DnvrFox

Strange Sensation - Head Over Handlebar then "Ouch"

A first for me, the world's most careful bicycler.

Trying to jump a curb on my mtn bike - something I do regularly and successfully - I failed to give enough lift to my front wheel.

WOW!

What a strange feeling flying over the bars.

Face, nose and chin direct to the cement sidewalk. No time to react.

I had to lay there a moment or two to see if everything was intact. I was lucky - road rash on chin and nose, slight cut on my leg, and a lot of very bruised pride. Never touched my helmet!

I think I will skip that activity for a bit!

Maybe this should be posted in the 65+ thread!

Retro Grouch 

Oh man! I hate when that happens.

I'm just glad that you weren't more seriously injured.

BluesDawg

Yikes!

Glad you're OK, you crazy kid.

Yen

Let that be a lesson to you, you young whippersnapper you!

Seriously...... I'm glad your injuries weren't more serious.

How are you going to explain the road rash on your face?

doctor j

Cement sidewalks don't "give" a lot. Don't ask me how I know this.

Sounds like you will live to fight another day, and for that we are happy.

Perhaps with your countenance adorned as it is, you could pose for one of those last page pictures in Bicycling Mag.

Keep spinning.

DnvrFox

"The other guy is in the morgue."

Retro Grouch 

That's a good question. Whenever you're faced with the decision between telling the boreing truth or a colorful lie, always choose the lie.

Stories that contain broken beer bottles and guys named Bubba are always entertaining.

"Give me three steps, give me three steps mister, give me three steps towards the door. Give me three steps give me three steps mister and you'll never see me no more."

BluesDawg

Tell the truth, but embellish a little. Tll them you jumped the curb because you saw a black Corvette heading down the street and you thought it might be Bob Novak.

stapfam

Pics please------ No- not really as I can't stand the sight of blood.

At this rate- you will be posting on the Mountain bike forum.

Red Rider

So, you're one of those who learn by doing -- I feel for your mother.

Glad you're okay, and I hope there's no repeat anytime soon for this kind of maneuver.

maddmaxx 

Drat.............I thought this story was going to involve Club Tombay.






Jumping over things at your age Dnvr. You aughta be proud of yourself!

DnvrFox

I am going to do it again soon - the curb jump, not the fall, just to prove to myself I CAN do it!

I guess my mind was somewhere else - I just sort of spaced out the proper technique without even realizing it.

My face is just a bit swollen in certain places this morning. But, nothing hurts, and I am going to do a decent road bike ride this am before church.

n4zou

I quit curb jumping and other such antics in my 40's. We just do not recover from injuries like we did when we were in the 30's and younger. You must have been leading a very sheltered life if your just now discovering this!

robtown

I'll bet your next curb hop will be more like a wheelie.

DnvrFox

All the "road rash" is gone this morning. I feel and look great. I don't know about your recovery, but I am very pleased with mine.

The Weak Link

TWL's rule: never try to hop something if an unplanned dismount involves landing on concrete.

Widsith

I think I've experienced a little bit of that feeling.

In my teens I liked to go to bed by turning off the light, then taking a flying leap into bed. I'd done it every night for years without mishap.

Then one night, in my late teens, I came home very late, after my parents had gone to bed. So I tip-toed in, didn't turn on any lights, got undressed quietly in the dark, and jumped into bed as usual. What I didn't know was that my mother had rearranged my bedroom furniture earlier that day, and the bed was now in a different part of the room.

I hung suspended in the darkness for what seemed a very long time, and distinctly remember wondering why it was taking so long to reach the bed. Then I landed face-first on the hardwood floor. If there had been a swimming pool there, I would have executed a perfect belly-flop. My Dad called down the hall, "What was that?" I managed to gasp out, "It's OK -- something fell on the floor," but was too embarrassed to admit what fell.

Beverly

Ouch! Glad to hear you weren't seriously injured.

The last two people I knew who took a trip over the handlebars also took a trip to the hospital

The Smokester

Close one, DnvrFox. Glad you got away with it relatively unscathed.

alcanoe

My biggest over the bar adventure was at 17 miles of a 19 mile single-track ride at about 65. It was the first ride on my new full suspension. I attempted to jump this log that I had jumped dozens of times before on my hardtail, but this time hit it a possibly 50% more than the normal speed of about 8mph. The less jarring ride has cost me my speed perception and I was over enthusiastic going much faster than normal at this point of the trail. After the rear tire clipped the log, I saw the rear wheel in my upper peripheral vision.

Fortunately, I held on to the bars long enough to prevent outstretching my arms otherwise it was broken collar bone or dislocated shoulder for sure. I hit the ground on my face (right side) and chest pinning both arms underneath me. I couldn't move. I checked everything out and I seemed to be ok, except for really bad pain from my ribs, but I could not move. Surely I thought, a tree didn't fall on me at the same time. I must of lain there 3 or 4 minutes.

I tilted my head up and saw a bike wheel. The bike was laying on top of me with the rear wheel over my head and the front wheel over my feet. I had to squirm side to side to get my arms free and get out from under just 28 lbs. It took a lot of effort.

For two weeks it hurt to even breath deeply, but I still rode twice a week. I would really hurt at first on a ride, but it would get less and less as I rode. After the ride the pain would come back but not any worst than before the ride, so I figured it was aiding the healing process.

Body armor might be a good idea.

Al

DnvrFox

Did a 15 mile roadie ride this am (rode to church and a bit more), swam for 40 minutes after church, and lifted weights after swimming.

All is well - the body seems to have all of its parts in order, and they are responding as requested. Absolutely no residual pain or stiffness. Only one person asked about the slight puffiness on my chin - and she already intuitively knew what had happened without anyone telling her. She is one of our ministers (and a bike rider).

Thanks for all the good thoughts.

donheff

You should can that move Dnvr. I went over the bars on my last (and first) mountain biking excursion last summer and busted my wrist. I busted my knee sky-diving with my daughter a few years ago. The healing process is slower at our age. Some of that stuff just isn't worth it any more.

cyclinfool

This was my experience - I tried to jump a log but didn't get the timing right, the front wheel caught the log and I went over and factured my wrist. I wen over a few more times on the MTB jumping rocks, stumps and logs and then decided this was a young and stupid persons sport (my opinion only - no flames please). I then went back to being a roadie where the closet encounter I had to getting hurt was a Buick Roadmaster when I was 7.

You were lucky - be careful out there.

gcottay

Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch. Another serious blow to the with-age-wisdom illusion.

oilman_15106

You are lucky. My buddie broke his shoulder from an over the bar incident on his mt. bike. I did the same about 5 weeks ago on the road and my shoulders are still sore.