I really don't want to fall off...

Mikey23

It seems to me that everyone who takes up cycling as a hobby/sport is at some time going to to fall off. Looking at the TOF this week there is daily carnage with battered and bruised bodies being dragged from the wreckage and prodded back onto their bikes... So is racing like this at an amateur level? I have come from a background of road running where everyone can have a go and plod round at the back in reasonable safety. Have done a couple of sportives which were ok but is bike racing hanging around in the pack and sprinting for the finish just like the pros? (and they seem to be pretty rubbish at it at times)

Perhaps I'm just a bit of a wimp but i am pushing 60 and dont think a broken leg or collar bone will heal very easily, dont really want to be unable to work and besides I am just too good looking to be damaged! Loads of stories on here about accidents etc. Ive had a couple of topples while getting used to my cleats at 0mph and they were pretty traumatic and damaged both me and my bike. So what would coming off at 20mph be like?

thoughts please on the subject for this poor megawimp ...

rozzer32

If you do start racing then you can race with the "Veterans" due to your age. This racing is normally a bit more sensible as you won't have your hot headed youngster who has watched the tour and then think they are Mark Cavendish. But naturally there are accidents from time to time.

If the course is flat then there will be a group and then a sprint finish. If the course includes lots of hills then it will spilt the group up.

Accidents do happen, but that is life, could get run over by a bus tomorrow. So don't let it put you off. Give a race a try, if you don't like it then at least you've tried but no doubt you'll love it.

amaferanga

Crashing at speed hurts, but fortunately it doesn't happen too often in amateur racing.

MichaelW

It seems to me that you are the wrong age to take up an aggressive, competitive sport such as bunch racing or round the town "criterion" racing. There are bound to be iffy moments and the thing that will save you is your bike handling skill. Veteran riders are called that for their decades of experience and having survived all that racing can throw at them. You will just be an Old rider. Young riders can take falls a lot better than oldies. TdF racing is much crashier than most amateur racing.
If you want to compete, consider time trialling, which has no shoulder-to-shoulder race for the finish line. If you have a running background, you could probably do well in triathlons.

Mikey23

Some good thoughts guys, would like to do a tri if only my swimming wasn't rubbish. Did do a duathlon called thr freaky peaky earlier in the year but the running bits were sooo tough. Might look around for a few more duos

It seems to me that a lot of folks seem to fall off anyway, or hit things regardless of weather they are racing or not ...

Mike67

Falling off is always a risk. More so in racing situations where you have less time to react and the fact that other riders are in close quarter and not all as skilled as yourself

Saying that, in day to day riding on the road (I'm not counting cyclocross ) I have come off five times...sounds a lot :shock:

Three of those occasions were on the same day and caused by riding into/onto sheet ice....so my fault for going out on such a grotty day.
Once was going round a bend (most likely too fast) and catching a catseye which threw me off line and into the kerbside..so my fault.
Last occasion was more of a rapid step off the bike when I wasn't concentrating (tired) and just touched the riders wheel in front of me...so my fault yet again.

The only time that hurt was the middle occasion as that was somewhere above the 20mph mark. Me and the bike survived though so not too bad.

For balance though I've done thousands of miles where I've not managed to fall off and enjoyed every minute...so don't let the possibility that you might fall off put you off what is a fantastic sport/activity, the risk is extremely low especially if you pay attention (not like myself )

P_Tucker

Yes, if you cycle enough you'll eventually fall off. And if you live long enough eventually you'll bash yer nuts on something and it'll really hurt. Probably best to have your nuts removed to dodge that bullet eh?

cougie

You could always do time trials ? Much less chance of a fall there.

And dont let crap swimming put you off. There's a lot of crap swimmers doing Ironman distance races.

buzzwold

Reading some articles the other day on racing and sportives and the like and following thoughts come to mind.

1. You'll reduce chances of accident by learning to cycle properly in a group
2. You'll reduce chances of being taken out by another cyclist by riding close to the front.
3. Work within your limits.
4. Chances are you'll fall off anyway due to your own lack of concentration (forgetting to unclip is always a good one) or a moment of brio (taking the corner too fast).

The other thought was, as well as time trialling have you thought about audax. Trying to complete a long distance in a given time, in other words a timed sportive.