I’ve noticed that some forum members tend to post just after crashing. I include myself and enjoy a bit of public wound licking.

With my now extensive crash experience I can classify crashes into three categories:

Level 1: No damage to bike and superficial to human. Grazes, cuts and bruises. No need to seek medical attention.

Level 2: Possible damage to bike and damage to human requiring medical attention. Broken fingers, collar bones, grade three sprains, deep cuts needing stitches.

Level 3: Possible damage to bike and an injury that will require an extensive period away from work and a hospital stay. Broken bones that require surgery, pierced lungs, ruptured spleens etc.

So far in my riding career of about 6 years, 2 skills courses and several thousands of euros spent I’ve accumulated more level 1s than i can remember. Probably about 4 a year. One level 2 and one level 3. The level three was a broken collarbone but i needed surgery and was off work for 2 months.

I think my crash to minute riding is far too high, my regular riding mate has a much lower ratio and is a more experienced rider. I know i need to reign it in a bit but it’s so much fun going fast!

Today’s was a level 1 that was nearly a level 2. Clipped a branch with end of handlebar leathering it down a bit of fast flowy singletrack. Straight down otb small graze on chin, almost split bottom lip, abrasions on chest, right forearm, right hip and shoulder.

How are your ratios?

Since I have rode spd, the proportion of crashes I have that require hospital treatment (just shattered my radius at Hamsterly Forest) have increased – because seriously bad OTB’s don’t leave you time or leverage to get properly unclipped early enough – so you can fall properly and safely.

Level 1 weekly
Level 2 thrice a year
Level 3 every 2 years

Why are you riding clipped in then, if you have a problem exiting the bike? Peer pressure?

I rarely crash, I like to keep it smooth baby, and I’ve been mountain biking for 22 years. A few of your level ones a year and a level two every couple of years and one level 3 so far which I hope to never go through again.

why is broken collar bone in 2 ? I guess 6 hrs in surgery is comparable to a “deep cuts needing stitches” 🙄

Can i add Level 0

A crash where no damage is done to bike OR rider, except for mild bruising to said riders Ego!!

This summer i managed to go OTB, around 20ft down a near vertical rock strewn gully on the (in)famous La Varda trail in Les Arcs, and amazingly, there wasn’t a scratch on me……….

Over 20+ yrs, a fair few Level 1’s, an average of a Level 2 every 18 months or so (overdue)

And no Level 3’s – now frantically scrapping around looking for wood to touch (fnar)

level 0 – 90% of the rides I do (especially on my cross bike
level 1 – every 5th ride or so often scraped knee (right more than left? )
level 2 – had about 3 in the past 3 years (none with broken bones – but one deep cut down the the knee bone)
level 3 – not yet!

Is it like trail grading, where red in one place can mean blue somewhere else?

I don’t know why, for whatever reason I seem to have very few of those “dust yourself off” crashes now, it’s not that I have big crashes with consequences often, it’s just that almost all my crashes seem to be big ones so they’re not diluted down.

I think the reason I have so many level 0/1 crashes is that I tend to bail safely/early in the crash rather than hold on too long where I would get injured

Since I started riding mtbs around 24 yrs ago, numerous level 1s, a few 2s and really only 1 level 3. (Snapped Achilles tendon)

One slight off or incident per ride is acceptable imo

Where does falling off in the trail centre car park come into this.. there should be a level for this and maybe a level for drunk crashes added

It’s not a crash of you don’t get hurt, just an unplanned dismount.

I’d add a further level of no damage to rider but broken /damaged bicycle.

I crash regularly but if you ain’t crashing you ain’t trying!

In the last 12 months I’ve had 3 big offs. Only one required surgery but the other mashed up my shoulder and knee. Always carried on with the ride.

I call them recalibration events whereby you bring back into balance your skill and ambition. Big crashes normally happen just as I think I’m riding well – pride comes before a fall. The result is always the same and I am less confident and slower.

Last proper two crashes were relatively mild.
Most recent was in a bog near Buttermere – much to the delight of my companions. I managed to find a rock in the bog with my elbow! And the one before that was a tasty OTB dropping down to Ullswater that resulted in mild bruising of me but a wrecked front mastercylinder and a sorry looking rear mech.

What about level -1? The ‘**** me’ how did I get away with that?

level 0 – almost every ride, sometimes even getting on/off bike!
level 1 – often enough, once or twice a month
level 2 – rare, only every couple of years
level 3 – never, hopefully stays that way!

Level one about every half-dozen rides – a tumble off.
Level 2 – been there and had a couple of mates and myself in 20 odd years of riding.

Level 4 – I said goodbye to a riding buddy as I went for MRT, he wasn’t going to survive without immediate medical attention for more than an hour or so. We were halfway up Helvellyn. He (thankfully) and amazingly survived.

Edit; – 3 and 4,o never want to be there again.

why is broken collar bone in 2 ? I guess 6 hrs in surgery is comparable to a “deep cuts needing stitches”

I was under the impression that the majority of broken collar bones were just reduced and then bandaged/sling. V few end up in surgery.

Great suggestion for levels 0 and a sad 4. One of mate’s brothers died otb straight into a tree during the nineties at what is now a popular dh spot.

So it seems either the stw readership are not all that good at mtbing or the good ones don’t post on the “I’ve crashed make me feel better threads”.

Thanks to all for making me feel much better though!

rickon – because I enjoy it, because it’s more efficient, because I crash less often.

I’ve only really realised recently that in OTB’s it makes crashing more dangerous – but I could have the cleat tension too tight.

In 20+ years.

Level 1’s – loads
No Level 2 or upwards.

I have had too many Level1s to count, but one Level 3 spooked me so much that I am now a complete chicken. That doesn’t guarantee me a completely injury-free ride, but it does mean I am less apt to try a drop that goes beyond my extremely low capability.