Disc related injuries in cross racing?

veronese68

Now that disc use has been suspended in road racing after someone claimed a disc cut his left leg even though he didn't fall off. Not sure how it's possible but that's another story. Falling off seems to be a feature of cross races, although not in large bunches I grant you. How many injuries have been attributed to people have something akin to a circular saw blade* attached to their wheel?


* most melodramatic description I've seen to date.

imposter2.0

I assumed you were referring to back injuries, until I read the thread.. Disks have been in MTB a lot longer than CX and I'm not aware of any related injuries there either...

tgotb

I have a scar in my right thigh from an injury inflicted by my own chainring a few years ago; I can still see the individual teeth. Ironically, one of the factors contributing to that crash was the total failure of both disk brakes. About the only thing the big ring ever did on that bike was make holes in my leg, I eventually removed it completely.

If someone invented front mechs and multiple chainrings today, I wonder whether they'd be permitted.

veronese68

TGOTB wrote:

If someone invented front mechs and multiple chainrings today, I wonder whether they'd be permitted.

If that were the case they'd introduce something like this:

tgotb

Veronese68 wrote:

If that were the case they'd introduce something like this:

In which case I'd give up racing. I don't mind taking two bikes to bits and putting them back together again every Sunday evening, but I am *not* prepared to touch another cotter pin. Ever.

kajjal

Also need to look at all injuries, their cause, seriousness and frequency. My guess is rain, hitting the road / trail and poor riders cause far more injuries than disc brakes.

veronese68

TGOTB wrote:

but I am *not* prepared to touch another cotter pin. Ever.

Fair point, I'd forgotten the evils of the cotter pin. I wonder if cotter pins can cause horrific injuries.

cycleclinic

yes they can many a mechanic has hammered the tumb over the years trying to get the buggers out. Not to mention the mental anguish. The thing is Stronglight came up with the cotterless chainset in 1949. The french have banned disc brakes for sportive events but they where once way ahead of the curve in bike design. What happened along the way.

bendertherobot

TGOTB wrote:

I have a scar in my right thigh from an injury inflicted by my own chainring a few years ago; I can still see the individual teeth. Ironically, one of the factors contributing to that crash was the total failure of both disk brakes. About the only thing the big ring ever did on that bike was make holes in my leg, I eventually removed it completely.

If someone invented front mechs and multiple chainrings today, I wonder whether they'd be permitted.

Indeed. And, if someone was looking at inventing a bike today and, specifically, braking, I wonder whether they'd come up with rubber on metal......

trek_dan

The only 'proper' accident I've ever seen in a CX race was when 2 lads tangled in a corner and the one coming over the top got his foot caught in the spokes and gashed his shin on (I assume) the bladed spokes. Ban bladed spokes!

FishFish

TGOTB wrote:

About the only thing the big ring ever did on that bike was make holes in my leg, I eventually removed it completely.

I would have changed the ring rather than remove my leg.

tgotb

FishFish wrote:

I would have changed the ring rather than remove my leg.

tgotb

Veronese68 wrote:

I wonder if cotter pins can cause horrific injuries.

In my case, yes. Severe bruising from banging my head and fists against various walls as I stripped yet another fricking thread, and bruised knuckles from the spanner slipping as it rounded off yet another bl**dy nut...
:evil:

veronese68

Should have clarified to can cotter pins cause injuries in races.
I'd say anyone that's worked on them and not injured themselves through accident or frustration is very much in the minority. We do still have a bike with them on a set of old BSA cranks, cranks might go if anything goes wrong in that department.

redvee

My disc related injury was on my MTB when I thought the disc was loose so stopped and pushed it with my finger. It was too warm but not loose so only burned the end of my finger. :oops:

jasonbrim

No issue with discs, but my bars are often in the way! I've had my front wheel get stuck going up a muddy verge during a race and I had the worst bruise from my bar plug afterwards (glad I had a bar plug though). My bar plug is one that you tighten with an allen key as well, so the bruise had two nice semi-circular patterns on it.

The Rookie

thecycleclinic wrote:

yes they can many a mechanic has hammered the tumb over the years trying to get the buggers out. Not to mention the mental anguish. The thing is Stronglight came up with the cotterless chainset in 1949. The french have banned disc brakes for sportive events but they where once way ahead of the curve in bike design. What happened along the way.

They stopped winning big events, and sportive attendance is down about 70% on it's peak in the 70's......

On topic, there is a youtube video of someone stopping a spinning bike wheel by putting their hand on the outside edge of the spinning disc, the disc is a Shimano icetech and the injury is hideous, that faint pinkish red mark on the skin took at least 3-4 minutes to fade.

tgotb

Remember when Chris Anker Sorensen needed surgery after accidentally sticking his fingers in the spokes of his wheel during the TdF?

If someone invented spoked wheels now, the UCI would probably ban them too...

meesterbond

i got a really nasty * burn from a disc rotor on my MTB a while back. To be fair, I probably shouldn't have pinched it to see how hot it got after a long, draggy descent, but they should still be banned.



* it wasn't actually that nasty, just a little blister really

mattrixdesign2

redvee wrote:

My disc related injury was on my MTB when I thought the disc was loose so stopped and pushed it with my finger. It was too warm but not loose so only burned the end of my finger. :oops:

I've done that too Doh!

Best I have done on a cross race is slid off my bike and then down a slope on my arse, the joys of slippery mud meant no injury.

Been to races where people have broken collar bones and arms.

Slid off my Mtb in ice and broke my leg in 2 places and shattered my ankle.

...never witnessed at disc injury other than the stupid thing of forgetting it's hot and trying to straighten it.

Garry H

I once burned the palm of my hand by placing it on top of a wood burning stove, on the eve of a 'cross race. I don't hear the UCI trying to ban them. They're deep in the pockets of the wood burning stove industry, probably!