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Originally Posted by JoesInBoston
(Post 6534951)
I was riding on a road that had trolley tracks embedded into the pavement and I wasn't even paying attention as I was turning off that road. I was looking up and around for oncoming traffic and my wheel fell right into the recess of the rail in the road. I dumped right then and there in the middle of a very busy intersection. (For the Boston folks, I fell where Beacon St meets Commonwealth Ave near Chestnut Hill.)
Observations: 1) My feet miraculously unclipped themselves as I hit the ground. This was one of my biggest concerns whenever I thought about my inevitable first fall. 2) My road rash doesn't hurt nearly as much as my misaligned back does right now. 3) I'll never make that stupid mistake again. Please share your first crash with me here so I don't feel as stupid as I do right now. I've always managed to get free of the bike wearing clipless. For that matter, I've usually been able to get clear wearing toe clips. The road rash is usually the least painful part of the aftermath of a crash. If it isn't you weren't riding fast enough.:D If you keep on riding this won't be the last time you go down because your tire gets grabbed or knocked around by something in the road that you didn't see, so get used to feeling stupid.:) I'm still recovering from my last crash from hitting something six weeks ago. |
Glad you didn't break any bones.
I hope your bike comes through this ok. My first real crash was October 2005, I broke my arm and needed stitches in my chin. I healed, but you can still see the scars in the soft places. My bike still has scratches on the rear derailer and both shifters. |
Originally Posted by yogi13
(Post 6539875)
First crash was losing traction in a corner when there was some sand on the path. Tires slid right out from under me.:o
I've always managed to get free of the bike wearing clipless. For that matter, I've usually been able to get clear wearing toe clips. The road rash is usually the least painful part of the aftermath of a crash. If it isn't you weren't riding fast enough.:D If you keep on riding this won't be the last time you go down because your tire gets grabbed or knocked around by something in the road that you didn't see, so get used to feeling stupid.:) I'm still recovering from my last crash from hitting something six weeks ago. I don't feel as stupid anymore, thanks for the responses everyone! |
Mountain bikers...
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Sunday was my second in less than a year. On the way back after 40 miles and just 1 block away from the house. Went over small bump on the road and the bike just flipped. Landed on my back bike on top. Giro Helmet split open on the back. Except for a cut on the saddle not a single scratch on the bike.
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Originally Posted by JoesInBoston
(Post 6534951)
My back, my palms and my thigh are not happy with me right now. My bike isn't happy either. It's scratched on the rear skewer, left pedal and both hoods. I was riding on a road that had trolley tracks embedded into the pavement and I wasn't even paying attention as I was turning off that road. I was looking up and around for oncoming traffic and my wheel fell right into the recess of the rail in the road. I dumped right then and there in the middle of a very busy intersection. (For the Boston folks, I fell where Beacon St meets Commonwealth Ave near Chestnut Hill.)
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If you react fast enough, you can hop out of streetcar tracks.
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Not counting the one I had on a downhill into a viciously heaved sidewalk when I was 7, the next one was into a young woman aiming her bike into the road between two parked cars. I was coming downhill about 25 or so, and with only about a foot to spare, there was no way. Tacoed her wheel, and separated my shoulder (ouch, to say the least)- took almost a year before I could sleep on it. OK, so that maybe wasn't so stupid on my part (but it was on hers). The really stupid one was the classic "forgot to unclip when coming to a stop on a hill" trick. Of course, it was in front of about 20 other cyclists standing around, but they'd all been there before so they were cool. Even still, it was embarrassing as can be.
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With four days left on a cross country trip, I was riding in a group of about 6 in New York, right on the boarder with CT. We were ridding on a busy road, when suddenly a floor heater fell our of the back of a truck slightly to the right of the yellow lines. Being NY, drivers were swerving to the right of the thing right was we were passing it. Of course, I was paying attention to the traffic instead of the six inch deep hole infront of me.
http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/962/forkbd3.jpg (me, staring at the severed fork) Somehow, I suffered no injuries. When I went flying, I immediately rolled as soon as I hit the ground. |
My first crash was 3 months into cycling,we were going down a bridge at some 25 mph and I guy behind me fell,we all kind of slowed down our speed to see if we could help him,I remember seeing him passing me but rolling like a ball on the ground,I took a look at him and when I looked in front of me a rider was basically standing on his bike and not moving at all,I tried to avoid him but no way and down I went!!! my coccyx was hurting for more than 5 months really bad,I think I broke it but I'm fine now,by the way the rider ended up in very bad shape.
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Ah crashes. I crashed during a training race in 2001 when a racer came from the behind me and swerved into my position on the inside. He snapped 3 of my front spokes with his rear d and my front wheel tacoed...of course it locked in the fork when it tacoed and launched me and the bike up and over at somewhere around 30 mph. Shattered my collarbone in 5 places and had to get surgery for it 4 years later.
Then got hit by the Children's hospital shuttle during a tropical storm last summer. Had to wear a diaper of gauze after that one. But was good enough to stay up this last weekend when I carelessly crossed wheels with someone in front of me. Of course they came over a bit and thumped my front. I twitched a bit, but held it up - won't make that mistake again. |
Only 3 months after I first started riding I was about 2kms from home after my first over 30kms ride. It felt like a huge accomplishment at the time.
Anyway, I was riding through a car park to where the bike path continued and had to slow down and stop for a car moving around. I was so tired I couldn't unclip in time and just fell over sideways for no reason at all. Lots of people saw it happen.... :( Came away from it with a severely bruised ego and a lesson in what 'bonking' is. |
My first crash was when I clipped the mirror of a taxi. Stupid.
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I think I fell in the EXACT location as u!! haha. I was near BC ... riding downhill changing lanes to get back onto beacon street when I fell into the recessed tracks and down I went!!!!
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First or most embarrassing?
There are just so many to choose from. Two non-racing ones come to mind. Years apart, but both on the same bike, ironically. It was an indestructible old Raleigh Super Record (Raleigh name...nothing to do with components) that I used to ride as an MTB back when the only MTB's you could get were from the Sharper Image catalog. First crash: I was sprinting across an 4-lane intersection trying to beat a light, popped a front spoke, tacoed the wheel. Over the bars I went and landed in front of a bunch of cars about to roll out with the green. I hustled to the center island, dragging my bike, as the cars pulled out. Some kids I knew were in three of the cars. I never heard the end of it until I graduated. Fast forward five years to the second crash: I'm in college, riding home from class. Same bike, now sporting 36-hole Shimano/Wolber wheels. As I approach my apartment building, a lovely girl is walking on the sidewalk. In an attempt to dazzle her, I roll up and across the driveway paperboy style and grab air off the burm of the curb. I look down at her from easily seven feet in the air. Her eyes are wide with awe. I look down at my landing strip, and notice an eight inch gap between the grass I'm about to land on and the sidewalk. Next thing I know I'm on my back, and the girl is trying not to giggle as she's asking if I'm okay. Luckily the only thing hurt was my ego, a scar I carry to this day. GB |
My first (and so far only) crash on a bicycle as an adult happened last summer. I rode up to a red light in traffic, couldn't unsnap from my pedal and just fell over. Spent a good couple of minutes trying to find my ego.
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When I was a kid in Manila, my uncle told me if my brakes fail I should slow down the front tire with my foot. One day I tested it out... but my flip-flop flew right off of my foot and jammed the front wheel. Needless to say, I endoed.
My first spectacular crash however... http://steaktaco.com/images/z060528.jpg |
First crash was over 50 years ago on a farm road early in the morning with dew in the grass. Wet brakes....end of road...barbed wire fence...
I managed to do a half gainer with the bike after I hit the fence. There was no one with me so it took about 15 min to undoo the half gainer that had me, the bike and the fence all twisted around each other.......To this day, my gromet puckers whenever I see barbed wire. |
Originally Posted by Brian Ratliff
(Post 6538203)
No offence, but what the hell were you doing going over 30mph on a 5' wide path? That's just f'n dumb.
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Originally Posted by munkyv22
(Post 6538133)
My first road bike crash?
I was riding my 3 day old Madone on a secluded little (not very well known) path. I am booking it doing probably 32Mph. This is a narrow path, maybe 4 or 5 feet across. It also curves to and fro and has lots of hills and dips. Very fun. Anyway, I came accelerating out of a corner and suddenly see these three fat women walking shoulder to shoulder up the path a ways. I call out that I am coming up. No response, I shout again, louder. No response. I finally am maybe 100 ft from them and I yell "Move the f*ck out of the way". They finally all scream and jump into the dirt on the sides as I tear through. Then they start yelling at me. "Slow down *****hole" they say. I flip them off over my shoulder as I stand and sprint up a hill and out of their sight. Little did I know, this particular hill did not remain straight after its crest, it reaches the top, drops down AND turns at the same time. Turns sharp. I am doing 35 Mph. This is not a good thing. I slam on my breaks and start trying to get some lean in for the turn. Not happening. I go straight off the path, into the sand, where the Madone quickly grabs a front wheel full of sand and, brakes applied 100% now, throws me over the handlebars. I did NOT unclip as this happened. I had the joy of hurdling through the air with the bike still attached, landing on my face and chest in the sand (thank FSM for small miracles) and then having the bike land on me, unclip my shoes and tear my calve open with the chainring. Believe it or not, I was up, back on the bike and riding away WELL before the fat beeatches came over the hill to see my all wrecked. That was my first road bike crash, (If that's really a true story and not a troll.) |
Thankfully not had many in 40 years of racing. My worst was just over a year ago breaking my collar bone for the first time in a criterium.
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Originally Posted by velik
(Post 6539827)
Often one's body has an amazing ability to react without brain knowing what's going on but unfortunately not always :-(
One thing, whenever the thought or discussion of crashing comes up think to yourself "TUCK AND ROLL". Try and mentally embed that in your head and muscles. Obviously if you go down on your side it does not apply, but anytime you are going forwards or over the top, tuck your head down, roll and try not to reach with your arms. Mtb is a great teacher of this ;) My first hard road crash was in the low 20's; group ride and the guy in front braked and went right to avoid a hole, right into my front wheel. From mtb crashes I instinctively tucked and rolled as I went over and came out very sore with some solid rash on the back of my shoulders, elbow and knees. It hurt but I was able to ride the 10 miles back home at a decent pace. |
The other day I was riding in Boston on my usual commuter route when I saw this guy take a hilarious bad fall right where Beacon St meets Commonweatlh Ave, near Chestnut Hill... looks like he hit a track or something. I was laughing so hard at the sight that I rode directly into the car in front of me.
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Originally Posted by KidTruth
(Post 6565233)
The other day I was riding in Boston on my usual commuter route when I saw this guy take a hilarious bad fall right where Beacon St meets Commonweatlh Ave, near Chestnut Hill... looks like he hit a track or something. I was laughing so hard at the sight that I rode directly into the car in front of me.
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Tegaderm is your friend if you get to it in time.
Biggest tip I can offer having learned that lesson myself first hand. |
Originally Posted by JoesInBoston
(Post 6571238)
That must be one hell of a commuter route from Houston, Texas!
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+1 on tegaderm. Once it is on, DO NOT TAKE IT OFF. If you do, you end up spending lots of money and eliminate the advantage. Just watch it for signs of infection.
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My first crash was self induced. Just learned how to do front brake endos with my bmx (namesake) and was showing off to my Dad before school. Sure enough, over the handlebars and into the asphalt.
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