bad crashes

parkin001

recently i was down at the downhill tracks close to my house with a few friends and we were going down for our last time when i went over a jump and hit a berm wrong and went flying into a ditch where my front wheel was wrecked (wasn't happy) and my helmet cracked. since then iv lost all my confidence in downhill and every time i do a jump i get it wrong and crash again i keep thinking to my self iv done it before so whats wrong with me.
has anyone got any advice on how i can get my balls back

cheers

ExeterSimon

Just keep riding.

I recently had an off and ended up with 4 broken ribs, cracked collarbone and other cuts, bruises and sprains.

To make it worse I took delivery of a new Whyte 905 the day after the crash and all I could do was look at her.

Once back out I went straight back to the offending downhill section and rode it. Then rode it again. And again.

I knew I had the skills but I was afraid of feeling the pain I felt when I stacked it.

Also...have a search through the forums...there's some good tips from other riders on getting your confidence back.

miss notax

Just to say that I sympathise.... I came off at Brechfa last month and it scared the pants off me :oops:

In fact I havn't been on my bike since. More due to circumstances thasn anything else (on holiday, work etc) but i'm definitely a little phased by it! Am forcing myself to ride tomorrow night, which won't be too technical, and hopeful I can get my confidence back

blister pus

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12628512

^ worth having a quick read through that from the other night.

Banned!

sorry, but thats not a bad crash. it might not have been very nice for you, but a bent wheel and a cracked lid are par for the course. if you lose confidence after that then youre in trouble before you even start.,

miss notax

Jesus_Christ wrote:

sorry, but thats not a bad crash. it might not have been very nice for you, but a bent wheel and a cracked lid are par for the course. if you lose confidence after that then youre in trouble before you even start.,

It affects everyone differently though - some people can brush themselves off and carry whilst others are scared stiff....

Banned!

thats what Im saying. if a relatively minor crash like that is goign to put a person off then theyre never going to be able to fully let go and attack the trails like theyre supposed be ridden.

we've all broken wheels, cranks, frames, bars etc and we've all broken or damaged at least one lid. if he cant get over that how will he react when he takes that inevitable flying header into casualty?

Davy-g

yup.. the confidence does take a beating at the time...only thing for it is to climb back on and get at it again....just take it slow and gradually build up the speed and the confidence.. you will get there... 8) 8) 8)

it's like when we are tots learning to walk.. we walk a bit fall over and get back up and walk some more and fall over again... eventually we get the hang of it

miss notax

Jesus_Christ wrote:

thats what Im saying. if a relatively minor crash like that is goign to put a person off then theyre never going to be able to fully let go and attack the trails like theyre supposed be ridden.

we've all broken wheels, cranks, frames, bars etc and we've all broken or damaged at least one lid. if he cant get over that how will he react when he takes that inevitable flying header into casualty?

Hmmmm, true. I see your point!

People do have off days though.... I'm usually a pretty tough cookie but got scared at Brechfa. The day before I came off on the black section of Whites Level - dusted myself off and carried on as normal.

I guess it depends on whether this was an one-off for the OP!

paul.skibum

Start smaller - dont just go and hit the big stuff again straight off - find less steep, smaller jumps, build up to it.

Either that or dont think about it!

I had a big stack 5-6 years ago, trashed my bike and myself in a fairly big way. Rode a bit after that before my first trip tot he alps but not enough. Got to Alps and was terrified on the dh courses, I standing staring at a steep down to flat run out with the shakey legs, runny pants feeling of terror in me when a 12 year old girl on a flowery bike passed me going "weeeeee" I felt like a numpty, followed her and oh yeah I overtook her taking a jump when she took the sissy route - parity restored, I became hardcore once more!

Banned!

yeah!! you beat a little girl on a barbie bike

thats pretty hardcore dude.

seriously though, sometimes thats all it takes. i usedto sh*t it from a section of trail, partly because I killed myself on it one time, but then I saw a bunch of kids riding it and i realised that I didnt actually have to hit it at 40mph straight away and just went over and rode it a few times.

wemac

Jesus_Christ wrote:

thats what Im saying. if a relatively minor crash like that is goign to put a person off then theyre never going to be able to fully let go and attack the trails like theyre supposed be ridden.

we've all broken wheels, cranks, frames, bars etc and we've all broken or damaged at least one lid. if he cant get over that how will he react when he takes that inevitable flying header into casualty?

I'd say it's bad enough. What damage do you have to sustain to bike or person for it to be 'serious'??

Go back and start building up slowly if you're not confident. If you know where you went wrong it might help you get your head sorted. If you stick at it you'll eventually be back to where you were.

Banned!

well, a bust wheel and a cracked helmet isnt what I would consider serious.

a bit of a bummer, but not serious. broken bones and torn flesh is serious.

docker0141

i came of today... destroyed the visor on my lid, cut all my right side and got concusion

it usually only takes me a few days to build myconfidence back up but i think it might take me a week or two this time

lesz42

Jesus_Christ wrote:

thats what Im saying. if a relatively minor crash like that is goign to put a person off then theyre never going to be able to fully let go and attack the trails like theyre supposed be ridden.

we've all broken wheels, cranks, frames, bars etc and we've all broken or damaged at least one lid. if he cant get over that how will he react when he takes that inevitable flying header into casualty?

theyre supposed be ridded?



we all dont have to be a "sam hill" and fall off? falling off in a hurry , not good

lawman

tbh it never really seems to affect me

ive had some biggies in the past, but i always seem to ride even harder after the initial shock has worn off

i seem to be able to get past the mental block of being scared of everything after a crash, then when i get home think about it for abit, realise why i crashed and then hit it even harder next time

dont worry about the fear just go out and rip somethin ur confident on and the flow will come back before you now it

SDK2007

I'm currently recovering from an off on May 9th when I broke my collar bone.

I'm hoping to be riding at least on the road in 2 weeks but i've no idea if my brain is going to make me use the brakes more than before.
Like ExeterSimon said in the 2nd post, I don't want to go through that pain again and I sense it's going to take a while.

If you're looking for inspiration then check out Matti Lehikoinen - Pro DH rider.

End of 2007 he landed a jump on his head straight to rock, compressed bones in his spine and nearly couldn't walk but 3 months recovery and he was able to ride again.
In early 2008 he cut his knee open which required surgery.
Finally in late 2008 he broke both wrists at Canberra and was out for a long time.
Check out the 2009 DH rounds; he is on it 100%, his final section at Fort William was pure courage.

stumpyjon

Jesus_Christ wrote:

thats what Im saying. if a relatively minor crash like that is goign to put a person off then theyre never going to be able to fully let go and attack the trails like theyre supposed be ridden.

we've all broken wheels, cranks, frames, bars etc and we've all broken or damaged at least one lid. if he cant get over that how will he react when he takes that inevitable flying header into casualty?

You really do like making sweeping statements don't you. Actually I reckon that a lot of us have never busted a wheel, cracked a lid etc. Why do all trails have to be ridden flat out, where in the mountain bike handbook of recieved wisdom does it state that you can only enjoy riding / be a proper mountain biker you have to ride as fast as possible.

Falling off affects people differently, one persons crash is another's minor off. Doesn't lessen the impact of the crash or make someone less of a rider if it knocks their confidence.

Naveed

It's a tough one mate. I've had a few crashes and for some reason they live LONG in the memory, just put it down to basic survival instincts. Saying that, maybe you should invest in some better protective equipment if you're doing downhills.

Stuff like full body armour, Leatt Brace may increase your confidence although they will surely decrease your bank balance, still DH is one area where it's better to be safe than sorry

Raymondavalon

April 26th last year, performed a manual on my Kona, flipped and broke my right leg in 6 places. Was rewarded with 11 screws, a plate and 3 months on sticks (crutches)
Got on that very same bike 91 days after the accident and rode the very same trail where I had the off 3 months prior. Best thing I ever did.

Rode my first event on Sunday (7th) a 50KM (31 mile) challenge, needless to say all uncharted territory to me, riding like a fool I hit a major bump at well over 20 mph, got some serious air, landed bad, bounced of the saddle and was hanging off the back of the bike like Wile E Coyote hanging onto something made by Acme Corp. (think Beep Beep / Road Runner cartoons) I then fell off to the left of the bike.
Result: Speared my solar plexus on the saddle, lovely bruise, massive bruises on my right inner thigh and calf, nice swelling on my left knee. Got up, dusted off, carried on with the remainder of the 20 miles.

No I am not hardcore, I just believe experience to be the stern teacher, giving the tests first and the lessons later.. persistence pays off..

Your confidence will come back..

Banned!

stumpyjon wrote:

Falling off affects people differently, one persons crash is another's minor off. Doesn't lessen the impact of the crash or make someone less of a rider if it knocks their confidence.

thats the whole point Im making. if he gets this badly shaken over what is a pretty minor crash by almost every standard then he needs to have a serious think about how he rides.

ok, we might not all have broken frames etc, but a lot of us have and we just get new ones and carry on. if he cannot get over a broken wheel how will he get over a broken leg?

stunter ant

Mate i know what your sayin! i broke my ankle at bringewood a few weeks ago and as soon as i can ride again im goin back and im guna pin it thru the section i went down on! If i crash i just have to do it again stait away,get any doubt out of my head!

The only way too get over it is just go out and ride imo...start small and work your way up im sure you'll be rippin down again in no time

Good luck buddy

Steve_F

I had a big off the other week doing an uplift day. Somehow walked away a bit battered and bruised but with no major injuries. Must have strong bones!

It took me two jumps then I got back into the rhythm and was as quick as every other run.

My mate on the other hand who got to watch me flying through the air and bouncing off the ground was seriously conservative and nervous afterwards and I had to pass him!

It's all about the shock factor for me and if you can get straight back on it you'll probably never think about it again except for going slower in the exact place it happened.

jono_1uk

mmmm i crashed in macclesfield forest 2 days after getting my wolf ridge..
dislocated my elbow ... i was on my own but luckily there were other riders knocking about who helped, but now i am scared of going out by my self..

zero303

"Getting right back on the horse" isn't always the best approach and it sounds like you're trying to throw yourself right back in riding how you were before. This does work for some people but not everyone.

I've had the fear before and let it ruin my riding, you keep going out trying to just power through it - at one point earlier this year I was stacking on almost every ride trying to just power through the fear. In the end I just went out riding more casually and it was quite refreshing not binning it everyride and patching up your wounds post ride. Eventually my confidence just built up and I started trying things again and all is well now.

You should try just going back out there and riding comfortably within your abilities, just get out and enjoy riding without the pressure of pushing yourself to the limit all the time - you haven't forgotten how to do any of it - you're body and mind just fancies a break!

cee

Raymondavalon wrote:

April 26th last year, performed a manual on my Kona, flipped and broke my right leg in 6 places. Was rewarded with 11 screws, a plate and 3 months on sticks (crutches)

oooooooooh denied!

I did the same trick, but only chipped my meniscus and tore the MC/TC ligament in my left knee....

The first 3 months was leg brace and sticks with physio, plus physio for pretty much the rest of the year....

The physio said I could ride on the road after the brace came off, but it was another 3 before she allowed (always do what the physio says....they actually know stuff about knees!) me to ride off road.....

Back to better than before now though!

gaz047

:shock: sh*t! reading that above post makes me feel pretty lucky, did exactly the same thing 3/4 weeks ago, pulled muslce fibres from my hip, cracked my head and cut open my right arm. couldn't ride for 2 weeks and must have been a nightmare to live with, but fine now thank god. glad you fellas have recovered ok.

to the post originator - take it steady to start with and build back up to what your used to as you feel is fast enough. don't put pressure on yourself, remember you do this for fun!!!
before you know it you'll be flying again
gaz

Raymondavalon

jono_1uk wrote:

mmmm i crashed in macclesfield forest 2 days after getting my wolf ridge..
dislocated my elbow ... i was on my own but luckily there were other riders knocking about who helped, but now i am scared of going out by my self..

Riding by yourself in remote areas can be a risk, depending on the terrain/area, I certainly would think twice about it. Although I know it's not always possible, it is best to ride with friends or at the very least let someone know where you're riding, how long you expect to be and take a mobile phone along too.