falling off a bike

R0B75

I came off the bike on my way to work on Tuesday morning, foolishly thinking the cycle path was just wet until I discovered that black ice is real and not actually a myth :roll:

It was an abrupt realisation and a physically and somewhat financially painful lesson to learn in this long month until pay day :P

Currently nursing a tender right shoulder as that mainly took the force of the fall, but I've needed to to replace the mech hanger, barrel adjuster and rear gear cable so far. Not sure how the barrel adjuster snapped but oh well. The bike is back together now and shifting fine on the work stand. Hopefully, when I do get out on the bike it will be ok and save me having to also replace the rear mech which got a little bent as well.

Still it could have been worse as other than the shoulder and some grazes on my knee I'm more or less intact. But those offering advice on the best way to fall clearly haven't gone down on proper black ice (i.e. the stuff you cannot see even AFTER you've hit it and inspected where you slipped), you hit the deck in a fraction of a second and hard. Ouch.

maltloaf_df

I've come off twice in the last few weeks, once on a completely flat and straight bit of road, but muddy cold and wet and I had felt a few little slips before my off.

The other was downhill around a bend and happened just as I'd thought I was far enough around to pedal hard safely, first pedal rev and I went over.

What is certain is that in both cases I had no time whatsoever to do anything about the fall. The first thing I knew, I was on the tarmac and sliding along.

In one case it was on the drive side and bent the rd cage a little but I was able to "persuade" it back into alignment. Lucky i guess.

No real damage to the bike in either case and just a sore elbow and thigh but I ripped my mitts to shreds in one (saying I put my hands down) and pulled the shifter around the bar on the other (saying I held on for grim death).

porlyworly

I came off last night on the way home from work, was about 7pm and had just turned onto an unlit long downhill country lane. Hit a half brick in the middle of the road and went straight over the handlebars. Helmet did it's job as it's snapped in half but my head is fine, lots of road rash and generally aching all over but thankfully nothing serious. Bike is fine but wrote off an expensive Jersey which sucks!

Didn't even see the brick, one second was pedalling away from the lights around the corner and gaining speed quickly down the hill and next second in a crumpled heap on the road saying "sh*t, sh*t, sh*t!" Only spotted it as I hobbled back up the hill to the corner where there is a bench and I sat down, checked the bike was ok, checked I wasn't too smashed up and just tried to calm down and regain my composure before riding home (only 5 miles to go). Luckilly I came off about 15 or 20 metres into the downhill so wasn't up to full speed (can do 35mph further down the hill without much effort) otherwise it could have been a lot worse, also as I was late finishing work there were no cars behind me.

On the plus side I get a new helmet! Pm me any suggestions and stay safe out there guys!

slowandsteady

^that sounds like it could have been alot worse.

Never done much night time riding as I don't commute but I'm guessing potholes ECT are a nightmare.

The way this thread is going falling off is more common than I thought.

AlexMac1973

I've read what everyone has experienced, I don't think there is a perfect way of falling off a bike where you can minimalize any injury or damage to the bike. My last experience was a case of oh crap and hope for the best!

I was going down a decent at around 50kph, in all fairness I shouldn't have been pushing it that fast as the road was a bit slippy, and hit a patch of running water going across the road. I already knew just before then I wasn't slowing down as the brake were as much use as knitting fog, before I knew it I was washing out and the back of my helmet was slamming into the tarmac. When I eventually came to a stop, the first thing I did was look if the bike was ok, it was only then I realised I had a massive hole in my shoe the size of a 50p piece! Turns out I'd took a chunk out of my foot, grazes all the way down one side and half my bum hanging out of the tears in the shorts.

I went to give the wife a call, but no signal so couldn't, basically I was stuck miles from nowhere. Fortunately a local farmer stopped and chucked me and the bike in the car and drove back to his home down the road. Turns out he ran the ice cream parlour in my village, anyway, I got cleaned up and he drove me to the nearest train station and I headed home doing the walk of shame.

It's not the worst injury I've picked up when riding, but I'd rather not experience it again. I think the funniest one that happenend was when bmxing a few years ago. We had a training day with an ex world elite champion, when it was the group I was in we all went to the gate, all 8 lined up and ready to power it down the first straight. The call from the automated start came, the light went green but the gate failed to drop so all 8 of us went ar$e over t!t straight over the gate into a big pile up, brilliant

These days if it's remotely doggy outside I stay off the bike and hook up the turbo, safer, well for me it is!

dartmoorscottydog

On a related theme do any of you have a preferred side to fall on? As an amateur goalie I always preferred diving to my left and were I to have a fall would prefer to go down that way (I am R handed). As luck would have my meeting with a pot-hole led me to go down on my right side and resulted in half my elbow being left on the roadside ! Just curious or can most people roll either way?

Fuzzyrex

I fell off this morning,hit ice & the bike slide out from under me,bruised ego & road rash :oops: