Going blind on fast descents!

[ColinJ]

Do any of you ever suddenly go blind on steep descents? As you can imagine, it is a worrying problem, especially here in West Yorkshire where there are hundreds of them.

How do you cope?

 

[HLaB]

I've never been fast enough!

 

[Landslide]

Properly blind, or just watering eyes?

 

[Globalti]

Is that what happened to that BMW driver in Tod a couple of weeks ago?

 

[ColinJ]

Is that what happened to that BMW driver in Tod a couple of weeks ago?

No, he was just (nearly) terminally stupid!



Okay, teasing over...

I'd bought a copy of MBR (Mountain Bike Rider) and they had a free plastic helmet peak on the front cover that month. I thought that it would look pretty nifty on my cycle helmet so I stuck it on with the velcro pads provided. I went out on my bike and all was fine until I began the descent of this hill...

I soon got to a speed that was starting to scare me, nearly 40 mph, when - BANG - I suffered a near 100% blackout, I'd gone blind!

I had the most incredible adrenaline rush, and a sick feeling deep in the pit of my stomach.

It was if time stood still. I clearly remember thinking that I was going to crash the bike and either kill or cripple myself. I had time to realise that I really didn't fancy either of those outcomes.

I was braking hard and I could feel the bike slewing around and all this time I couldn't see a thing, and then I realised what must have happened...

I'd hit a bump in the road and a shockwave had travelled up through the bike, and on through my body until it reached my head. The force of the impact had made the velcro pad at the top the peak come undone and it had rotated down until it covered my eyes.

I was still doing about 25 mph but I had to take one hand off the handlebars and tear off the peak. And then there was light. And the light was good!

I'd gone clean across the road and was heading for a violent impact with a dry stone wall. Hand back on the bars, I got the bike under control and braked to a stop at the foot of the hill.

I stood astride the bike, shaking. I thought about climbing back up to find the visor, but decided not to bother...

A couple of years later, I went shopping for a new helmet. I have a big head and the only helmet in the shop that fitted me had a peak attached. Hmmm... I thought long and hard before finally buying it. I make damn sure that the peak is not coming loose when I set off though!

 

[NickM]

Whoah! What a buzz!! And cheaper than drugs, too

 

[Mr Pig]

That's a good one :0)

All I've had is blurry vision when going down rocky/bumpy trails. A few years ago I almost ran into a wire across the entrance to a lane because I didn't see it 'til the last minute. It's only a few feet off the ground, obviously put there to stop people taking cars up the lane.

 

[Globalti]

Where's that hill Colin? Is in Luddenden Dean? There are some shockers there.

 

[ColinJ]

Where's that hill Colin? Is in Luddenden Dean? There are some shockers there.

Close, but no cigar!

It's Midgley Road (from Midgley down to Mytholmroyd).

You're right about Luddenden Dean. It's a lovely valley but the climbs out of it are tough. Stocks Lane has been used for the national hillclimb championships in recent years.

My last two forum rides went up the Jowler climb to Wainstalls. Hang on, I'll see if I kept any photos of it. Here you go...

That's Bokonon romping away up the hill, followed by goodspeed whose romping had come to an abrupt halt when the gradient got to his dodgy knees. He had to walk the last bit of the climb but he still got up there ahead of me!

 

[zacklaws]

Sounds like your going too fast and pulling too much "G", you sure your on a bike and not in an F16

 

[Mr Pig]

Where's that hill Colin? Is in Luddenden Dean?

No, it's just around the corner! ;0) It's not a big hill, just a dirt track that comes down from a loch to the road behind Inverhouse Distillery. The wire's been there for years, I'd seen it loads of times. Just forgot all about it!

There's another very steep track just outside the village. A few years ago they dumped new gravel on it, very chunky stuff like they use under railway track. Getting up it is hard enough but going down it is horrible. The bike kicks and bucks like crazy and you can't brake much because it's too loose.

 

[HLaB]

That's a good one :0)

All I've had is blurry vision when going down rocky/bumpy trails. A few years ago I almost ran into a wire across the entrance to a lane because I didn't see it 'til the last minute. It's only a few feet off the ground, obviously put there to stop people taking cars up the lane.

Or by very short neds ?

 

[Mr Pig]

Or by very short neds ?

One big problem around here is that people dump rubbish in these lanes and tracks. The track in question, the one with the wire, often has rubbish dumped next to the wire. If the wire wasn't there they'd drive up the track and dump it out of sight of the road.