Crashes?
#26
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Pretty dang certain when the "crash" involves a higher than normal speed collision with an immovable object like a wall or tree that causes the cyclist to decelerate from high speed to zero instantly, or the other object in the collision, such as a motor vehicle grille or windshield, crashes with the cyclist at high speeds.
No one suggested that you can't get hurt going fast, just that there's a number of ways that one can wipe out at high speeds without suffering serious injury.
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#27
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That's a bit harder to do (even outright impossible) in an upright bike where the seat is much higher.
But since I often faced slippery conditions in my upright bike (rain, mud, gravel, uneven terrain, and heavy chaotic traffic simultaneously!), I've set the seat height to below baseline bike fit setting. I often found myself skidding sideways so it's nice to be able to put the foot down to avoid a fall or control the drift. Of course, that means I have to sacrifice a bit of pedaling efficiency just to set my seat lower for improved safety.
But since I often faced slippery conditions in my upright bike (rain, mud, gravel, uneven terrain, and heavy chaotic traffic simultaneously!), I've set the seat height to below baseline bike fit setting. I often found myself skidding sideways so it's nice to be able to put the foot down to avoid a fall or control the drift. Of course, that means I have to sacrifice a bit of pedaling efficiency just to set my seat lower for improved safety.
Good idea, when you watch flat trackers and drag racers, it's almost a controlled slide all the way to the finish line.
#28
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I was not aware that any discussion about the effects of bike "crashes" is limited only to so-called "wipeouts" and should ignore any consideration of the possibility or result of collisions with anything other than the street or road after the cyclist falls off the bike. If that is what the OP intended it was not clear to me.
#29
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I was not aware that any discussion about the effects of bike "crashes" is limited only to so-called "wipeouts" and should ignore any consideration of the possibility or result of collisions with anything other than the street or road after the cyclist falls off the bike. If that is what the OP intended it was not clear to me.
The only point that was being made was that if you crashed at high speed, you can sometimes escape serious injury if you're lucky. You weren't answering op, you were responding to a conversation betweennomadmax and me. Pretending you don't know that isn't fooling anyone.
#30
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Why don't you two guys meet up after school today and duke it out.
Failing that, why don't you two guys put each other on ignore, because we're tired of getting the complaints.
Failing that, why don't you two guys put each other on ignore, because we're tired of getting the complaints.
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#31
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I haven't wrecked a bike since I was about 10 or 11 years old. I was in the middle of a bike-a-thon going down a big hill when my rear tire went flat, causing a loss of control and me kissing the pavement. Still have the scars on my lip, chin, and knees to this day.
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#32
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I quit cycling when I was young because of several back-to-back severe crashes; the worst mistake I ever made.Now Back into cycling
#33
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Hope you recover fully soon. I pretty much switched to recumbent bikes, it kinda eliminates that over-the-bars falls associated with upright bikes. Took me a while to get used to them, crashing on those is similar to going off a sled on snow, the height of the fall is not as high. I seen people this week going full speed on skinny tire road bikes over wet leaves, made me cringe. Your post is a great reminder to keep an eye on road debris, water etc.
#35
commute commute commute
I haven't ridden since a fall on Dec 11th. Tipped over a curb and onto a sidewalk at 16-18mph. There was just a little dip in the pavement -- you'd laugh, it looks like nothing -- and I caught it wrong and botched the recovery. I may have caught my hand in a badly routed cable. Keep those cables out of the way.
After that I couldn't flex or fully extend the right knee. Trying to flex it hurt. The leg wouldn't hold much weight. I used crutches for 2 weeks. My doctor figured it was a torn ligament or meniscus, and not the ACL so no surgery required. She said to rest, take ibuprofen, and check back in 3 weeks.
Today I saw an orthopedist. They took an x-ray and the tibia was broken, cracked across the crown of it. Gaaah, I've been wobbling around on it for a month. He said I healed it "the old fashioned way" and that made his afternoon "a little interesting." You're welcome, doc.
This orthopedist is a cyclist too. He really wanted to know what kind of bike I was on and what exactly happened. He recommends an upgrade to carbon frame and SPD pedals. I should have asked if that's medically necessary -- surely insurance would cover it.
After that I couldn't flex or fully extend the right knee. Trying to flex it hurt. The leg wouldn't hold much weight. I used crutches for 2 weeks. My doctor figured it was a torn ligament or meniscus, and not the ACL so no surgery required. She said to rest, take ibuprofen, and check back in 3 weeks.
Today I saw an orthopedist. They took an x-ray and the tibia was broken, cracked across the crown of it. Gaaah, I've been wobbling around on it for a month. He said I healed it "the old fashioned way" and that made his afternoon "a little interesting." You're welcome, doc.
This orthopedist is a cyclist too. He really wanted to know what kind of bike I was on and what exactly happened. He recommends an upgrade to carbon frame and SPD pedals. I should have asked if that's medically necessary -- surely insurance would cover it.