Where did I go wrong?
WillBryan
Posts: 8
Hi,
I'm new to mountain biking and crashed going down Butser Hill in Southern England. I wondered if you more experienced people could tell me what went wrong and why I lost control. Or alternatively you could just watch it to laugh at me.
Watch this video on this URL:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9PcmBJap04
Thanks a lot in advance!
I'm new to mountain biking and crashed going down Butser Hill in Southern England. I wondered if you more experienced people could tell me what went wrong and why I lost control. Or alternatively you could just watch it to laugh at me.
Watch this video on this URL:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9PcmBJap04
Thanks a lot in advance!
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Comments
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Ha ha! Hope you got up and laughed (after dusting yourself off).
Going that fast on a loose trail... under inflated tyres? Poor shocks? Too much speed...
Good vid btw.What did you shoot it on?0 -
Thanks, I filmed it on a GoPro black 3+. I was trying to follow my mate (the guy in front) who has been cycling on trails for years. Thinking about it, it was stupid because he has been known to have bad crashes.0
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It's hard to say the front wheel suddenly goes right suggesting you hit something. It could be lose or soft ground, or a lump or dip in the trail. Best to have a look at the trail where you crashed.0
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I had v-brakes. I have been told they aren't any good, could they have been a factor?0
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There's loads of rabbit holes on that hill if I remember rightly and it is a very fast descent. Just chalk it up to experience and be glad you didn't knacker yourself!2011 Canyon XC 8.0 (Monza Race Red)
1996(?) dyna-tech titanium HT; pace RC-35's; Hope Ti Hubs etc etc
Bianchi Road Bike0 -
Yeah I broke my helmet. So I'm feeling very happy to have the minimal injuries I have.0
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Lol, sorry but that is quite funny.
Quick question, at the end the "rolling", please tell me the helmet was NOT attached to your head at this point and instead came off? If not, ouch lol.
You really need to stay in your limits, your front wheel completely washed out. You most likely hit a small bump with your arms/hands tense, throwing it your wheel to the side slightly.
Are you left rear and right front for brake setup? If your pulling your front brake at that speed on a loose/bumpy track and the wheel happens to hit a bump and your fork does not absorb the impact (crap fork) then touching the brake can also put you in a situation out of your control.
As silly as it sounds, letting go of the brake is usually safer than pulling it harder. The put the bike back in control, obviously that was not a factor here but just saying lol.0 -
Impressive amount of rolls, well done!
You were going very fast, hit a small deflection, and ran out of talent in order to be able to gather it up, so you got into a 'tank slapper' and the result was inevitable. The thing you could have done differently is gone slower.0 -
That hill looks like amazing fun!
Glad you survived to post the video
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CitizenLee wrote:That hill looks like amazing fun!
Glad you survived to post the video
It is, but the only times I've been down it I've had 80 or so miles left to ride to Eastbourne, so have taken it a little easier! Even so, 40mph+ is easily achieved as it's so open.2011 Canyon XC 8.0 (Monza Race Red)
1996(?) dyna-tech titanium HT; pace RC-35's; Hope Ti Hubs etc etc
Bianchi Road Bike0 -
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Gibbo3771 wrote:Lol, sorry but that is quite funny.
Quick question, at the end the "rolling", please tell me the helmet was NOT attached to your head at this point and instead came off? If not, ouch lol.
No the helmet stayed on my head. The adhesive mount for my GoPro came off at impact, so that was the rolling you saw. Thanks everyone for the tips, I will be putting them in to practise so I don't have a repeat of before. 0 -
WillBryan wrote:I had v-brakes. I have been told they aren't any good, could they have been a factor?
Yeah, they're not very good but wouldnt have been a factor in that.
What might have been a factor is that I'm guessing your bike is of a more budget spec (having V brakes) that the suspension isn't all that and perhaps didn't have the give in it to soak up the lumps n bumps at that speed which might explain why you suddenly hit something and inevitably lost control because instead of soaking it up, it bounced off it.
Perhaps.0 -
Bit late on this but no one has mentioned the poor braking.
You can ride down Butser on a CX bike if you ride sensibly so can't blame the bike. You rode the whole top half with no fingers covering the brake, then when you did feel like slowing down you reached out with all four fingers and grabbed a handful of rear brake only. That was fine for you through the gate because you were only doing 20-25 but when you start hitting 40+ on the long steep bit and you grab brakes like that, it upsets the bike big time. I'm guessing you popped off one of the lumps, panicked and grabbed the rear brake again, causing the back to step out and leading to the wobble. Butser is open enough to go with no brakes the whole way but it is a good idea to cover both brakes with one or two fingers anyway. Brake gently and equally if you have to. There are lots of little bumps on Butser but if you spot them you can pick a line to avoid or just pop the front wheel over them.0 -
WillBryan wrote:Hi,
I'm new to mountain biking...
That's where you went wrong. :P
Braking with the back wheel in the air and accidentally locking it while in the air, then the wheel going down again (stopped) will catch you off guard, at that speed anyway. If you know its happening you might be OK.
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