[Closed] Is it worth it (crash content)?

I've had a few sore ones recently, but haven't really asked the question much... The fact that the thing I regret while I'm crocked most, is that I can't ride my bike, just sort of neatly answers the question. But that's got to be a personal equation.

Pahhh, two is frankly amature, I've broken the same bone three times inside two years. Now banned from anything Gnarr for at least a couple of years, despite the last two being an inocuous wash out on the XC bike and a almost stationary tumble form the roadie!

Still think it's worth it though. But will be taking up sailing for 18 months or so once it's strong enough cope with that to give it a bit of a rest.

1 in 1000 hours? That's quite a lot of riding, does that include towpath bimblers who never crash?

Yes, I guess it can only ever be a personal decision and the day after the crash when you are feeling sore and sorry for yourself isn't the best time to make any decisions. I'm already missing riding and the idea of being out for months is hard to take, but it's not really the gnarly stuff I'm going to miss, more just being out on the bike.

I thought 1 injury per 1,000 hours was pretty low too, but I think the definition of a recreational mountain biker was pretty broad and probably did include a lot of folk bimbling along tracks and tow paths.

i know what the OP means....

i've been sat at home since the beginning of January and still won't be able to get back to work properly till the start of April. i'm a self-employed chippy, so it is costing me each day i sit at home.

hit the deck unexpectedly after the back wheel washed out on ice as i was manualling into a compression. whoosh!

you know when you feel something going wrong you have that split second to react? well, this time i didn't have time to react and fell hard on my shoulder. torn tendons and a broken collar bone, but not a good break.... right on the end where the tendons attach. was too late to operate so now i've got to accept my lumpy shoulder and hope that it heals us ok over time.

one of the reasons that i didn't buy a FS is that i was scared of the results of any crashes being worse due to increased speed. i'm fast enough on my HT and rarely hurt myself when i crash. although i did have a suspected broken finger last year, too...

but on the whole i find the risks do not out weigh the fun.

conversely, i find that snowboarding doesn't give me the buzz i get from biking and am less inclined to take risks on the piste. i smashed my helmet almost in two last year and still had concussion after catching the edge of the board. big powder days are still on, but on-piste doesn't enthrall me anymore.

I don't crash much, it may be luck, I like to think it's prudence and riding within my abilities (which I know a lot of folk consider lame!)

STOP RIDING NOW. IT'S DANGEROUS. Also never go up a ladder, or cross a road where there isn't a crossing.

STOP RIDING NOW. IT'S DANGEROUS. Also never go up a ladder, or cross a road where there isn't a crossing.

I could give myself a papercut with this note book, but I won't be extrapolating my minute keeping in the next meeting to taking up base jumping as they both have a risk of danger.

I don't crash much, it may be luck, I like to think it's prudence and riding within my abilities (which I know a lot of folk consider lame!)

I think part of my problem is that I consider it lame! Earlier in yesterday's ride I'd wimped out of a section as I didn't like the look of it and I was annoyed at myself, which is probably why I charged at the section on which I crashed. I should perhaps have viewed the earlier refusal as a sign the the conditions weren't ideal or that I just wasn't on it that day and scaled back the ride, instead of using it as a reason to beat myself up.

Like alpin I was also surprised by the speed of the crash. I was lucky to land on my shoulder rather than just face plant, but I don't think I had any say in the matter.

At the risk of feeding the troll I'm not looking for a risk free life, but trying to balance risk and reward.

I think if you don't really enjoy the technical bits find nice swoopy descents and enjoy them instead - I wouldn't ride stuff that was too scary to enjoy.

I've done OK injury wise, but I know one day I'll probably have a big one, I know also the main thing that will bother me is not being able to ride my bike etc, so for me it's worth it.

Also, consider setting up something so that someone can keep track of you when you're out in the woods alone, just in case. You won't get help very fast, but better than nothing (and I find worth the calls from my wife or brother asking if I've stopped to chill out or stopped cos I've had a crash)

First, as I've got better my risk of serious injury seems to have got higher rather than lower

Some people (not saying you at all here) seem to think being able to go faster means they are getting better. It doesn't it just means they are taking more of a risk.

If you crash alot something is wrong with your technique. When I'm getting better and better I never crash, or even close- I'm more relaxed and my balance is way better on the bike.

When I go fast and others have said 'you were quick' - Ive actually thought didn't enjoy it/and I was on the edge of my ability.

Not being able to work really really slows you down on a bike.

Slow down/look at training IMO. I keep meaning to do this.

[i]So far both crashes have happened close enough to the car that I could get back under my own steam. But they could easily happen further away, or at night or just be a bit more serious. Of course I could minimise this risk by finding other people to ride with, but I enjoy riding on my own. It's a big part of the appeal.

[/i]

Last night we rode at Innerleithen, and while I'm happy(ish) to go down the off-piste stuff when riding with others - no way would I do it at night, alone.

Find a friend.

Some interesting points there:

There are people I could ride with and I have occasionally enjoyed a group ride. But, for me, cycling has always been largely about getting away on my own and finding a bit of head space. I'd hate to lose that.

My wife can (and does) track my location from time to time using an iphone app, which might save me one day.

Faster isn't better. That's an interesting idea and one I might have to consider a bit more. There could be a Strava effect at work here as I am guilty of thinking that, if I'm in the top half of the leaderboard, I must be doing OK (and if I'm not I should go faster), which is clearly rubbish.

hora - Member

Some people (not saying you at all here) seem to think being able to go faster means they are getting better. It doesn't it just means they are taking more of a risk.

If you crash alot something is wrong with your technique. When I'm getting better and better I never crash, or even close- I'm more relaxed and my balance is way better on the bike.

I think I have been so unscathed for so many years as I can read what's coming and stop in time so that I don't launch off/into something I shouldn't. I guess I learnt this from years of kayaking where you cant just launch into rapids/falls not knowing what's there, you have to learn to read the river, just like you should with a trail. You can always push back up and do a feature if you come onto it to slow first time around. Far better to read the trail that way than barrel into something and hurt yourself for no good reason IMO.

Yup, but chances of having an accident on a bike are probably hundreds's if not thousands of times more likely on the bike.

To the OP, it's a tricky one, and probably very subjective. For me, the buzz and satisfaction comes from knowing that there's a risk - however small - that it could go horribly wrong. Even dropping off a kerb has a little satisfaction from knowing that, this time at least, I didn't somehow screw it up and go OTB into oncoming traffic. Which has happened... And while there's definitely a balance in tricky descents between "satisfyingly tricky to complete" and "too difficult to really enjoy", the former is what keeps me coming back for more. The latter I'm too much of a wuss to try regularly 🙂

Now I crash less often, but when I do I'm going much faster so the consequences are potentially more severe.

It's called getting old. Good luck with it & GWS

I crash quite often and sometimes quite big - but so far haven't broken or torn anything.

One of my work colleagues has fallen off twice in his life (I often do more than that in one ride!) and broke something each time.

I think its because hes a big bloke and consequently the impact forces are a lot greater. I'm quite light so the forces are less and Im not that tall so I,m never far from the floor to start with.

But I also think practice makes perfect - a see a lot of people crashing really badly where as for me its about the only thing I'm good at - really quite graceful in flight. The main thing is try and roll instead of going splat.

Also preparation is everything... Quite often I know I'm going to crash well before I actually reach the point of crashing - sometimes even before I set off. Look for nice landing areas and visualize all your moves so you don't forget what to do when you get there.

People watch the mtb vids of pro's 'shredding it, the peer-pressure etc. The vids are to look good, make you turn to your partner/mate and say 'wow see how fast and gnarly that is'?

I know a couple of blokes who set off fast as possible as to them its ace/looks good? (Prestige in the group?).

For me its making it down a section and feeling good/enjoying the section- riding as fast as **** and laughing nervously at the bottom as that was really close just isn't worth it if you have to drive ALOT of miles aday to work and back. Sick pay only lasts so long and heaven forbid you **** your face/jaw.

I too like getting out alone. I was in the woods atthe side of the Beast in the Peaks mid-last week. I stopped, stood there, dropped my bike and slowly munched away on a cereal bar taking in the scene.

Who cares how 'gnarly fast someone went? The memory only lasts as long as the ride. Plus when your laying on your back screaming out and no sound is coming out of your mouth- you aint having that beer tonight and boy you need a piss soon. Why?

You can enjoy technical trails, flow and have a great ride and have that beer. Why ride fast to show off? Its a bicycle for ****s sake- you'd be shit in a fist fight.

I crash quite often and sometimes quite big - but so far haven't broken or torn anything.

That by and large is me too, if it does happen though it will **** with your Summer riding plans.

REAL mountain biking, is putting some kind of bike on some kind of terrain because it'll be fun. Find a combination of bike and terrain that doesn't tend to lead to the sort of injuries you tend to have.

as I've got better my risk of serious injury seems to have got higher rather than lower. When I first started I crashed on almost every ride, but they were just silly prat falls and just resulted in the odd bruise or scrape. Now I crash less often, but when I do I'm going much faster so the consequences are potentially more severe.

Earlier in yesterday's ride I'd wimped out of a section as I didn't like the look of it and I was annoyed at myself, which is probably why I charged at the section on which I crashed. I should perhaps have viewed the earlier refusal as a sign the the conditions weren't ideal or that I just wasn't on it that day and scaled back the ride, instead of using it as a reason to beat myself up.

Sounds a Bit like your ego or idea's of what you "Should" be riding/enjoying is getting you to ride a bit beyond your comfort zone/ability, would you say you've gotten "Better" or just more confident/comfortable with speed? You say you dislike technical stuff but like "Gentle Descents" by that I assume you mean open and fast rather than tree dodging and picking a line through a rock and root strewn Right hander?

I find a degree of satifaction in both, but I can see how the stress of more technical riding and the frustrations when it doesn't go to plan Could put you off more... you may never enjoy it but it's worth getting more comfortable techy stuff as you're bound to need those skills at some point, and who really want to just be "surviving" those sections?

So far both crashes have happened close enough to the car that I could get back under my own steam...

So your big stacks come on the return leg of your rides? You mentioned another big off ~9 months ago would you say you are still getting back some fitness after that?

If so could fatigue have been a factor?
I know from past experiences I'm generally more likely to come a cropper riding when I'm tired, I know you have a fair bit of recuperation ahead of you, but do try to look for ways to keep maintain/improve your fitness and stamina while you are off the bike, it will make the return to riding less of a shock to the system and might actually help you avoid further injury...

Healing Vibes, etc..

For the record I wasn't charging into anything blind. In fact I'd ridden the same section a few weeks ago in the dark and wasn't expecting any problems. It was just a little rocky chute with some mud. It looks as though the front wheel slid a few inches off the line I'd intended (on a bit that was more slippery than it looked) went into a section that was softer than it looked and hit a rock that was bigger than it looked. There wasn't even any warning. One moment I was congratulating myself for not being tentative and the next I was lying on the ground unable to move my arm and feeling somewhat sick. I'd like to think there is something I could do to avoid this sort of crash and I dare say I'll find some lessons to learn, but I also suspect that there was a large component of bad luck involved.

Sounds a Bit like your ego or idea's of what you "Should" be riding/enjoying is getting you to ride a bit beyond your comfort zone/ability

Yes, there is definitely something in that. I think I have got "better" over the past few years (aided by a couple of skills courses), but I am guilty of thinking that I should be able to ride anything described as suitable for intermediate riders regardless of how it looks on the day. There is also a (rather silly) bike effect at work too. I'm much happier to walk a section when I'm on my FF29. It's not my fault, the bike's not up to it 🙂 But on the Five I know I have no excuse and am more tempted to go for it.

I know you have a fair bit of recuperation ahead of you, but do try to look for ways to keep maintain/improve your fitness and stamina while you are off the bike, it will make the return to riding less of a shock to the system and might actually help you avoid further injury...

Healing Vibes, etc..

Thanks. Fitness is actually pretty good (by my standards at least) at the moment and I was only an hour into the ride (and feeling pretty good). Everything is sore today, but I already have plans to set the turbo up in the shed and start pedalling as soon as I can.

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Stay in the green bit!

Chill, relax, go out to ride and not think about anything. For me riding is about getting out there, wandering and taking everything in 🙂

I think my stupidest ever 'big' crash was on one of the berms on W9Y at Swinely, flatish with a dowhill entry and slightly uphill exit so loads of speed, had the bike leant right over, absolutely railing it, one of 'those' runs where everythings comign together, and if Strava had been arround back then it would have been a winner for sure.

Next second I'm knocked out and on my arse a few feet ahead of my bike.

Turned out that as I'd pumped out the corner with my legs, loading the back wheel it had caught a tiny 2" tall/diameter stump on the lip that seperated the inside and outside lines through the corner, must have dug into the rear wheel rather than rolling over it, and stopped the bike dead!

Proof you can be well within your skill level, do nothing wrong, and still have a complete mare of a crash!

Bit like saying "Is it worth getting out of bed today" Life and all aspects of it include risk .. Yes some more than others but it's a chance you take to live it !!!! 🙂

I'm no fan of hurting myself, certainly.

For me, being out and about, staying fit, playing with bikes, having something I identify myself as [i]doing[/i] - all that is worth it, definitely.

Whether being able to do a particular descent, get a PR on a particular segment, stick with the big boys on a technical downhill is worth it, that's a lot harder to answer. Usually I come down on the side of caution.

🙂

I don't crash much, it may be luck, I like to think it's prudence and riding within my abilities (which I know a lot of folk consider lame!)

OP maybe just slow it down a bit. It's easy to get into the faster faster faster mode but slowing it down a little and concentrating on really riding the trail smoothly should mean less crashes at slightly slower speed. Or consider tamer trails.

sounds a bit like your skill level isnt what you think it is to be brutally honest, the trails by us are wrecked, we're still getting down them in the slippyness, albeit it slower, but still wouldnt dream of not going down them, or standing over the top of them thinking about going down them, just how slippy can they be?!?!

if your really having to think that much about all the descents your doing, then maybe your just not as capable as you think you are/were, decent riders skill wise can make there way down anything without thinking about it too much regardless of conditions

i'd like to see some pics of said descent to be honest, if your riding super techy stuff then fair play you will crash now and again and its only enhanced when winter slippyness is about, but if these are just a few rocky chutes with minimal steepness id refer back to the statement i started with

if you dont feel comfortable riding the routes just design a route around the descents? you shouldnt give it up though just ride a tamer route, we ride with some folks who gladly walk down the descents instead of riding them, they dont seem to bothered doing that, and its better than getting them selves in to deep more than they can handle and ending up in hospital

you just have to accept some people are better than others at stuff, just cos your mate or whomever can ride it on a hardtail or similar, doesnt automatically mean you can ride it on a 5" trail bike

i see alot of middle aged blokes out riding, clearly only being doing it a few years if that, and you can tell sometimes they are just terrified of the descents, clinging for dear life, or braking the whole way (almost to a stop) on steep descents, which in my eyes makes things worse, as you get older you've got less chance of letting yourself go the same as when you were young, but in your head you still think your capable of doing these things like in the videos/pics on here etc

im not having a pop here, genuinely if you think like above its better to realise it now before doing some life changing damage, its either that or just put it down to one of those silly crashes that happens (sounds more like you think something more to it than just that thought)

Are you Aberdeenshire based by any chance? Either that or your story sounds very similar to one I heard about yesterday where a friend of my wife's was taking her husband to A&E.

If it's you - I heard some rumours about jacking in cycling and taking up trail running! Don't do it! Get back on the bike ;). If you want some gentle rides to get back into it again when you're out of the sling, give me a shout.

Anyway - hope you're on the mend now!

Oscillate Wildly - Member
if your really having to think that much about all the descents your doing, then maybe your just not as capable as you think you are/were, decent riders skill wise can make there way down anything without thinking about it too much regardless of conditions

I don't know if I agree with that ^^^ I know plenty of skillful riders (whether I'm one of them or not is a matter of opinion) and I can think of plenty of descents that they would think twice about, depending on conditions or even how on top of everything they feel that day.

i see alot of middle aged blokes out riding, clearly only being doing it a few years if that, and you can tell sometimes they are just terrified of the descents,

No hope for them when they get old then 🙁

I went over to the more subtle delights of the road five years ago and so far... touch wood... haven't crashed. I like to think that 20 years of falling off mountain bikes have taught me some handling skills and 12 years of motorcycling have taught me some road wisdom.

Ironically I was bombing along with my regular cycling buddy 3 weeks ago and we were talking about crashing. An hour later he took a corner too sharp and hit a car head on, writing off his almost new Tarmac SL4. Oops.

Hi euain,

Yes, my cover is blown 🙂 although any tales of trail running are purely a figment of Nicola's imagination. Thanks for the offer, I dare say I'll be back on the bike sooner or later. Probably just start with a few tame routes though and see if the desire comes back.

OW: I suspect that there is a lot of truth in what you say. It was far from a super techy descent. As I say I've ridden down it (all be it slowly) in the dark with no problems. It's just a mixture of a few rocks, roots at various angles and some slippery mud. It's the short section of trail that goes south-east from the tower at Kirkhill for those that know it. Really nothing too it at all, especially in the dry. But I guess the only strategy I know for that sort of trail is to keep the speed up, keep loose and stay off the brakes, which is fine until it isn't 🙂

Andy R - Member
Oscillate Wildly - Member
if your really having to think that much about all the descents your doing, then maybe your just not as capable as you think you are/were, decent riders skill wise can make there way down anything without thinking about it too much regardless of conditions
I don't know if I agree with that ^^^ I know plenty of skillful riders (whether I'm one of them or not is a matter of opinion) and I can think of plenty of descents that they would think twice about, depending on conditions or even how on top of everything they feel that day.

i see alot of middle aged blokes out riding, clearly only being doing it a few years if that, and you can tell sometimes they are just terrified of the descents,
No hope for them when they get old then

there are plenty of descents around that make you think twice yeh, it sounds more like the guy is just doing a sort of normal loop to me, nothing majorly out of the ordinary (to his normal rides)

there are plenty of stuff up the peak that you have to be cautious with in the wet slippy, and from time to time you will come off, but ive never really heard of anyone needing two trips to A&E in the space of months for what they call innocuous falls, fair enough big ballsy descents you get wrong can end nastily but if hes done it twice and its just on a normal ish every day route then i dunno, and thats what it read to as me

if it was one of those sweary northerner type riders then i can see why they could come a cropper, but i dont think from roverpigs post its anything remotely like that

again im not slagging him at all hes obviosuly not happy with himself/crashing so it mayeb in his best interest to lay off the route he does, or take a step back and look at his technique

either way dont give up riding!!!

EDIT : roverpig, you clearly love mtb, from your posts and your analysis of bike related stuff on here, would be a shame to give it all up! why not try a skills course, guess it could open your mind, im sure id definitely gain alot from one, and it might just make you able to ride the things your crashing on a whole load easier....im really not slagging you off for crashing, it happens all the time, but you need to take care of your family and such like so it may just be an eye opener for you that this has (painfully!) happened

healing vibes to you though and dont give it up!

Rather begruddingly I have begun to wonder the same.

I had, by quite some margin, my biggest off last year, which resulted in a broken elbow, fractured nose, lost tooth and split from nose to lip. Like you I was able to freewheel back down to the car & drive myself straight to A&E.

Also like you, I was on my own but late in the day @ CwmCarn and on a section I've ridden loads of times before with no issue. I still don't actually know how I crashed, but due to the bent R/H crank arm I think I caught a root/rock which threw me off. My gloves were spotless despite the rest of my being drenched in blood and mud, so I didn't even have time to put my hands out to break the fall.

I've been out since, but very cautious and now I'm not too keen (nor my fiance tbh) on riding alone, which is a shame as it means I'm riding less than I used to 🙁

Healing vibes to the OP too. Should be recovered just in time for spring 🙂

Another thing to throw into the mix is that I'd wound the rebound damping on the forks right off (just a couple of clicks from fastest) as an experiment just a few minutes earlier, which changed the feel of the bike and may have been a contributing factor.

To be honest I do think it was mostly just bad luck though. I've had as many skills courses as serious crashes and 99% of the time my problem is that I'm too timid and don't really commit. The frustrating thing is that this was one of the rare times when I did just go for it.

Oh in that case its definitely the bikes fault 😉

I think that with modern full suspension bikes and tyres the speeds are now higher so when you fall off the impact is higher than say 10 years ago.

I'm of the bike at the moment recovering from a broken scaphoid two months so far together with surgery. A lot of hassle for others time off work , lifts etc.

But on balance I do think its worth it as the positives far outweigh the negatives.

I had to face this question last year after one too many injuries for my bosses to stomach.

Was off for three weeks with busted ribs and the company weren't very happy about paying me full wages (we have an extreme sports clause). I couldn't imagine my life without biking so have had to accept that at some point I will have another accident that prevents me working again. My employer has made me sign a form that I understand that any time off due to a biking injury will be at statutory pay only, so have had to take out wage insurance to cover any difference. Costs just under £200 a year but it's definitely worth it!!

My employer has made me sign a form that I understand that any time off due to a biking injury will be at statutory pay only

1) Ride within your abilities
2) Improve your abilities
3) Learn how to hit the deck without hurting yourself
4) Learn how to read the trail better

There are times I'll push it because I know what the likely risks are. I will notice what's around me and what the likely consequences of a crash are. I've been doing this for so long that I can look at my line and automatically understand what the potential crashes are and where I'll land if they happen.

I only once crashed completely unexpectedly; that was on the Rideway where it was long flat and straight, so I was zoning out like you do on road rides. There was a 2" sapling stump in the middle of the trail that I hadn't even seen. I was on the deck before I knew what was going on.

If it's at all cold enough for there to be ice at any point, I'll back off.

I think that with modern full suspension bikes and tyres the speeds are now higher so when you fall off the impact is higher than say 10 years ago.

This is true. Try changing to a hardtail with 80mm travel 🙂

3) Learn how to hit the deck without hurting yourself

Take up some judo training.. great for teaching you how to fall
It's the unexpected falls that are always going to be the worst... It's front wheel washouts that I find leave you no time to react and more potential for collar bone, rib or wrist injury.

Get some grippier tyres and get back on it.

Roverpig:

I have said for a while now that I either need to get better at staying on - or falling off.

the outcome has been getting better at falling off. keeping arms and legs in and sliding down the trail on my shoulder/back/arse. For OTB it's better to go with it once you've lost it and let your feet come right over your head and hopefully land on your side/arse etc.

But rocks are rocks.

3) Learn how to hit the deck without hurting yourself

This always gets trotted out, but my last two broken arms were so fast there was no time to react. And a couple of friends who crashed their tandem in similar style not long after maybe did react and tuck their arms in, and got matching collar bone fractures as a result. I'm not sure which is worse, but collar bones never look right afterwards do they?

didn't think you could learn it once out of your teens.

What? You can learn anything at any time!

You just need to be quick of thought. So the moment you see the thing you're not going to be able to avoid, you start making preparations for landing.

It's if you don't see it that you have a problem. If you aren't seeing the trail then you need to get better at reading it, which comes with practice. Or you're not concentrating 🙂

When I hit the deck, I find myself instinctively putting my arms out but not to take the impact, just to steer my fall. I always end up landing on my torso. I don't know if this is ideal or not, but it seems to work for me apart from having grazed nipples a lot 🙂

I'm sitting here at home reading this, having broken my back in two places a couple of weeks ago - one minute I was having a pleasant winter ride, next I was eating gravel and lying in a cold stream.

It could have been an awful lot worse; as it is, I'm likely to be off work for 6 months or so, but will hopefully make a full recovery.

If/when the time comes that I'm able to ride a bike I'm going to be in a real dilemma; I love my riding, but the thought of going through this again is pretty unbearable. I understand that the risk is very low, but having experienced that very low risk makes you assess things in a different way.

I'm pretty sure everyone is convinced they have great skills and know how to crash well up until the moment they hurt themselves in an unexpected crash.

Not wanting to jinx any of the immortals, of course.

😉

BigDummy, I'm an average rider at best, who rides without taking unnecessary risks and ( shhh, don't tell anyone) occasionally walk sections which psyche me out.
The inconvenient truth is that anyone can get caught out ; most of the time we ride our luck, occasionally it bites us.

I know the bit you mean and I think molgrips has it above, if you didn't know you were in trouble, at least for a split second, you are riding too fast or not paying enough attention.
If when you say that you just need to commit, your interpretation of commit is go for it past the point where you are fully in control, you are doing it wrong and asking for crashes. What it should mean is knowing exactly what you are going to try and do and how and then seeing it in your head and knowing you can do it. The commit part is then simply putting the fear of crashing aside because you know you can do it, and coming in nice and loose and relaxed and doing what you planned. If, for you, it means simply go faster and it feels faster than feels comfortable, you are over-doing it.
It shouldn’t feel sketchy, or fast, even when it is, it should feel neat and in control and like there is plenty of time.
My rule is that if I look at something and I can’t picture myself doing it, I don’t. Particularly when I’m out on my own. Likewise, never take more than one practise run-up for something, if you haven’t done it by then you will be too tense and you’ll crash. Both of these work for me, I know I could be a lot quicker but I do o.k (you’ll find me on Strava for a lot of the local stuff including Kirkhill if you are curious) and much as I hesitate to ask for trouble by typing it, I hardly ever crash hard.
Much as you seem to like riding alone, hooking up with some other riders sometimes, particularly if they are quicker than you might help, you have someone to pick you up if it goes pear shaped and more importantly you have a model to watch of how, or how quick to hit things which can be a big help as sometimes the fastest way through a section is not as fast as you may think…

Unless you're training for something turn strava/computer off (even if you are training, remember 90% of riding mountain bikes is about fun not numbers). Faster is not funner. Slow down and find all the lumps and bumps to hop off etc, do wheelies/endo turns (or try to in my case), occasional skids don't hurt either - on the fireroads of course. Basically be juvenile. Don't ride the scary bits if you don't want to.

If you crash alot something is wrong with your technique. When I'm getting better and better I never crash, or even close- I'm more relaxed and my balance is way better on the bike.

Having said that, Youth, Junior and Elite riders often go through a period of frequent crashing to get into the top 10. You can have all the skills in the world but to develop and eek out a second on a run you have to push beyond your own limit.

For me its making it down a section and feeling good/enjoying the section- riding as fast as * and laughing nervously at the bottom as that was really close just isn't worth it if you have to drive ALOT of miles aday to work and back. Sick pay only lasts so long and heaven forbid you * your face/jaw.

Some people actually get off on finding the limits of their ability and pushing beyond them, others get enjoyment from the same sport for different reasons.

Hey trekEx8 what did you do to your back? i broke mine over christmas, 5 transverse process fractures. fell off going slow, on easy bit of trail rolled and hit a tree/rock combo. Rolling helps but not if your luck's out. As the wise have noted injuries just happen no matter what.

What? You can learn anything at any time!

Actually if you could do it safely.....
maybe jedi et al could get a load of crash mats out and get middle aged IT consultants to pay to ride passed him while he pushes them off, repeatedly. Could be a new syllabus for the skills course.
🙂

Stavaigan, I've fractured two vertebrae, done quite a good job if it - I'm now 1cm shorter due compression of T6! Loose teeth, black eyes and so on.
Unfortunately, no matter how careful/competent/good at falling etc., if it's going to get you, it's going to get you.
Mine was on a bridle way that I've ridden many times - I honestly don't know what happened, will have to hi back one day and see if I can work it out.
Healing vibes to you!

Badly written by me, you probably can learn it I'm just not sure how practical it is. I thought it was mosty autopilot, your body subconsciously learns how to roll from going through the motions many many times. Going through the motions of crashing a lot when you are older and don't bounce so well anyway whilst trying to hold down a day job to pay for your food, family, mortgage etc possibly not the most practical idea.

This is why a certain level of body armour can be nice though, the good stuff (eg poc) might not stop you from snapping a limb in a nasty crash but it can reduce you chances of serious bruising, small fractures and various back injuries. At a beginners speed it will certainly help.

I know there is something to be said for the fact body armour can increase risk taking but I don't see why mountain bikers have to be so judgemental when we see someone on the trail who is wearing say, a back protector when they aren't deemed to be "fast enough" (even though the pro's tend not to wear them).

Me? As soon as I can afford it I will be buying one of these and a neck brace for Glentress, Inners, Wales, Peaks etc...basically everwhere where I'm looking to have fun on the downs. I don't see why I should just be wearing a full face on a downhill track as the speed I carry is usually the same! In reality there's not that much difference between a rocky descent in the peaks and Fort William in terms of injury risk!
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Nice to know I'm not alone. It sounds as though there are a few of us off with injuries or just returning. I'm sure those who put it all down to skill and technique make some good points. But let's be honest; if you ride down rocky trails at any speed then sooner or later you're going to come a cropper and hurt yourself.

I'm actually quite happy with the way I fell. I'm not sure I could have done much to anticipate the fall. The front wheel slid a bit and hit a rock. I hadn't paid much attention to the rock as it wasn't on my line and by the time the wheel slipped I was looking well down the trail. Maybe I should have anticipated the slide, but that's asking a lot at that speed. Given that I went straight out the front it could easily have been a nasty faceplant so I'm pleased that I instinctively managed to roll enough to take the fall on my shoulder. Unfortunately at 49 I guess my bones don't give as much as they used to.

Obviously the bike wasn't at fault, but I do fit the stereotype of the middle age man with limited off-road experience on a bouncy skill compensator. I'll see how I feel in a few weeks, but it might be worth spending some time riding the hardtail slowly down trails and working on bike handling and trail reading skills.

I hadn't paid much attention to the rock as it wasn't on my line and by the time the wheel slipped

You need to pay attention to it all to avoid crashing 🙂 You should be looking out for where your wheel might slip, and where it'll go if it does.

Obviously the bike wasn't at fault

Hmm.. not necessarily. If your weight distribution is all wrong and your contact points are in the wrong places you'll find it a lot harder to deal with incidents. Not sure about this case of course, but I've had bikes that were hard to stay on until I change stem/bars etc.

Also, certain tyres can be awful in certain situations. I put mud tyres on in the winter, but there's a certain descent in my local woods that's got slimy polished limestone under trees, so you need something really sticky to not slip everywhere. A tyre can be generally pretty good but scary on that one section.

Or maybe something as simple as suspension setup.

No real point in switching to the hardtail to practise. Practise on the bike you'll be pushing harder on, the technique and line choices are going to be different on the different bikes.

It sounds a bit clichéd but are you tensing up when you jettison yourself OTB?

I seem to be well renowned by my mates for going OTB, but (touch wood) I have yet to break anything of significance when doing so, granted a couple of fingers and some minor concussion isn't ideal but it never stopped me going to work.

All fair points. I dare say that a zen like ability to be aware of every possible danger on the trail is achievable by some, but with the trails as slippery as they are, trying to keep track of all the possible places where you might slide is more than my little brain can handle 🙂

As for the bike; I was thinking about this last night. I bought the Five in September and I'm pretty sure that this is the first crash I've had on it. That's part of the problem I suspect. I feel a bit unstable on the FF29 when things get tricky and have put it down a few times. Bit never at any speed. The Five just seems so stable that I was starting to feel invincible, which is usually a recipe for disaster.

I'm also trying to work out whether turning the rebound damping on the forks right down earlier in the ride might have been a contributing factor, but that's a long shot.

By the way, I'd never look down on anybody for wearing whatever protective gear they need to feel comfortable. But I ride as much for exercise as anything and like to give it some on the climbs, so any decent armour is going to be too hot I fear.

Too much rebound damping means the forks pack down and don't extend, so at a given point your weight may be too far forward, your HA too steep, which can encourage you over the bars.

Hard to say if that was a factor in your crash though.

The Five just seems so stable that I was starting to feel invincible, which is usually a recipe for disaster.

Sounds like it!

You need to pay attention to it all to avoid crashing You should be looking out for where your wheel might slip, and where it'll go if it does.

Way to encourage him to look 5 feet in front of his wheel. Don't look at trail obstacles, ever. Let your peirpheral vision do the work and look as far down the track as you can. You should be able to do things like hitting rocks/roots at a good angle without paying attention to it.

Sod thinking about where your wheel might slip when riding, you shouldn't be conciously thinking at all. Doing that and looking for trail obstacles is going to have you impacting a tree in no time. It's all just a feeling, which you develop with practice and repetition.

I'd reduced the damping (so it came back more quickly) precisely because it seemed to be packing down a bit on faster lumpy sections. It may have been a factor in the front wheel sliding in the first place, but probably not.

I don't see why mountain bikers have to be so judgemental

You should be looking out for where your wheel might slip, and where it'll go if it does.

No real point in switching to the hardtail to practise

*as in my first reaction would be to laugh but then I'd consider other people have less understanding bosses and a greater propensity for hurting themselves so once I'd thought about it would prefer not to pass judgement.

Way to encourage him to look 5 feet in front of his wheel.

I'm not! You look at it when it's down the trail, so you know it's there when you ride over it.

It's all just a feeling, which you develop with practice and repetition.

That's what I meant. I don't consciously think about it, but if I think about what I'm thinking about I realise I am thinking about it all the time. And when I predict something, and it happens, I feel all smug and confident 🙂

Generally, when I said 'look out for' I didn't mean 'look AT'. You have to take it all in in one go when moving quickly which is what they are saying about peripheral vision.

Practice, and lots is the only way as they say up there. How long have you been MTBing OP?

You should be able to do things like hitting rocks/roots at a good angle without paying attention to it.

Summs it up really. Improvisation, which only comes with experience and practice.

People always says speed is your friend. Thats balls, its more about having the right momentum to pass through stuff. You don't have to be going fast to have enough momentum.

Everyone comes off now and then. Being flexible and strong (weight training) plus wearing protective gear is all you can do to minimise injuries.

Get well soon, hope you nail that section one day.

Edit; Are you carrying the right gear (namely a down jacket and a bothy) so that if you go down miles from the car and cant move you wont freeze to death?

the risks you are prepared to take is a personal matter.
sometimes you are lucky and others not, its the same for everyone.

as someone else mentioned, doing other types of activity that keep you strong,flexible and keeps your reactions sharp is a good move. this way when it does hit the fan you are best able to react and your body more able to take the impacts.

finding the eject button and knowing when to use it can help too!

and beware the last run of the day/hit it one last time trap.

a crash is always a possibility, it's just the way it is.

ride smart. have fun. 🙂

as someone else mentioned, doing other types of activity that keep you strong,flexible and [b]keeps your reactions sharp[/b] is a good move

I found playing Wip3out on the PS was a great help 🙂

There is a train of thought that says HT ride so differently from FS that it's not good for practice, but when I suggested moving to less suspension or rigid it wasn't so much for "practice" it was more a permanent thing, less sus is generally conducive to slower speeds and maybe less painful crashes, dunno whether roverpig was thinking of it for practice or permanent.

It's something (i.e. a permanent or semi-permanent move) that I'm certainly considering. Something that inspires less confidence at speed could actually be safer. Something to ponder at least and I've got plenty of time for pondering 🙂

Well I'm recovering from a bruised arse and a badly wrenched back (the painful bit!) from completely overcooking a manual at Parkwood Springs (the shame of it!), and dumping myself onto my fundament at 20mph.

The rule of thumb, is that it's always the stupid ones that do the most damage. Stuff like that above, "taking it easy" - that cost me a broken wrist on my first run of an Alpine holiday. If I'd been riding flat out, I'd have jumped the root that had me off. As it was I was bimbling, which meant I wasn't fully focussed on what I'm doing.

And that I think is the key. Focus. Commit everything, mentally and physically to the process of riding the bike. You're less likely to make mistakes when you're absolutely on it, and you'll spot them earlier, when you're concentrating on your riding, than being distracted by the pretty view, or the big scary rock off to the side of the trail. Night riding is a good example - there's nothing to see apart from the bit your lights illuminate, so you can clear stuff that you then can't do in the day time. Too much extraneous information distracting you from what you should be concentrating on.

My other half (who rides a lot slower/more carefully than me) often gets to the bottom of something and says "did you see XYZ?" or "where does that other trail go?", and I'm completely at a loss. All I've been aware of is the volume of space needed to get me & the bike down the hill - anything else is extraneous.

And to you trek. No nerve damage I hope.

Very interesting thread.

I was knocked off my SS commuter last May whilst riding in a cycle lane on a pavement. A car turned across me and I ended up going over his bonnet and damaged my neck, knee and hand enough to be off the bike until November.

3 weeks before Christmas I slipped on a step at work and landed on the edge of the lower step and ended up wrecking my 'good' knee.

My wife thinks I should stop commuting on the bike and taking so many 'risks'! I've ridden a bike since I was 10 and only ever been off for any time due to big injuries or serious illness. There is risk in commuting and night riding with a bunch of middle aged competitive guys but it's what I do and it's what I hope I can always do (just a bit slower as I get even older)!

The risk is part of the fun but when it feels like the risk is too big for the fun then it's time to slow down or take up knitting.

All just IMHO of course.

despite almost never wearing protection (besides helmet) in the past I started using knee pads when this winter started, figured they'd keep my knees warm and protect them from crahses, result: no crashes but knees repeatedly getting very sweaty then super chilled by the wind. Each to their own, you wanna wear armour; go for it, I may inwardly chuckle* when I see stormtroopers on local "easy" runs but won't take the piss out of them, for me the discomfort of body armour is a big downside vs the very few times I do actually crash but I can't see me ever wearing a full facer unless I moved next door to fort william. If you crash a lot body armour is probably a very good idea, for a lot of riders it could be more trouble than it's worth.

How many people do you see wearing full faces when pootling along b-roads on a scooter/moped/125cc motorbike. How many motorcross guys doss around in a field doing easy stuff without their helmet?

The only thing that has stopped me wearing a full face when trail riding is the heat, if that new Met Parachute is coolish I'll be wearing it most of the time. The whole "helmets are uncool" is rather strange from someone with a motorsports perspective/background as downhilling/enduro seems just as dangerous.

Stavaigan, thanks, early days. I'm in a brace for 3 months, but hopefully all will be ok in the end; having seen the X-rays and MRI, it could have been a lot worse.
Have you got any lasting effects?

I don't crash much, it may be luck, I like to think it's prudence and riding within my abilities (which I know a lot of folk consider lame!)

A couple of others have repeated this post. That pretty much sums me up too. There are many things that make up a good ride for me, and getting home in one piece is top of the list. I ride within my limits and don't care if I'm considered slow on the descents - I make up for that on the uphill sections 😉

I did go through a period of having several low speed OTB incidents on Stanage Causeway and it really did my confidence in. Getting a bit of coaching from Ed Oxley helped, but getting off and walking that short section was probably the main reason for stopping crashing there.

Maybe you just need to get some confidence back, and some coaching could help there. Good luck with your recovery, and hopefully you'll be back on your bike before too long.

I appreciate that if you've seen last year's evidence of some very poor decision making and bad riding I may not be someone to listen to...

Anyway MTBing is potentially very dangerous but then again so is driving a car or crossing the road - it just comes down to risk mitigation. I think the most important thing is to be self-aware in the sense of knowing how well you're riding at a given time - concentration, fitness, confidence, etc. The last thing you want to do is push your limits when you're tired (see paragraph 1!)

If you're focused and you know what you can do (and what you're confident to do) and don't cross the fun-fear line then I think you're as safe as you can hope to be. The problem is the random factor, from wet/icy roots in the winter to loose rocks that have been knocked into the main line in the summer.

I think there's an awful lot to be said for riding a bike that looks after you to a degree - in other words, stickier bigger tyres, good suspension and slacker angles and a riding position that lets you get your bodyweight low when descending. The problem is that getting your bodyweight low requires good flexibility and core strength and that's something most of us are lacking.

And when we get scared we tend to stand tall and straighten our arms to get away from the scary things in front of us, when we should actually be dropping our hips down and slightly back, trunk practically horizontal and attacking things with that almost chin to stem position you see pro DHers in when they're on the steeps.

Smack your front wheel into a rock when you're standing tall and stiff and your weight comes off your feet and into your hands and into the front wheel and rock, bike stops dead and your momentum takes you over the bars. Do the same when you're in a low and loose position and your weight stays in your feet and your front wheel is light enough to climb over the rock. Swap the random rock for a random greasy root: Tall and stiff and when your front wheel steps out your straight arms pull on the bars, unweighting the front tyre so you lose even more grip and down you go. Low and loose and when your front wheel steps out your arms can softly extend and let it go to find the next bit of grip and all is well.

My problems are both having the fitness to keep low when I need to and remembering to do it when I'm not in the zone. But I always seem to ride better when I get down!

Same age as you OP and similar situation. 2 big crashes, both ambulance trips 8 weeks apart for me. Knocked out both times. First on Mtb and second on track. First one was OTB into a rock, messy face, broken nose, degloved chin, lots of surgery. Second was 3 weeks ago today, 2 guys in front of me on track touched wheels and took us all down - burnt face, whiplash.

I've been out on cx bike with kids but really not feeling like getting back on boards for a bit.

I had been back out on mtb before the second one and was gradually getting confidence back.....

I always feel like this after a big crash which luckily I haven't had for ages. The fact that I keep coming back to it and pushing my limits further shows that yes, it is worth it! For me anyway, ymmv.

I always start off slow saying xc only but I soon end up riding dh again.

The last thing you want to do is push your limits when you're tired

It was a basic error caused by fatigue but good luck over-riding bad luck spared me. Again.