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Currently sat at home feeling sorry for myself...again! Seems every few rides I end up hitting the deck and always, bloody always, find the hardest most abrasive surface to land on!
This time its badly bruised and swollen hip, elbow and shoulder. Helmet a write off, which explains no head injury, glasses smashed as was the exposure joystick mount on the lid! Idiot wasn't wearing his elbow pads but the kneepads saved further damage.
It was a fun bit of trail and not at all technical, relatively bimbling along and front wheel must have gone into a rut (found a grassed over one shortly before the first impact mark!), twisted and I headbutted the floor before I knew I was falling.
The bike is perfectly adequate so it all points at me being a crap rider. I will be booking some training but just keen to find out whether it should be an expectation to crash so often!!? For me, I seem to 'land heavy' probably every 8-10 rides with tactical dismounts a more regular event.
Is this the same for you?
I am thinking of switching to flats in the hope that I have more chance of landing on my feet rather than plunging head first attached to a bike!
Very rarely. Getting older so I have scaled things back a bit and have never been that much into seeking the gnarr. Its many years since I did anything but a slow speed topple on the tandem and even that is a couple of years ago
Perhaps I'm not trying hard enough, I reckon over the years I've had one big crash every two year. Fortunately only one has ever required a visit to hospital. I do prefer getting away from it all rather than bike parks, so perhaps I mostly ride with a bigger margin for safety.
I'm pretty steady but take the odd tumble still. A few years ago I had a summer where I couldn't stay on the bike!
Was at Leeds Urban Bike Park today, never seen as many people fall off.
proper crashes fairly rare (couple a year at most) but many, many tactical dismounts/slips/silly clipless moments......
I'd definitely recommend getting coaching but the major part of it is 'feel for' and (lots of) practice
Used to crash quite often, every other ride I'd be on my arse at one point or other. As I got better I got faster, but crashed less.
Then I had a massive crash which really messed me up, 10 years later I'm having more surgery next month because of it. I became very cautious, and didn't crash for years, scared to death of 'that pain' again and too many warnings from Doctors about "borrowed time" to take the piss.
Last year or so I've been pushing a bit more again, I crashed last night, rooty, muddy slick little steep section, the sort of thing I absolutely hate and I was riding solo and not a trail you'd ever find on a map. I stopped, planned to walk it, changed my mind, I know I can ride it, I'm actually a decent rider, just a bit cowardly, rode it and the front only flipping slid out on me, I grabbed a passing friendly tree so wasn't really a mark on me. I won't let it slow me up too much.
About once a month and always at a very slow speed due to trying to negotiate something and then slipping and not getting feet out fast enough. So very much a fall rather than a crash and as I have been riding 100% clipless for 20 years I can't see me getting any better at getting feet out in time.
Define a crash...
I sometimes part company with the bike but not had a proper one for a couple of years
Once or twice a month, only small stuff but I do like to see a line and think can I make that go? Sometimes the answer is no.
I define a crash as something that results in a lot of pain and/or damage to the bike or gear!
Wobbles and landing softly in the undergrowth just count as comedy.
Many tumbles over almost 30yrs mtbing but nothing serious. However, that changed a week ago, now nursing separated collar bone after crashing on rutted moorland.
Mate used his 3-Words app to pinpoint our position with the ambulance service. Paramedic only had to walk half mile!
I used to crash a lot more than i do now, but still take the odd tumble. My mate rides at the same speed as me down hill but is a relatively new rider (just a few years) and he crashes a lot more. I think a lot of it is about rider input. If you are moving the bike around and actively controlling it then you crash less. If you are brave and go fast but only hang on and let the bike do the work then crashes are more often.
Well thats my little theory anyway...
In recent years, a minor off approx once a year.
A major off needing surgery under general, once every 40 years and 4 days... So far!
I probably crash twice a year, but not being the bravest rider I’d say the crashes are caused when I slow down too much and don’t commit.
Was out on two rides at the weekend, one of the group had 3 crashes in two rides. I could tell the reason for the crashes were similar to what happens to me, lack of commitment and stalling on a technical section.
depends on what you're defining as a crash, if you mean it's hitting the deck and drawing blood...That would mean a crash every few months or so. But...the terrain around here is pretty hairy. There's a couple of trails I can barely get down in one piece. It's fun trying though.
At one point it was pretty much every ride but I got better. The trouble with getting better is the crashes happen at higher speed. I’ve replaced 2 helmets since lockdown finished! No serious injuries to date although I’ve probably just jinxed it and I’m off to BPW on Monday...
Not very often but when I do I do a proper job of it.
Sitting here with a broken collarbone that after 5 weeks is still in two seperate bits that move independantly of each other.☹️
Oh well at least the bruising has 75% gone and I can move my arm a little bit again.
On average I'd say I have a big stack about every 4 or 5 years.
Really need to crash more often with less damage rather than saving them all up for a big one.🙄
2 in the last 3 years I think. Only one required a general anaesthetic.
Over the last 20 I've probably averaged one a year, with one in 5 ending in hospital I guess
I fall off every couple of rides but luckily they are usually slow speed comedy pratfalls. A couple of times I've had serious incidents where I could have been badly hurt but lady luck has intervened and I've come out okay.
Last proper big crash was about a year and a half ago at BPW, last run of the day going too fast and long over a jump. In the last month I've had 3 or 4 'moments' where fortunately I've managed to save at speed, mainly either tucking the front under at speed or pedal clipping hidden stumps, any of these had the prospect of being a major ouchy.
Too few to progress quickly.
One significant crash, involving a sprained AC joint in my shoulder, probably about 10 years ago. A few OTB incidents over the years, but nothing too serious. The odd 'comedy' moment. Couple of commuting greasy/icy slides. But that's it. And nothing for ages, certainly months, if not years.*
So, I am either a riding god. Or a mincer who is too fearful of getting hurt so rides well within himself.
*Tell a lie. A few weeks back, Pedal caught on a root heading slowly uphill (I was heading uphill, not the root!) on a climb I've done dozens of times and pivoted me sideways and downwards mostly into a Holly bush.
Nearly all my riding is local, very very familiar stuff so I know where the hazards are and where I can, and can't, push it. But I have no trouble in going slowly, or walking sections, of unfamiliar, or scarey-looking sections of trail, and I don't do very much at all steep, techy, greasy, rooty, jumpy stuff.
Quite a few crashes over the years and its usually a case of cuts n bruises when travelling at a decent pace, stupid crash a few years ago ended with a broken wrist, more or less at walking pace. A lad I was riding with last Saturday managed to completely wreck his left leg doing a manual on a wide open fire road, wasn't covering the brake and fell backwards, the bike and his whole body weight hit just below his left knee leading to a shattered kneecap and 4 breaks to his lower leg. He's been told at best its gonna be 6 months with a cage around his leg, at least 3 operations and extensive physio afterwards, worst case he loses his leg from just above the knee. I feel a bit guilty for laughing when it happened now
Comedy crashes and bailing from when I attempt things I really shouldn’t are a regular occurrence. I’ve always got scrapes and bruises. Proper bike or body wrecking ones are, thankfully, few and far between. The last one, which resulted in a broken arm and fork, was about six years ago.
Almost every ride a few times, buuut always uphill or on the flat. Legs that don't work correctly + a lack of balance make for spending a lot of time inspecting the ground close up. Don't fall off often downhill though!
Pennine
With a collarbone injury why did you not walk out rather than making the paramedic walk in?
Edit
that sounds a bit nippy - not what I meant. I am interested in peoples thought processes and looking for learning for me
Not often enough, I ride far too often within my comfort zone.
Every two or three weeks, maybe every week if I'm riding more.
Not had a bad one for a while, thankfully. I reckon modern geometry and longer drop posts are really helping me stay upright generally.
Have you thought about some coaching? If you are falling off frequently perhaps there is something that a coach can help you with and sort out
If you are not far from Aston Hill then I can throughly recommend Ian at Firecrest
Pennine
With a collarbone injury why did you not walk out rather than making the paramedic walk in?
Seems a bit OTT to me too.
I walked/rolled one handed a couple of miles then got my mate to load my bike onto the car for me and turn it round then I drove home.
not to often now apart from the comedy ones trying to ride up tricky stuff and falling over. had a proper one on saturday on an uplift day at innerliethen and landed heavy on my shoulder, was ok ish for the rest of the day but ruined the following day at the golfie, only rode 2 trails slowly and gave up.
annoying thing was the crash was on a fairly simple bit i've ridden loads before in races. had even managed to do my biggest ever drop no problem following someone down , i think, matador.
probably almost a year since i last properly hurt myself when i rammed a tree.( never broken anything yet, just lots of pain, bruising and time of the bike)
always seems to be my right shoulder.
Didn't fall off for a couple years then fell off three times in a week which rather rattled me. Two of those were from a new bike so I supposed it was just about getting used to something new but the other was from a bike I have had for a while.
Anyway it has made me very careful, for awhile at least.
A lot less than i used to on 26" wheels!
An inspection of the hedge or grass maybe 5-10 a year (more if it's a wet winter). A proper ouch it moment maybe once or twice a year.
I'm in my 40s, I have kids to feed, bills to pay, I don't want months off riding in recovery and so I understand and accept my limits. I'm still pushing against those limits but gently and in baby steps.
I don't think about crashing I think about riding. I do the same when I sail. I wasn't always like that and I used to focus a lot on whether I would capsize or fall off and all the things that could cause it.
Now older, wiser and more understanding of myself I don't think "how do I avoid crashing here" but "I am going to ride/sail this by ...." It's definitely brought my crash and burn rate down.
Uhmmm, I'm in good company it seems! The thing that gets me most is my worst crashes are on simple terrain, adjusting something, not noticing the damn rut, general enjoying it too much amd lacking concentration.
There must be something worng with my riding style though as I hit the floor before I even know its going pear shaped!
Coaching will be sorted...
Very rarely fall off.ride within my limits.only bad crash I've ever had in 20 yrs was 10 yrs ago when I got blown over in a gust of wind whilst in the air. Needed a plate to my shoulder.dont jump in wind anymore.ive had a few knocks mind.
I used to crash a lot, I then went to UKBIKESKILLS for a couple of sessions, one on general skills and drops and one on jumps, now its quite rare to crash tbh.
Less than i expect to. Crashes are rare, even though now riding harder, techier stuff.. I'm often amazed when me and the G160 end up at the bottom of a trail together.
I reckon modern geometry and longer drop posts are really helping me stay upright generally.
This is spot on, when I look at pics of some of my older bikes, it's a wonder I wasn't out the front door more often, too short for me (you need a bike that's 'chuckable'!) and steep head angles, combined with tyres that were barely 2", and about 40psi! 🙂
Crashes are rare, even though now riding harder, techier stuff
Most of my crashes are on mellower stuff, generally when I'm tired or not concentrating, tech sharpens the awareness.
Most of my crashes are on mellower stuff, generally when I’m tired or not concentrating, tech sharpens the awareness.
Agreed
Most of the big stacks I've seen while on Alpine holidays have been on fireroads in between trails.
My last two crashes have been on very easy trails while not giving full attention.
I'd say very rarely. I was never into tech or potentially dangerous riding, helped by a healthy phobia of heights and exposure.
12 or so years ago I went down hard commuting on sheet ice, bit of shock and minor concussion, knocked my hip our of whack a bit
Couple of years after that front wheel wash out on a night ride had me headbutting the ground, but nothing serious.
Last year I discovered a farmer had put up a rope across a trail to help him move cattle. At the bottom of a hill. Even coasting I somersaulted over the rope at 20mph, damaged my face, broke a finger and pulled my shoulder into a strange nerve pinching position - solicitors still sorting that one for me.
In May, a pedestrian stepped out on me and sent me sliding along the tarmac. Wrote off my frame - thank you Aviva! - and I left a lot of skin behind.
I can't be bothered with the physical pain, and I can't be bothered with the mental anguish of not being able to ride. Safe and steady bimbling is where it's at. I'm selling my track bike before my luck runs out there 🤣
Was going to say not very often, but there are probably still a few moments per ride (if somewhere new) when I stall or slip out or generally lose control for a period. Don't really fall off as such though. Last ones were probably 3 and 7 years ago when I gave myself concussion and earlier snapped my achilles tendon in two. Neither very nice.
Back in t' day, if me or my mate didn't crash at least once a ride, we were'nt riding hard enough. In those days however, (25 years ago) it was predominantly local woods or open moors in Yorkshire with the occasional big stack.
Never needed hospital, apart from when my mate got pushed off his bike by the wind, ribs first onto a rock. A broken rib and a few bruised - and we were stood still chatting.
Nowadays bike and trail centres/parks lull people into false sense of security and they get out of their depth very quickly with some nasty injuries imho.
This is why I try to stay wheels on or near the ground, as I don't repair so easily nowadays.
A big one where I lie on the trail side groaning for 5-10 minutes before checking if anything is broken - on me, then the bike - about once a year. Small crashes/ tripping when bailing etc every few months.
As I get better I crash just as much but it hurts more as I am going faster, I think the crashes occur when I am pushing myself so I’m always going to get into a situation I can’t deal with.
About once a year, getting old(er) and now self employed so now quite reserved in my riding.
Ive fallen off twice this week but I'm very aware of my limited ability, so I'm slow...like very slow,so consequences are usual low. My wheels do not leave the ground but I can ride most steep things.
Pretty much every clip on Friday fails is some numpty getting air, not for me..no sir.