Newbie crash FAIL
matt611
Posts: 5
I'm a roadie really, but recently moved to a place very close to a decent MTB trail. So,I bought a cheapish mountain bike (Voodoo Bizango) and having great fun with it.
Today I failed to land a jump (one of those at the end of a drop), falling off pretty spectacularly. I'm OK, but with some leg friction and some seriously sore ribs. I'm 41 years old so really shouldn't be mucking about like this; I will ache for days!
Retrieving the bike, the back wheel had come out the drops. Had this happened on impact? Or did the land fail because the back QR was already loose? Or was it just my that I was taking on stuff too advanced for a newbie, and my technique was awful? Was wondering if anyone had a theory of what happened?
Also, a follow up question. As a roadie I'm used to riding clipless, but have been riding flats on the MTB. Would clipless have kept me in touch with the bike - or would it just have made bailing out more difficult?!?
Today I failed to land a jump (one of those at the end of a drop), falling off pretty spectacularly. I'm OK, but with some leg friction and some seriously sore ribs. I'm 41 years old so really shouldn't be mucking about like this; I will ache for days!
Retrieving the bike, the back wheel had come out the drops. Had this happened on impact? Or did the land fail because the back QR was already loose? Or was it just my that I was taking on stuff too advanced for a newbie, and my technique was awful? Was wondering if anyone had a theory of what happened?
Also, a follow up question. As a roadie I'm used to riding clipless, but have been riding flats on the MTB. Would clipless have kept me in touch with the bike - or would it just have made bailing out more difficult?!?
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Comments
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Glad you're ok - I'd be surprised if any one was able to say exactly what happened without some video evidence (plus it sounds like it would be a good watch! Sorry!!). Personally I'd start looking online for skills videos, there's an app that's featured on BikeRadar home page (Dirt Biker?) and get a better understanding of techniques and hopefully you'll be able to work out what happened yourself. With regard the wheel coming out - it could have happened in the crash, how long had you been cycling previously to the crash? Doubt you would have got far with a loose QR. I
wouldn't get hung up on flats v clip-less - flats allow you to bail and can help by allowing you to put a foot down easier but a big crash is a big crash and it won't really matter if you're wearing either.0 -
First off, I'd say stick with flats as a beginner on the MTB mate. Like you say it makes it much easier to bail when things get a bit hairy, and allows you a little freedom to get your foot down should you get a wobble on. I'm starting to wonder about clipping in now on my MTB having started riding clipped in on roads and managing ok. I'm starting to find the flats a bit irritating.
Second the crash (good effort and congrats on getting it out the way early on) like JGTR has mentioned without seeing it, it's hard to say what caused the crash, regarding the rear wheel though, did you notice any lack of brakes before it happening? I found the only time my rear wheel had worked lose involved a significant loss of stopping power on the back brake, that may indicate that it had worked loose. Failing that it possibly has happened after the crash and you maybe got the landing wrong off the drop.
You'll probably always fall off trying to improve though so don't worry about it, if it hurts a bit too much maybe look at investing in some pads?0 -
Never fallen off clipped in when I wouldn't have fallen off on flats (except for one comedy failing to unclip time)....and I've had plenty of chances to prove that wrong!Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.0
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The Rookie wrote:Never fallen off clipped in when I wouldn't have fallen off on flats (except for one comedy failing to unclip time)....and I've had plenty of chances to prove that wrong!
That - including the same comedy fall (track standing on a skills day of all places! :oops: )Trail fun - Transition Bandit
Road - Wilier Izoard Centaur/Cube Agree C62 Disc
Allround - Cotic Solaris0 -
lostboysaint wrote:The Rookie wrote:Never fallen off clipped in when I wouldn't have fallen off on flats (except for one comedy failing to unclip time)....and I've had plenty of chances to prove that wrong!
That - including the same comedy fall (track standing on a skills day of all places! :oops: )
I've found I crash less on clips. The only time I'd use flats is for proper dirt jumps and freeride jumps. Anything with less than 20 foot gap or sends you up less than 6 foot isn't big enough to bail anyway.
Jumps are one of those things some people just never get right while others just have a natural ability.
It's all about the take off, get that right and the landing will be good.
Learning to manual and then manual to bunny hop is a good starting point before learning to jump.
There are a lot of badly built jumps around. Avoid anything built up with rotten wood under the dirt or anything which feels soft or bouncy when you stand on it.Transition Patrol - viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=130702350 -
When I ride clips, on technical stuff I get nervous at any point I might just topple, but a high speed clips are great like on a cross country circuit. For downhill type stuff I would use flats, you can bail easier which can protect you better than rolling down a bank with your bike still attached!! If you feel your feet slip loads on the pedals, get some specific mtb shoes that have a sticky soul to grip to the pins.0
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Parktools0 -
Ashvin wrote:. For downhill type stuff I would use flats, you can bail easier which can protect you better than rolling down a bank with your bike still attached!!
Six years of downhill racing on clips and I've not once stayed attached to the bike during a crash. I've also found that I've crashed a lot less since changing to clips.
The only time you can safely bail is on BIG double or gap jumps where you have plenty of air time and a nice landing. Any other time, a bail is more likely to result in injury.
You can unclip instantly if you need to put a foot out.Transition Patrol - viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=130702350 -
Uncliping becomes second nature over a period of using clipless, Some take a month some a year and at the end quit because it takes to long to get used to, I've been using clipless a few months now and there is no way going back to flats, all of the crashes I had, was bound to happen clipped or not“I am a humanist, which means, in part, that I have tried to behave decently without expectations of rewards or punishments after I am dead.”
― Kurt Vonnegut0 -
I'll raise the suggestion that the rear wheel may have come out of the dropouts in the jump and resulted in the fall, based on nothing more than it's a new bike, assembled by halfords (assuming OP didn't do the final assembly himself).
When was the QR last checked?0
