Do we all crash eventually?

entershikari

Is it inevitable that no matter how careful we are and how many precautions we take we all inevitably end up in a crash? Is there anyone on this forum who has been riding a good amount of time who hasn’t crashed?

slowbike

If falling over onto a bank whilst clipped in doesn't count, I last "crashed" 20 odd years ago ... I was passing some parked cars and a driver opened his door ... ooops ... all sorted amicably

Perhaps I just don't try hard enough - but had a few close calls with Ugo on his London Mud Fest v2 ride last weekend...

hegyestomi

yes

coopster_the_1st

entershikari wrote:

Is it inevitable that no matter how careful we are and how many precautions we take we all inevitably end up in a crash? Is there anyone on this forum who has been riding a good amount of time who hasn’t crashed?

Could the same question be asked of driving? Or when walking?

I suspect for all 3 the answer is 'Yes'. For some reason cycling is percieved as being more dangerous than the other two

LiveGiantly

:shock: @ Topic Question
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*exits*

warreng

I wonder what the odds are. I'm working on a painful incident every 5000 miles

slowbike

WarrenG wrote:

I wonder what the odds are. I'm working on a painful incident every 5000 miles

Eeek I'm overdue ... better be careful on the way home ...

Widgey

I believe so. sometimes you just cannot predict something. Be it ice, a car where it shouldn't be, a tree root, a pot hole. Learning from it is the key.

mattv

2 incidents in 9 years. One where a little old lady ran me over in her Peugeot, one ice related. But so many near misses its unreal and only a matter of time.

Agent57

entershikari wrote:

Is it inevitable that no matter how careful we are and how many precautions we take we all inevitably end up in a crash? Is there anyone on this forum who has been riding a good amount of time who hasn’t crashed?

Define "crash". The last time I came off was a lowside on black ice last winter. I suppose that was a crash. The previous time was probably about 5 years ago, on some white lines in the rain; again, a lowside when I turned right across them.

Neither time was any other vehicle involved.

Before that, I hadn't had a crash since I was 16, when a car pulled out of a junction into the side of me. Until the white line incident above, I'd been crash-free for around 25 years, despite cycling being my main form of local transport and leisure.

redvee

I look at it to be 'when' we crash, not 'if' we crash.

vimfuego

As above, depends what you mean by "crash". Can't really remember the last time I crashed (ie fell off) - probably on some black ice a few years ago (I try not to ride if there's any danger of ice now). That said, in May this year (probably about 7 years and 25,000 miles into my road "career") I was stationary at a junction waiting to turn right, in plain sight, wearing bright red and on a sunny day, when a car turning right into the road I was in cut the corner and drove headlong into me because the driver wasn't looking at the road (using his phone!!!) he only clocked me as the car hit me and I was emitting a loud expletive on realising I had zero chance of avoiding being hit. Fortunately it was relatively low speed, net result one partially dislocated shoulder, a bruised & bloody knee, a mangled front wheel and assorted scrapes etc to the frame.

Fortunately my BC membership got me my damages back (though still waiting on assessment for comp re the injuries sustained) and the Rozzers had enough evidence to prove fault on the drivers part thanks to a witness to the event. He got sent on an awareness course.... suppose that's a good thing if it changes his behaviour and saves someone else.

Moral of the story, whatever you do & however well or often you ride, you can't legislate for idiots and at some point you might get unlucky. I know people in my club though that have ridden for 40 plus years and had nary an off. Apparently. If they are to be believed. As far as mountain biking goes, if you don;t crash every so often , you basically aren't trying hard enough :-)

BelgianBeerGeek

Moral of the story, whatever you do & however well or often you ride, you can't legislate for idiots and at some point you might get unlucky. I know people in my club though that have ridden for 40 plus years and had nary an off. Apparently. If they are to be believed. As far as mountain biking goes, if you don;t crash every so often , you basically aren't trying hard enough :-)[/quote]

In my case the idiot you can't legislate for is me. I have crashed plenty over the years and every one has been my fault.

jagman.2003

Last 'off' on the road was a couple of years ago on black ice. Back wheel went whilst going in straight line. So couldn't have predicted that. But went down very hard. Never been off that bike before. But for mountain biking...I've been bounced off into the undergowth many times..! :shock:

Daz555

entershikari wrote:

Is it inevitable that no matter how careful we are and how many precautions we take we all inevitably end up in a crash? Is there anyone on this forum who has been riding a good amount of time who hasn’t crashed?

Apart from a few drunken moment in my late teens and early 20s I have never crashed my bike on the road whilst I've been an adult - so I'm currently on 20-odd years without a road crash. I have come very close on a fair few occasions but managed to save it, get a foot down etc.

On the trails however. No shortage of small offs but I've never had a big one.

iPete

I'd say major incident is not an inevitability. I've successfully avoided hundreds of left turning cars, cars not looking a roundabouts, cars turning across traffic etc. It's how you approach things, if you don't know when to back out of a situation I'd say is an inevitability. The only thing you can't really mitigate for is someone sweeping you up from behind.

I should note both my offs this year were down to my own Darwinism.

mtb-idle

I make sure I always wear enough protection to keep me safe

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Kieran_Burns

MTB-Idle wrote:

I make sure I always wear enough protection to keep me safe

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Did he take the term "bucket list" too literally?

veronese68

Again, depends on your definition. My last off was to avoid a crash. Off road on a narrow trail with a slight right hand curve at the bottom of a dip. I thought I'd left plenty of room to the guy in front but he stopped dead to avoid a piece of bracken across the path, I was trying to carry speed to get up the hill after the dip. Full emergency stop meant I avoided crashing into him, but then had a slow clipless roll into the nettles on my right. So not really a crash.
Last proper crash on road was when I got doored last year. No way I could have avoided that one, unless I just sit in a line of traffic which kind if defeats the point if riding a bike. Just have to chalk it up as one of those things.

prawny

I'd agree with the 'it's only a matter of time' crowd. My last road crash was on black ice on a leisure ride, luckily nothing around to hit, I slid on my arse for about 50 meters.

I've started mountain biking more, that's bringing the average down, so hopefully I won't fall on the road now for quite some time if ever. In the last year I've had 2 decent crashes and several leap offs.

MrSweary

Yes. Last night in fact.

hegyestomi

MrSweary wrote:

Yes. Last night in fact.

Hope you are OK...

MrSweary

hegyestomi wrote:

MrSweary wrote:

Yes. Last night in fact.

Hope you are OK...

Thank you. Remarkably I'm more or less intact given the speed and violence of the crash. Bike not so good New bike time

Mikey23

Shouldn't that be ex felt Z85? Pleased you are ok

Just had the all clear from the hospital so I think I have a couple of thousand reckless miles in me before I need to get careful again...