Originally Posted by
MinnMan
I have to say, the last time I went over the bars, in August, I probably did it mostly wrong. I hit a an uneven piece of road that was also covered in sand at about 15 MPH and went straight over the bars, with my arms out in front of me, basically like I was trying to fly. My head was up, not tucked in. I did try to roll a little so that I landed more on my side than on my chest.
Net result was a lot of road rash on my right forearm and hip and a couple of raw bruises elsewhere. my chin hit the ground gently - not even a scrape - and there was no injury to my face or head. My gloves prevented any scrapes to my hands. Definitely my right arm, side, and hip cushioned the momentum and kept my head from hitting hard.
So, should I have tried to tuck and roll? I guess somebody with skillz would have done so and been better off. I instinctually turned my body to the side, and that was a start, but I'm sure I could have done it better
Even if there was a better way to handle that particular incident, it sounds like you did just fine.
When you get right down to it, the answer to every question and situation ultimately boils down to "it depends."
It's sort of like asking about braking, cornering, climbing, etc. Some methods are better than others in most situations. But there are often particulars which need to be adjusted for.