Road Cycling - Stupid Crash

Today wasn't going too hot as it was, physics final wasn't all that great, ripped my pants on my school bike's chainring, book sell back line was long, my dog is in suregery, plus its windy again today. Nonetheless I set out for a two hour ride. I'm going against the wind for an hour, actually didnt mind it at all too much today. Turn around, pop into the big ring and start cruising. Well, I was trying to practice looking back without turning my head, while Im in the drops I kind of look between my arm and my leg to check out traffic. I think this is how sprinters check behind them, anyway Im doing this and look up and realize I've drifted straight into the curb. Remind you this is with the tailwind so I was moving at a pretty good rate. I hit the ground on my right side, all the scars and areas I had screwed up this past summer in a crash are now mimicked all over again. Plus Ive got pretty bad road rash on my shoulder and near my ankle Im missing a big patch of skin. Good news is that only the right STI (the inside somehow) is scraped. Nothing else is busted or scratched. Everything is still aligned somehow. I was cursing myself the entire ride back home, using words that I cant put on the forums!!! I guess Im just ranting. I'll be back on the bike tomorrow,thur,fri if I can because I leave for winter break come saturday to take some time off the bike, build up some leg strength in the gym and do a little running then come back and maybe try to start a program so I can race.

ouch! that's a major bummer, sorry to hear.

i guess sprinters can get away with looking under their arms/legs because they've got a closed course and are riding in the middle of the road. perhaps stick to the good ol' fashioned over-the-shoulder method when riding in real world conditions? :) you'll heal, and you've got the right attitude.

Sorry to hear about your crash, glad the bike and you are both ok. (notice the order? :D )
'Course I've never done anything stoopid myself. :rolleyes: No sir! not me! :p

Normally I look over my shoulder but I was thinking when Im down in the drops this way might be a little easier, I know its not safer now! Dont worry about the order grampy, I had it in the same order when I was just picking myself up off the ground!

Any time you move your head to check your back there
is a strong risk of the bike drifting in the same direction.
Consider a helmet mounted mirror, or quel horror, a bartip mirror. Steve

Well it is good that your survived your "stupid" crash with only minor injuries.

When I ride, I try to keep a tally of the "dumb" things I do on a ride. The vast majority of the time, when I do something dumb, I get away unscathed. I figure that it is better to learn from one of these then to have my dumb move underlined by a crash before I can learn from it.

I learned this mountain biking...wherever your head or eyes go, that's where the bike goes... ;)

Sounds a bit like a crash I had a while ago. Although instead of looking behind me a kind of fell a sleep while cycling (just got back from a nightshift). Next thing I saw was the curb and me flying through the air. Landed on my head and ribs and arm. But next to some scratches and seeing black spots I was alright. I flew quite far as I could pick my bike up about two meters behind me.... from that day on I cycle a bit slower and no snoozing allowed after a nightshift.

I almost went off the road on my commute yesterday morning. I leave pre dawn and the roads are snowy/icy. I'm on my mountain bike with a front studded Nokian. I am exiting a state highway onto the backroads and going around a jughandle. Little do I realize that I'm going too far towards the end of the road because I was following the snow that's built up on the road. Because this jughandly has no "curb" the plows have kind of plowed the snow litterally about a foot beyond where the road ends and the grass/dirt begins. In the pitch of darkness, I don't realize by following the snow, I'm actually drifting towards the grass/dirt and some big puddles and potholes. I literally do not realize it til I'm practically teetering on the edge of the road and the dirt holes. Fortunately, my studs help me keep that edge and I manage to correct and turn back towards the road. I had a car behind me so I was keeping an eye on him in my mirror which certainly didn't help my drifting...

Jay

I was actually looking back and to the left when I crashed into the curb on my right. The wind might have been pushing me left so I was compensating right, who knows. Im going to go try a short ride, I think I landed on my hip bone a little more than I thought. Oh well.

I use a little mirror that is glued to the inside of my glasses. The package comes with 2 mirrors. I put one on my sunglasses and one on my clear lens glasses. I was skeptical when I purchased these lbs but I love them, wouldn't ride without
them. Only have to turn head a few degrees to get clear view behind you. And they don't look bad because no one can see it but you. Only cost about 12.00.

I will try to learn from your mistake and not do that one myself. I hope your hip heals quickly

looked back over my left shoulder and drifted to the right luckily I went into soft grass. The onlk kicker was that there was a police car behind me so I was very embarrassed.

i kinda actually fell asleep or mometarily was unfocused enough that I fell head of my bike head first around a corner on wet road at 25mph.. BLAH!

Tri, I have also had the same experiance, i too need to need to work on balance when looking back. However, i am sorry to hear that you went down, its no fun, i still emember my crash everyday when i look at myself in the mirror. They are lasting reminders of life, of cycling and of everything we work for. I know you well enough to say that you will get back on your bike and continue. I'm sorry about your current state also, i have been though similar situations and I'm sure the crash didnt help at all. I wish you the best of luck and you better be healed for this summer so i can have someone kick my butt into shape for the crits in DC ;)

-Ross

PS: i hope your dog gets better its never fun when they go to in for surgery.

Thanks spaze, I'm back in VA without my bike so I crashed at a 'good' time in terms of being off the bike. Even though I did ride and it wasnt that big a deal but I still look in the mirror and curse myself because I do think it was such a stupid reason to crash. My dog is doing alright too by the way! Crits seem too crazy for me, I'll push you in the hills but crits you would whoop up on me pretty good I would imagine!

That sounds like what happened to me too. Went into the curb, bike fell to the right, I flew off and rolled over on my side, no harm done cept when the bike went over it landed on the handle bar somehow and snapped the computer off.

I wonder if there's a way in a split second to hop the curb at that point almost parallel to it...

No matter how gauche, uncool, or how many hoots and insults I will get, I am getting a mirror on my next road bike.

Currently, I have a bar-end mounted mirror on my Navigator. Without it I am nearly lost. Plus, having what is commonly called a "bull neck" and fairly wide shoulders, it is very hard for me to glance behind me without turning most of my upper torso. I have to concentrate not to turn the handlebars when I do this.

So, with a mirror, I am orders of magnitude safer, no matter how uncool it is.

Ever noticed how life has this habit of sneaking up and making you look a fool ?
And why only when you have an audience ?

Ever noticed how life has this habit of sneaking up and making you look a fool ?
And why only when you have an audience ?

Exactly.
I'd logged over 90 miles on my new bike as a first-time clipless pedal-user without a "cartoon fall" (i.e., stop, fall over). Until yesterday - when I did it exactly one block from my house, with two cars passing through the intersection that I had to stop for unexpectedly (I was already gearing up for the climb that starts across the street - big mistake). It must have been an ugly dump from their view - one car immediately stopped to ask if I was OK, and the other did the same when I rode past him up the street.

Fortunately, the only thing really hurt was my ego ;) :(.

checking back requires using all your senses...listen for cars or other riders and do what you're comfortable doing. a quick glance over the shoulders works very well. looking under your arms can be very disorienting (as you now know) and your view is very limited. if you watch the tour videos, you will see guys looking over their shoulders all the time.

No matter how gauche, uncool, or how many hoots and insults I will get, I am getting a mirror on my next road bike.
So, with a mirror, I am orders of magnitude safer, no matter how uncool it is.

Even with a bar mirror on my MTB, I would look down at the mirror, then look up to see that the bike was going somewhere I didn't want it to. Early in my biking career I found that I am glancually challanged. (Just a quick glance somewhere results in an unexpected change in direction!) Now I use a helmet mirror all the time, found it's great to use when passing other riders when in a group, no need to look back at all, and you can still see if somebody does something stupid in front of you.