BluesDawg

Attractive to the ground that is. It kept reaching up and grabbing me, pulling me down to get a closer look. I did a lap at the local version of 4.5 miles of hell on a mountain bike, the Selma Irwin Nature Trail. It is not unusual to fall occasionally on this trail with its steep, twisty hills covered with roots and rocks. Today I seemed to slip and fall at every opportunity. The odd thing is that a week ago I had one of my best rides ever at Selma. Just one of those days, I guess.

Most of today's falls were the innocent low speed falls when I lose traction or veer off my line on a steep climb. Minor scrapes and no big deal. But one was a hard fall at decent speed when my front wheel slipped into a small rut and slid to the side, slamming me knee first to the ground. I'll be feeling that one for a few days. My knee is a little tender, but it doesn't feel like anything significant. I'll be off the bike this weekend anyway (family reunion). I'll test it Monday with a fast 30 mile road ride after work.

I guess the race Sunday and the hillfest Tuesday must have taken a little more out of me than I thought. Oh well. Life goes on.

freeranger

I find that most of my crashes happen when I'm going slower also (not that I really go that fast to start with!). Momentum will usually carry you over the roots and obstacles, that otherwise you've got to try and muscle over if going too slow. And we all have those days--I walked a set of rocks the other day that I usually ride--just didn't have a "good feeling" about riding over them-then wished I had because I don't wish to lose my confidence that I can ride them. Some days are just better than others.

oilman_15106

They let you ride on a Nature trial? The wildlife must be very unhappy.

BluesDawg

The abundant wildlife I see along the trail seem very happy. The trail was designed and built by local mountain bikers and is used by them, by hikers, trail runners, nature photographers and others. The trail doesn't see an awful lot of traffic because it is too rugged for most folks.

Beverly

Hope the knee is feeling okay today.

After hearing this story from you and some from stapfam I may never take my mountain bike out of the garage

jppe

Sounds like too much of the pre-race fuel in the amber bottle to me!!!!

Glad you weren't too banged up.

Bud Bent

Did you feel like Rasmusson on a tdf time trial?

BluesDawg

Don't let that happen, Beverly. For the most part, our falls and pains come from pushing the limits, not just riding.

The knee seems to be OK. After a couple of days of rest, I just feel the skin pulling as the scrapes heal, nothing internal anymore. I may go for a short slow ride around the neighborhood this afternoon to see how it does.
Hopefully when I go back to the trails I'll have better traction than the day I crashed. We finally got several hours of steady rain yesterday after 7 weeks of drought. My fall Thursday happened when dried out ground crumbled under my tire.

stapfam

I have to agree with what BD has said about MTB falls. Most of the Falling over bit on MTB's happen at very slow speed. I have got used to falling and one thing I never do is stick out an arm or leg. Severe damage can come from that but every one to their own choice. The problem with MTB's is overconfidence. I used to take every thing that came in front of me but have a little more self regard now. I know that if I now hesitate because I don't like the look of it- I will not stop. Couple of years ago I never hesitated and always got away with it.

And I will ask you one question- Would you rather fall over on tarmac at 20 mph?- or fall over in 6" of mud at 10? Falls can happen on any bike at any time. Only thing is that offroad- you generaly have a softer landing. Muckier possibly but that is what you buy new washing machines for.

BluesDawg

Who is BG?

stapfam

tipo corrected - or is it that I don't know how to spell .

CrossChain

Most of my biking is on the road. But, when I do go on trail, I find it like skiing. You have to commit yourself to a steep or difficult pitch-- or simply not ride it. Falls often happen to me when I mentally or physically hang back or get indecisive. Part of the thrill is the "going for it". First, of course, you have to make the decision whether that part of the trail (or slope) is close enough to your ability zone. There are times I'll say "No way, not today".

BluesDawg

Oh, you meant me! BTW, you misspelled typo.

George

I take my hat off to BluesDawg, after falling on hard top a little bit ago, I don't want any part of it. It sounds like you had fun though, and that's all that counts. Another 30 miles on top of that, I guess I should have started riding a little earlier in life. I don't want to mountian bike now, I don't think anyhow.

BluesDawg

Very true. In fact, the 2 or 3 low speed falls I had during that ride were partly because I was hesitating to let a new rider keep up with me. Sometimes you have to have enough momentum to roll over an obstacle or it will stop the wheel.
But the bad one was not due to going too slow or too fast. It was a miscalculation of how the ground would hold. I was rolling along with my front wheel riding a couple of inches above a rut running along the trail. It should have been no problem, but the dry dirt crumbled unexpectedly sending my wheel sliding rapidly to the left. Before I could react I was slamming into the trail, my knee taking the worst of it.
There is a very technical, steep, downhill with rocky switchbacks about a mile past where I fell. I was thinking I might walk it since I was having such a shaky ride. But when I came on it, I decided to go for it. Finally things came together for me and I made it down the hill cleanly.