101 ways to crash/fall from the bike !

[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.

[bijuk]

One question to the rest of the clip-less users there... How is your observations of "helpless" crash landings with clip-less shoes ?...
How riskier is in moderate traffic flow ?

I will be getting a pair for my MTB this week, prefer to use it in Bangalore for daily commute ( I don't have too much bumper to bumper traffic all along the way of commute).

Falling helplessly on the road in a place like Bangalore city will be disastrous - not only the traffic flow - but pot holes and other nasty obstruction common in the road can be really dangerous...

Whats your accident quotient with clip-less shoes. Your valuable suggestions / observations please...

[Minkey Chief]

As I mentioned on another thread, after a while, the twisting of the foot becomes built into the reflex. I was very close to contributing a silly 2km/h fall to this thread the other day, but discovered that unclipping has been hard-wired now, thank God.

I don't know if I can reflexively get out of my road pedals though. I'd highly recommend mountain pedals over road for hectic city riding.

The closest I've come to bird strikes is when pigeons take off as I approach and misunderestimate my speed. I get quite close, but they look back, get a fright and step on the gas.

The other close one was in Whitefield (I've mentioned this before, but hey). I'm on singletrack, moving reasonably fast. Mongoose breaks out of the bushes and runs right into my front spokes, bounces off, runs back to the bushes, turns and then runs under the bottom bracket. All in a split second... those things are FAST!

[deepakvrao]

I'd highly recommend mountain pedals over road for hectic city riding.

No difference with regard to unclipping once you get use to it MC. At least for me. In city the MTB shoes are easier to walk in of course.

[vkalia]

I find MTB clipless is indeed easier to unclip, Doc. The movement is the same, but the effort and degree of motion required is less and so unclipping from MTB pedals is faster.

[Anool]

I find MTB clipless is indeed easier to unclip, Doc. The movement is the same, but the effort and degree of motion required is less and so unclipping from MTB pedals is faster.

Glad to hear this. Will be starting on MTB clipless soon. Mumbai traffic being what it is, I am sure I will have some contribution to this thread soon.

@Vandit - do the multi-release cleats offer advantages over standard cleats ?

In my earlier experiment with Road clipless, I once hopped off from the sidewalk on to the road, hit a bit of loose gravel, and smacked down before I could unclip - nothing hurt, made a sheepish grin and moved on while everyone around me was giving me the looks.

On another instance, traffic slowed down, I unclipped the wrong leg, and fell down slow motion. Guy in the car behind me got out to claim he never hit me. Again, sheepish grin and scooted off in embarrassment.

After that, I changed over to toe clips.