Gutted!Confidence knocked out of me!

saprkzz

New to road cycling 4 months ago, covering hundreds of miles already rain or shine, I was getting really confident with the feel of the bike etc..

Sunday was on a 50 miler with a friend, and the weather turned really bad, got soaked.
On the return I approached a junction and turned in, nice slow speed carefully steered and felt i had full control..... BANG!!!! front wheel slipped away from me, and I went crashing to the ground landing on my shoulder, and skiddng across the floor, giving extremely painful road rash on me arms and legs (ass).

I am now crapping myself getting back on the bike in the wet!. I have race tyres which may have been a mistake, but is crashing something we all go through?

I serioulsy didnt enjoy it!!.. thought i had broken my shoulder!!

Has anyone else had such an experience, Was I just unlucky?

Cheers

Mark1975

I had a recent crash but not as bad as what you described, I was riding with new clipless pedals up a short steep hill when I ran out of steam (Im really unfit) forgot I was clipped in, forgot how to release my feet and toppled over straight onto my shoulder and then I slid down the hill a little, but the worst bit was the group of youths who found it hilarious seeing a fat bloke fall of his bike and not be able to get his feet free :oops: . It has knocked my conifdence a bit when it comes to steep hills but Im going to try again because you can't let one thing put off cycling, wet roads and hills will always be there its just something else to conquer

Bozman

I've been cycling for around 18yrs and i came off in the wet a few months back, i hit diesel halfway around a bend which took my wheels from under me and i ended up with some cracking gravel rash and bruising.
Ive had my fair share of offs but that was/is my one and only in the wet, 3 months later i still can't get my confidence back and i like riding in the rain, i just tip toe around bends when it's wet at the moment but in time the confidence will come back.

fludey

I'm always a bit weary if I get caught out in the rain, the only time I came off was in the dry on a train crossing broke my finger after a high side seeing stars when I landed. If it wasn't for fact I was 20 miles from home I wouldnt have got straight back on. But I think the fact I had to ride on helped so no time for the fear factor to set in.

Jump straight back on confidence will soon come back

Ands

I crashed at the beginning of October last year (front wheel went on gravel while cornering and I ended up with 7 stitches on my face and a serious black eye for about 4 weeks (not a good look for a female!) . It was a bad time of year to crash because thereafter the roads were always wet/damp and every soggy leaf on the road had me turn into a quivering wreck. It was only really in the spring, on dry roads, that I got my confidence back. My advice would be to get out as much as you can in the dry. The other thing that really helped me was to not look at the road surface when I went round a bend but to look 30metres up the road to where I was going - I am much more stable cornering like this.

fastercyclist

Yes, happened to me in my second year of riding. I went around a corner and my bike just went from underneath me. Combination of having a heavy bag but cornering like I was in a race and oil on the road. Have never been the same since tbh confidence wise. That and ice were the only times I ever fell off my bike. Just ride a little bit more conservatively in the wet? Think of all those miles you've done before and cornered fine. It's just one mistake

wishitwasallflat

I fell of a few times with clipless when pushing to my VO2 max on hills like you describe - slow motion falls luckily for me caused more humour than injury. I also crashed and fell of when my rear dertaileur hanger broke and jammed up back wheel - injured my wrist which took weeks to heal - but it did - as did my confidence. My advice - take it easy - good advice about cornering and keep at it - it will come back. When I was learning to drive someone told me a little bump or ding every 2-3 years is good cause it keeps you careful - I wonder if it's also true for cycling.

raymondo60

With respect, there isn't a dedicated cyclist out there who hasn't come off a few times,myself included. If we were looking for a 'no risk' form of exercise/enjoyment then we'd all be sitting indoors playing computer games. The important thing is to pick yourself up, learn from your mistakes (because we all make them) and thank whatever God you pray to that you're alive, fit and able to enjoy the most rewarding sport/exercise regime known to man - riding a bicycle!

Good luck and god bless!

wombar

Yup, I think pretty much everyone has come off at one time or another. Best thing to do is get back on the bike (once the swelling has gone down ). Build your confidence back up slowly and you'll be enjoying your bike again in no time. Just take it easy for a couple weeks.

I accept that I'm going to come off my bike occasionally. It's happened before and it'll happen again.

Peddle Up!

Some road paint, or the dreaded wet manhole cover? I lost my front wheel on one of those recently, but thankfully stayed on.

sloppyschleckonds

http://bit.ly/nItH00

carl_p

I dislocated and broke my shoulder on black ice last winter. It does dent your confidence and you are likely to feel a bit scared when you get back on the bike. On my first club run afterwards my legs were physically shaking for the first half of the ride

To help rebuild my confidence I had a 10 mile route which had a little bit of climbing, descending, tightish bends and flats for building up a bit of speed. I treated it as a TT, trying to improve my time each ride out. I combined this with longer rides at a more sedate pace to get back to fitness.

Hopefully I've learned from my ordeal. I won't be riding in icey conditions again, but autumn has its own hazards. God was a cyclist, laying wet leaves in the autumn to get us used to ridiing on ice in the winter

Eyon

I feel your pain! I had a major crash on the road bike a few months ago. Turned into a right hander at about 25mph and the front end washed out on road grit, right onto the face. was knocked out, fractured cheek bone, massive black eye, a fairly large subconjunctival hemorrhage, pulled tendons in the arm, more bruises than I could count and a cracked 5 ride old Giro Athalon.

I was back out on the bike 2 days later once I could see out of my left eye again, but it took me months to go round corners again. I would come to a corner, brake, turn, then pedal out. It would frustrate me for months and months just wanting to go round corners the speed I used to (and I was insane at points in the dry looking back at it, brakes were optional not necessary!). It even got to the point that right hand turns in the car were done slower because I was so nervous about them. my left handers were better but still not great. A sudden crash like that is a massive set back, but you WILL get over it, you just have to believe that the bike will grip, and its all in the mind that it wont.

Honest, it might take a week, it might take (like myself) months! I personally was riding down a fun slightly downhill bit of road and all of a sudden it clicked, and i was just leaning into corners like i hadn't done for the previous 3 months, it felt great! So my 25 mile quick loop turned into a 60 mile ride because I enjoyed that feeling of corners once again.

Now dont get me wrong, even now I am only just getting my speed back like I used to, and I crashed in april! Just take it slow do it at your own pace, you will get there. Road bike have so much grip, just only on smooth surfaces. Rain, gravel, grit? slow down!

Trust me on this one, I've been where you are and its not nice, I do not envy you, but it will get better, just battle through it and learn to enjoy riding again!

kingrollo

Slap some wide tyres on - and just take it easy - perhaps choose a time route with little traffic.

or give off riding a try - might sound daft - but it will improve your bike handling, give you confidence, ......and if the worst happens softer landing !

RoadyForever

I think it's just new. 9/10 times you get some warning and have time to correct it (or find a nice soft hedge), the other 1 time your bike just falls from under you. Every one has fallen off (especially those with clipless peddles :P ), it's just part and parcel. In time you will properly get better bike handling skills and be able to take corners faster and fall off less.

You do have to be very careful with cornering/ braking in the wet or even when it is mildly moist. It's one thing to think "I could have taken that corner 5mph faster", than sitting on the kerb broken thinking "I should have taken that corner 5mph slower".

kingrollo

RoadyForever wrote:

I think it's just new. 9/10 times you get some warning and have time to correct it (or find a nice soft hedge), the other 1 time your bike just falls from under you. Every one has fallen off (especially those with clipless peddles :P ), it's just part and parcel. In time you will properly get better bike handling skills and be able to take corners faster and fall off less.

You do have to be very careful with cornering/ braking in the wet or even when it is mildly moist. It's one thing to think "I could have taken that corner 5mph faster", than sitting on the kerb broken thinking "I should have taken that corner 5mph slower".

Someone will be after that as there sig ......lol

mikebikemike

I swap my mountain bike tyres for Autumn/Winter. Is there any benefit in doing the same for my road bike to reduce thet risk on surfing the road on my face?
Are there such things as Winter road tyres?

king_jeffers

saprkzz wrote:

Confidence knocked out of me!

2x offs due to failed kerb jump.
1x off due to hitting grass verge at side of cycle path.
1x off right outside my front door as the cleat failed to disengage (due to slack fitting on shoe) - this was painful and embarrassing.
1x Another off due to hitting pothole at speed, chain came off, my foot came off the peddle (before I had SPDs) and peddle slammed into back of my calf and cut a nice chunk out.
+ various stumbles courtesy of SPDs and bad stop/starts.

I've only been cycling since February :oops:

Well I now avoid kerbs, disengage my cleats well in advance and always hope for the best! I think what helped me is I still enjoy cycling, plus the alternative is standing on a packed commuter train with some random guys armpit in my face.

Try not to think/dwell on it, these things make us better cyclists in the long term.

MountainMonster

If you don't crash, you arn't going hard enough, as the old saying goes. I've crashed quite a few times, and it's nothing to worry about. Just go slower on the next wet rides, and work on building up confidence again.

keef66

I may regret this but...40 years of cycling and yet to fall off on the road. Stacked the mtb a few times, and on the road I've had quite a few near misses, but never a proper crash.

This is clearly down to a combination of luck and not trying to corner too fast, but it can be done!

saprkzz

Well, thanks very much for all the comments, it looks like I am just fitting in with the rest of ya! ..

Some great advice, will try and build it up slowly again, and take corners with more thought. After the crash I had to ride 15 miles to get home, putting no pressure on my left arm, I havent got on the bike since Sunday yet, and my legs and arms are still hurting, will try a gentle ride on Sunday. I was enjoying road riding a lot and will be really gutted if i struggle to get my confidence back up, also was hoping to do some amature races next year.

I cant believe how sudden it happened, the wheel slipped and bang I was on the floor, my mate said it wouldnt have hurt as much if I had of being going quicker, it happened at about 5 MPH

Eyon

King Jeffers wrote:

saprkzz wrote:

Confidence knocked out of me!

2x offs due to failed kerb jump.
1x off due to hitting grass verge at side of cycle path.
1x off right outside my front door as the cleat failed to disengage (due to slack fitting on shoe) - this was painful and embarrassing.
1x Another off due to hitting pothole at speed, chain came off, my foot came off the peddle (before I had SPDs) and peddle slammed into back of my calf and cut a nice chunk out.
+ various stumbles courtesy of SPDs and bad stop/starts.

I've only been cycling since February :oops:

Well I now avoid kerbs, disengage my cleats well in advance and always hope for the best! I think what helped me is I still enjoy cycling, plus the alternative is standing on a packed commuter train with some random guys armpit in my face.

Try not to think/dwell on it, these things make us better cyclists in the long term.

Big difference is that you knew where you went wrong. Like all things in life, you learn by your mistakes. You fell off by doing X, you fixed it, now you dont do it again. I come off all the time on my MTB, loads, but I know how I do it, so I remember how not to do it, if that makes sense.

The worse ones and the confidence killing ones are like the OP's where the reason is very much a mystery! They are the ones which knock your mental cycling ability for six

markos1963

To the OP, don't blame your tyres too soon, it's unlikely to be 'race' tyres. We don't go fast enough on the flat to aquaplane and the profile of cycle tyres means they cut through the water very well. Most likely cause is contamination on the road, oil or diesel being the most common. Don't beat yourself up too much it happens to us all, in fact i reckon I was a better rider after crashing because I could recognise to point I had pushed too far and then avoid it.

andrewjoseph

I fall off on my mtb regularly. The worst fall I've had was last sept on the road bike, on a bridle way!

Still not sure why I went down, but it was sudden, broke my arm in six places.

Was given the go ahead for normal riding last june so building up fitness since then. Still not back to my confidence level before the fall, but it is getting there.

Going for two weeks touring around Devon and Cornwall on Thurs, looking forward to it.

linnibob

King Jeffers im right up there with you. I got my SPD's at the beginning of the year and the amount of times i have just run out of energy going up a hill or forgot to unclip at lights or just general stumbles has racked up since the beginning of the year.

Im still a bit nervous at picking up the speed after each tumble but it does get better

andrewlwood

Came a cropper on a wet white line a month ago; lost a fingernail, my bar tape and a shoe. Was not at all happy on my next wet weather ride, and I'm very cautious with the rain and manhole covers/road paint these days; just ride and your confidence will return gradually as your fall becomes a memory. Glad you didn't hurt yourself too seriously!

StorckSpeed

Had a real baddy about 10 years ago, (Split shoulder blade, broken ribs, punctured lung)lost all my confidence and took 2 years away from the sport. I was persuaded to take part in a charity ride and began some gentle training. MAN HOW I'D MISSED CYCLING.
Really regret the time off now.
If you really enjoy cycling then take your time, don't push yourself, go for some gentle pottering around the contryside, get back to the point where you enjoy your cycling. Before you know it your confidence will return and you'll be blasting down the road, passing cars and swallowing flies.

Good luck & stick with it

Fat-Boy-Roubaix

keef66 wrote:

I may regret this but...40 years of cycling and yet to fall off on the road. Stacked the mtb a few times, and on the road I've had quite a few near misses, but never a proper crash.

This is clearly down to a combination of luck and not trying to corner too fast, but it can be done!

There is NO WAY I would have tempted fate like this! :shock:

saprkzz

markos1963 wrote:

To the OP, don't blame your tyres too soon, it's unlikely to be 'race' tyres. We don't go fast enough on the flat to aquaplane and the profile of cycle tyres means they cut through the water very well. Most likely cause is contamination on the road, oil or diesel being the most common. Don't beat yourself up too much it happens to us all, in fact i reckon I was a better rider after crashing because I could recognise to point I had pushed too far and then avoid it.

Great post, thanks Markos!

ddmrcp

Like you i had a nasty spill a month ago and ended looking like a mix between frankensteins monster and the mummy. The biggest lack of confidence however is being expressed by the wife and im not getting back on the bike purely to keep the peace! The only way to tackle this is head on- and with some introspection. Good luck,get back on your bike, im going to have to keep mine mothballed for a bit........ :roll:

Thebigbee

I have had 3 accidents that have caused me pain. The first one I was cycling uphill standing up and the bloody chain went and snapped on me causing me to fly onto the handlebars and at the very least cracking a few ribs and winding me pretty badly. There was a bloke walking his dog who stopped and asked me if I was alright, which was nice as I muttered I was.

The next one I had was booting it down this large hill near where I live and taking a corner like a lunatic. Unfortunately there was loads of crap on the road which I didn't see and I watched in slow motion as the front wheel decided to go sideways. I had very bad road rash, full of gravel. Nice.

There were some builders nearby who came over and asked if I was OK and told me that I better go and get my arm looked at as blood was dripping out and I hadn't really noticed so a bus trip to casualty. That accident was completely my fault.

My latest one was on my road bike along the beach promenade, clipped in, minding my own business, aware of any pedestrians, cruising at about 18MPH.

Earlier on that day I had my mobile mechanic out to sort out a few teething issues and my bike was running very smoothly. It was dry and smooth asphalt. Next thing I know - BANG - I'm going flying. And because I was clipped in I had no time to get out. Went over the bars, managed to get my seat out of the rails and had a nice 2" by about 1" deep gash in my leg as the chainring ripped the flesh out.

What happened? A dog ran straight in front of my bike that I had no chance of seeing and I rode straight into her. At about 18MPH.

The stupid thing was the only things I was initially worried about was the dog and the damage to my bike. It was only after when I was trying to compose myself and assessing the damage to my bike - knackered saddle, bent deraileur, buckled wheel, buggered grip and hoods - and myself, chunk of flesh out my calf, knees hands and elbows grazed and oil all over my suede shoes that I got pissed off.

I was just recovering from the shock - the dog walker had basically done a runner by now, when a bloke who was with his Mrs and young kid came up to me and said, "is that the new Specialized? Do you mind if I have a go on it?"

As Alan Partridge would say - "some people"!