I've crashed two of the last 3 rides. First one was a front wheel washout caused by my rubbish technique. Today was another trying to go way too fast over a wooden bridge.
There's just something to be said for finding the limit of grip and going beyond it once in a while, especially if it is a low speed lowside where you tend to tumble/roll and only ever get a graze or two. Loveit!! Am I alone?
As long as I don't get hurt, crashing is hysterical
From my BMX days, if I didn't crash in practice I new it was coming in the race.
I like to have at least one crash per ride, reminds me I'm actually not very good at this really.
No , crashing is rubbish , last week I smashed a gear shifter off the clamp then today I caught a large branch with my rear mech and bent that and the mech hanger. Crashing costs £££££££ 😥
I definitely do not like crashing, and have the injuries to back it up.
Crashing is fine if you don't hurt yourself or damage the bike. Picking scabs is satisfying.
No the thought of crashing terrifies me, so I don't think about it. 😛
When it does happen I secretly enjoy the pain.
Not really, although I was in hysterics after crashing at exactly the same spot as Kevevs on a winding little road near Conwy. Pair of idiots we din't listen to SueW's warning about it being very slippery and dangerous, and got into full-tuck [url=
mode. And then discovered that 25-30+mph on narrow, twisty roads with very tight bends, combined with a surface that was covered in patches with a fine, super-slippery moss, wasn't a good idea. 😆
It was one of those moments where you know you're going to crash, can do nothing about it and just have to find something soft to crash into, which luckily for us was a bushy ditch. Sue's come round the corner, at a far more sensible, controllable speed, to find us two in the ditch, laughing uncontrollably. I don't think she was very impressed. 😳
When i can get right back up and continue i will laugh about crashing.
But its now 2 weeks since i came off at high speed and still cant walk, so not liking it much.
That said i can turn myself over while lying down without much pain now.
Hate it. Just had to take two weeks off on the sick. Front wheel washed on a fast gravel decent. 😳
Sometimes crashes come from pushing your limits and improving your skills, can get a sense of not trying hard enough if I go too long without crashing, but don't think I've ever actually enjoyed crashing
I used to love a good crash. But now I'm really good, I don't tend to crash.
(I've just jinxed it, haven't I 😆 )
Theres an art to crashing and when you learn it you can get out of a lot of pain 😉
As long as I can get back up, aye, they're good value. Always get a good laugh from a quality crash. Even the ones with a bit of damage involved usually have a silver lining.
I dont tend to crash often, but when I do I break stuff. Mostly ribs.
Talked about this a few times over the years and yes.. i love the feeling of crashing. Once at Learnie before the manmade stuff was put there i flipped over the bars due to a seat too high and luckily landed on my ass and feet about 20ft down a grassy slope without hurting myself.The feeling is amazing.Nothing you can do but wait.Floating through the air is such a good feeling.
Floating through the air is such a good feeling.
It is, but it's more fun and less painful when you're still on the bike 😆
Crashes where i just roll into bracken or something else soft are absolutely hilarious, don't like getting hurt though....
Have had a few monumental accidents in 14/15 yrs of riding. Makes a ride memorable I guess!
Quite enjoy the 'close escapes', the end up over-the-bars but land on your feet jobbies!
it's usually fine at the time, but **** the morning after.
One particular favourite was this summer about august time in the brecon beacons, front wheel disappeared into an unsighted ditch, perfectly straight over the bars, tumble into a cowpat. Was even more funny when a mate did exactly the same moments later.
Binned it on The Fox in Grizedale when getting a bit too assured of my abilities. Managed to land, unhurt, on a mossy banking and found that very funny / adrenaline-inducing. Bike was fine too, which was a surprise since I'd spanked the front wheel into a big rock.
Then I slammed at Mabie. Completely messed up a drop-off at high speed and went down super hard. Thought the worst I'd done was cracked my collarbone, then the pain from my ribs made it through to my brain. That was a long ride back to the car, and a lingering reminder, for six weeks, that I ride more like Fanny Hart than Danny Hart.
I've crashed litteraly 1000s of times and, yeah most have been fairly enjoyable 8)
ATM I can only sleep on my R/H side from a hip injury crashing over a berm on a DH track a couple of weekends ago, have had 3 crashes since (all on the same ride).
The very first time I went off-road biking was to the Gorlech red route at Brechfa. I was with two of my mates who were also losing their off road cherry. Cycling up the first section we passed a couple of riders fully kitted out with their full sussers, shin pads, knee pads and elbow pads etc. We joked about their apperance as we'd turned up on our £500 budget bikes armed with only a helmet (not full face). We didn't know what to expect from the trail but we attacked it as fast as we could. We had the best day ever even though we were completelly underskilled and going way too fast for our capability and all of us crashed, went OTB and regularly bashed into each other and were covered in cuts, grazes and bruises but had the biggest smiles ever as we raced each other and did our best to hold on. Years later my skill level has improved (slightly) and although I love mountain biking I dont get the same feeling as I did that very first day. I think I need to push myself more so I do fall off more often maybe? I was hooked after that first day.
Crashing is part and parcel of mountain biking. Depending on the level of medical care required post incident, overall I find it's good to crash: you know where your limits are. Crashing is a skill and it requires regular practice. I split my knee wide open crashing up in Hebden Bridge. The injury caused me to look at the way I rode and my attitude, my riding has changed for the better. Saying that, my mate's still think I'm ****.
Crashed 3 times yesterday, my first ones in over 2 years, I am not amused by it whatsoever, although I did have to laugh at one of them which makes for good viewing as the gopro was running at the time.
I've chucked bikes down roads and mountains and forests, make no odds, you've gotta laugh at everyone, they're all different, some you remember, some you forget, some hurt a lot and some bearly make a scratch.
But if you let any of them bother you, you'll just keep backing off until you stop ridin.
All part of the modern (herumph) game.
But Scar Bragging isn't clever nor does it impress the Girlies.
Yeah, I used to, in my 30s when injuries took less time to heal (or were usually avoided by decent falling technique!).(Actually, knowing how to fall is a big plus.)
But, going fast enough to find the limit and losing it, or that wonderful moment when of the "almost crash", but save it - used to be the best part of MTBing for me.
Then a bad shoulder injury, followed by a fractured neck from headbutting a tree.. much rather stay on now and it's slowed me down a fair ol' bit.
As long as I'm not too hurt I just giggle hysterically most of the time. I hate whacking my knees on stuff though.
Last winter my record was 9 OTBs in one ride, in deep snow. It was brilliant; like landing in a (very cold) pile of feathers everytime. I reckon it made me a bit more confident/stupid too.
Sometimes when I'm cycling I have an overwhelming desire to turn the bars violently towards the curb and to experience that visceral sensation of smashing hard into the tarmac.
I'm not convinced that it's a completely healthy desire though.
Sounds like some kind of mental tourettes IanM..
I sometimes get those moments in meetings at work.. "I wonder what would happen if I said..."