike. Minor dent in top tube. Still racing that bike, dent and all. That's from at least 17 races entered.
2013
Crashed FOUR TIMES. What a stupid year. Two in road races, two in crits. Steel bike. No damage. Probably did somewhat fewer road races than 2012, due to moving long-distance midsummer. I had another crash racing cyclocross that fall, broke my collarbone. Also a steel bike. Also undamaged. But that's a different thing.
2015
One crash. Crit. Steel bike. No damage. That's from 12 or so road races entered.
Geez, it looks like I crash a lot. Doesn't feel that way, but there you go. Totalling up crits versus road races, that's four RR crashes, five crit crashes. Too small a sample size to draw a real conclusion.
03-23-16, 02:12 PM
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Crashed in 1 RR and 1 Crit, same carbon frame. Nothing more than cosmetic knicks in either after having the LBS check the bike out - consider myself lucky as I walked away with a concussion and a bad back from going over the handlebars. I've seen much more damage to wheels than frames (half the field has wheels pricier than my entire rig!)
03-23-16, 02:31 PM
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In 2014, I was crashed out in a crit(came from behind: guy sprinted right into me outta nowhere and landed on me) and broke both arms, elbow and collar bone. The medical bills topped $30K luckily I have good health insurance. The bike, aluminum Caad, was barely harmed. I replaced the bars as a good faith measure.
^why I am still almost trepid pinning up.
^why I am still almost trepid pinning up.
03-23-16, 02:48 PM
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I haven't crashed in a race since like 2013 - broken clavicle. Bike was fine.
A couple of times I've dabbed or even once put a hand down, but they were 0-speed climbing incidents where guys overlapped ahead of me. No damag.e
A couple of times I've dabbed or even once put a hand down, but they were 0-speed climbing incidents where guys overlapped ahead of me. No damag.e
03-23-16, 03:25 PM
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1. Yes. Three times. Two crits and one road race.
2. All on carbon.
3. Cracked frame in first crash (separated shoulder, too).
4. Repaired frame for $250. All good again.
2. All on carbon.
3. Cracked frame in first crash (separated shoulder, too).
4. Repaired frame for $250. All good again.
03-23-16, 03:57 PM
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2 times: once at Nationals in a crit, Once last weekend in a circuit race. Both scenarios were almost identical, a rider taking a poor line on a corner goes down in front of me.
Both times on a carbon bike. Bent shifters, cosmetic damage only. No frame damage.
Both times on a carbon bike. Bent shifters, cosmetic damage only. No frame damage.
03-23-16, 04:05 PM
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This is only my second year racing. Most of last season as a 5, upgraded to 4 mid-summer.
So far I've only gone down once, it was in a RR. Cracked CF frame. It should be repairable, but I haven't done so yet (bought a new frameset, with plans to rebuild the repaired frame as a backup/beater).
IMHO the fear of crits is unfounded; I see more crashes in road races. I think it's because the higher pace in most crits will have things more strung out.
Road races, on the other hand you're more likely to have larger, tighter packs and the "accordion effect" is more pronounced. Pace changes due to wind/hills can catch riders further back in the pack unaware and cause those big pile-ups.
So far I've only gone down once, it was in a RR. Cracked CF frame. It should be repairable, but I haven't done so yet (bought a new frameset, with plans to rebuild the repaired frame as a backup/beater).
IMHO the fear of crits is unfounded; I see more crashes in road races. I think it's because the higher pace in most crits will have things more strung out.
Road races, on the other hand you're more likely to have larger, tighter packs and the "accordion effect" is more pronounced. Pace changes due to wind/hills can catch riders further back in the pack unaware and cause those big pile-ups.
03-23-16, 07:08 PM
#18
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In last 15-20 years, 3 crashes (race, race, training). Alum, carbon/alum, alum, no damage, no damage, no damage. Me, road rash, double pelvic fracture, road rash.
The prior 10 years, so 20-30 years ago, I probably crashed... well at least 10 times. For 5 years I crashed in training at least annually, 3 times in one corner alone. For the next 5 years I crashed annually racing. One of those years I crashed 4 times in 5 races (all of them riders in front of me crashing or riders sliding through my wheels mid-turn). The year I crashed 4x in 5 races my poor Cannondale frame got bashed up each crash. After the last crash if I let go of the bars the bike dove to one side. I had my then girlfriend put it in a dumpster while I was away because I couldn't bear parting with it myself. It's the only frame that I "broke" crashing. I never broke a bone until 2009 in the aforementioned double pelvic fracture.
A friend of mine crashed pretty hard 3x on a Specialized carbon in the 2009-2010 era. He used pre-preg sheets and repaired his frame himself. Still rides it as far as I know, and he was racing it for years after the last home-patch.
The prior 10 years, so 20-30 years ago, I probably crashed... well at least 10 times. For 5 years I crashed in training at least annually, 3 times in one corner alone. For the next 5 years I crashed annually racing. One of those years I crashed 4 times in 5 races (all of them riders in front of me crashing or riders sliding through my wheels mid-turn). The year I crashed 4x in 5 races my poor Cannondale frame got bashed up each crash. After the last crash if I let go of the bars the bike dove to one side. I had my then girlfriend put it in a dumpster while I was away because I couldn't bear parting with it myself. It's the only frame that I "broke" crashing. I never broke a bone until 2009 in the aforementioned double pelvic fracture.
A friend of mine crashed pretty hard 3x on a Specialized carbon in the 2009-2010 era. He used pre-preg sheets and repaired his frame himself. Still rides it as far as I know, and he was racing it for years after the last home-patch.
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03-23-16, 07:18 PM
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Two crashes in my last few races maybe four or five years ago. The bikes turned out well with minimal damage. The bikes fared better than me with a broken finger and some serious road rash scars.
03-24-16, 02:06 AM
#20
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1. Have you wrecked in a race? How many times?
yes; hmm... 5 or 6? three/four of those happened in one month last year, two happened in one crit (I have scars)
2. If you've wrecked, what frame material were you on?
carbon/aluminum
3. Did you have any frame damage in any of your wrecks?
no just scraped handlebar, bent hanger
4. If the frame was carbon and was damaged, did you repair it?
n/a
yes; hmm... 5 or 6? three/four of those happened in one month last year, two happened in one crit (I have scars)
2. If you've wrecked, what frame material were you on?
carbon/aluminum
3. Did you have any frame damage in any of your wrecks?
no just scraped handlebar, bent hanger
4. If the frame was carbon and was damaged, did you repair it?
n/a
03-24-16, 11:15 PM
#22
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Road Raced 20-30 times annually over the last 6 years, and have hit the floor twice. I was riding carbon and never damaged a frame, but cracked a 404.
03-30-16, 12:07 AM
#24
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Maybe 130 races, 2 crashes in crits, one at track.
First crash was my second crit, just road rash.
Second crash was at track last year, big slow up in the 1/2/3 race with 2 laps to go, rebuild both wheels, Bike fine.
Third crash was just a few weeks ago, big bunch up in 3/4 crit. Rolled out and got back on no damage. But my teammate in that crash broke his carbon frame, half his rear triangle came off.
First crash was my second crit, just road rash.
Second crash was at track last year, big slow up in the 1/2/3 race with 2 laps to go, rebuild both wheels, Bike fine.
Third crash was just a few weeks ago, big bunch up in 3/4 crit. Rolled out and got back on no damage. But my teammate in that crash broke his carbon frame, half his rear triangle came off.
