[Closed] Surrey Hills Air Ambulance incident today

Its not a hazardous place boltonjon - it's yoghurt pots for christs sake.

I think a number of you are missing a much wider and more serious point here, beyond that trail being rideable or not and who with and who not. So put your testosterone down, handbags away and think of both the injured rider and wider implications.

Surry Hills is under increasing pressure (from all parties) regarding use and anything that highlights the danger or not of trails is not good for those that use the area, those that live there, and those that also get injured there.

Proper trail grading, maintenance and ROW's is what the nimby's will call for and the attitude displayed by some on this thread only hastens this.

Lucien, well put.

Fingers crossed for the injured rider, too.

healing vibes to the guy 🙁

Healing vibes to the chap

Surrey air ambulance is a chairty couldn't survive without voluntary donations
[url= http://www.kssairambulance.org.uk/ ]Please donate[/url]

Scary

Last time I rode BKB my son had an OTB incident at the top end and broke his arm.

Scares me thinking about how much worse things could have been 🙁

[i]My issue is why would a mountain biker put his kids in such a hazardous place?

[/i]

I've got to agree with you, and have always ridden behind my kids - basically to slow/stop anyone coming past them. And even at places like GT have said to anyone setting off behind, to give us time as I will not allow them past (until the bottom of the 'section').

As for the BKB accident, unfortunately MTBing (anywhere) can be dangerous - hope he recovers.

And even at places like GT have said to anyone setting off behind, to give us time as I will not allow them past

As Mega said Kent/Surrey/Sussex Air Ambulance is a charity.... Donate some money 'cos you never know when they may save your life or you can even join their lottery like I did!
[url= http://www.kssairambulance.org.uk/Lottery/lottery_home ]Linky[/url]

Out of interest where did the chopper land? only place i can think of is up by the resevoir

Surrey air ambulance is a chairty couldn't survive without voluntary donations

or sign up for a monthly donation with a chance to win on their lottery!

I did a while ago, couldn't say no to the little old lady who knocked at the front door.

And even at places like GT have said to anyone setting off behind, to give us time as I will not allow them past

That does sound a bit ****ish - surely you would let the faster riders past at a suitable opportunity, or would you feel happy blocking the trail up for the 1/2 hour it takes your kids to get down it?

Any update on the chaps condidtion? Hope it's not as serious as it sounds. MTB can be a little dangerous but this does sound very unfortunate especially given the easy going nature of the trail involved. Hope he is OK.

Fingers crossed for the rider. Donation done. There but for the grace of (your choice of celestial tooth fairy here) go any of us.

Hope the guy is OK and that the damage isn't permanent.

So sad to read these threads, a reminder of how lucky the majority of us are.

Healing vibes. To be honest, I never really tell anyone any more that a specific trail is easy unless I know how they ride pretty well (i.e. they're a regular riding buddy) or have seen them ride enough earlier on the ride to know they can take care of themselves (if they're a random or a new person who tags along). Between people saying "It's easy, you'll fly down" and others saying "Watch out for this part, it's a man-eater", you get people panicing far too easily or committing to sections that they wouldn't ordinarily try and things can go wrong easily at that point. The roll-in on BKB regularly stops newer riders in their tracks as it looks far steeper and rootier than it feels when ridden and I always tell them to walk it if they're not feeling confident as it'll be there the next time they want to try it.

Healing vibes to this bloke and although I won't be riding in the UK much, I'll donate too. I've had several friends call regular ambulances over the last year and I'm glad they're around.

it's not a case of hard, technical, easy, blue, red , black. Shit can happen (see the thread on worst tyres) , and sometimes on a bike it happens so quickly you just don't get time to react.

I'd just like to apologize if anyone was offended by my misrepresenting the facts. You're right, there is no way anyone could know the outcome this early on. But the thread has highlighted a few important points. One the importance of the air ambulance and the charitable donations it relies on.

Two, all trails can be dangerous. Here a video of someone going down hard on Deliverance for example:

[i]That does sound a bit ****ish - surely you would let the faster riders past at a suitable opportunity, or would you feel happy blocking the trail up for the 1/2 hour it takes your kids to get down it? [/i]

No, its not been awkward, just sinples - wait 2 mins before you leave as you ain't coming past - and the kids aren't that slow...

[IMG] [/IMG]

Got to say, deliverance is one trail I never ride. The risk-reward for it never really seems to balance out well in my mind. I've seen people perfectly capable of riding it bin it because of a root or loose surface. It's not that hard, it just doesn't seem fun enough for the potential damage. There's plenty of other places around more dangerous but more fun.

Impressive google skills geetee. Good work.

I have done exactly that on deliverance too!

I concur with atlaz these days

It's not that hard

All these trails are has easy or has hard as you want to make them. If you launch Deliverance by pre-jumping down the first section it's pretty hard. It can be quite tricky on night rides too. Etc...

It's about riding within the limits of your ability not about whether a trail is easy or hard or whatever.

This is the best deliverance vid if we're going down that road....

10pmix - you know what I mean. rolling it isn't difficult but the opportunity to do yourself a mischief seems higher than the 5s of fun you get out of it (or 5s of abject terror).

Anyway, the point is, we're all aware that MTB is pretty dangerous at times and all of us have done stupid stuff (I fell of my bike riding around a stick at Jedi's place, only my pride was damaged) and it's a matter of luck (and a million variables) that makes us different to the poor chap yesterday.

Actually, that was one of those crashes which make you wince but didn't hurt at all. Would have helped if I had put my saddle down though. Not quite sure why a 5 year old video of me crashing is relevant, but there you go.

As I said earlier in the thread though, you can crash seriously on the tamest of trails - my worst crash was in Richmond Park when I broke my collar bone and wrist and was off the bike for months. I have crashed since on much more exciting and dangerous places but got away with it.

Crashing is a learning experience (provided you are able to walk away eventually).

wait 2 mins before you leave as you ain't coming past

that sounds like fighting talk...

What if the kids were slow - I assume they used to be slow.

Did you block the trails in the same manner then?

Impressive google skills geetee. Good work.

I just thought your comment about Howard over charging people was uncalled for. He's a fantastic guy who really looks after his customers and deserves to do well. He's also done a lot for the local scene in my view, providing a great focal point for Surrey Hills riding.

I just thought your comment about Howard over charging people was uncalled for.

+1 No one forces you to buy anything, Peaslake is a better place with Howard running P&S

What has the fact that I find Howard's prices high got to do with me crashing on a trail 5 years ago?

I think if somneone asks if you would mind just very quickly removing a crown race from a pair of forks for instance, that you should agree to do it, "No problem", and then ask them for £7.50 less than 3 minutes later (after you have done it), you have to kind of suck it up when they may claim that you overcharge, no matter how many times Dirt magazine may claim that you are the beating heart of the hills.

I also don't think that he should text around that a guy is paralysed when it cannot be possible for anyone to know that, just as I don't think you should have posted that up on the internet.

Not looking to fall out with anyone over this, just pointing out that maybe you should have checked the facts before posting on the net. I know we often share the same trails, rather than getting petty on here, happy to discuss it over a pork and leak slice at Peaslake bus stop. Or we can go and google each other's names and see if we can dig up any dirt.

There are lots of ways to crash on Deliverance, bottle out at top (as above), go left and hit tree at speed, go right and wipe out off camber, go straight with too much speed and come a cropper in holes at bottom (complete with bits of metal and other rubbish) assuming you miss the big tree right in the centre. I've been on a ride where we've as group ticked the box on 3 of those. There is a lot more dangerous stuff about but most of it most riders wouldn't even attempt, myself included.

I'm all for supporting the LBS but Pedal and Spoke is the newcomer, the longer established shops have done way more for the area.

Hopefully the guy is OK and the air ambulance was a precaution.

Why do people attempt trails like that with the saddle up high and themselves sat upright like they're enjoying a ride along Brighton promenade?
The only times i've gone over the bars is when i've been lazy and attempted steep stuff with the seat up my arse....painful experience taught me to drop the seat and get my weight back....hope the bloke is ok, some of my colleagues work on the Surrey Air ambulance so i'll ask around....but looking at the videos just posted it seems half the riders on the Surrey Hills would fall off riding around a football pitch.

The only times i've gone over the bars is when i've been lazy and attempted steep stuff with the seat up my arse....painful experience taught me to drop the seat and get my weight back

but looking at the videos just posted it seems half the riders on the Surrey Hills would fall off riding around a football pitch

So, by your own admission, you are guilty of the same errors, but you are happy to make a claim like that?

Can you see why I made a Joey Deacon face when I read your post?

The only times i've gone over the bars is when i've been lazy and attempted steep stuff with the seat up my arse....

Why did you put the seat up your arse? I don't think i could concentrate with anything up my arse, especially something as large as a saddle.

Healing vibes to the rider.

Christ Scott - why are you so intent in winding as many people up as possible with your comments on this post?

I also think the guy in Pedal & Spoke does a good job. He's perfectly within his rights to charge for his services - supply & demand. It'd cost a lot more than £7.50 to drive home or go to your LBS

I bet he wouldn't have charged you if you'd bought some equipment from him

Why all the angst - where you not allowed to go out and play during the nice weather over the weekend?

I think if somneone asks if you would mind just very quickly removing a crown race from a pair of forks for instance, that you should agree to do it, "No problem", and then ask them for £7.50 less than 3 minutes later (after you have done it), you have to kind of suck it up when they may claim that you overcharge, no matter how many times Dirt magazine may claim that you are the beating heart of the hills.

If your moaning over £7.50 to do that, then why don't you go buy the tool to do it yourself? 😯

 

I'm not jon - you were being an idiot, so I pointed that out.

Actually I met some mates and did a 17 mile ride across the hills from holmbury to winterfold, hammering some of the best trails in the area. I didn't come across any kids learning to ride on my journey, but am pretty sure if I did I wouldn't have got all irate and felt the need to post on the net that they shouldn't have been on my trails.

I never said the guy in P&S wasn't entitled to (although it might have been nice if he had said the price before carrying out the 2 minute job as I would have told him not to bother). However, I am also entitled to mention the high prices as a consumer.

That ok with you jon?

bigshiz - I already have the tool at home - don't carry it wround with me and thought it would have been nice to fit my new forks that day (bought second hand off my mate), so asked a favour in the locval shop (where I have spent a fair amount of money in the past). Is that also ok with you as well?

Poor fella, hope he's ok, I don't ride that trail anymore as there are loads that are more interesting and challenging for the experienced rider, I stacked hard on that trail a number of years ago and was lucky to just get away with a swollen and bruised arm after hitting a tree at speed (rider error) but off all the trails to hurt yourself on 🙁

We were in Spain last week riding downhill trails, we got talking about armour and injury etc as we had a number of offs and got away with them other than cuts and bruises, one of the lads in the uplift van spoke of a lady that his wife used to work with, apperently her husband had bought her hybrid bike, she hadn't ridden for years, did a slow 'car park test' outside their house, she fell off and died by hitting her head on a curb, awful.

I hope someone in the know has good news about this guy soon, not nice to hear whatever the trail/ability/bike being ridden.

Pedal and is not a charity, its a business. £7.50 is a fair price to do that work with the correct tool. I know Howard does more freebies in the day than actually charging for things and if there wasn't the shop there anymore it would be a big blow for the area. You need to just get on with riding your MTB and enjoying it thats why we all do it.

I hope he's ok. I love that trail. Think all the fun trails can bite back. They wouldnt be fun or provide the same thrill otherwise.

How the hell does a thread about a rider potentialy having a serious injury, end up as squabble about Howard charging RRP or not?

Losers

Can you see why I made a Joey Deacon face when I read your post?

And now you're also mocking people with Cerebral Palsy? I'd quite while you're behind Scott.

I know - pathetic and I regret ever rising to the bait

Its easy to forget that not everyone is as chilled as you on forums

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwi n's_law

it won't be long......

if this thread fairly represents the general attitude of surrey hills riders, its hardly a surprise that the rest of the country thinks the area is full of ATGNI Chelsea tractor driving knob jockeys

is it the easter holidays already.

hope the injured rider is ok.

if this thread fairly represents the general attitude of surrey hills riders...

A new low. Using a disagreement by two people on a thread to try to deliberately offend several thousand other mountain bikers.

Best close this thread and let's just all wish the rider well.