Advocacy & Safety - My accident

So I had just gotten back from a college class, and I was off to work, I had put on a new front wheel that was true, so I was pretty excited. I tightened the wheel, but evidently not enough. I made it about halfway of the one mile trip to work. as I lifted the front tire a bit to ease over the bump of a driveway, lights out. my wheel had fallen out from under me. I was about 5 feet off the main road I had just crossed and I was unconcious on the ground for about 10 minutes until a cop just happened to find me. my helmet didn't do much for my face, I have a broken nose, missing front tooth, stitches on my lip and cheek, and a concussion from a blow that i assume to be the goose egg above my left eyebrow. the lesson I learned is... don't be in a hurry, take my time and be safe before trips, even short ones. Alot of these details I was told later, I don't remember much about that entire day, I was in the hospital for 2 days after that, and I was released yesterday. I need a new rim and brake levers, and to be a lot safer. Either way I'm emberrased but happy to be here.:o

I did that in a car once. Forgot to tighten all the lug nuts on the left rear wheel. It came off and went flying by me while I was driving on the highway at about 55 MPH. :eek:

Glad you weren't hurt worse.

Ouch!
I did something very similar when I was 15, pulled a wheelie, lost the wheel and ate the pavement. My braces saved my teeth, but having them pulled back into position didn't feel too good.
Hope you heal up fast.

I remember doing that when I was 15 or 16. I lifted the front up to get off a curb and saw the front wheel bounce away. All I could think was, "I hope this doesn't screw up my shock." (This was back when front forks were relatively new.)

You'll heal and sounds like you already came away from it a little wiser. That's what life is all about. Plus, you'll get a really cool scar and story out of it. :thumb:

I am sorry to her that, those injuries sound harsh. I hope you get well soon.

Do use a quick release?

Someone once told me that when tightening a quick release it should leave an impression on the palm of your hand.

Shhh! Don't mention head injuries/concussion in the same sentence mentioning that you were wearing a helmet. You might upset some people around here.

Shhh! Don't mention head injuries/concussion in the same sentence mentioning that you were wearing a helmet. You might upset some people around here.

I'll bite, if only to point out the obvious. He pancaked on his face, nothing short of a full face helmet would have lessened the blow.

I'll bite, if only to point out the obvious. He pancaked on his face, nothing short of a full face helmet would have lessened the blow.So a standard bicycle helmet is not good enough? ALL cyclist should be force to wear FULL face helmets?

I am confused, since he hit his face and not his head, how did he get a concussion?

Do use a quick release?

Someone once told me that when tightening a quick release it should leave an impression on the palm of your hand.

While that may be true, now with the introduction of "lawyers lips" on newer bikes, it is actually possible to tighten the QR on the lips and not have any real grip on the dropout. Then the first jarring motion allows the QR to work loose of the thin grip it had, instead of the fat grip it should have. Of course, the lawyers never thought of that... :rolleyes:

I am confused, since he hit his face and not his head, how did he get a concussion?

Sorry, last time I checked the face was located on the head. Landing on his face means he took a hit to the head.

Sorry, last time I checked the face was located on the head. Landing on his face means he took a hit to the head.

:roflmao2: Do we need to discuss anatomy here now?

Sorry, last time I checked the face was located on the head. Landing on his face means he took a hit to the head.So he could not have gotten a concussion if he was wearing a FULL face helmet?

I assure you I was wearing a helmet, the concussion blow was on my left eyebrow lower forehead area. Also the helmet was in retrospect not tightened enough, but I learned a couple things.

I was using a quick release, and I'm sure the fault was mine for not tightening it enough, they always made me nervous, but now it seems my feelings of nervousness are justified. all in all it was a bad day, and I just wanted to share it with you guys.

and wassat about lawyer lips?

So he could not have gotten a concussion if he was wearing a FULL face helmet?

People who wear helmets get concussions all the time. The helmet is to keep your head from breaking open like an egg.

@usurper, just wondering...

Did you just screw the quick release on without also flipping the lever back over so that it locks into place?

Just asking because this is a common mistake that people make.

The lesson here that the OP recognizes is that a properly tightened front wheel (or back wheel for that matter) would have prevented this accident. The helmet debate will go on forever.

you know apricissimus I think I didn't. That was probably the culprit. I was used to using the kind I originally had with no lever, just the butterfly style. But that was probably it. It's the small detail that caused me the most damage this time. I guess pavement 1 face 0. My co-workers minds are gonna be blown when I ride back to work the day I'm cleared to work again hehe.

People who wear helmets get concussions all the time. The helmet is to keep your head from breaking open like an egg.You are a good satire straight man, rowedave76!:thumb:

I'll bite, if only to point out the obvious. He pancaked on his face, nothing short of a full face helmet would have lessened the blow.

So where are the cries for mandatory full-face helmets for cyclists? One could have possibly prevented a head injury/concussion here.

So where are the cries for mandatory full-face helmets for cyclists? One could have possibly prevented a head injury/concussion here.

It would make more sense to have a mandatory ban on quick release wheels except for racing bikes, but then that would cause squeals of outrage from those who believe in their great benefits. And besides, like helmets, there is money to be made from marketing them.

So a standard bicycle helmet is not good enough? ALL cyclist should be force to wear FULL face helmets?

I am confused, since he hit his face and not his head, how did he get a concussion?

Didn't say a full face helmet was mandatory, now did I? I simply pointed out that his helmet was ineffective because of the placement of the blow.

It would make more sense to have a mandatory ban on quick release wheels except for racing bikes, but then that would cause squeals of outrage from those who believe in their great benefits. And besides, like helmets, there is money to be made from marketing them.

I'd go one step further and ban anybody who might be prone to a moments neglect. That way the bike paths and roads would only be populated by the chosen few.

Didn't say a full face helmet was mandatory, now did I? I simply pointed out that his helmet was ineffective because of the placement of the blow.

The helmet was ineffective because of its design, including its lack of capability to offer significant risk reduction except for a very limited range of impact placement or velocity, as well as a fastening arrangement/design that is easy to misadjust/misuse.

I wish you a quick and full recovery usurper, and thank you for posting your incident.

Lawyer lips are the little tabs designed into the fork dropouts of bikes built after the 70's-80's (not sure of the year) that hold the wheel in place in the event that the QR or lock nuts are a little loose.

Thanks almost, I appreciate it!

It would make more sense to have a mandatory ban on quick release wheels except for racing bikes, but then that would cause squeals of outrage from those who believe in their great benefits. And besides, like helmets, there is money to be made from marketing them.

Don't forget to ban 9/16" nuts as well. You know quite well that the people who don't tighten Q/Rs properly will end up running around with loose axle nuts.

You would have folks tig-welding their axles to the dropouts if you had your way :lol:

-Kurt

OK, guys..... Let’s not post content in an effort to infuriate the safety nannies. There are a million other threads already to do that.

Let’s stay on topic with the OP……
…..and obviously the OP is a big sissy. He should’ve gotten up and walked it off, throw the wheel back on and headed on to work. :bike2:
Looks like to me he used this "little" accident just to get of work for a few days.



:p

thats not too far from the truth : )