Okay, since I took up Mountian Biking again begining this summer, I've had 3 major recks, plus countless minor ones (getting used too clipless pedals is fun
). So after my most recent reck, I noticed a diffrent mindset than my first major spill.
Crash 1- I was heading fast down a really rutty section of single track, eventually the rut got too deep and I flew off my bike. I was barrel rolling several feet until my head met a small tree which brought me to a stop. This crash I really didn't even know what was exactly happening, exactly how I ended up off my bike, exactly how I stopped tumbling down the hill, and exactly why my head hurt so bad. I was kind of dazed and zoned out during the whole experiance, I didn't even think about my bike until my head cleared a bit a long ways down the trail.
Crash 2- I was going over a jump and realized in mid air that I was way too far over my handle bars to stand any chance of NOT endoing. This time, I'm actually seeing this crash develope as it happens, and plan accordingling to land on my shoulder, rather than my head. I notice the actual moment of impact and give my bike a good going over after I determine that I'm all right.
Now, at first I thought "well it's much easier to see a crash developing in mid air like that rather than when your bombing down a hill" but then we have my most recent crash...
Crash 3- I'm riding a trail I've never ridden before, it's a pretty good decent of single track with your typical rocks and roots of the Cascades. Eventually I come out of the woods to a cliff section, you know, one of those ones where on your right is cliff wall, and on your left is a nice steep drop off. Well I'm looking ahead at this trail and was noticing the trail was increasingly leaning tword the drop off, of course I don't notice the big rock on the trail right under me. Unlike Crash 1, I know the moment of impact, exactly what happened, I hit 'something' and am going over my handle bars. As the crash is progressing, and I'm going over, I realize that I'm looking to go right over the cliff.
I manage to roll to my in the air, to avoid a potentially very damaging fall over a cliff. I end up with my upper body on the trail, with my lower body and bike (still clipped into my clipless pedals) hanging over the edge.
Once I pulled my bike over the edge of the cliff, gave it a good checking over, and started heading down the trail (only then noticing that I jammed several fingures pretty bad), I began to wonder, am I getting better at crashing? This crash was by far the most instant and unseen crash I've had yet, and also potentially the most dangerous. And yet, I feel I survived it the best, with the least amount of injury to myself, and more imporntatnly, my bike.
I was wondering if anyone else felt that they have became 'better' at crashing. I would hate to find out it was just dumb luck, and with my riding style relying on dumbluck could become very painful.
Also, it lead my to ponder, is becoming better at crashing a good thing? Shouldn't I be working on getting better and not crashing?