How to avoid bicycle accidents?
#26
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From: Bay Area, Calif.
That seems a little harsh. I'm sure I've had at least that many bike crashes with half of them occurring during my first year of riding and most of the rest over the following few years. Only one was serious (at age 10) and none had long-term consequences. Fortunately as my bones have hardened over the years my rate of crashing has gone way down. Only one of my crashes was the result of a mechanical failure (broken steerer tube). Several were the primary fault of others, but could probably still have been avoided.
#27
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From: Middle of da Mitten
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I'm glad it turned out OK for you. But think what would have happened if the water had blown a manhole cover out and you had hit the hole as it was submerged. Basic safety: Don't drive (or ride) if you can't see the road for the water.
#28
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From: Milwaukee, WI
Bikes: '68 Raleigh Sprite, '02 Raleigh C500, '84 Raleigh Gran Prix, '91 Trek 400, 2013 Novara Randonee, 1990 Trek 970
Bikes - Treat every pedestrian, dog, and car door as if they are loaded.
Life in general - Do only one stupid thing at a time.
Life in general - Do only one stupid thing at a time.
#29
Knowing what has happened in the recent flooding here ... I wouldn't ride through that at all.
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#30
What manhole cover? There aren't any on that street. Besides, the way our storm drains are around here, it would be near impossible to get enough water into them to blow the covers.
#31
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From: Metro Detroit/AA
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Pretty much the only two correct answers to completely avoid them. If you want to reduce your chances for an accident, common sense is a very good place to start.
Go around. I wouldn't go through water of unknown depth or flow with unknown submerged obstacles in a bike or a car.
Go around. I wouldn't go through water of unknown depth or flow with unknown submerged obstacles in a bike or a car.
#32
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Russian Roulette is also a fun sport. Great adrenaline rush.
Riding at night on strange roads with no lights is also exhilarating ... for a while.
I have seen cars hit a lot of obstacles. I have never seen a car fall over.
Some people have to actually fail while doing something which in retrospect was pretty stupid, before they accept that it was pretty stupid.
Riding at night on strange roads with no lights is also exhilarating ... for a while.
I have seen cars hit a lot of obstacles. I have never seen a car fall over.
Some people have to actually fail while doing something which in retrospect was pretty stupid, before they accept that it was pretty stupid.
#34
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Sadly ... don't use clipless pedals, and if you do, don't use two different sets, one of which is not quite as loose as the other.
At least it is a low-speed crash.
At least it is a low-speed crash.
#35
If you ride a bike you cannot outright avoid the potential of accidents. You can limit the chances you are involved in one by small amounts or very great amounts depending on your willingness to do so.
For example, a person that rides 200 miles a week on busy roads can ride 100 miles a week on busy roads. This would reduce the chance by roughly half (time-dependent of course).
A person that rides 200 miles a week on busy roads could ride 200 miles a week on non-busy roads.
A person that rides on roads can ride on bike paths.
A person that rides on bike paths can just ride from one end of their back porch to the other, then turn around and go back, etc.
A person that just rides on their back porch can just ride on a trainer.
etc etc...
Still, there is risk for an accident while on the bicycle.
Abstinence is the only true way to avoid an accident while riding a bicycle.
For example, a person that rides 200 miles a week on busy roads can ride 100 miles a week on busy roads. This would reduce the chance by roughly half (time-dependent of course).
A person that rides 200 miles a week on busy roads could ride 200 miles a week on non-busy roads.
A person that rides on roads can ride on bike paths.
A person that rides on bike paths can just ride from one end of their back porch to the other, then turn around and go back, etc.
A person that just rides on their back porch can just ride on a trainer.
etc etc...
Still, there is risk for an accident while on the bicycle.
Abstinence is the only true way to avoid an accident while riding a bicycle.
#37
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From: SW Fl.
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Stay in bed. Getting out of bed is be the beginning of all sorts of bad things happening, not just a bicycle accident.
Getting out of bed in the morning is the BIG BANG of accident happenstance.
Getting out of bed in the morning is the BIG BANG of accident happenstance.
#38
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From: Bozeman
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Please record your ride if you chose to do this.
And I think you're wrong. A truck would be the go to choice for driving through 6 inches of water. It would work MUCH better than a bike.
Or, if you prefer a truck not suited for driving through water, how about a relatively stock F150?
Have you ever STOOD in 6+ inches of moving water? It's hard enough to stand there, let alone ride a bike.
Last edited by corrado33; 08-04-16 at 10:07 AM.
#40
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From: North of Boston
Bikes: Kona Dawg, Surly 1x1, Karate Monkey, Rockhopper, Crosscheck , Burley Runabout,
Ride within your limits, gravity is a harsh mistress. My lessons started in 2nd grade. 2 older brothers and a VERY popular Evil Knievel. This led to them making jumps and me going first.
#41
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#42
I rode through 2.5 feet on a commute home one day, successfully if you can call it that. Lubing hubs and chain and bottom bracket cost me about an hour and a half, compared to saving maybe 10 minutes going around. Not the smartest choice, but I wanted to see if I could do it without getting bogged down.
#43
- Just 15 cm (6 inches) of standing water – sometimes less – can be enough to cause engine stalling. Your engine can suffer serious and expensive damage if it ingests water. And you'll be stranded.
- In approximately 30 cm (1 foot) of water, a typical car can begin to float and, as traction is lost, so is steering control. If the water is moving, your vehicle could literally float away.
- At 60 cm (two feet) of water, even larger vehicles such as pickup trucks and SUVs are in danger of floating away.
- NEVER try driving through fast-moving water, such as an overflowing river, as your vehicle could be swept away.
- As a rule of thumb, don't drive into water that's too deep to see the painted markings on the road.
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#44
IMO, whoever came up with the idea for double-sided clipless pedals should be taken out and shot for not also designing them such that one screw adjusts both sides. Way too easy to accidentally get the same side just right twice and leave the other way too tight.
#45
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Hi guys,how's everything going with you? Hope you had a nice weekend.Did you just coming back from your holiday or on the way to it?
Today I would like to share some my opinions about the way to avoid bicycle accidents. Actually, accidents are inevitable, all we can do is to reduce the probabilities. A couple of reasons will cause the accidents, such as poor road conditions, bad bicycle quality or inappropriate riding ways etc.
In recent years, more and more people are interested in bicycle riding, because it is a good way to keep healthy and you can get a lot fun from it. At the same time, the bicycle market are developing at a high speed, so it is difficult for a begineer to make a decision in face of different choices. Some people pay more attention to the price, while others put the quality as their first consideration. As I know, some manufacturers will use inferior material to produce bicycles in order to save the cost, so their bicycles can be sold at a low price. Take carbon bicycle rims for example, bad quality carbon bicycle rims are easier to break in a high temperature compared to high quality carbon rims,following is the picture.
Attachment 533016
Another reason that will lead to a accident is the inappropriate riding ways, take the brake surface for example, experienced riders
will brake their bicycle from time to time when down hill in order to reduce the temperature in the brake surface, while new hands usually keep braking all the way when down hill which will be more dangerous.
Attachment 533017
Welcome to share more cycling experiences with me...Thanks for contributing to the accident rate.
#46
If you're riding in the rain, don't ride through puddles ... you just don't know how deep they'll be!!
Just Yesterday, I posted about my concept of Riding Safety Aphorisms ("The Sayings of Chairman Jim"), little sayings that come to mind when I encounter a situation where unseen dangers may lurk, such as:
…Make sure you can see the road surface if you ride over a puddle; a pothole or frozen ice may lurk at the bottom…
…Make sure you can see the road surface if you ride over a puddle; a pothole or frozen ice may lurk at the bottom…
My aphorisms have been generated by close calls, either personally or vicariously through the misfortunes of others. In the case of obscured surfaces, besides the newspaper report about the leaves, I personally hit a pothole hidden by a puddle, but fortunately just tore my nice cycling jacket. So I read of cycling accidents and safety suggestions to sympathize and learn.
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 08-11-16 at 05:53 AM.
#47
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From: Middletown NY
Bikes: Cannondale SuperSix EVO w Hi-Mod frame, Raleigh Tamland 1 and Giant Anthem X
I think the more bike skills you have, the more you can avoid an accident. A good way to learn some skills is by mtb riding. You will learn to improve your balance, traction (esp in slippery conditions), brake modulation (esp hard front braking), bunny hops (hopping over obstacles), proper gear selection and more.
Then, there is experience riding on the roads and there is only one way to get that, go ride.
Then, there is experience riding on the roads and there is only one way to get that, go ride.
#49
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXqa...nel=FunnyClips
Have you ever STOOD in 6+ inches of moving water? It's hard enough to stand there, let alone ride a bike.
Have you ever STOOD in 6+ inches of moving water? It's hard enough to stand there, let alone ride a bike.
#50
There's no way I'd ride through water that deep randomly, nor an overflowed creek that I didn't know intimately.
I rode through 2.5 feet on a commute home one day, successfully if you can call it that. Lubing hubs and chain and bottom bracket cost me about an hour and a half, compared to saving maybe 10 minutes going around. Not the smartest choice, but I wanted to see if I could do it without getting bogged down.




