Do you guys crash often ?

MattC59

I see regular posts on here about crashes; not accidents involving other traffic, just people crashing. Is this something that happens a lot ? I've been road biking for about 2 years now and, touch wood, haven't crashed yet, but it seems to be a fairly regular occurance. Is it ?

The reason I ask is that i've been mountain biking for well over 20 years now and crashing is part of the sport. The thought of crashing or injuring myself doesn't really come to mind when I'm hurtling down a rock strewn mountain side at 30+ mph, (nor does it on my road bike for that matter) but the thought of hitting the road at similar speeds always seems much worse.

pst88

I expect you'll find it's different people crashing each time. Everyone may crash occasionally for whatever reason but these are usually isolated incidents. If it's the same person falling off time and time again they may need to look at what they're doing wrong.

rick_chasey

Very very rarely *cue me crashing the next time I hop onto a bike*

lastwords

similar to OP a mtb'er who has been road riding for about 1 1/2 year and have not crashed, where as with mtb i have small offs occasionally,

I think when you come off a road bike its rare but you know about it when it happens hopefully it wont.

andrewjoseph

I've been mtb'ing for 12 years now, many many crashes, cracked ribs, cuts, separated shoulder, 5 broken helmets.

had a road bike for the last 4 years, no crashes at all until last sept and broke my arm badly from a silly fall on a quiet cycle path. still in plaster.

geebee2

Well I have come off 4 times in 2 years, none serious.

(1) Stupidly decided to try cycle underpass under roundabout on icy day, hit ice, crash.
Probably at about 10 mph.

(2) RIding in Black Mountains, through double ford, started pedalling a fraction too early and lost front wheel. Hurt wrist a little bit, but cycled 70 miles home no problem.

(3) Stopped for car at bottom of close where I live, failed to get foot out of pedal in time (silly).

(4) Hit black ice at bottom of close, lost front wheel, came off, hurt wrist a little bit. Same day 5+ riders crashed behind me on club run (black ice), I managed to survive.

Note: two of these offs were within 50 yards of leaving home, so that seems to be a risky zone! Plus ice is very tricky, and be careful at fords.

Oh, to give an idea, I do a short training ride most days, and longer rides at week-end, maybe 120 miles per week on average ( more in summer, less in winter ).

Pross

I had a slide down the track at the velodrome last week (lack of speed on the banks) which was my first crash in probably 15 years. In 6 seasons of regular racing I had two crashes (both ambulance jobs though), the first was in a time trial when a club mate caught me while he was riding head down and ploughed into the back of me and the second was when a sheep ran into the middle of the bunch on a descent in a road race on the Forest of Dean. Other than that I've probably crashed about 5 other times in total mainly due to slippery bends but once when a van right hooked me. Not a bad total in 20 odd years really.

Ollieda

I've only had one or two little "crashes" where it hasn't involved someone else, both times going very slowly (one of them being from the first pedal stroke! bit of a cobbles moment!)

The reason it seems like theres a lot of crashes is, as pst88 said, it's lots of different people all reporting in the same place. It's like cars - "most" individual drivers will only have one or two crashes/incidents during their driving career, some may never have one, but drivers as a whole crash all the time!

upperoilcan

Not crashed yet on the road bike,although crashing during my MTB days were common place due to the nature of the beast....

Freeriding/Downhill have never taken any prisoners

And as the old adage goes,

Whilst MTB'ing if your not crashing your simply not trying hard enough !!!!!!!!!!!!

freehub

Crashed 3 times, first in a race round a corner.

Second time in a race on a straight at 26mph, came off, wrote my helmet off, all I felt was loads of bikes and stuff flying into the back of me, wrote my bike off.

Came off other week on black ice about 20mph, wrote helmet off.

Pross

freehub wrote:

Crashed 3 times, first in a race round a corner.

Second time in a race on a straight at 26mph, came off, wrote my helmet off, all I felt was loads of bikes and stuff flying into the back of me, wrote my bike off.

Came off other week on black ice about 20mph, wrote helmet off.

I'd stop wearing a helmet if I were you, sounds like they are costing you a lot of money

MattC59

I'd sort of gathered (or hoped) that it wasn't the same person crashing

I don't have any fear of crashing, I just haven't yet. I guess that my question stems from the percieved damage that could be inflicted to my shiney bike. My MTB is designed for a rough life, is always filthy and I have (a lot) of experience of it coming out of some nasty crashes, often unscathed, and normally in a better state than myself (nearly lost a kneecap after my last MTB crash !!).

My road bike in comparrison is considerably more svelt, shiney and unblemished.

Actually, that's exactly what it is............... concern form my bike :roll:

Bozman

In the last 10yrs i've fallen once which was due to black ice.... but i've been knocked off three times in the same period of time.

Ginjafro

Only when I fall off.

Blacktemplar

Started back cycling 18 months ago after a 25-year break and have had three accidents in that time;

1. The week I started riding clipless for the first time, I fell off at the lights when they changed suddenly - minor road rash on one leg

2. First tour with a peloton round Arran in the summer, tried to clip in uphill on wet pedals, cue slow graceless crash to deck. Scraped saddle, dignity badly bruised.

3. In September turned into a cycle underpass a shade quickly, lost front wheel on wet leaves and tore out left AC joint completely (Grade V if that means anything). Reconstructive surgery followed by three months out of the saddle, and an "interestingly-shaped" shoulder. Just getting back to regular commuting now.

Bottom line - don't let fear of crashing detract from the pleasure of being on two wheels!

unixnerd

Folk go on about helmets but for my money gloves are also very important. I crashed my mtb by mounting a kerb at a silly angle to get onto a cycle path. Purely by chance I had my gloves on and that saved my hands from really bad gravel rash. I wear them a lot more now.

I always wonder why cycle shorts don't have some kind of thin kevlar lining at the sides. You see some of the gravel rash injuries they pick up in the Tour de France and wonder why professionals don't wear a thin layer of something like that on their shorts or shoulders.

Pross

I wouldn't get on my bike without some form of glove. As a kid I crashed on gravel coming down a mountain and getting all the bits of stone out took ages (and a lot of pain!!).

fleshtuxedo

About once a year, on ice generally

geebee2

Purely by chance I had my g

loves on and that saved my hands from really bad gravel rash.

I also wear gloves for this reason, but on the other hand you are more likely to jar your wrist if you have gloves on. Some people say it's best not to put a hand down and let your legs/shoulder/whatever take the impact.

cougie

1 crash in the last 10 years or so - ice. The weekend before last was a particularly sneaky weekend - didnt look or feel like there would be ice around - but the lanes were treacherous. I was off the bike before i knew it.

Its nothing to worry about really.

freehub

Pross wrote:

freehub wrote:

Crashed 3 times, first in a race round a corner.

Second time in a race on a straight at 26mph, came off, wrote my helmet off, all I felt was loads of bikes and stuff flying into the back of me, wrote my bike off.

Came off other week on black ice about 20mph, wrote helmet off.

I'd stop wearing a helmet if I were you, sounds like they are costing you a lot of money

When I came off the other week the helmet was almost cracked in half, I think I'd be in hospital without it!

MattC59

freehub wrote:

Pross wrote:

freehub wrote:

Crashed 3 times, first in a race round a corner.

Second time in a race on a straight at 26mph, came off, wrote my helmet off, all I felt was loads of bikes and stuff flying into the back of me, wrote my bike off.

Came off other week on black ice about 20mph, wrote helmet off.

I'd stop wearing a helmet if I were you, sounds like they are costing you a lot of money

When I came off the other week the helmet was almost cracked in half, I think I'd be in hospital without it!

I did a similar thing in a MTB race at the Malverns in the early 90s. Landed on my head and split my helmet clean in two.

Pross

freehub wrote:

Pross wrote:

freehub wrote:

Crashed 3 times, first in a race round a corner.

Second time in a race on a straight at 26mph, came off, wrote my helmet off, all I felt was loads of bikes and stuff flying into the back of me, wrote my bike off.

Came off other week on black ice about 20mph, wrote helmet off.

I'd stop wearing a helmet if I were you, sounds like they are costing you a lot of money

When I came off the other week the helmet was almost cracked in half, I think I'd be in hospital without it!

Would have been cheaper though

Both my big crashes have resulted in the helmet splitting in half so I know what you mean though!

Cressers

I used to crah often in my reckless youth but now as I get older and the effects of my wild life catch up with me I'm more cautious.

bobtbuilder

In 25 years road cycling, I have been knocked off my motorists 4 times and crashed once where no-one else was involved.

Matt the Tester

i had a crash yesterday with a club member which wasnt my fault, he didnt bother checking behind him and moved over and took me off my bike!

tell ye im NOT riding with him again his behaviour on the bike is reckless as far as im concerned!

bails87

Pross wrote:

freehub wrote:

Pross wrote:

freehub wrote:

Crashed 3 times, first in a race round a corner.

Second time in a race on a straight at 26mph, came off, wrote my helmet off, all I felt was loads of bikes and stuff flying into the back of me, wrote my bike off.

Came off other week on black ice about 20mph, wrote helmet off.

I'd stop wearing a helmet if I were you, sounds like they are costing you a lot of money

When I came off the other week the helmet was almost cracked in half, I think I'd be in hospital without it!

Would have been cheaper though

Both my big crashes have resulted in the helmet splitting in half so I know what you mean though!

Not quite sure how you'd get back on a saddle after that!

StillGoing

Twice. Once when getting on the turbo and once when returning home from a ride only to fall the opposite side to the one I'd taken the foot out of the cleat because I was so knackered. Both times I felt a tit.

briantrumpet

philthy3 wrote:

Both times I felt a tit.

With your left or right hand?

andy162

Not often...odd tumble on MTB.

"Best" prang was a few years ago...

Haematoma in left quad, cracked sternum, numerours lacerations & foreign objects embedded in arms n legs, 3 nights in High Dependancy Unit with head injuries, new frame required, 8 weeks off work with no pay.

Not the best ride home from work I've had.

MattC59

I think that this deserves a new topic............ most spectacular crash, I'm on it !!