Fifty Plus (50+) - I ran off the road

I was on a demanding, for me, ride in the Ozarks with my younger (15 years) brother and a friend. The climbs were getting to me, but I was staying with the other two. On a slight decline we were rolling along at about 22 MPH. We were not drafting, so I was around 100 feet behind when I felt something on my leg. It felt like a splash of water, so I started checking out my water bottles in the cages.

All of a sudden, I was off the road at a speed in excess of 20 MPH. There was not a drop off from the pavement, but I was in small rocks and weeds which stood about a foot high. My tires were on the edge of a drop off into the ditch and just over a foot from the pavement. I was bouncing on the rocky terrain and could not see what I was hitting because of the weeds. I yelled, for some reason, and no one could hear me or help me if they could. The only thing the yell did was scare me more.

All this happened in such a short time. After the realization I was in trouble and I finished the noise making it became evident I had to do something positive. I did not want to hit my brakes while going through the rocks because I considered momentum as my friend. The first positive thing I did was to strengthen my grip on the handle bar because I was bouncing fairly hard. Since I was going slightly down hill my speed was not decreasing. I then looked at the pavement and did see a good point ahead where I could move back over. I knew I had to stay vertical in these rocks on my road bike for another short distance so that a safe entry onto the pavement could be made.

When I got to the point I had selected I leaned to my left to take the bike back to the pavement. It felt so good to feel the smooth asphalt under my tires. I then applied the brakes. I came to a stop and looked back at what I had just gone through. This upset me even more. How could I make such a mistake that would put me in definite peril. The whole event probably took no more that 4 or 5 seconds, but left a very large impression.

Stay alert at all times. Simple enough, just stay alert at all times.

Glad you're okay. You kept a cool head, didn't panic, and bailed yourself out of a jam. WTG.

Glad you made it through without any injuries. You were lucky you found a break to get back on the road. It only takes a second of distraction to get into trouble at those speeds.

We had a rider crash last week while checking her water bottles. She wasn't so lucky. She ended up in the hospital with internal injuries where she hit the handle bars. She had her cell phone mounted on her handle bars and it caused the most damage. She spent 3 days in the hospital before they were able to stop the internal bleeding:eek: She has one heck of a black eye, a few other bruises and lots of road rash.

Glad you made it through without any injuries. You were lucky you found a break to get back on the road. It only takes a second of distraction to get into trouble at those speeds.

We had a rider crash last week while checking her water bottles. She wasn't so lucky. She ended up in the hospital with internal injuries where she hit the handle bars. She had her cell phone mounted on her handle bars and it caused the most damage. She spent 3 days in the hospital before they were able to stop the internal bleeding:eek: She has one heck of a black eye, a few other bruises and lots of road rash.
Geez Bev, sorry to hear that...I hope it wasn't anyone I met last summer from DCC.

I was on a demanding, for me, ride in the Ozarks with my younger (15 years) brother and a friend. The climbs were getting to me, but I was staying with the other two. On a slight decline we were rolling along at about 22 MPH. We were not drafting, so I was around 100 feet behind when I felt something on my leg. It felt like a splash of water, so I started checking out my water bottles in the cages.

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A definite vote for the Bicycle Padded Depends. Had you been wearing the appropriate attire (BP Depends) then you certainly would not have felt a splash of water on our legs. If it's warm it isn't from your water bottles!

Sounds very scary to me. I've run off of the road/trail a couple of times over the past year, under more controlled circumstances than you, and I felt a great deal of fear both times.

Even people driving cars have a tendency to jerk back onto the road too quickly, even if the danger to them is far less than it was to you. This causes a lot of auto accidents.

Good job of recovering. You don't happen to have any video of the event, do you??

Great recovery. Many people attempt to get back on the road before regaining control and hurt themselves that way. Done well! :)

Good job of recovering. You don't happen to have any video of the event, do you??

Actually I have thought it would have been interesting to see the whole event on video. I would like to see how I managed to get myself in such trouble. It only takes an instant.

It was pure luck that I did not lose control of the bike while banging along over the rocks. The only thing I really did correct was to not immediately try to swerve back on the pavement.

The best way to keep from getting injured in a situation like that is to not get in that situation.

The only thing I really did correct was to not immediately try to swerve back on the pavement.

Yep, a lot of people would have hurt themselves, panicking and trying to get back on the road. Well done.

Actually I have thought it would have been interesting to see the whole event on video. I would like to see how I managed to get myself in such trouble. It only takes an instant.

It was pure luck that I did not lose control of the bike while banging along over the rocks. The only thing I really did correct was to not immediately try to swerve back on the pavement.

The best way to keep from getting injured in a situation like that is to not get in that situation.

I'm not sure that "pure luck" deserves as much credit as it gets. Sometimes, the best thing to do is nothing to very little untill you have sized up the situation. (not entirely easy in those few seconds when your sure your going to really get hurt) Instant panic and the tendency to overcontrol can often be the worst thing to do.

Good one to pull out of Ark.

I ran off the road last week, too. Came around the corner on a downhill and there was a rattlesnake stretched right across my lane. No damage done and I managed to get back on the road without getting crashed or bitten.

Nice job recovering. Fortunately you kept your cool to save yourself.

I, too, have found myself zipping along having a nice time when all of the sudden I'm surprisingly bouncing along through the rough, yelling while holding on for dear life, then stopping afterward to ponder the perilous predicament I just barely made it through. In fact, that's how I lost my virginity.

I'm glad you're O.K.

I believe the incident that you handled so well can be used to explain the
difference between a cyclist and a bike rider. Someday I hope to become
as good a cyclist as you.

Great job, you were lucky. The two times this happened to me I slammed the pavement.

Bike,
I believe that we have all experience this event at some time or another. Sounds as if you had the right reflexes. Seems when I am trying to hold a line very close to the edge of the pavement (especially when in a curve) and then get distracted for any reason, that is when I take the dirt detour.

Geez Bev, sorry to hear that...I hope it wasn't anyone I met last summer from DCC.

No, she didn't ride last year. She's a relatively new rider who had always rode hybrids. This was her first ride on her new Trek Madone. I saw her a couple days ago and she's ready to ride again. She's just waiting on her doctor's release.

She's decided to put platform pedals on the Trek until she's more comfortable with a road bike. I think it was just too much change at one time - different bike, different shifters & brakes, clipless pedals, etc.

No, she didn't ride last year. She's a relatively new rider who had always rode hybrids. This was her first ride on her new Trek Madone. I saw her a couple days ago and she's ready to ride again. She's just waiting on her doctor's release.

She's decided to put platform pedals on the Trek until she's more comfortable with a road bike. I think it was just too much change at one time - different bike, different shifters & brakes, clipless pedals, etc.
Cool. I'm glad she's gonna be okay.

No, she didn't ride last year. She's a relatively new rider who had always rode hybrids. This was her first ride on her new Trek Madone. I saw her a couple days ago and she's ready to ride again. She's just waiting on her doctor's release.

She's decided to put platform pedals on the Trek until she's more comfortable with a road bike. I think it was just too much change at one time - different bike, different shifters & brakes, clipless pedals, etc.

I can identify with this. I almost crashed twice on road bike test rides in the last year. And this was without clipping in. Probably would have crashed if I had. The weight distribution is so different, and I'm always fighting the brifters. I got out of control a couple of times, once riding off of the road.