furiousferret

So yesterday I inadvertantly (sp?) pulled a Lance. I was riding on the SART and by about mile 32 I was pretty wiped. For the better part of the day I was doing intervals which tapped my energy. Still I found the energy to dial it up and went as hard as I could go. In fact I so burnt I did not even have the energy to put my head up to see where I was going.

At about 24 mph I look up and there is a bend in the road coming up fast. There is no way I'm going to make the turn without crashing hard. I just feathered the brakes hard enough and rode into the dirt. Knowing i would crash if I turned, I just concentrated on going straight. Lucky for me, I was at the part of SART where there are 2 paths. I rode about 100 feet in the dirt till I hit the other path. I was pretty cool, but my heart was pitter pattering cus I thought for sure I was going down.

GuitarWizard

I've ridden off the road before, but only for a brief moment....was one of those "you go where you look" moments, and I kept staring at the dirt/grass. Was going around 20 mph, but kept to slow and deliberate movements, and got myself back onto the pavement with little drama.

It's more challenging on a motorcycle, though.

cc_rider

A few weeks ago on a rural road in the Shenandoah Valley. Edge of the the road was a bit chewed up and while I was checking my computer I rode too close to the edge and hit a sandy/gravel patch. Pulled right and headed for the ditch. Managed to lay my bike down on the left side and roll over on my back before hitting the ditch. No road rash, red patches on my arm and thigh went away quick, jambed left toe took a day to get over.

Worst part, it was at the bottom of my biggest climb of the day. Messed up my concentration for a few miles.

slvoid

I went into some deep bushes at around 15mph on my road bike, ended up being tossed off by a huge branch...

urbanknight

Not the road, but I was on the apron of the velodrome talking to someone in the grand stands when I didn't realize I was swerving right into the infield. That set off a clipless moment and I fell over at about 3 mph.

phantomcow2

I just did today. Just pedaling along, sort of drowning out the sound of everything else. Next thing I know I am on the wet grass, i made it on fine though. The part that always worries me is hte transition from dirt to road

Snicklefritz

A few years ago I ran off the road into a ditch. Fortunately I was going uphill at the time so
it was a slow speed crash. I was ok and so was my bike. The embarassing part was this
was on a first date with a guy I was really interested in. Oh! I could have crawled into a hole
and died! He told me several months later that he was actually somewhat encouraged by
this - figuring "oh she must be really nervous...maybe she likes me..." lol.

greeniceghetto

Just yesterday I drifted off the side of the road. It was only an inch dropoff, so getting back on wasn't tricky. A while back I was riding with my dad talking to him and I slipped off the side of the bike path. I got it back on pretty quickly, but it spooked my dad a bit - a few weeks before, he had drifted off the side and swerved back on to the path, hitting me. No injuries or damages, so we went on our merry way.

Dubbayoo

I followed a guy off the road once. I don't normally draft less than a meter from the wheel. One day I was determined to improve so I riveted myself to the wheel in front on a fast group ride. I moved up within 18 inches back and the knucklehead went off the road within 15 seconds.

maxine

MS150 ride a few years back . . . some slower riders were ahead of me, but some faster riders were coming up behind . . . I kept glancing at both groups, debating whether I could get up to and out and around the slower front group in time to avoid impeding the faster back group . . . well, too much looking at them, not enough looking at the flippin' road, and all of sudden in front of me is a yawning chasm in the asphalt that stretched across the whole shoulder. I had a split second to decide what to do, and had a feeling the fast guys were now too close, so I veered to the right instead of the left . . . and went down about two steep, grassy feet into a slightly watery, weed-choked drainage ditch that ran alongside the road. I fully expected to crash, and when I didn't, I considered a controlled dump -- who knew what rocks or glass or whatever was lurking in that muck? But, what the hell, the wheels were still turning, so I kept going and managed to climb back up and out onto the road again. The fast guys had just passed, and the last one turned and shouted to see if I was okay. Yeah, just fine, other than feeling like a complete doofus.

Wino Ryder

I was riding home drunk the other night when my headlight went out. By the time it registered what the hell was going on, I had done veered off the road into the grass. I remembered I was on my back, and the grass smelled so good. When the cops found me at daylight, they asked me if I was o.k.......which I said "yeah" and got on my bike and rode home.

What made it bad was it was'nt even my bike.

Starclimber

1982, San Leandro California

So, I'm riding the neighbour's old ten speed down the main drag that connects Union City, Hayward, San Leandro...Mission Blvd? I'm heading towards Oakland. Cruising along, a bit hungover in a way that only the Gilroy garlic festival can make you. I'm stinking hungover, but feeling mostly OK and a little on the dreamy side.

This bike is equipped with a rattrap, holding down an inflatable air force canteen. Some of you may know the type. Idea is you can use it for personal flotation if you ditch. Yeah, the neighbour used to be in the air force. On the previous ride, the canteen had fallen off at some point forcing a turnaround and search.

So, I'm flying along and remember that the canteen might be working loose from the 'trap, so I look back to make sure it's still there. Yep, looking good....and then dreamy state of mind takes over, and I start noticing how the wheel meets the road and I think....just for an instant, the wheel isn't moving when it hits the road! It would be skidding otherwise, and hot and smoking.... I'm watching the curb too, keeping a reasonably safe distance from it. It's a high curb, I notice.

I look forward again, and see the slight bend in the road, and the parked car I have no time to avoid, and the big wooden pole, and the bus stop bench occupied by one elderly African American gentleman. If I do nothing, I hit the curb between the pole and parked car. If I swerve, I can use the old guy for padding. I elect to take my chances with the current trajectory.

The front wheel hits the curb and I slap my right foot down on the sidewalk and vault off the bike. I'm expecting to tumble headlong into the tall glass shopfront windows and doors, but incredibly I'm sprinting down the sidewalk and come to a stop miraculously unscathed.

I'm incredulous and filled with elation. I just got away with utter idiocy...pre-glove, btw. Pre-helmet as well... So, I walk back to look at the bike...rear derailleur is bent in, handlebars are twisted around, nothing serious. Grinning from ear to ear, I look at the guy at the bus stop, and he starts shaking his head and wagging his finger at me...

"No, no, NO. You don't do it like that!!!" he spits out, as if this was my normal way of getting off a bike.

Canteen was still firmly in place.

FatguyRacer

Time trial in 2000. Last 2 miles i had my head down and was hammering to a sub 1hr TT. My eyes were glued very trance like to the white line. So much so that as the line veered to the right and to the edge of the paved shoulder i followed it right into a drainage ditch. The finish was about 300 yards away. I managed to get back on my broken bike finished in 62 min.

nickf829

haha i did that last weekend on my first century, about 90 miles into it, climbing one of the bigger hills on the ride, i looked forward, then back, and when i looked forward again i went slowmotion into the gravel dropoff on the road. i was able to slow enough not to pop a tire, but i was pissed because i was wore out and had to start again from a dead stop on big hill.. but no your not alone

cyclezealot

This has been a fear of mine. Think this is one reason, even on my road bike, I use no less than 25 cm tires. For each time I ride my road bike with 'skinny tires', i probably ride my touring bikes with 27-32 cm tires 2-3 times. I feel safer with wider tires. Going off the road seems less risky.

DrPete 

I watched a guy just veer right off the road on a climb at a road race this year. Went off into the gravel and went down. No contact with anyone (he was alone, about 30m ahead of me). Wasn't hurt or anything, but definitely worth a chuckle.

I_bRAD

I've done it a few times. never crashed from it though. It usually seems to happen when an attractive woman is more interesting to look at than looking where I'm going.

BostonRob

Like this?

Mariner Fan

I've had a few close calls while messing with my bike computer. Just today, I almost went off the road while dodging a caterpillar. I know that's stupid but I didn't want to squish it.

Snicklefritz

Someone posted something recently about seeing two guys in a race crash into each other and go down when they spied two bikini-clad women near the course and stopped paying attention to where they were going. Apparently this particular road race passed by a golf course and a couple of ladies were out in beach wear.

sam83

This year.

I've never raced, but there was a goofy 6 mile local race over a hilly curvy course. I made my break at about mile 2 climbing a 1/2 mile hill with a 16% grade in the middle. Having broken clear, my plan was to run and hide to discourage a chase, so I had my head down giving her all I had.

Well, I looked up to see I was just about to drop 6" off the pavement. It happened so fast and I remember being amazed that I didn't wipe out in the dirt, gravel and grass. I'd guess I was doing 25+ going slightly uphill at the time. I just continued for maybe 10 yards until the hop onto the pavement was more doable.

I made the hop and went on to win!

Zinn-X

lol

Reminds me of this time I was skateboarding on a MUP, all of a sudden I notice a snail right in front of me. I was going too fast to brake in time so I dove off the path with my skateboard and tumbled down into a nice deep ditch. The several bystanders thought I was crazy, but I was proud to have saved a life that evening.

maxine

Caterpillars, snails . . . and here I thought I was the only knucklehead who risks her own life and limb to avoid little creatures! I also get off my bike to move turtles out from the middle of the road.

Maybe the karma will come in handy someday . . .

munkyv22

Yes.

Lucky07

I've done it. Usually when I'm riding along some quiet road, sightseeing & I don't notice the shoulder has disappeared...