Your worst cycling crash?
geerfree
Posts: 74
Thought I would make this topic, probably has been done before but anyway.
When was your worst crash and how did it happen, also what injuries did you get?
When was your worst crash and how did it happen, also what injuries did you get?
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Tuesday night, lost back wheel on a roundabout.
Usual grazes and bruises but also dislocated my little finger, its in a splint for 4 weeks and I'm waiting for the docs to work out if I've snapped the tendons or just damaged them - I'll need an op. if they're snapped
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Racing in a 4 day stage race, on the third stage. The bunch had split into 3 or 4 groups going up a hard climb, on the descent we were tanking it to get back onto the front group. I was following my clubmate's wheel who is a much better descender than me. Combination of going too fast and some motorbikes coming up the other way saw me lock the back end up, ride into a fence at 35mph (last recorded speed - i had been braking down to this speed) go over the bars and hit a fence post head on.
Lots of cuts and bruises, cracked helmet, whiplash type injuries and a sore back that took nearly 12 months to be pain free again.
Bet it looked quite spectacular though.0 -
That sounds remarkably similar to one I did in race last year.
Hurtling down a narrow descent, heading towards 90 degree bend. Rider in front of me got corner all wrong and slid down the tarmac, I had to go round him and therefore straight on :shock:
Careered straight into a boulder, bike stopped dead, I flew throught the air in a full somersault landing back first in a drainage ditch. Couldn't believe I was alive, climbed out ditch to remount and continue race, only to find my Cervelo forks were snapped clean in two
Moral of story: if possible, always do a reccie of a road race course!0 -
Racing a friend, really hammering it, out of the saddle, chain snaps, I go flying into the black stuff face first. Broken tooth and crushed nose. Needed an op so I could breath through it again!! In hospital for two days with concussion. No helmet, but I don't think that would have helped as I sort of went chin first.
Mountain biking I have managed to literally peel the skin off my knee on a sharp rock and a poor landing!!
Hasn't put me off one bit though, still love what I do!! Recovery periods are a b!tch though!0 -
Only time I've broken something was messing about on a BMX jumping some ramps 18 months ago - some kids egged me on to have a go and then to go a bit further and "get some more air" - I've never ridden a BMX before or since. To be fair the kids were quite sympathetic. Worst crash on a road bike was when I decided I needed to practice a particular steep descent our Saturday training ride went down - Holly Lane down to Ambergate - did a couple of descents and got overconfident - crashed near the bottom and it took me a long time to get down at much more than crawling pace for a while after.
it's a hard life if you don't weaken.0 -
crashed in a bunch sprint - the two leading riders came together and veered off the road (hitting one of the finish line judges and knocking him out), one of the guy's bikes then spun back into my path and I rode right over it.
Broken collar bone, serious road rash to right leg, deep cuts to right elbow and right hip, resulting in nerve damage to my right leg and I still have a numb patch on the front of my thigh 15 years later..
My bike needed a new top tube - thank the lord for lugged steel frames...carbon or Ti would have had to go straight in the bin..
Best of all, because we crashed over the finish line, I still got awarded 8th..
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My worst was when I was about 7 years old. Absolutely caning it round in front of the band stand in Clissold Park, N London on my new racer. Don't remember what happened exactly, but I ended up going for the brakes, only hit the front one and went straight over - no helmet. Knocked myself out, big road rash down my face, my dad took it pretty hard!! I didn't get another racer for a few years after that!!!"And the Lord said unto Cain, 'where is Abel thy brother?' And he said, 'I know not: I dropped him on the climb up to the motorway bridge'."
- eccolafilosofiadelpedale0 -
Most spectacular was when I was young and stupid. 30mph+ (probably more) down hill on road (1car wide), racing a mate, quiet road but crazy really as if a car had come round the corner I'd have been a gonner. anyway, lost it on some wet gravel in the middle, think sliding across the road scrubbed a bit of speed off, but head first into a stone wall, chunk out of helmet. No injuries, rode home a bit shaken up.
Worst injury was a bizarre one. Perfect summers day on a solo ride. Tarmac smooth, straight, flat, crusising along comfortably about 20mph. Nothing wrong at all. Then all of a sudden my bars are shuddering along at right angles and I went down, hit the road still holding the bars it happened so quick. No helmet, but broken femur, and cuts all down one side of arm/leg. 2weeks in hospital, off work for 6-8 weeks. To this day I have no idea whatsoever how it happened - no clues on bike, don't think I was hit, no holes in road that I could find.0 -
Just setting off on a ride from Bath to Bristol to get lunch one sunny Saturday- on my audax bike, had an itchy nose (hay fever season) so I was scratching it, so riding with one hand on the bars, doing about 20mph. On the cycle path, hit some tree roots under the tarmac*, it yanked my bars sideways and I flew over the bars and bounced twice on my side on the tarmac.
Couldn't move my left leg at all. Actually, I knew what had happened, I felt it - my hip had punched through the socket in my pelvis (the acetabulum) and it had two breaks in it. Also dislocated shoulder, skin off knee and elbow, helmet scrunched (no head injury thankfully)..
7 weeks in hospital, not allowed to sit up or get out of bed (for anything!) for all that time, missed a holiday in Australia, then 3 months on crutches, best part of a year off the bike.
I now look out for tree roots!
* Grahamcp - for ages I was convinced my bike had failed, that in some way the handlebars had come loose. On inspecting the bike when I got out of hospital, the bars were indeed wonky, but not loose, so that must have happened due to the crash rather than being the cause. It was only months later when I was mobile again that I inspected my route carefully and saw the tree roots. I would suggest the most likely explanation if your bike was okay, is some sort of hole or bump in the road, or maybe diesel. For me, getting some certainty that this wasn't my bike's fault was an important step to getting back my confidence to ride (I can accept my own stupidity much more readily!).0 -
Hit a gate, amputated my lower leg as a result of the injuries sustained.
Details here:
http://alex-cycle.blogspot.com/2007/09/ ... pened.html0 -
I had a feeling Alex would win this 'competition'-- Dirk Hofman Motorhomes --0
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Well, there is no way I can, or even want to match that!
Still just before Christmas I ended up with a broken elbow, broken bone in my hand, suspected broken wrist and concussion. And all I did was slip on black ice at about 17 mph while cornering.
Details here is you want to read more: http://sotyred.blogspot.com/2008/12/crashed-out.html0 -
What a stupid thread! Just thought I'd have a glance whilst killing time before I go out. Now I'm too scared to go!
Sometimes ignorance is bliss.
You should put something like 'spoiler: don't read if you're of a nervous disposition or are bit of a baby'
Joking aside, does anyone else loose confidence and get a bit um scared when reading stuff like this? Or is it me?0 -
Most embarrassing was when I swerved on the rollers to miss the cat :oops:0
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Masters road race champs, just the other side of oxford about 5 years ago. i was really up for this event, rekon i could have won it. anyway, first lap up the first climb, puntured first tyre, pull over, whip the wheel out, arm in the air got spare off neutral service. bloke says stick behind me like glue andi`ll tow you back on. so off we go, over the crest of the climb and down the other side. no idea how quick i was going but i was no more than 18 inches off this fellas bumper. with my head down going as fast as i could. then all of a sudden the road does a sharp left ,now the car goes around the corner,but i`ve got no hope. go more or less straight on ,bounced off the kerb,over the pavement and into the hedge. in fairness to the bloke,he came and pulled me out and phoned an ambulance. got multiply cuts and abrasions, a broken right collar bone, broken left thumb, a very smashed helmet. the paramedics were concerned that i may have back injuries and they carted me off to hospital. at which point ,i find myself being patched up by the medical staff in a hospital ,wearing nomore than a skin suit and a pair of shoes i cant walk in. i am 250 miles away from home ,50 miles away from my car and i dont know the way . i have no money and no phone. what do you do?constantly reavalueating the situation and altering the perceived parameters accordingly0
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only because I lived to tell the tale.phil s wrote:I had a feeling Alex would win this 'competition'
Don't be scared folks. If you think that way, you'd never get in a car or walk to the local shops.
I'm riding and racing again and going well.0 -
chrisw12 wrote:What a stupid thread! Just thought I'd have a glance whilst killing time before I go out. Now I'm too scared to go!
Sometimes ignorance is bliss.
You should put something like 'spoiler: don't read if you're of a nervous disposition or are bit of a baby'
Joking aside, does anyone else loose confidence and get a bit um scared when reading stuff like this? Or is it me?
Haha, i actually think its good so that people can learn from others experiences. So they know what sorts of situations cause crashes. Every rider knows theres a risk when ever they go out cycling.
Anyway, I will share mine. Was cycling along a 4 lane road, minding my own business and a car in my lane came up and went to overtake at a terrible time. There was a car beside the car overtaking meaning there was no room and I was pushed over to about 10cm from the gutter. Anyway, I ended up hitting the gutter, falling onto the pavement and hitting a powerpoll. Did the collarbone and serious heard injuries. Was a good while ago now, still have vivid memories though.0 -
Alex_Simmons/RST wrote:
only because I lived to tell the tale.phil s wrote:I had a feeling Alex would win this 'competition'
Don't be scared folks. If you think that way, you'd never get in a car or walk to the local shops.
I'm riding and racing again and going well.
Exactly, life is short, so take risks and all the opportunities you get!0 -
Can't match Alex (Great blog BTW).
Crashed on a descent mountain biking when the edge of the trail gave way.
Knew it wasn't good as soon as I hit the ground.
At first I thought it was a broken arm.
Turned out that I broken the head off the humerous and dislocated my shoulder.
The outcome was that although the bone was screwed back together there weren't enough viable bits to make it work. The head of the humerous died. What I have now is pretty much a fused shoulder. I can't reach into the back pocket of my jersey, and I can only just raise my arm high enough to scratch the top of my head.
Gave up racing. Had to sell my road bike, and my cross bikes, because I couldn't stand to ride them for more than 30mins.
Then Spesh bought out the Roubaix, I tried one, and the rest is history. I still ride a bit lobsided, and it still hurts (even after more than three years). It just makes me more determined. I've had a few wins since I came back to it. Gives me great pleasure to point out that they've been beaten by an old bloke with a dodgy shoulder.
SB 0 -
I was out mountain biking by myself in an area i wasn't familiar with. i went too fast down a steep hill and hit something at speed. I flew over the handlebars and went flying down the hillside. when it hit the ground i rolled a few times and ended up stuck headfirst in a hole beneath an uprooted tree. i was pinned by the roots and couldn't free myself.my legs were the only part of me visible from the track and i was stuck there for two hours yelling for help.eventually two men out walking their dogs saw me and came to my rescue. my bike was about 100 metres away and was pretty banged up. i broke a few bits of me and was badly bruised by at least i was rescued.0
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Define worst... In chronological order!
1. 2002, riding along towards parbold hill, I note my spoke magnet is hitting my transponder and bend down to move the transponder out a bit. When I awake I am propped up against a wall having used my face as a brake to stop from 20mph.
2. 2005, coming home from work i hit some mud on a downhill roundabout and lose it, no time to get the hands out so the face takes it again... 5 stitches in my top lip and two teeth to be crowned.
3. 2005. Some eejit stops pedalling over the crest of a hill just after i've bridged to the lead group in a road race. I hit his back wheel and go flying breaking my collarbone and taking a good sized lump out of my knee.
4. 2007 Snap chain riding up hill. Break elbow.
You choose!"In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
celbianchi wrote:Racing in a 4 day stage race, on the third stage. The bunch had split into 3 or 4 groups going up a hard climb, on the descent we were tanking it to get back onto the front group. I was following my clubmate's wheel who is a much better descender than me. Combination of going too fast and some motorbikes coming up the other way saw me lock the back end up, ride into a fence at 35mph (last recorded speed - i had been braking down to this speed) go over the bars and hit a fence post head on.
Lots of cuts and bruises, cracked helmet, whiplash type injuries and a sore back that took nearly 12 months to be pain free again.
Bet it looked quite spectacular though.
I was behind you I think (tour of the border?) and yes it did look spectacular. I honestly thought you were dead."In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
Road bike, Steerer tube snapped when I was 14, was out of the saddle and remember the falling feeling, end up in hospital and diagnosed with diabetes the next day, lost 3 front teeth (no helmet, explains a lot in latter life)
Mountain bike, branch through front wheel, over the handlebars, trees stump in the chest0 -
Alex_Simmons/RST wrote:
only because I lived to tell the tale.phil s wrote:I had a feeling Alex would win this 'competition'
Don't be scared folks. If you think that way, you'd never get in a car or walk to the local shops.
I'm riding and racing again and going well.
Glad to hear it - that was some smash you had (understatement!)
Are you aiming for 2012?"And the Lord said unto Cain, 'where is Abel thy brother?' And he said, 'I know not: I dropped him on the climb up to the motorway bridge'."
- eccolafilosofiadelpedale0 -
My worst smash - I was playing basketball for a team in Martinique between 1993-95, riding back from training one day, on a steep curvy descent. Car comes flying down the road behind me, much too close, had to swerve to avoid being taken out and went face first into the back of a parked hatchback. Somersaulted over the car and landed on my ar$e. My first thought was - sh!t, my bike's knackered. Woman whose car I hit came rushing out of the house screaming. I thought she was angry but she was freaking out at the state of my chevy chase. My nose had been broken so badly it was all the way to the left and I was bleeding heavily. Had to have an operation to put my nose back and sort out my airwaves. I also had to wear a stupid facemask for a month, so I stayed indoors and got my neighbour to do my shopping. Just so happened it was the month of July, and there was some event called the Tour de France on. Watched my first whole TdeF and got hooked. Eventually gave up basketball, dropped the muscle mass and became a racing cyclist. -- Dirk Hofman Motorhomes --0
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My worst smash - I was playing basketball for a team in Martinique between 1993-95, riding back from training one day, on a steep curvy descent. Car comes flying down the road behind me, much too close, had to swerve to avoid being taken out and went face first into the back of a parked hatchback. Somersaulted over the car and landed on my ar$e. My first thought was - sh!t, my bike's knackered. Woman whose car I hit came rushing out of the house screaming. I thought she was angry but she was freaking out at the state of my chevy chase. My nose had been broken so badly it was all the way to the left and I was bleeding heavily. Had to have an operation to put my nose back and sort out my airwaves. I also had to wear a stupid facemask for a month, so I stayed indoors and got my neighbour to do my shopping. Just so happened it was the month of July, and there was some event called the Tour de France on. Watched my first whole TdeF and got hooked. Eventually gave up basketball, dropped the muscle mass and became a racing cyclist. -- Dirk Hofman Motorhomes --0
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disgruntledgoat wrote:celbianchi wrote:Racing in a 4 day stage race, on the third stage. The bunch had split into 3 or 4 groups going up a hard climb, on the descent we were tanking it to get back onto the front group. I was following my clubmate's wheel who is a much better descender than me. Combination of going too fast and some motorbikes coming up the other way saw me lock the back end up, ride into a fence at 35mph (last recorded speed - i had been braking down to this speed) go over the bars and hit a fence post head on.
Lots of cuts and bruises, cracked helmet, whiplash type injuries and a sore back that took nearly 12 months to be pain free again.
Bet it looked quite spectacular though.
I was behind you I think (tour of the border?) and yes it did look spectacular. I honestly thought you were dead.
Yes that's me. You're not Phil using a new username are you??
If it is you Phil, thanks again for briefly stopping to check I wasn't dead!0 -
Yeah it is me.
As soon as i saw those motorbikes i knew you were in trouble. I was amazed to see you walking about at the end!
When I saw this thread my first thought was to post your crash and say "it wasn't mine but I once saw..."
Good to run into you again!"In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
disgruntledgoat wrote:Yeah it is me.
As soon as i saw those motorbikes i knew you were in trouble. I was amazed to see you walking about at the end!
When I saw this thread my first thought was to post your crash and say "it wasn't mine but I once saw..."
Good to run into you again!
You still racing Phil? The crash never really got into my mind and I was never scared racing again. bBt of a scar on my back ifrom the wire on the fence is the only evidence it ever happened!
I'm doing a TT over your way in a couple of weeks, the Border City Wheelrs hilly 32.0 -
stratobiker wrote:Can't match Alex (Great blog BTW).
Crashed on a descent mountain biking when the edge of the trail gave way.
Knew it wasn't good as soon as I hit the ground.
At first I thought it was a broken arm.
Turned out that I broken the head off the humerous and dislocated my shoulder.
The outcome was that although the bone was screwed back together there weren't enough viable bits to make it work. The head of the humerous died. What I have now is pretty much a fused shoulder. I can't reach into the back pocket of my jersey, and I can only just raise my arm high enough to scratch the top of my head.
Gave up racing. Had to sell my road bike, and my cross bikes, because I couldn't stand to ride them for more than 30mins.
Then Spesh bought out the Roubaix, I tried one, and the rest is history. I still ride a bit lobsided, and it still hurts (even after more than three years). It just makes me more determined. I've had a few wins since I came back to it. Gives me great pleasure to point out that they've been beaten by an old bloke with a dodgy shoulder.
SB
To come back from that is incredible. Even more incredible to win races after that. Well done, and don't ever let anything get in your way!0
