Crash, feeling unsettled
03-23-17, 06:44 PM
#26
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It's normal. You just have to get out and ride again. The more miles you put in, the better you'll feel.
As for avoiding it happening again, First, realize that crashes are going to happen riding in a pack/paceline. It comes with the territory. Just look at PRo racing where the best riders in the world crash. If you do fast competitive rides you're very likely to eventually crash. You have to accept that risk.
That said, there are things you can do to reduce the risk of crashing:
1) Keep your eyes up the road. Look past the rider in front of you, keeping his or her wheel in your peripheral vision. If you were looking up the road in this incident, you might have been able to anticipate what was going to make the rider make the quick move, or at least see the move at the same time the rider in front of you saw it, and had more time to react.
2) Listen. For gears shifting, wheels coasting, braking, riders breathing too hard ( and about to blow). You can often anticipate things that are about to happen before you see them.
3) Ride loose. Keep your elbows flexed, so you can absorb contact, without crashing, and make quick adjustments.
4) Have an out. Always know where you can go when sh*t inevitably hits fan.
5) Protect your front wheel. Paceline pack crashes occur when your wheel hits the bike in front. Never be in a position where someone can sweep your wheel. So don't overlap wheels, or be so far overlapped that you can keep them off your wheel with your body. Always be aware of a threat to your front wheel.
6) Learn to recover from overlapped wheels. You don't have to go down when you overlap wheels; it's possible to bounce off and stay up.Google or do a search here on how that's done, and practice in a grass field with your friends.
7) Learn to absorb contact and stay up. If you're loose and don't panic you can ride through a lot of contact.
8) Do bike handling drills at low speed in a grass field. Try to knock each other off, last person not to put a foot down wins.
9) Size up the people around you. With some observation you can identify who are good solid riders and who is prone to making sketchy moves. Then try to stay away from the sketchy people, and when you can't, give them wider berth, and anticipate that they make this or that sketchy move in a particular situation.
10) Race. This may sound counter intuitive because racing increases the risk of crashing. However, experience with racing will dramatically improve your bike handling, and teach you can ride through stuff you never would have believed you could.
As for avoiding it happening again, First, realize that crashes are going to happen riding in a pack/paceline. It comes with the territory. Just look at PRo racing where the best riders in the world crash. If you do fast competitive rides you're very likely to eventually crash. You have to accept that risk.
That said, there are things you can do to reduce the risk of crashing:
1) Keep your eyes up the road. Look past the rider in front of you, keeping his or her wheel in your peripheral vision. If you were looking up the road in this incident, you might have been able to anticipate what was going to make the rider make the quick move, or at least see the move at the same time the rider in front of you saw it, and had more time to react.
2) Listen. For gears shifting, wheels coasting, braking, riders breathing too hard ( and about to blow). You can often anticipate things that are about to happen before you see them.
3) Ride loose. Keep your elbows flexed, so you can absorb contact, without crashing, and make quick adjustments.
4) Have an out. Always know where you can go when sh*t inevitably hits fan.
5) Protect your front wheel. Paceline pack crashes occur when your wheel hits the bike in front. Never be in a position where someone can sweep your wheel. So don't overlap wheels, or be so far overlapped that you can keep them off your wheel with your body. Always be aware of a threat to your front wheel.
6) Learn to recover from overlapped wheels. You don't have to go down when you overlap wheels; it's possible to bounce off and stay up.Google or do a search here on how that's done, and practice in a grass field with your friends.
7) Learn to absorb contact and stay up. If you're loose and don't panic you can ride through a lot of contact.
8) Do bike handling drills at low speed in a grass field. Try to knock each other off, last person not to put a foot down wins.
9) Size up the people around you. With some observation you can identify who are good solid riders and who is prone to making sketchy moves. Then try to stay away from the sketchy people, and when you can't, give them wider berth, and anticipate that they make this or that sketchy move in a particular situation.
10) Race. This may sound counter intuitive because racing increases the risk of crashing. However, experience with racing will dramatically improve your bike handling, and teach you can ride through stuff you never would have believed you could.
03-23-17, 11:22 PM
#27
Senior Member
I have not had a serious crash on the bicycle, but I have on the motorcycle.
There are days I get on the motorcycle and have to get back off, my nerves just get rattled for some reason and I just don't push it.
Pretty rare 3 years later, but still... it happens.
There are days I get on the motorcycle and have to get back off, my nerves just get rattled for some reason and I just don't push it.
Pretty rare 3 years later, but still... it happens.
03-23-17, 11:45 PM
#28
Senior Member
Cycling friends, I'd like to get perspective from experienced bikers who have experienced crashing.
I road with fast group on Sunday and crashed. Came out fine with some flesh wounds but no structural damage. I finished the ride. Bike in shop for repairs.
Somebody made a quick move causing guy in front of me to lock up his brakes. I was sitting on his wheel and could not recover my bike. Group dynamic is safe, seasoned riders, fast.
I have 10k miles riding experience so not the most seasoned. This is my first crash.
I have an unsettled feeling about what happened, and I feel uneasy about going out with group again. Is that normal? What could I have done differently to avoid crashing? I'm not strong enough to hold pole position so should i just ride at the tail?
I road with fast group on Sunday and crashed. Came out fine with some flesh wounds but no structural damage. I finished the ride. Bike in shop for repairs.
Somebody made a quick move causing guy in front of me to lock up his brakes. I was sitting on his wheel and could not recover my bike. Group dynamic is safe, seasoned riders, fast.
I have 10k miles riding experience so not the most seasoned. This is my first crash.
I have an unsettled feeling about what happened, and I feel uneasy about going out with group again. Is that normal? What could I have done differently to avoid crashing? I'm not strong enough to hold pole position so should i just ride at the tail?
Last edited by zymphad; 03-23-17 at 11:48 PM.
03-24-17, 08:27 AM
#29
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It's why I don't do group rides. I just don't trust group rides. See people crash all the time, and seems it is usually caused by another rider, not the road or cars. Also why I don't like someone behind me or in front of me, I always try to put some space between myself and another rider. Paranoia, I'll admit it, there are already too many things on the road that can put me in the hospital, I don't need another rider locking his brakes in front of me or crashing into me from behind.
03-24-17, 08:32 AM
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Sage advice here. I would emphasize #1. I can't recall how many Ive seen crash because they had their eyes fixed on the wheel in front of them. When you learn to look up the pace line keeping the wheel in front of you in your peripheral vision, you'll pretty much be able to see bad things as they develop. Always have a sense of what is going on to your left and to your right for ex. cars and dogs that might be approaching so you can hatch an escape plan when needed. Comes with experience. It's been said that all cyclist will have a fall. Chalk this one up as being yours.
03-24-17, 08:45 AM
#31
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I had a crash last September which I'm still recovering from.. I ruptured a ligament in my thumb and my hand is still in a cast. so, I know how you're feeling.. I get nerves when I go out, but I try to stay focused on the road and my surroundings, now more than ever. It's definitely normal to feel unsettled. heck I had a car crash back in 1995 and I STILL to this day get anxiety riding as a passenger in a vehicle. Just take it day by day, but don't let the fear/anxiety control you.
03-24-17, 08:57 AM
#32
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It's why I don't do group rides. I just don't trust group rides. See people crash all the time, and seems it is usually caused by another rider, not the road or cars. Also why I don't like someone behind me or in front of me, I always try to put some space between myself and another rider. Paranoia, I'll admit it, there are already too many things on the road that can put me in the hospital, I don't need another rider locking his brakes in front of me or crashing into me from behind.
03-24-17, 12:47 PM
#34
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"Safety in numbers" you say?
Many (solo) bicycle commuters go years, even decades between or without crashes. And they often ride during darkness, poor weather, and peak traffic.
The tight paceline racers go out on beautiful sunny days, on virtually deserted roads, and are told that crashing somewhat regularly is all part of the sport.
You can keep your "safety in numbers"!
I get it. Racing around and drafting in packs can be fun... but you'll never convince me that it's safer than a responsible solo cyclist.
The tight paceline racers go out on beautiful sunny days, on virtually deserted roads, and are told that crashing somewhat regularly is all part of the sport.
You can keep your "safety in numbers"!
I get it. Racing around and drafting in packs can be fun... but you'll never convince me that it's safer than a responsible solo cyclist.
03-24-17, 03:40 PM
#35
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Many (solo) bicycle commuters go years, even decades between or without crashes. And they often ride during darkness, poor weather, and peak traffic.
The tight paceline racers go out on beautiful sunny days, on virtually deserted roads, and are told that crashing somewhat regularly is all part of the sport.
You can keep your "safety in numbers"!
I get it. Racing around and drafting in packs can be fun... but you'll never convince me that it's safer than a responsible solo cyclist.
The tight paceline racers go out on beautiful sunny days, on virtually deserted roads, and are told that crashing somewhat regularly is all part of the sport.
You can keep your "safety in numbers"!
I get it. Racing around and drafting in packs can be fun... but you'll never convince me that it's safer than a responsible solo cyclist.
The crashing in fast pace lines, packs needs to be put in perspective. Some people do fast group rides, races and never crash, though that's likely a small percentage. Big percentage do group rides, and crash rarely, but may have one every few years.
Knock on wood, riding and racing Cat 3, my last crash 7 years ago, when a front tire flatted in a turn at 30 mph.
So yes crashes happen, but its not like its everyday.
And it is vanishly rare to have fatal accidents without a car involved. We're typically talking road rash, broken collar bone at the outside.
Also, you develop skills that can save you in emergencies. I've had front flats at 50mph on twisty descents and stayed upright, been hooked by trucks, run off the road by cars and stayed upright. Without years of pack riding and racing, I know I would have likely crashed in a number of emergency situations, that I don't think anything of now.
I'll take some very infrequent road rash, over being hit by a car any day
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You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
03-24-17, 03:47 PM
#36
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I know Merlin has basically addressed your original question in great detail, but I want to know more about this. How close to the guy ahead were you? Was your tire lined up directly with his? How/where did you hit him, and what actually caused you to go down?
I ask because when I'm sitting on someone's wheel, unless it's a race and I can't afford to catch any extra wind, I usually have my front wheel a few inches to either side of their rear wheel so I can have an escape path if anything unexpected (like them braking violently) happens.
I ask because when I'm sitting on someone's wheel, unless it's a race and I can't afford to catch any extra wind, I usually have my front wheel a few inches to either side of their rear wheel so I can have an escape path if anything unexpected (like them braking violently) happens.
I ride with a group that is recreational and not training, yet I still have to remind people not to gutter and provide a draft friendly and safe position on the road.
Also, you develop skills that can save you in emergencies. I've had front flats at 50mph on twisty descents and stayed upright, been hooked by trucks, run off the road by cars and stayed upright. Without years of pack riding and racing, I know I would have likely crashed in a number of emergency situations, that I don't think anything of now.
I'll take some very infrequent road rash, over being hit by a car any day
Another time, somehow another rider and I got shoe/pedal somehow entagled/stuck together. We managed to ride side by side and cranks around until we disconnected.
Last edited by andr0id; 03-24-17 at 03:51 PM.
