2011 / 2012 Took a tumble thread

Kieran_Burns

Well - I've lost my cherry.

After >6 years of cycle commuting I finally took a fall.

Came down a hill to a junction where I turn right off the main road, slowed RIGHT down and cut the corner to stay as upright as possible... and washed out.

Ouch.

The reason that I was going so slow was that two bends previously, I almost lost the front wheel but it caught on the high friction surface and I stayed upright - there was a car behind me and he very considerately pulled right back in case I really did come off.

There was no ice on the line I took, but the roads were incredibly greasy, and with it being so early and cold (<2C) it may as well have been ice for all the difference it made.

Banged my head (well, banged the camera, which appears okay), tore my tights, lost both bar end caps (I have no idea how BOTH have gone) and bruised my LEFT thumb, even though I landed on my right side - no other damage that I can see apart from a couple of scuffs (pannier, bar tape)

So - if anyone else takes an elements caused tumble - post here. Let's swap war stories.

pangolin

Having your front wheel slip out then gain traction again is terrifying. It's already happened by the time you realise it's happening but you're suddenly a lot more awake. Glad you're alright.

bails87

VOIDH!

and I'm glad there was only minor damage to you and the bike.

Kieran_Burns

bails87 wrote:

VOIDH!

and I'm glad there was only minor damage to you and the bike.

Give a guy a chance - I'll post it when I get home this evening, and you can all tell me how I could've avoided it...

dhope

bails87 wrote:

VOIDH!

I believe the correct phrase is TOGTFO

drays

I had a comedy fall turning onto a footbridge that forms part of the cycleway between Derby city centre and Pride Parkway. The bridge was very icy, and my front wheel decided not to turn onto the bridge but prefered to go sideways. I had that slow motion "oh cr@p I'm going down and there isn't a thing i can do about it" moment. My bar end was pushed up but I'm fine! My main concern was not landing head first on the railing, but I avoided that! The three cyclists behind me walked over the bridge!!!

notsoblue

Ouch, sorry to hear that KB. Offs are a cruel reminder of how hard tarmac is. I often forget... Last weather related tumble I had was fairly minor and happened just over a year ago while taking one of the mini-roundabouts in Richmond Park too quickly while it was wet. Was surprisingly lucky to just come away with bruises there. I had just got my road bike a few weeks earlier and despite it only sustaining a slight scuffing to one of the hoods, I was mortified.

Kieran_Burns

drays wrote:

I had a comedy fall turning onto a footbridge that forms part of the cycleway between Derby city centre and Pride Parkway. The bridge was very icy, and my front wheel decided not to turn onto the bridge but prefered to go sideways. I had that slow motion "oh cr@p I'm going down and there isn't a thing i can do about it" moment. My bar end was pushed up but I'm fine! My main concern was not landing head first on the railing, but I avoided that! The three cyclists behind me walked over the bridge!!!

Is that the REALLY REALLY sharp turn just as you turn into the park? I always had to slow right down for that even on the warmest days - I simply couldn't negotiate it without almost putting my foot down. I was behind a guy on an MTB one time and catching him going towards Derby and decided to wait for him to clear that before passing him.

He didn't even slow down. Just flicked the bike through the turn and carried on like there was no 90 degree bend even there. Suffice to say I completely lost him after that....

veronese68

pangolin wrote:

Having your front wheel slip out then gain traction again is terrifying. It's already happened by the time you realise it's happening but you're suddenly a lot more awake. Glad you're alright.

Had a couple of this type of little slip last week. The thing that gets me is I know that you're supposed to relax and not have too firm a grip on the bars if this happens. Problem being, I can't stop everyting tensing up and having a death grip on the bars. Tensing up is probably natures way to stop the world falling out your a....
Glad you escaped relatively unscathed KB.

drays

Kieran_Burns wrote:

drays wrote:

I had a comedy fall turning onto a footbridge that forms part of the cycleway between Derby city centre and Pride Parkway. The bridge was very icy, and my front wheel decided not to turn onto the bridge but prefered to go sideways. I had that slow motion "oh cr@p I'm going down and there isn't a thing i can do about it" moment. My bar end was pushed up but I'm fine! My main concern was not landing head first on the railing, but I avoided that! The three cyclists behind me walked over the bridge!!!

Is that the REALLY REALLY sharp turn just as you turn into the park? I always had to slow right down for that even on the warmest days - I simply couldn't negotiate it without almost putting my foot down. I was behind a guy on an MTB one time and catching him going towards Derby and decided to wait for him to clear that before passing him.

He didn't even slow down. Just flicked the bike through the turn and carried on like there was no 90 degree bend even there. Suffice to say I completely lost him after that....

It's the one by the Derby Telegraph where you have to go round the barrier thet's on the pavement at the end of the bridge then take a sharp turn left onto the bridge. It was just sheet ice this morning.

The one you're talking about I keep telling myself I should be able to go round it faster than crawling pace, but with railings both sides there's no run off - I have clipped the railings at least once there!

redvee

Last January during the cold spell I had an off at 5mph Just rode a cobbled section that went onto tarmac and turning left at 5mph I just went down The only injury was to my pride I stood back up and looked round to make sure no work colleagues saw ther fall, luckily none were about.

Torvid

I had an off in the high winds in september was leaning into a gust of wind as I tryed to take a bend the wind dropped and then got hit by a blast from the other side bike went out from under me, and i went sliding off down the road, ripped open a SS jersey and the left leg of my shorts, lots of gravel rash but the bike seemed fine.

Blacktemplar

Nearly had an off on Friday

Barrelling down the cycle path (well 12mph-ish :oops: ) approaching a smooth-surfaced s-bend, the surface looked a tad shiny for my liking..... eased up, sat up then felt both ends start to lose it, Bambi-stylee. Cue tightened sphincter and quick look to see what was dead ahead, as there was no way I was braking or turning. Fortunately there was a big grass run-off area so I managed not to make a complete arrse of myself (there's a first time for everything). Whew! Walked the last 100 yards of the path until I could get onto a gritted road.

Last year's 'off' was a lovely combination of wet leaves and lane paint - ended up with a Grade V AC joint tear and some rather fetching post-surgery scars. Which was nice. Not.

Kieran_Burns

Arse.

Me Kindle's knacked.

I dunno whether it's related but I came to use it at Dinner and the screen is gone. The kindle was on the INSIDE of the pannier and in one of those padded cases (Amazon ones). My phones (one of which is a HTC Sensation) which were on the outside, so would've hit the road full on, are fine.

So call to Amazon and see what I can do. If it's a new one, I'll get one of the smaller ones.

Damn.

notsoblue

Did you mean Lunch?
ಠ_ಠ

spasypaddy

dont own up to it crashing just tell them you took it out to read and the screen stopped working. they'll replace.

also you shouldnt be washing out on a CX bike. Tut tut

rjsterry

Thankfully still yet to come off bar a little wobble on some ice last year, but I did almost get taken out by some newly painted road markings - about a third of an inch high and may as well have been mirror polished steel for all the grip they gave.

Kieran_Burns

Out of warranty but Amazon do a £40 no questions asked replacement policy for it. It's not worth the hassle of trying anything (plus I really prefer not to) and it'll be here tomorrow.

(CX bike, road tyres and I don't think anything on 2 wheels would've stayed upright on that bit. Wait 'til you see the vid and make your own mind up)

drays

notsoblue wrote:

Did you mean Lunch?
ಠ_ಠ

That would be the local lingo. I still can't get my head round people in Derby calling roundabouts 'islands'.

notsoblue

drays wrote:

notsoblue wrote:

Did you mean Lunch?
ಠ_ಠ

That would be the local lingo. I still can't get my head round people in Derby calling roundabouts 'islands'.

The "Duck" thing is endearing though.

Bassjunkieuk

Came off twice on ice during the cold snap last year (must have been last year as I didn't have the cam and I've only been to this particular office about 3 times this year!)
First was a proper slide-out crash, thankfully on a very quiet residential road. Second was in the actual office car park, I managed to somehow save myself by un-clipping, getting a foot down and just about finding enough traction with the road-SPD's to stay upright(ish)!

Only major action this year was about 5 weeks ago when I hit an oil patch on CS7, think the hole in my arm is just about healed although my hopes for an awesome looking scar are looking rather slim, just a naff looking hairless pink patch

Kieran_Burns

I've just watched the vid back and it's hilarious!

I come crashing down in the road and all I say is "Oh Dear."

Then when I get up... "Bummer"

What the hell am I like?

Just going to edit it now, then post it up. Oh and I was completely wrong about where I crashed out, it wasn't the bend, but a straight section right after - smooth tarmac with a real shine to it - amazing how your recollection can be so wrong.

cyclingprop

Off at ~28mph, on day 1/3 of London to Paris. Full on over handlebars while sprinting and clipped in. Pesky chain slipping off the big crank . Roll, into oncoming traffic. Just lucky a support van pulled around me to block the road off.

Survived with only: back, knees taking a beating and getting gravel rash. Oh, and a hole in my arm which A&E "would normally stitch but there wasn't any skin to stitch". Ho hum, dress it and carry on for the remaining 235 miles (ouch).

Meanwhile, and £1300 for charidee raised by two of us, then antibiotics and I have a decent scar. (Bassjunkie: Must try harder!).

Kieran_Burns

and here it is:

http://youtu.be/hIBNuI5c114?hd=1

Let me know what I could've done differently....

EKE_38BPM

Glad you're OK.

Assuming you are correct in it being above freezing point, I don't think I would have done anything differently. It was a very shiny patch of tarmac, but if I wasn't expecting ice or a massive sudden drop in the co-efficient of friction, I would have gone down just like you did.

Just one of those things I'm afraid.

dhope

You need to get something more suited to weather than that CX of yours. A road bike maybe

Glad you're alright

mtb-idle

not me but was about ten metres behind a guy on CS3 this morning when suddenly BAM!

He's sliding face down on the blue tarmac. I thought WTF and thoughts of black ice occurred but it wasn't cold enough.

Slowed down to check he was ok to see that his drive side crank had snapped through completely 3/4 of the way down the shaft as he was putting the hammer down causing instant loss of balance.

Luckily he was okay.

Darn Bromptons

itboffin

crap dude that sucks glad you're okay though, i was considering switching to CX tomorrow with proper CX tyres

but wondered would the wider knobbly tyres be any better?

Kieran_Burns

Looking back at the vid, I reckon nothing would've stopped a wash out on that stretch. That little bit of tarmac was smooth and shiny: just asking for an off.

meanredspider

Kieran_Burns wrote:

and here it is:

http://youtu.be/hIBNuI5c114?hd=1

Let me know what I could've done differently....

Bummer - looks sore. Bummer too about the gear. The road looked very smooth and shiny but it doesn't look frosty enough to have back ice. Probably a lesson there for all of us to be aware that we can go down unexpectedly.

itboffin

Yeh i forgot to say tonight on the way home (time 19:45) i noticed large sections of the road has a white covering and it wasnt snow.

That was in Andover which is fairly built up and 3c warmer than here at home, tomorrow is gonna be nasty esp with the wind forecast.

IT THE END OF THE WORLD I TELL YOU