Originally Posted by Carbonfiberboy

In 65 years, 6 crashes.

Tennies, rat traps and clips:
1) Steel Legnano, commuting to work in '64, car brushed me into a curb and I went down on the sidewalk at about 20, strapped in solid. Bike went up on end and I went head-first into a phone pole, bike still attached. No helmet. Kinda knocked me out for a moment. No damage. Remounted and rode to work.
2) Steel Legnano, leaving a ferry in car traffic, strapped in, didn't see the angled RR tracks. Spun me up onto my naked back, bike still attached. Some skin damage to back. Finished my planned ride.

SPDs and Sidis:
3) Carbon Trek, car pulled out in front of me. I laid the bike down and slid into him, wheels first. He stopped when he saw me sliding. Very little blood, no damage to bike other than scrapes on aluminum bits. Finished my planned ride.
4) Carbon Trek, wasn't paying close enough attention to road conditions when I was forced from the shoulder into the lane. Touched a raised lip and went down at about 20. Lifted some of my upper body off the asphalt with my helmet and mostly stayed with the bike. Road rash, not too bad. No real damage to bike.
5) Steel tandem, went down in the rain on an off-camber turn on ancient pavement made of small polished rocks. Sidi buckle destroyed, hole in shorts. Stayed with the bike. No other damage other than scratches in aluminum bits. Finished the ride.
6) Steel tandem, tried to negotiate a 180° downhill reversal in a bike trail. Overshot the asphalt on the far side and went down into the bushes. Stayed with the bike. I cracked a rib, stoker had a black eye. No other damage. Finished the ride.

Lessons: stay with the bike, hands on bars, don't put out a hand in simple low-side crashes. SPDs are safer than clips. Tegaderm over dried Povidone fixes road rash up real nice. Scrub it raw first.