101 ways to crash/fall from the bike !

[san2411]

Hello All ,

Have been reading a lot of crash stories in BZ/BBC. So just thought of creating this thread, where people can share from their experience common causes of crash/fall . I know in most of the cases its accidental, but in some cases its related to the cycling technique.

[RNair]

More and more folks are riding so the probability of crashes are high out there. SInce we talk about them on the forum, it seems like a lot of crashes even among us. Now Imagine all those cyclists out there who don't report it here! Cycling is accident prone activity irrespective of why and where you ride.

[Pankaj_Chuladhara]

Let me do the honors
Falls in sequence of order.

1. Real race crash: The front tyre skidded while taking a turn on wet roads during a criterium. Nasty one, right side was majorly scrapped.
2. Padestrian crash: Was trying to go around a stationary bus when a lady suddenly appeared in front. No time to uncleat and down I was. Sprained my thumb.
3. Cyclist crash: Banged into a stupid cyclist who suddenly turned right when I was overtaking him. I think he was drunk. Again sprained my wrist and thumb.
4. Unforced error: No traffic, no padestrian. Was just trying to follow rules. Front tyre skidded while trying to go to the pavement where the cycling lane was. Again hurt my wrist and thumb.

Cheers
Pankaj

[bonigv]

2 Mentionable crashes.

1. Underestimated gravel on the landing side of a road hump on an empty street at 27kmph. Front wheel skid and went down to the right side. Right shoulder banged against the road pretty badly. Both sides of the palm badly bruised. Wrist injury. Got up, reflected on my stupidity and thanked my stars for saving my helmetless head even after it hit pretty nicely against the road. A passing car stopped and helped me with some water and checked whether I need a drive to the hospital. I thanked, sat down for a bit and then ride home. [Ironically the helmet was delivered by the couriers the same afternoon]

2. Coming down from Bopdev Ghat (Same day Faraz passed me, he was coming down while I was going up) , Rubble on the road and a car from the opposite direction refused the courtesy of allowing the cyclist some space. Hit face first and rolled along the incline narrowly missing the car , Bruises on face and Chest: Torn Jersey, But this time of course I had the helmet on.

Both occasions the cause of the crash was my carelessness.

[rpok]

I can't imagine a helmetless crash after having my head aching for 2 days despite wearing a helmet at time of crash. The helmet broke obviously. For 2 mins i was black and white.

[pranavnegandhi]

They say that on two wheelers, it's never a question of if you will fall, but when. Thankfully, I have just had one crash on the bicycle in three years of riding. I hit the front brake too hard and did a classic endo.

About Pankaj's pedestrian crash, always be careful when passing a parked vehicle for someone or something to appear from behind it. Actually, be careful when passing anything because drivers aren't always predictable.

.p

[SanjeevT]

2 for me so far...

Once fell while riding into, instead of over, the crack in a road. The front wheel wobbled and I lost control and before I could understand what happend I was in the lap of mother earth. It was a funny fall like someone slipping on a banana skin, gives me laughs when I remember that event.

And at other occasion I rode straight into the back of a truck which was taking a planned parking stop. Again my poor cycling skills to blame here, they say look where you want to go and that's where I was looking. The cycle handlebar got stuck in the truck's grills and it dragged the cycle and me for a good 10 feets. Cycle brake cable damaged, and gave small bruise on my hand.

[san2411]

I had a crash 2 weeks back. I was riding downhill and did hit the bump and crashed. Got bruises on the arms and knees. It seems I had pedaled over the bump and pedal hit the bump.

[prabuddhadg]

1. Riding in traffic got the front wheel caught in tramlines. Multiple times.
2. Crow hit me. I was at 40kmph. Scrapes and bruises all over.
3. Crashed into an old woman who thought she could run across before I reached. Spent time in a police station because of this.
4. I was doing a u turn at 5 kmph on wet concrete. Front wheel went left and I smacked down.
5. I was on my fixie. Red light. One foot cleated and the front wheel again went left on a sheet of shiny metal, some kind of a cover for an underground opening.

[farazs]

3. Crashed into an old woman who thought she could run across before I reached. Spent time in a police station because of this.

Cool ... Roadrash style!

[simplysaru]

One fall for me so far since Feb.. I was at a very slow pace trying to say bye to a fellow rider, and a dog sprang before my front wheel for a split second and i lost control and fell on my right and had bruises on my right elbow and right knee. I can't blame myself nor the dog

[linuxtechie]

I did one yesterday. I was at the square in front of BMC and was about to take left turn, however there was signal, hence waited there with my left foot uncleated. Suddenly out of nowhere I moved my balance to the right hand side while the right foot was still cleated. The next I know I was testing the dirt and peep came helping me, thinking that I just fainted. I told them hopelessly that my shoe was tied to the pedal... I am sure they were convinced that I needed some medical help.

+LT

[alphazed1]

Another addition to the DB --
The Which is Which Brake crash ... -- riding at around 30 Kmph + .. dead end.. left turn.. classic tilt the bike knee scraping the ground move.. some *&^%$# biker comes from the left (no honking... no headlights).. engaged the front brake (Poor me.. 11 yeras of Hero ranger and Mach taught me otherwise.. ) ... BANG.. tasting the dirt..
Many thanks to the Roackrider Gloves.. All in one piece.. knee actually scraped though..

[bonigv]

1. Riding in traffic got the front wheel caught in tramlines. Multiple times.
2. Crow hit me. I was at 40kmph. Scrapes and bruises all over.
3. Crashed into an old woman who thought she could run across before I reached. Spent time in a police station because of this.
opening.

Yesterday I laughed at the imagery and today It happened to me. Fast descent, an old crow thinks it can fly across the Pirangut Ghat before I crossed. God knows why it chose that low an altitude. Banged right on to my left leg. Lucky me I did not fall. Now when I think about it there was this one incident where a crow tried to steal my helmet while I was riding on . It clipped in firmly to the helmet and tried the lift - failed and flew away leaving me dumbstruck.

[farazs]

... I am sure they were convinced that I needed some medical help

ROTFL ... and you get bonus points for managing a stationary clipped-in fall.

[akshay200x]

It clipped in firmly to the helmet and tried the lift - failed and flew away leaving me dumbstruck.

[prabuddhadg]

1. Riding in traffic got the front wheel caught in tramlines. Multiple times.
2. Crow hit me. I was at 40kmph. Scrapes and bruises all over.
3. Crashed into an old woman who thought she could run across before I reached. Spent time in a police station because of this.
opening.

Yesterday I laughed at the imagery and today It happened to me. Fast descent, an old crow thinks it can fly across the Pirangut Ghat before I crossed. God knows why it chose that low an altitude. Banged right on to my left leg. Lucky me I did not fall. Now when I think about it there was this one incident where a crow tried to steal my helmet while I was riding on . It clipped in firmly to the helmet and tried the lift - failed and flew away leaving me dumbstruck.

Did the crow survive the crash? In my case, it did not- even I almost did not, but that is a different matter. It hit me in the face, from the left, and felt like a sack of cement. And we both fell to the road. Unfortunately for the poor fella, I fell on it.

[RNair]

... I am sure they were convinced that I needed some medical help

ROTFL ... and you get bonus points for managing a stationary clipped-in fall.

I deserve extra bonus because I fell with just one foot cleated from a simple stationary position in a parking lot and broke my elbow. Was out for a month.

[bonigv]

Did the crow survive the crash? In my case, it did not- even I almost did not, but that is a different matter. It hit me in the face, from the left, and felt like a sack of cement. And we both fell to the road. Unfortunately for the poor fella, I fell on it.

I guess the bugger was lucky or I did something to not damage his life or my frame. He hit his chest first on my leg and hung. I shook it away. Don't think there was any fatality. But had the impact been a microsecond early or later my wheels would have been a sorry sight.

Ohh man you head butted a crow to death?

[RNair]

More reasons why one needs a helmet. LOL. You just have no control out there however skilled or experienced you are

[pranavnegandhi]

The crows are out to get us. I have been hit by crows twice this year. Twice! It's a friggin' conspiracy, I tell you. They're probably covert agents for the anti-bicycle brigade.

[linuxtechie]

... I am sure they were convinced that I needed some medical help

ROTFL ... and you get bonus points for managing a stationary clipped-in fall.

I deserve extra bonus because I fell with just one foot cleated from a simple stationary position in a parking lot and broke my elbow. Was out for a month.

Awwww... I took the hit on my ass, I felt it bit tingly in the morning, but thats about it. Out of picture for a month!

The crows are out to get us. I have been hit by crows twice this year. Twice! It's a friggin' conspiracy, I tell you. They're probably covert agents for the anti-bicycle brigade.

Well, I haven't yet been attacked, probably they are targeting the super humans.

+LT

[RNair]

Here crows are rare but I do occasionally runs into huge water monitors and snakes including the biggest cobras I have ever seen. I think the homosapeins in four wheelers are more scary.

[prabuddhadg]

More reasons why one needs a helmet. LOL. You just have no control out there however skilled or experienced you are

Agreed. Though, of all the times that I have been in crashes, I was wearing a helmet only once, when I skidded on a metal sheet. All the crashing into old ladies and crows has been unprotected.

Though, I would only say, I was lucky, or perhaps trained in falling.

[bijuk]

Only one landing till now (because of my mistake, which tool place in less than milliseconds) and still doing R&D how it happened )

Was riding at the max possible (controllable) speed at IndiraNagar, Bangalore on MTB. In front of Apple of my I, I believe, I looked down to check whether my show was on the rough side of the pedal ( to get more control on the crowded Tippasandra market ahead). I would have taken millisecond to do that, but in the next millisecond, all I knew was I on on the ground - firmly on the bike getting dragged off to the front along with the bike. Since I was riding fast from the previous traffic junction, I was 10-20 second ahead of the traffic flow behind, while the opposite side traffic was continuous.

The reflection was so quick and in seconds I was able to quickly get up, and ran back to pick the bike from the road and stay out of the busy traffic flowing. Even the people on the road couldn't realized what happened Lucky that I was able to respond fast and get out of danger.

The biggest blunder was that was the only day I ever came out for an enjoying fast ride without helmet!

Suggestion to the rest: If you are riding faster, try to avoid looking down your bike (to adjust foot, to pick water bottle or to inspect anything). A few milliseconds attention divert can change life for ever!. If you are moving fast and the effect fast moving object v/s road can confuse eyes, when you look up and have to respond to something else coming across/ahead the road (especially in city traffic).

Other crash-land tendency observed:
Blindly riding just behind other vehicles. Better to be slightly beside the vehicle moving ahead so that we can see whats ahead of the vehicle moving in the front and judge rapid breaking.
Over taking from the left side of vehicles when they take a left turn (Even though its a common accident with 4 wheelers with 2 wheelers, most 4 wheeler drivers don't bother to have an eye on the left side vehicle and most stupid fellows on motor bike wont care about this and tries to take turn without getting attention of the 4 wheeler driver.
Incorrect/careless use of sudden braking (especially disk brakes - front alone - most of the time)
Helmet visor blocking view ahead, if the bike rider always ride in head low position or didn't scan the road ahead frequently. ( When i used to start riding bike - many time used to end up right behind vehicles parked on the road side - mistake was less frequent scanning of road ahead and the visor blocking view ahead while riding seat post in high position).

Over all, I feel: When on bike, we should be highly alert (in sync with the hypothalamus), unless out on a very casual ride on empty roads.