Most Embarrassing Fall

butcher of bakersfield

Just reading other posts about various peoples injuries, it got me thinking about this one.

I can't remember exactly how old I was at the time, maybe 10, 11, 12... Was cruising down the street on my BMX looking down at the front wheel to see if it was buckled. Only I got a little too fixated on it. Next thing I know the bike suddenly stops and I'm hurtling over the handlebars before landing on my kneecap with all my weight. I'd hit a parked car. Not a small one either, a 4x4. I was lucky I only caught the corner otherwise I would've went through the back window.

Anyways, in my total embarrassment which was only slightly dominating over the pain, quick as I could I jumped back on my back and got back on me way...pedalling with one leg, trying to look normal, or hard, whilst internally grimacing in pain, hoping that no witnessess were present.

I'm not sure I'll ever top that one. Any more?

Dick Scruttock

I have done that before. Hit a parked ford escort square on the rear bumper. Went up the boot and over the window. Thankfully the window did not break so i straightened my bars and off i went.

Where are my stabilisers?

I was just standing over my bike when I toppled over into a rather muddy ditch :oops:

Now that was embarassing

JamesBrckmn

Today, attempting to trackstand, fell straight into a bush, and couldn't get up because i had to stand up the bike and myself at the same time, which i couldn't do

lawman

test day at rutland water, thought id go for a huge powerslide on an intense tracer, got it all wrong on the wet grass, and went straight over the bars in front of a load of wind surfers :oops:

but the most embarrasing was when i went to greggs bakers in town. propped the bike up bought some lunch, was happily eating it, til the bike fell over and took me and several of my mates out with it :oops:

Paul 8v

When I was a nipper on of my mates decided he was going to do a skid behind the pikee kids to make them jump only he ended up pulling on the front brake and flying over the handle bars! What made it worse is that they were really nice to him and came over to see if he was alright, he is still a tit nowdays...
My most embarrising crash was trying to pop a wheelie, falling off and ripping my 1 day old selle italia flite (back in the days before they had kevlar sides!) Nowadays when I fall off it just hurts...

GHill

Going round a tight switchback I needed to dab. Managed not to unclip and toppled over into a gorse bush at approximately 0.5 mph.

It was painful because of the puncture wounds, but I couldn't stop laughing.

Flynny2010

It had rained really badly and it had flooded the road on the way home from work and had ridden through it ok, only thing was that the brakes weren't great and once wet they were terrible!! (It was only a commuting to work bike) I got to a roundabout and it was chocker because the main part of the town was flooded so a copper said go on the pavement, i went up and down the overside and all of a sudden a stupid old lady appeared stood in the middle of the pavement! So wall on one with a concrete lamp post and a railing on the other. It was either hit the lady or the lamp post! BANG!

Font wheel smashed into the lamp post, back wheel swung into the wall, my nuts flew into the stem!! All the people in the park cars laughing there heads off! Me very gingerly walking off trying to be brave (It F@#cking killed) bike trashed!

Northwind

butcher of bakersfield wrote:

I can't remember exactly how old I was at the time, maybe 10, 11, 12... Was cruising down the street on my BMX looking down at the front wheel to see if it was buckled. Only I got a little too fixated on it. Next thing I know the bike suddenly stops and I'm hurtling over the handlebars before landing on my kneecap with all my weight. I'd hit a parked car. Not a small one either, a 4x4. I was lucky I only caught the corner otherwise I would've went through the back window.

Heh, I did the exact same thing only in my case, I'd been hypnotised watching the shadows of my wheel reflectors as they spun

butcher of bakersfield

Paul 8v wrote:

When I was a nipper on of my mates decided he was going to do a skid behind the pikee kids to make them jump only he ended up pulling on the front brake and flying over the handle bars!

That remind me of another. I spent much of my youth fixing up bikes. Or killing them. Done up the brakes and got them working sharply (for an 9 year old anyway). Went out to the local skidding spot (a gravelly road down by the garages) round the corner thinking I could pull the biggest skid ever. And slammed on the wrong brake. Any faster and I would've landed back on my feet... It wasn't really too embarrassing at the time though. Just stupid.

stevet1992

The most embarrasing and painful crash i had was whilst attempting a manual on a full sus

Manualling along quite well and for some reason i decide to jump off the back ... Sus pops back up and the bike jumps up a little on its back wheel, Without thinking i procced to grab at the back wheel and my finger gets caught on the rear disc rotor, 3 painful hours in A&E later and im out with half my nail missing and a huge chunk missing out the finger !

Shmikuk

Not mine, but a good mate skidded across the wet grass and lost it and slid on his side still holding onto the bike for a good 30 feet or so, impressive, until he realises the brown stripe of doggy doo from shoulder to toe!!!
And then the freshly cracked cracked dog egg hit everyone's nostrils and we just had to scatter leaving him to skulk off home for a change of clothes! To this day we can all still smell it when retelling the story! *retch*

stumpyjon

12 yards from the end of my drive this morning on the road bike. Black ice, water on top, bam. Luckily my neighbours were all still in bed at 8 oclock this morning.

Splottboy

My first Triathlon in Clacton, mid 80's.
Wore trainers and got the laces wrapped round the chainset.
Didn't realise till the transition area, in front of the crowd.
Took a slo-mo tumble, still attached to the bike...

racefaceec90

back in the early 90's,i had bought a bike helmet (none of your giro zen modeness).to be honest i was embarrassed to wear it.anyhoo i used to cycle to trowbridge collegue.as i was cycling back,i thought i saw someone that i knew (wearing the helmet i didn't want them to see me).so i looked the other way (not seeing a car trailer that i was riding straight into).so like a bad stuntman i went over the bars and rolled over the top of said trailer and onto the road.turns out that it wasn't anyone that i knew,but they were doubled over with laughing.bastard!!!

garrynolan

Really stupid one... first time clipped in, slowing down at the lights. Not what you think. Unclipped and put foot down - totally missed the kerb, straight over on my side at 0mph beside a line of cars. Spent 20 mins digging gravel out of my knee. Only got keyhole surgery 8 weeks previously, managed to scuff off one oft he scars but no other damage except deep scrapes. Brightened up the Sunday morning for the car drivers and my friend with me thought it was hilarious - b1tch! :oops:

stunter ant

Just finished a run at bringewood jumped the table top at the bottom-This part was all good untill a tear in my jeans got its self friendly with my mrp!

i didnt notice untill i stopped went to put my foot down and well it didnt move!! At this point i just fell over with the bike still stuck to me

Style Kudos!

Graydawg

butcher of bakersfield wrote:

Just reading other posts about various peoples injuries, it got me thinking about this one.

I can't remember exactly how old I was at the time, maybe 10, 11, 12... Was cruising down the street on my BMX looking down at the front wheel to see if it was buckled. Only I got a little too fixated on it. Next thing I know the bike suddenly stops and I'm hurtling over the handlebars before landing on my kneecap with all my weight. I'd hit a parked car. Not a small one either, a 4x4. I was lucky I only caught the corner otherwise I would've went through the back window.

Anyways, in my total embarrassment which was only slightly dominating over the pain, quick as I could I jumped back on my back and got back on me way...pedalling with one leg, trying to look normal, or hard, whilst internally grimacing in pain, hoping that no witnessess were present.

I'm not sure I'll ever top that one. Any more?

Bet your wheel was buckled after that....

bannedbiker

Got a few of these!

I've got a pair of pedals that are flats one side and spd's the other, after sessioning the trials using the flat side, i cliped in an me n my mate rode off towards home on the road. Coming up to a set of lights we hopped up onto the pavment as the lights turned red. My mate made it accross the road, but as i got there there was a car cominig at speed, so instead of chancing it i stopped, unfortunatley a small stone from the trail had got stuck up inside my spd from the wrong side! As I pulled like hell to get my shoe out of the pedal i just pulled myself over! I then had to untie my shoe and take my foot out of it! ended up having to push my bike over to a garage and borrow a hammer...!

Another time I was out with about 10 - 15 other riders, most of whom i'd not met before for an XC ride over the moors. We were just cruising allong an old railway track and there was a nice little lump just off to the side of the trail, so naturaully i rolled off to jump off it, maybe even go for a little whip. I only got maybe 18 inches off the deck, but as i landed my spd let go of my shoe, my leg slid forward and i was then rolling along at about 20mph with the chainring stuck in my calf! I had 7 perfect teeth marks in my leg! still got scars from 3 of them...!

My brother had a brilliant one. When he was a teenager he bought himself a new BMX, one with the daft backpedal brake. Took it down the park to show his mates, wheelied up to them, stoppedpedaling to manual up to them, but obviously that put the brake on, he flew over that bars and landed in a heap at his mates feet!

MacAndCheese

Numerous SPD fails when I first started using them, I also managed to do this on the forum ride - despite having used SPDs for a couple of years now. :oops:

But the worst i think I've had was when I was about 8 years old, I was trying to look cool doing a skid when out with some mates. The skid went too far and the bike slipped out from under me, I naturally reacted by putting my hand out to as I fell. My hand did a good job of lessening the impact, but unfortunately landed squarely in a massive dog egg (no gloves). :oops:

.blitz

butcher of bakersfield wrote:

Most Embarrassing Fall?

Probably skittling a bunch of school kids on a fireroad who 'moved' just as I was passing them at an inappropriate speed. Or it could've been when I was riding one-handed all cool like and I hit a root and fell off in front of some guys I had just s-q-u-e-e-z-e-d past on a bit of singletrack.

Then there was the time I decided not to brake when some dumb mutt ran out in front of me on the trail, convinced it would move in time. It didn't and I went straight over the bars.

Another time I was riding down a really steep but non-technical hill in Wales and despite having both brakes full on, I lost control and fell off. Somehow my momentum kept me rolling and rolling and rolling down the hill like a rag doll but I came to a halt just as some walkers approached. I managed a weak 'hello' as if this sort of thing happened to me all the time

spongtastic

aged about 10 riding round the streets by our house on a Raleigh Olympic, leaning into round corners properly. Then leaning too far, going too fast and coming off, fracturing my skull, collarbone and arm.

The most embarrasing part though was the little old lady who let her dog lick the blood up off the floor whilst I just lay there moaning. She didn't help and wandered off after about 5 minutes.

delcol

i had many,, but one that sticks in my head,, sept 08 i was in whistler i had been learning to do track stands.. we get back to the chalet for some lunch, on our way out some of the other guests arrive back at the chalet,, so i say heys guys look what i learned today get on my bike and move off apply the brake as i hit the brake i clip in with my left foot start to balence.. then i feel it going try to dab but i cant move my feet as they both clipped in.. i grasefully hit the deck smashing my knee and elbow,,
i don't have pads on cause i'm nipping into town shopping.. everyone laughs and says what you learned how to fall off thats good..
trying to salvage my male pride i get up and ride off trying to look hard but i was in agony...

i also fell off showing off to some ladies always has to happen infront of the ladies does'nt it i started to pull a wheelie got it to ballence point and hit a bump on the track i felt it go backwards so i thought pull the rear brake but for some reason i pulled the front brake i was clipped in and went over backwards not being able to dab, i hit the deck with a huge bang,, every one laughed and i could not get up as i had the bike on top of me and was still clipped in...


and i have to share this one with you as i was wearing the helmet camera, appologies for the bad bad language i had a terrable case of torrets
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwNxAa7rQCM

come on anyone else got vid footage please share..

lummox

i spent the morning bragging about my new waterproof socks and how lovely and dry my feet would be, within the first mile i spied a small stream crossing and decided to wheelie through it, unfortunately i went over the back of the bike still clipped in and ended up sitting in the stream. There was much mirth at how usefull my waterproof socks had been in that instance.

Then 30 minutes later fell down a nettle filled bank still clipped in after holding a gate for everyone to ride through.

DC01

A few months back id been of my local loop in Thorndon. A good 3 hours or so of fast riding singletrack with a few jumps here and there and all was well. Came out of the woods onto the tarmac road towards the car park. Give it the beans at bit up the road and cranked the bike right over to turn into the packed car park and washed out the front wheel. Me and bike went skidding up the road. To the high amusement of the people in the car park. To add to my shame, shortly before the end of my loop i had a puncture on the rear which i had repaired, but not done up my bag when done. So all my stuff, including car keys had peppered the car park. so the indignity of a car park floor search comenced much to my everlasting shame.

pk64

A few years ago before I went out for a bike ride, I was getting ready when my brother came out and demanded a race before I left, I was going down a hill at about 20mph when forgetting about a slight corner at the bottom the hill I stupidly decided to look back to see how far behind me he was. I went staight into the mud bath at the side of the road with the freshly cleaned bike, wasn't painful but very embarassing as it was in full view of a hotel window!

jmj

Playing about in a car park of a country park near home, just jumping over speed bumps, practising bunny hops etc.
The sun was low in the sky and I was wearing sunglasses, did a nice jump over a bump but didn't see the metal barrier across that section of the car park, crashed with head tube impacting barrier just as I was landing. Bike made a dead stop and I went over the bars, hitting myself in the plums in the process.
First though wasn't about the pain or possible damage to bike, but "did anyone see me do that?"

Or, crashing off the side of a steep trail at one of the 7 staines and ending up, upside down in a bramble bush still clipped in. There was nothing to pull myself upright with that wasn't spiky. Had to wait for a mate to stop pishing himself laughing and haul me out.

J

jimmyp1873

mine was when i was working at fort william last year, seeing as it was nightshift i threw the bike in the van so i could hit the witches trails during the day. i cant sleep through the day so was pretty tired and didnt watch where i was going, ended up propped against a rock with my right calf, as my leg was jammed i couldnt unclip then slowly gravity took over and i started to topple over, as i hit the ground i started to slide down the banking and only stopped when a bit of a tree root which was sticking out the ground got stuck in 1 of the vents in my helmet, leg ripped to bits on the rock and still clipped in to the bike.......took me about 10 mins to free myself

also had my 1st fall of 2010 on sunday, took the lad to carron valley, bad move as you could hardly pedal the length of the bike due to the snow, after a great deal of hilarity we made it to the fun run, the last bit of trail back to the car park. getting near the bottom there is a straight run with about 5 small tabletops on it, so off i went, managing to get a bit of speed up, hit 1 jump landed and the front end started to wash out, slipped off the trail stopped dead and launched me over the bars, not to bad but there was a boulder under the snow and the ribs took the full force of it and stopped me dead still very feckin sore..............to make matters worse the lad couldnt pedal for pissing himself laughing.......little sh1t

antfly

I fell off the other day with my helmet cam on. There was no-one around so I just lay on my back for a while catching my breath.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg2WKRoYW7g

Valy

Many lols in this thread.

What does washing out mean?

Beardface

My worst was when I was 13, riding to the local park on my brothers old Diamond Back.

Somehow, while riding along a straight, flat piece of road, I managed to clip the kerb, and headbutt the bars (the bike was way too big for me, I wasn't concentrating) From there, it got worse.. Not content with the bar headbutting, I went all shaky, somehow managed to slip off the saddle, smashing my jewels on the top tube, and straight into the stem. Cue bruised bollox. :oops:

Too add insult (well, injury) to injury, Once all of the above happened, I was still holding onto the bike, but not for long.. The kerb dipped, and my front wheel clipped it, causing me to fly off, landing left knee first into a gravel driveway.. I ended up taking all the skin off my knee, which obviously started pis$ing out with blood. Onto a brand new pair of Nike Air Max (loved them back in the day!)

Managed to hobble home, crying like a girl (I was 13!).. got back, my dad was the only one in.. pis$ed as a fart, he decided that I did'nt need to go to hospital, depsite the gaping wound in my knee.. what was his cure? Neat TCP, tweezers t pick out the remaining gravel, and a can of MTFU.

To this day, 13 years later, I still have problems with my knee, and will have a massive scar there forever.. :evil: