"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - To the guy that caused me to crash...

...in the Sterling Road Race.


**** you.


Edit:

Now that I am much calmer, let me tell my tale.

I was riding along with the cat 4s and 5s <35. The crash happened about halfway through lap one, maybe a little later than that. I was riding on the yellow, and a few guys ahead of me were as well. All of a sudden I hear yelling and see three or so people infront of me skidding everywhere with their brakes locked up. As they started to fall over on the left lane, I went way left off the road so I wouldn't run any of them over. The plan was to ride on the lawn and quick jump back into the group. Unfortunately there was a large pile of cut down branches directly in my path. I ran straight into them. I front flipped, then tucked and rolled. My left shoulder was in a lot of pain, as was the inside of my right leg. I was quickly tended to by an EMT.

Here's the result of the crash

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h62/roy5000x2/IMG_2261.jpg
end of top tube
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h62/roy5000x2/IMG_2263.jpg
down tube
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h62/roy5000x2/IMG_2265.jpg
head tube
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h62/roy5000x2/IMG_2266.jpg
down tube
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h62/roy5000x2/IMG_2267.jpg
top of down tube

I also spent the last 15 mintues pulling shards of carbon out of my leg.

I was dropped off at the start finish where I could view my teammates grab 3rd and 4th. There was a mechanical engineer there that had worked quite a bit in the cycling industry, and he was able to tell me how I crashed and how the frame failed.

In the end it was an unavoidable crash that happened infront of me. I just needed to rant.

To the guy that caused me to crash...

a craig's list ad might be more effective.

Welcome to the world of bike racing? *shrug

Happens, man. Don't hold a grudge or race with fear. Both will screw with you.

Happens, man. Don't hold a grudge or race with fear. Both will screw with you.

Thus why I'm angry now instead of later :D

Sorry for your loss there.

Neo Exile?

http://lfm.mit.edu/blog/drewhill/files/nuclear-explosion.jpg

How high was the mushroom cloud?


Seriously, hope you're alright. Sorry about the bike. I crashed today too. It happens, that's racing.

http://lfm.mit.edu/blog/drewhill/files/nuclear-explosion.jpg

How high was the mushroom cloud?


Seriously, hope you're alright. Sorry about the bike. I crashed today too. It happens, that's racing.

http://fhg.longmint.com/lm/fhg/video/101_Pink_Casual_sszav/images/header.jpg

Wow that is one broken frame. At least you walked away from the whole thing, going over ur bars can easy lead to a broken collar bone.

I hit a large pile up today too; went over the bars into the ditch. Bike is ok and only minor injuries.

More disappointed as I was in good position and feeling strong. The guys on the front aren't supposed to crash...

Time for several beers.

So you're the one...
Where about on the course did this happen? Was it on the stretch road as you're coming down to where you take a right onto Rt 12? I heard a bunch of commotion/ yelling behind me, but didn't turn to see what happened. I made that mistake last year and was dropped off the back.
Anyways, did you see the culprit(s)? I'm wondering which bikes/ kits they was wearing.
As always, there were a lot of scetchy riders in that race today.
Hope you're all right and can get a replacement bike.

http://lfm.mit.edu/blog/drewhill/files/nuclear-explosion.jpg

How high was the mushroom cloud?



Air traffic control had to warn pilots of the fragments flying around cruising altitude.

It was on the road that lead to Rt. 12. And yes there was a lot of yelling and commotion when the guys ahead of me locked up their brakes. I'm really lucky I was able to walk away from this with only minor injuries. My left shoulder hurts a little, but I've got full range of motion in it. The bike served its purpose as my collegiate/cat 5 bike. Time to save up some money and get a new frame.

I was in that race. There was some of the sketchiest riding I've ever been a part of happening in that field today, it was more of the same for 2 laps after your crash. I'm sorry about your bike. What kind of bike was that? its now unrecognizable.

My bad - I was in the over 35, not your race.
You were the talk of the race when people saw you walking around the finish line with your bike.

Not to be a d-bag, BUT:

You were riding on the yellow line, and went into the grass, and someone else caused you to crash?

Heal fast, and I hope you can get a new frame quickly. I put aside a few 100 bucks in another bank account so I have an emergency fund for life.

See if you can get a cheap Al frame on the thread that was started recently. Some were like 200 bucks.

in his defense, the race went alot like this: build up speed, sudden brake check! --- repeat.

I hit a large pile up today too; went over the bars into the ditch. Bike is ok and only minor injuries.

More disappointed as I was in good position and feeling strong. The guys on the front aren't supposed to crash...

Time for several beers.

Crap, sorry to hear that too, but you did come out a lot better. :beer:


in his defense, the race went alot like this: build up speed, sudden brake check! --- repeat.

Time for a new script: build up speed, sudden brake check! :wtf: attack, build up speed, attack, build up attacks, speed.

Wait, so who caused you to crash? The guy that trimmed his trees?

Wait, so who caused you to crash? The guy that trimmed his trees?

bingo! :D

bingo! :D

Lmfao!

I got caught behind that crash....I had a perfect view of your flip.....spent the entire trip up Route 12 chasing back to the pack. By the time I caught them it was time to go up the hill again and I had no energy left. I got dropped then. Finished lap 2 solo, then pulled off to wait and watch the finish.

Anyways, I have to agree with whoever said there was sketchy riding going on. There was no need for alot of stuff that I saw during the short time I was with the group. The crappy road conditions on the downhills didn't help things at all either.

Hope your shoulder feels better.

More disappointed as I was in good position and feeling strong. The guys on the front aren't supposed to crash...

I was in that situation in race last year. The front two guys came together and my teammate was behind them and plowed into them, and I was right behind that. I escaped the carnage but just barely and completely "shut it down".

sorry to read of the crash. you're lucky that there wasn't a car opposing you on the other side of the yellow line.

All of a sudden I hear yelling and see three or so people infront of me skidding everywhere with their brakes locked up. ...

As they started to fall over on the left lane, I went way left off the road so I wouldn't run any of them over. The plan was to ride on the lawn and quick jump back into the group.

Glad to hear you're relatively ok. And I'll preface my comments with the acknowledgement that hindsight is 20-20.

There are a couple of takeaways from this:

1) Keep your vision up the road. It sounds like by watching further up than the wheel in front of you you might have avoided this.

2) Sometimes you just have to take your medicine. You stop, and you don't wreck.

3) Don't go left.

Wait, so who caused you to crash? The guy that trimmed his trees?

darn people and their gardens

The brush was from the December ice storm we had here in New England. Piles of it everwhere.
For the most part the closer you were to the center yellow the better off you were. The right sides of the roads were in rough shape and keep getting worse every year.

There are a lot of photos of the race and your bike on the Minutemen Road Club forum.... I borrowed this one from a flickr set.

Steel is real!

Steel is real!

I do know a guy that builds steel frames....

that is why a lot of people race cheaper aluminum frames. it is unfortunate but it does happen. get better quick :)

sorry to hear of your off but that is the roll of the dice we all take when coming off the bike. also, you should not buy a bike planning on crashing it ... you should buy the best bike you can for the $$ you have. a wheel has way more chance of getting trashed than a frame and if you used the 'don't buy the good stuff' mentality then everyone would be racing on 36 spoke box clinchers .... but i am pretty sure a lot of the dudes have trick go-fast zipps or other >$1k wheelsets...

again, glad you are not hurt but it's the roll of the dice that determines how you come out of a crash and it sounds like you did OK ... considering you are not injured.

sorry to hear of your off but that is the roll of the dice we all take when coming off the bike. also, you should not buy a bike planning on crashing it ... you should buy the best bike you can for the $$ you have. a wheel has way more chance of getting trashed than a frame and if you used the 'don't buy the good stuff' mentality then everyone would be racing on 36 spoke box clinchers .... but i am pretty sure a lot of the dudes have trick go-fast zipps or other >$1k wheelsets...

again, glad you are not hurt but it's the roll of the dice that determines how you come out of a crash and it sounds like you did OK ... considering you are not injured.

I have a feeling like you said something important, but I really can't comprehend anything that you wrote...

a craig's list ad might be more effective.

I don't care who you are......THAT'S funny! :lol:

I think I found your mistake right here...

I was riding along with the cat 4s and 5s
:D

The frame did that from a crash into the grass? It looks like the head tube pulled apart. Good luck with your generic frames from taiwan guys. They should be just as good as the one that costs 3X as much cause your just paying for the name anyway ;)

The frame did that from a crash into the grass? It looks like the head tube pulled apart. Good luck with your generic frames from taiwan guys. They should be just as good as the one that costs 3X as much cause your just paying for the name anyway ;)

Actually, if I remember correctly, he went onto the grass and rode into a stack of tree branches about 1.5 to 2 feet high that caused him to do an over the handlebar type flip and land on his shoulder/back.

That entire race was a sketchfest. Way too many people ripping up the side of the pack over the yellow line so they can be in "first place" on the first lap. Group this with surges followed by emergency braking and lets also add in the factor that half the field had no bike handling skills...Sounds like the same old cat 4/5 to me

I was on the right side of the pack when that crash happened, took out about 5 to 6 people. Glad to hear your okay. Also glad that I at least narrowly avoided being a part of it.

That entire race was a sketchfest. Way too many people ripping up the side of the pack over the yellow line so they can be in "first place" on the first lap. Group this with surges followed by emergency braking and lets also add in the factor that half the field had no bike handling skills...Sounds like the same old cat 4/5 to me

I was on the right side of the pack when that crash happened, took out about 5 to 6 people. Glad to hear your okay. Also glad that I at least narrowly avoided being a part of it.

They're just following the oft-quoted advice on what to do to avoid getting caught in a crash ("stay up front!"). Ironically, its probably one of the top reasons a crash occurs. But nobody ever talks about how tough it is to get up front and stay there. By definition, it is beyond the abilities of 80% (if not more) of the field.

I've learned in my precious few races in this, my rookie season, that a 5' to 10' gap will NOT get you dropped... so why bother accelerating and braking hard? In the lower cats, the guys up front don't have the will, the inclination or the fitness to break early (if at all) so the end result is a field sprint EVERY DAMN TIME.

Might as well follow a decent wheel in front of you, settle in and keep your efforts smooth and steady.

And, yeah, I was in that race as well. Lots of sketchy riders, but hey, its a Cat5 field... what did you expect?

I have a feeling like you said something important, but I really can't comprehend anything that you wrote...

:thumb:

here's the deal ... if you feel the pack is nervous, then go to the front and stay within the top 10 riders. also, if you see someone riding out-of-line feel free to yell at them and tell them to hold their line. if someone is near you and you don't like it because they are swerving around ... yell at them and tell them to chill. bottom line, someone has to keep these meatheads in line and no one better than yourself. :D

here's the deal ... if you feel the pack is nervous, then go to the front and stay within the top 10 riders. also, if you see someone riding out-of-line feel free to yell at them and tell them to hold their line. if someone is near you and you don't like it because they are swerving around ... yell at them and tell them to chill. bottom line, someone has to keep these meatheads in line and no one better than yourself.

In a cat 5 race, don't be that guy that thinks he knows more than everyone else. You are all, by definition, inexperienced.

The frame did that from a crash into the grass? It looks like the head tube pulled apart. Good luck with your generic frames from taiwan guys. They should be just as good as the one that costs 3X as much cause your just paying for the name anyway ;)

I couldn't help but think this too. How fast were you going? I've crashed straight into other people/objects like that before, but I've never seen a bike detonate like that.

:thumb:

here's the deal ... if you feel the pack is nervous, then go to the front and stay within the top 10 riders.

yellow line rule + average fitness + bad BF advice = crash


also, if you see someone riding out-of-line feel free to yell at them and tell them to hold their line.

only serves to make them more nervous. Never prevented anything in the history of racing. Result: crash

also, if you see someone riding out-of-line feel free to yell at them and tell them to hold their line.

I have never once heard this expression in a race and if I did, I'd probably have to drop out from laughter.

"American Flyers" was not a good representation of race lingo.

I have never once heard this expression in a race and if I did, I'd probably have to drop out from laughter.

"American Flyers" was not a good representation of race lingo.

That's cause you're not a Cat 4. I, on the other hand, hear it all the time.

In a cat 5 race, don't be that guy that thinks he knows more than everyone else. You are all, by definition, inexperienced.

However, in a Cat4 race, be that guy!

I have no problem being that guy, if it means I and my teammates (and the rest of the field) get to the finish safely. Usually some stern but kind words do the trick - "Hey man, I've noticed you've been pretty wobbly and nervous since the first lap. Stay calm, ok?"

It's not much better when said in a cat 4 race...

Thankfully that crap has been a lot less common in the 3s

It's not much better when said in a cat 4 race...

Thankfully that crap has been a lot less common in the 3s


Sketchy riding or calling it out?

Sketchy riding or calling it out?

know-it-alls yelling

know-it-alls yelling

Yeah, yelling, not cool.

Riding up next to the sketchy-dude and having a private word with him? Aces.

That's cause you're not a Cat 4. I, on the other hand, hear it all the time.


dude i tell you what ... the 'hold your line' statement is pretty straight lingo in the north east... i race 3's and have had plenty 1,2's say it to me in 1/2/3 races.

also, for the rest of my suggestions... if you don't feel they are worth anything (i have been racing for about ... 20 yrs) then don't listen to them :thumb: