General Cycling Discussion - Crash/Near Crash Poll

Hey, I want to poll you guys on what you think is going on the moment before that big toss or near miss.

I think my alertness slips after a while and thats probably when I'm most likely to foul up, even if it isn't totally my fault.

Its pretty physically demanding to be on top of your game on a bike, even during commuting and touring! Specially when there are those 4 wheeled creatures lurking about!

Dave

It's a little bit of each of the first two. Historically it's usually 2, so I voted that way, but lately I feel like I'm learning the game pretty well now and it's the things I can't control that are more likeyl to cause problems.

I'm not much of a crasher (I usually ride slowly in wussy places. :p) Most of my crashes are due to inexperience.

Like when I first got my bike, and would get my gears jammed and fall over before I thought to get my foot out of the clip.

Like the first time my bike threw the chain on an uphill shift, and I stood there pedalling like crazy and upshifting, wondering why I was getting no response, till I fell over again.

Or when I did my first mountain bike trail (yesterday.) First crash was due to coming down a hill too fast to control, second was due to hitting a mudhole, third was due to having no traction left on my mud-clogged tires....

I said, "When my attention slips." But drivers do stuff, you know, even when I'm alert and ready.

I guess the chemistry works out to be this: I need to stay on top of things because of other people's lack of alertness or good judgement.

1 or 2.

I voted 'other' because I can't honestly say that I'm always on top of my game but all the accidents I've been involved in have been the fault of someone else.

(Having said that I'll probably go out and cause my own accident on the way home.)

Okay I am enjoying my ride, but all of sudden somewhere in my brain starts to think of something that is totally out of what I am doing right now, boom, I am on the ground on all four, so advice just concentrate on riding your bike

I voted "When I'm careless and don't follow traffic rules", although I'd prefer an or instead of the and there (yes, I too like Boolean operators).

In my 8 years of commuting, I've crashed some 6 times worth mentioning here. These kinds of crashes result in either the bike, or me, or both being taken to the repair shop. In four of these cases I had nobody else to blame except myself, as I was driving too fast to make a controlled stop or to otherwise avoid the situation in time. So I guess you could call it a lapse of concentration as well - not observing the conditions properly.

In the remaining two cases I don't think I could have done anything to avoid the crash (short of staying home). Like the day when a passenger in a parked car opened her door just as I was passing on the bike lane. So Shtuff happens, even when you're on top of your game.

And experience counts here: as my mileage has increased, I've noticed a clear tendency towards more near misses and fewer actual crashes. I guess I'm (slowly) learning to do something right.

--J

I've had two crashes. In one a drunken ped was intent on "going into the light" -- my headlight. I might have avoinded this one had I understood what was happening sooner and just come to a complete stop, but I'm comfortable blaming the other guy for this one. Broke my elbow and wrist in the fall.

I got right-hooked about six months ago. I make it a practice to check my mirror whenever I approach an intersection under any circumstances, but this time I just didn't. It was a T, and there was no stop sign going straight ahead, as I was. The kid who passed and turned into me was probably an unlicensed driver in an uninsured car. He fled. I wasn't hurt, and the bike was just scratched up a little and I had to re-true the front wheel.

I reported the make, model, color, and license plate to 911 immediately, but they didn't do anything. A tow truck showed up immediately, however, and I was getting calls from lawyers with "new information about my case" for weeks afterward. :)

RichC

I voted the "Not a good ride unless bloody", I think I usually fall at least 3 times on a good day, and 6 + if I'm not riding well. I figure,"if you're not falling, you're not trying!" I usually try to ride just a little bit over my head. That way I'm always pushing myself!

With as many scars as I have, you'd think I was a better rider!

L8R

Yup! Not a good ride unless im covered in blood....<maybe thats
because i return from all my rides covered in blood, hmm...>