I Crashed.
03-07-10, 10:16 PM
#1
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I Crashed.
I need some help with a problem I am having. Recently, I crashed while riding my bicycle down a hill I have descended at least 90 times. I was about 15 minutes into my ride when I was approach the bottom of the hill with a left to right curve. I was traveling approximately 20 - 25 mph. All of a sudden I felt my rear wheel sliding out from under me and the bicycle going down. The crash broke two of my ribs and induced a pneumothorax in my right lung. I have been riding for over 20 years and have in excess of 10,000 miles of experience. However, I cannot for the life of me figure out what happened. The roadway was slightly wet but no different then a dozen or so times before. I did not see any grease spots, although there was extensive sealant in the area of the crash from prior road repairs. I was riding on Specialized 700c-25 tires @ 120psi. Approximately 300-400 miles of wear. Any hypothesis on what caused this loss of traction?
03-07-10, 10:29 PM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: London
Posts: 2,420
Bikes: Baum Romano, Brompton S2, Homemade Bamboo!
Liked 204 Times
in
129 Posts
^ +1
Also:
Pressures too high on tyres? ie too little contact patch
Just because you couldn't see an oil patch or so on after the fact doesn't mean that there wasn't a film of something down there.
Also:
Pressures too high on tyres? ie too little contact patch
Just because you couldn't see an oil patch or so on after the fact doesn't mean that there wasn't a film of something down there.
03-07-10, 10:35 PM
#6
on your left.
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Blacksburg, VA
Posts: 1,802
Bikes: Scott SUB 30, Backtrax MTB
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
too high speed, too high tire inflation, too much lean, too much braking, turning weird, black ice, gravel, slick pavement (sealant), out of practice from winter, sand, wet pavement?
03-07-10, 11:02 PM
#8
slow up hills
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 4,931
Bikes: Giant TCR, Redline CX, Ritchey Breakaway, Spec S-works epic
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
was the road wet from the first rain in awhile? In this case there was likely oil on the road.
If the back tire was unweighted, and went over something slick as you were leaning it might have been enough to get it to break free. Hitting the rear brake in this circumstance just guarantees you'll continue the slide. When panic-stopping, which hand do you instinctively grab? If it's the right, you probably locked it when you sensed something amiss and then it was game over.
If the back tire was unweighted, and went over something slick as you were leaning it might have been enough to get it to break free. Hitting the rear brake in this circumstance just guarantees you'll continue the slide. When panic-stopping, which hand do you instinctively grab? If it's the right, you probably locked it when you sensed something amiss and then it was game over.
03-07-10, 11:32 PM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 105
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Any chance you were passing over some painted road marker? Pedestrian crossing, turn lane arrow, etc?
Those things can be slick as crap where I live. Especially if they're wet at all.
Those things can be slick as crap where I live. Especially if they're wet at all.
03-08-10, 12:38 AM
#12
03-08-10, 12:40 AM
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: NorCal
Posts: 2,457
Bikes: Cervelo R3 (Force)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
03-08-10, 12:53 AM
#14
cowboy, steel horse, etc
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: The hot spot.
Posts: 45,700
Bikes: everywhere
Liked 8,273 Times
in
4,405 Posts
not enough weight on your outside pedal
03-08-10, 01:16 AM
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 49
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Same thing happened to me a while ago on the way to school on my road bike. I went to do a sharp left handed turn and the back wheel hit those things that mark lanes and got some air and sent me into a slide. Thank goodness I hit the front brake and stopped the slide in someway, otherwise I was headed straight for a pole. Anyway, did you happen to hit one of those little marker thingys?
03-08-10, 01:25 AM
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 49
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
03-08-10, 01:36 AM
#19
03-08-10, 01:44 AM
#21
Banned
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Posts: 28,387
Bikes: Specialized Tarmac SL2, Specialized Tarmac SL, Giant TCR Composite, Specialized StumpJumper Expert HT
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
3 Posts
I think other people have it covered. I just thought it was an interesting thing to say, the way he said it. You guys are making a bigger deal out of it than I was.
03-08-10, 01:54 AM
#22
Cat 3 Meter - Don't Care
You crashed, **** happens when you party naked, stop looking for something to blame it on and don't do it again. Hope you heal up fast, sincerely.
Oh, and welcome to Bike Forums.
Oh, and welcome to Bike Forums.
03-08-10, 01:57 AM
#23
Batüwü Creakcreak
Maybe braking at an inopportune time when some gravel was present.
03-08-10, 02:46 AM
#24
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Melbourne, Oz
Posts: 9,559
Bikes: https://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=152015&p=1404231
Liked 726 Times
in
516 Posts
Given that he reckons it happened all of a sudden and he can't figure it out, I gather he wasn't on the brakes.
03-08-10, 02:57 AM
#25
Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
As others have said - that's pretty high pressure for 25c's - maybe your wheel caught a stone? At high speed and tyre pressure that could flip your wheel. Falls happen - don't beat yourself up about it, you can never account for every eventuality and all it takes is a split second of lapsed concentration at the wrong time..?
