As a kid, I thought if you didnt crash every week, you werent trying hard enough.

I commuted for about 8 years with no crashes.

Then I was worried about crashing.

Then I crashed twice in 3 months. One cost a bit of elbow skin, the second was more serious, broken collar bone, and a prolapsed disc.

I then went another year without crashing.

I went a further two years not cycling, due to location.

In the last 18 months riding in China I have crashed 4 times.

Once was because I was a little drunk cycling on a wet slippery sidewalk and somebody pulled out in front of me, I grabbed two handfulls of brakes and went down on my right elbow. I picked myself up, and rode on. About 100 m further up the road I was looking down at my bike to see if I had damaged it, and crashed into a guard rail, fell off and landed on my right elbow. I dont drive drunk anymore.

A few months later, I went around a bend on the path in school were a truck had left a thin layer of clay on the surface. It was wet and down I went on my right elbow.

A little later I was racing through the city, and tried to bypass a stopped bus on the left. A three wheeled taxi pulled out in front of me to see if he could fit down the gap, I crashed into him. I was unhurt.

Crashing doesnt generally hurt much.

I am not a safe rider. I split lanes, salmon, listen to music, and push hard in crowded areas.

Dont worry about it, and go out there and fall off.

z