Advocacy & Safety - Got in a pretty epic car crash on friday...

Ended up with a bunch of stitches and stuff. Did a bit of a write-up here. (http://districtxii.tumblr.com/post/193062690/rampant-bourgeousie-or-how-i-headbutted-a-maserati) Thought A&S might enjoy this.

Ended up with a bunch of stitches and stuff. Did a bit of a write-up here. (http://districtxii.tumblr.com/post/193062690/rampant-bourgeousie-or-how-i-headbutted-a-maserati) Thought A&S might enjoy this.

I am glad it was only stitches.:thumb: I definitely liked the part about, being glad it was a Maserati, instead of Honda Accord.:roflmao2:

Three words: practice front braking.

Rear brakes are weak. Endoing with front brakes means you haven't developed enough skill there.

Glad you're OK. Did the other guy get properly ticketed up?

+1 to practicing braking. Could have been MUCH worse, though.

Do try to put some time in practicing... One of these days you'll be glad you did!

Heal fast.

+1 to practicing braking. Could have been MUCH worse, though.

Do try to put some time in practicing... One of these days you'll be glad you did!

Heal fast.

Can you elaborate on "practicing"? I use my front brakes approx 70-30 vs. back and tend to use them most/first. . .is this what you mean or is something else I need to be doing. . .

Oooh bugger. Nasty. Hope you heal fast!

I should have aimed at that Bugatti Veyron when I saw it ;)

Glad you healed up, at least enough to do your write-up. Where in Vancouver did this happen? How did this get handled in terms of assigning fault? I've always wondered who this kind of thing would get blamed on, since if you were a car, I assume you would have to either stop, or hit his car regardless of whether or not he pulled forward. As a bike you can sometimes fit through the cracks, but if the crack disappears as you're pulling through, I've often wondered what happens, aside from getting smacked. I've had a few close calls trying to fit through the cracks myself.

Can you elaborate on "practicing"? I use my front brakes approx 70-30 vs. back and tend to use them most/first. . .is this what you mean or is something else I need to be doing. . .

You said you used your back brake only and locked up the wheel and then used your front brake. If you did this, it was either a mistake or you weren't interested in stopping as fast as you could. If you made a mistake in a dicey situation, then you might have avoided that by practicing.

Can you elaborate on "practicing"? I use my front brakes approx 70-30 vs. back and tend to use them most/first. . .is this what you mean or is something else I need to be doing. . .

The OP went over the bars when he used the front brakes. That indicates that he is not practiced in emergency stopping with the front brakes.

In emergency situations where there is good road traction, especially where you aren't trying for evasive steering, the front brakes are FAR more effective than the rear. Like, several times more. If the first instinct is to grab the rear brakes, you just wasted probably tens of feet of stopping time just there, plus you probably at least double your stopping distance using the rears over the fronts.

The practice is so that you can modulate the brakes and not go endo when you do use the fronts.

Can you elaborate on "practicing"? I use my front brakes approx 70-30 vs. back and tend to use them most/first. . .is this what you mean or is something else I need to be doing. . .

Let Sheldon be your guide - and practice, practice, practice... :-)

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html

Can you elaborate on "practicing"? I use my front brakes approx 70-30 vs. back and tend to use them most/first. . .is this what you mean or is something else I need to be doing. . .

Already been answered, but I'll pitch in... an emergency stop should NEVER cause one to go over the handlebars.... your first reaction should be to apply the brakes in a manner that stops you quickly WITHOUT causing you to lose control. If you can't do that, then you don't have enough experience stopping.

Only one way to gain that kind of experience, and that's to practice.

My reaction is to push my weight as far back and low as possible and grab those brakes, modulating the front to prevent locking up the wheel. Do check out that link to Sheldon Brown's website.

ahhhh bad memories! I had to have my scalp stapled after I was hit.

Already been answered, but I'll pitch in... an emergency stop should NEVER cause one to go over the handlebars.... your first reaction should be to apply the brakes in a manner that stops you quickly WITHOUT causing you to lose control.
Sure, but actually coming to a stop requires that there's enough room to do so. Otherwise you're doing a maximum deceleration right up to the point where the front wheel contacts the car or other object. Then the bike comes to a stop while your body still has considerable forward momenturm and may well fly over the bars and make a second impact with the object in front.

I've been in both situations: successful sudden stops with weight back and the rear wheel barely maintaining contact with the ground; but also the case where there wasn't enough room and an impact with a dog while doing maximum braking sent me flying and also crumpled the steel bike frame.

In that case it may well be that the best decision isn't to brake and try to stop, but maybe braking while turning to avoid whatever is in your path. Split second decisions are almost impossible to plan and every incident is different.

In the end the only thing that really helps make the 'right' decision is experience. Knowing instantly what your bike is capable of and how it's going to react when you brake or brake/steer. The only way to get that experience is to go out and ride. Oh, and do try to avoid Maserati's. (And other cars, too! And dogs, and peds, and.....)

:)

The OP went over the bars when he used the front brakes. That indicates that he is not practiced in emergency stopping with the front brakes.

In emergency situations where there is good road traction, especially where you aren't trying for evasive steering, the front brakes are FAR more effective than the rear. Like, several times more. If the first instinct is to grab the rear brakes, you just wasted probably tens of feet of stopping time just there, plus you probably at least double your stopping distance using the rears over the fronts.

The practice is so that you can modulate the brakes and not go endo when you do use the fronts.
Sorry, I should have clarified. I ride fixed. I use my front brake somewhere between rarely and never. The reason my back wheel was locked is because that's generally how you slow down/stop on a fixed gear.

Sorry, I should have clarified. I ride fixed. I use my front brake somewhere between rarely and never. The reason my back wheel was locked is because that's generally how you slow down/stop on a fixed gear.

You just committed "A&S thread suicide."

-Kurt

*sigh*

The reason my back wheel was locked is because that's generally how you slow down/stop on a fixed gear.

How'd that work out for you?

I actually have a lot of respect for the subset of folks riding fixie that actually know how to ride fixie. That said, riding fixed doesn't mean you can't do an effective panic stop if you use your front brake properly (if installed).

Dare I ask if you were wearing a helmet?

You just committed "A&S thread suicide."

-Kurt
People who have something against fixed gears are not part of any bike culture I have any desire to be a part of. AYHSMB.


The reason my back wheel was locked is because that's generally how you slow down/stop on a fixed gear.

How'd that work out for you?

I actually have a lot of respect for the subset of folks riding fixie that actually know how to ride fixie. That said, riding fixed doesn't mean you can't do an effective panic stop if you use your front brake properly (if installed).
There's panic stops and then there's panic stops. I don't think there's very many people who, on any kind of bike, can go from 30km/h to 0km/h in less than ten feet.


Dare I ask if you were wearing a helmet?
I was not. Nor will I be any time in the foreseeable future, except when the UCI makes me, as is the case when I race.

People who have something against fixed gears are not part of any bike culture I have any desire to be a part of. AYHSMB.

I wasn't referring to A&S as being anti-fixed gear, but rather, anti skid-stop.

-Kurt

There's panic stops and then there's panic stops. I don't think there's very many people who, on any kind of bike, can go from 30km/h to 0km/h in less than ten feet.

True enough, but I haven't gone over the handlebars since I was 14 on my very first bike w/o a coaster brake.

My most recent panic stop involved me going 25-30 miles per hour heading into an intersection when an SUV pulled out in front of me. Grabbed the brakes and turned, hit the truck sideways, leaving a large bike+rider sized dent in the passenger doors and walking away with nothing more than a bruised shoulder.