I've been cycling on and off road and mountain bike for a few years, and lately after speaking to one of my riding buddies he dropped that statement on me. Having biked for a decent amount of time I've had my share of spills but all of them were due to operator error.

I'll be frank, I'd hate to see the sheer faces of guilt on my family members if I have to tell them what happened after, and previously I thought that there was a very good possibility of not only not dying, but also never having to even contact a vehicle at all if I kept with cycling as a sport for life.

Is this sentiment valid to a reasonable extent? Everyone's situation, area, and riding habits are different, but should I expect to eventually meet some cage as collateral for the enjoyment I get out of this?