Road Cycling - Peolple riding a lot of miles haven't been injured

How many people that ride large milages per weekly haven't been injured in a bike crash?
Just curious in view of numerous close calls.

I've done thousands of miles (~250 per week) without crashing....
well, once in the last 12 years which was my own dumb fault: I didn't
tighten up the front wheel skewer enough, and the wheel came off as I
flew off a curb on to the road.....BANG...craked rib...stuffed shoulder ligaments.....

In my opinion, many cyclists are more responsible for their
accidents than they care to admit. I can't believe the things some
people do. For example, if you have to swerve to go around a parked
car, it's your responsibilty to look behind to make sure you ain't gunna
get hit. Sometimes in this situation, I come to a complete stop, or even go up on the pavement.

And if you have a suspicion that a driver hasn't seen you and is gunna
pull out in front of you, you can't just say (as some riders do): "I'm not stopping,
I've got right of way", you've gotta do whatever is necessary to avoid a
collision. Some riders have the same attitude when it comes to opening car
doors: "it's not my fault, it's their job to watch out for me....", unbelievable!
AND, some riders ride on dangerous, busy roads that I don't even like driving on!!....

I could write a thesis on this...

You've gotta play the percentages and not put yourself in dangerous situations.

How many people that ride large milages per weekly haven't been injured in a bike crash?
Just curious in view of numerous close calls.

How many weekly miles is "large?"

I don't do many miles per week now (~100), but I've got 50k miles in the last 15 years without any accidents that kept me off the bike for any time. This includes a number of races, a dozen RAGBRAI's and countless fast club rides

As nutbag said, my most serious accident was my own fault; I was trying to pass some mopeds on a downhill curve. My wheels slid out and I got scrapped up pretty good. I was picking asphalt out my elbow for awhile after that :rolleyes:

OTOH, I've got three capped teeth from a header I did in 4th grade. Does that count?

-murray

I've been cycling pretty regularly for 20 years or so ( deducting for a period when the kids were small and I didn't bike too much) and have yet to have an accident that kept me off the bike. Just a bit of road rash here and there.

I have been using my SS road bike for commuting about 25 KM everyday and during weekend I ride about 60 to 100 km. So far no accident. Single speed made me enjoy and concerntrate more. And I don't ride fast when there are many cars around.

I ride a little over 100 miles a week and just yesterday I crashed on my mtb and dislocated my littlt finger. Doctor popped it back in and put it in a metal splint and told me not to ride for 4 weeks! I can't imagine what im going to do for 4 weeks.

This was my fault though. I wasn't really paying attention and slipped in some sand all my 140lbs + 34lbs of bike on my right hand.

I've been doing at least 150miles per week (in NYC!) and have managed to stay safe, I don't try to beat yellow lights at intersections or run red lights and basically ride like a wuss if its really trafficky, but better safe than sorry.

I had one incident where an MTA bus ripped the sleeve of my shirt because I accidently leaned on it while trying to get between it and another truck, but all it did was give me a scrape.

Documented fact: higher mileage riders have lower accident rates. There is a 'break point' in the curve at around 900 miles per year. Why? That's subject to a lot of debate. I think it is because higher mileage riders are more experienced, ride better gear, take better care of their ride and often take the trouble to learn how to ride right.

I ride about 5000 miles a year, and hit the ground about once every two years. And it is usually due to dogs or other riders.

How many people that ride large milages per weekly haven't been injured in a bike crash?
Just curious in view of numerous close calls.

I have ridden close to 10,000 miles in the last 25 months. I have had five falls, all of which were my own stupid fault. I have had two close calls with cars, one of which put my heart in my throat and my rear end pucker, but no accidents.

Two of the falls were right after I started using clipless. Unclipping BEFORE stopping has now become second nature. Two of the others were riding on ice at too high a rate of speed and the third was taking a set of switchbacks too fast. All but the clipless falls were within 6 months of when I started riding and those were within the first three weeks of riding clipless.

100 miles aweek and{knock on wood** no wrecks.

I ride between 6,000 and 8,000 miles a year and haven't had any accidents on road bikes in the last three years (wasn't riding regularly prior to 2001). However, if we count the mountain bike tandem with my wife our record is 10 falls in 12 miles!

Howard L. Snell

IHowever, if we count the mountain bike tandem with my wife our record is 10 falls in 12 miles!

Howard L. Snell

Let me guess, Howard. She was back seat pedaling?

Ditched once almost slid under the car. ( lost traction rear on wet crosswalk paint- ya don't rub it in.) Controlled drop.

I get banged up a little jumping off rocks, Guess thats my own fault.

Avoided 3 major collisions by steering WAY off the contact patch, trusting my skill and a nice bike, Thank you Tom!
Not braking, no time.....Kids, speed kills, slowwwww it down, when engaging intersections.

'bout 100 dumb moves I've had to deal with from cars.

I ride aggressively in traffic and exert a fair amount of energy in my awareness and engagement of traffic.

Then I go for a nice leisurely ride in the suburbs or woods.

...no, I have not in 4+ past years of constant biking.

As a child...well, thems a few other stories, scars.

Um, thank the Lord, My elbows are resting on wood.

Jef.

Replying to this post is like replying to a post on "flat tires" -

Can't go there due to the bad luck involved -

May all of you be safe -

I ride a little over 100 miles a week (don't know if that qualifies as a lot) and I haven't had an accident yet. I've been riding for about 2 years in various traffic conditions.

Dan.

Yeah 100 miles per week every week qualifies for my idea of larger miles.
The amount of stories on here about accidents plus my close calls made me wonder if anyone got away without being injured.
I've only dropped the bike once, luckily no damage to bike or self (and yes I did check in that order) :)

i'm currently at around 150 mi/week, i was more like 300 mi/week a few years back when i was racing more regularly. i've never had a major road crash. a few "fender benders" with no injuries or damage sustained.

most recently about a year or so ago where a guy who wasn't paying attention sideswiped me in a corner. i went off the road and hit the grass and was ok (bent bars were the extend of the damage), he hit the pavement and ended up quite bloody and covered in RR, but was basically ok.

now, my mountain racing days were another story... i've broke my left collarbone twice (didn't really heal right and kind of bugs me), broken my right once. cracked several ribs. mildly fractured my kneecap. broken three fingers.

and the stitches... dozens of stitches... ug.

100+ miles per week.

Never had a cycling-related injury and my only fall in the last five years was due to wet leaves on a dark corner early on a November morning, resulting in torn tights and a strawberry. And I should have known that wet leaves were likely to collect on that corner and been more careful.

I ride daily and have done for years. Ive had a few crashes, mainly when the number of things which go wrong exceed my brain capacity to cope, and then someone does something stupid.
Most of the crashes which inexperienced riders suffer are clearly signposted if you know where to look.
Just the other day, I saw a rider bust through a pedestrian crossing (OK I do that sometimes), but an indecisive pedestrian was lurking at the curb. It was clear to me that she was going to cross any moment so I stopped, but the newbie in front of me just assumed that she wasn't going, or didnt even make an assessment. She had a fright, no injuries, but this was poor roadcraft by the rider.

I have ridden daily for years myself and I have logged on my current bike about 140,000 miles since 1984, plus a MTB with about 12,000 miles. During that time till now I have had one accident involving a hit and run auto that was not my fault and caused no damage to either myself or the bike...thank God!!! I have been averaging for the last 9 years just over 5,000 miles a year, thats down from 18,000 miles a year I averaged when I raced that same bike.