Courage; does it return? For all crashees

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

yep I had a very nasty mtb accident where my beloved and highly expensive carbon fibre scott genius ltd snapped. I was knocked unconscious, I fractured my eye socket and buggered up both wrists. I would have probably broke my neck had I been wearing a helmet (my head fit exactly between 2 cut back shrub stumps about 18 inches tall, still got one scar on the lhs of my head, the one on the rhs has now faded).

Anyway, I am now scared off carbon for life, the frame was replaced due to a manufacturing fault, apparently it was a well know undetectable fault (the layers were not laminated correctly). The lbs built it back up and I ebayed it, couldn't get over the not knowing if the cf was good or not.

I bought a CX bike that unbeknown to me had cf forks, I loved it until the lbs I bought it from told me the forks were spayed cf....it was ebayed that night.

I've literally just bought a hard tail mtb 3 years after the accident, so yeah the courage returns, but it was slowly for me. I'm not back to launching it down the side of Pendle hill just yet, but after a few weeks on local trails I'm improving courage wise (and as you rode with me on my mtb, you know that descending wasn't a problem for me...)

 

[CopperCyclist]

I slipped on ice and it affected my cornering abilities for about a month afterwards, I just couldn't carry the same speed into anything. It was purely a mental block which did dissipate - I'm told it's actually a defence mechanism of the brain that makes it more difficult to repeat a similar manoeuvre to the one that caused you the crash.

 

[Dangermouse]

I had a nasty one on my MTB a couple of years ago, heading towards a largeish log over the trail which I have bunny hopped hundreds of times, but this time some one had dug a hole on the other side of the log and I was the first over, and out and on the way to A&E with a burts shoulder and a second bum hole where a sharp stick did some body peircing, anyway after a few weeks off the bike for obvious reason I was back on the same trail and after checking the log, I went for it and never looked back

 

[PaulB]

I slipped on ice and it affected my cornering abilities for about a month afterwards, I just couldn't carry the same speed into anything. It was purely a mental block which did dissipate - I'm told it's actually a defence mechanism of the brain that makes it more difficult to repeat a similar manoeuvre to the one that caused you the crash.

I think that's correct. Not long after I'd taken up riding, I was on an MTB in an event that was 60% off road so for the on-road parts, I put slicks on and that was a big mistake. I was going round a not-so-sharp bend but lost the grip and went down. No pain but my memory of the incident is now hard-wired and prevents me from leaning over and makes me much more cautious than most others I ride with.

 

[al78]

Three years ago I was coming down the hill from Coldharbour towards Dorking on my folder, this road is narrow, set in an embankment and of variable quality surface, with a few blind bends thrown in for good measure. There are two significant downhill sections, the second being much steeper than the first. I was accelerating down this second section when a car came round the bend in the distance towing a trailer, so I tried to kill some speed, and the bike just went sideways and I landed hard on my right elbow. Was taken to hospital and needed 12 stitches. £250 repair bill for the bike. I still have the scars today. I still come down that hill with nervousness and have been known to get off and walk down the steepest bits if the road is wet and covered in loose gravel and dirt. Problem is I have no idea why the bike reacted the way it did so it is not as if I can say there is one particular thing I did wrong that I know now not to do.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I was hit by a car as a teenager (on a road bike), long downhill and vehicle overtook me and turned left across my path. Leading edge of the trailer hit me, knocking me into the railings. off duty police officer witness whole thing and I came around in the ambulance, so never really felt the pain. I was riding again within a week. I hated that junction, but still did it. - result, much more careful of cars overtaking me and indicating left (not that he did). would I have gotten back on the bike as quickly 20 years later - probably.

Came off my mtb on an off-road route - had to get back on and carry on. both me and the bike lost a lot of skin, blood and not impressed with previous rider who had not cleared the log out of the path after their fall. Not repeated the route since, not sure I will but I do double check around 180 degree bends much more carefully. Injuries meant I could not cycle for about 3-4 days, but I was cycling to work again within a week.

I've come off a couple of times on my tourer. more careful around cyclists without panniers when I have them - they don't take into account stopping distances being much greater... Didn't stop me touring, but did make me realise that the dream would be over a lot sooner if I was not more careful - that was at best 10 days into a 350 day tour.

 

[Tynan]

what the others have said, had all manner of traffic prangs barring dooring although some arrow squeaks there, the older I get/the more I have the longer it seems to take to recover, I had a very mior fall at low speed when the front slipped on a damp manhole and it took me months to trust the bike to corner at any speed and I dreaded cornering over metalwork, dry or wet

some caution is called for I think and only experience will teach that

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

I've come off the mountain bike a few times, and just shrugged it off as an occupational hazard, even sat there laughing as the bike landed on my head one time.
The scare I had on the road bike has had the biggest effect on me. I just ride the MTB to the closest trail. I don't think it's worth it any more. I've waited too long to have the life I have now and can't see the point in losing it to some dickhead that can't think.

 

[Stamfli]

I can fully understand your problem, 13 weeks ago I had a slow speed 'incident' on a B road, slowed down for a blind corner, came round corner to be faced with several potholes and loose detritus from heavy rains. I avoided first couple of holes, back end slid away on sandy crap sending bike sideways into two other holes bending front wheel and clattering me sideways onto the road. Without going into further details, I ended up with an emergency full hip replacement and the repurcussions it entails.
I've been 'delicately' using my mountain bike for three weeks and have just repaired my beloved road bike. The problem is I test rode it in the back lane was nervous as hell and felt like a novice rider.
I realise that I need to build up confidence but suspect I'll be extremely carefull to say the least as I'm now petrified of falling on my hip!
Got to overcome those demons though.
On plus side, my helmet took a side impact blow and cracked through saving the same from happening to the old skull!

 

[dan_bo]

I noted the other week that my mate Dave, a very very accomplished MTBer, that he was riding particularly well- I could keep up with him on the downhills even less than usual. In the end I said "you haven't had a massive crash for a good while now have you dave?"

He hadn't.

 

[ufkacbln]

Mountain Bike some fifteen years ago now... Skull, collarbone, ribs, right hip and pelvis

Took me about six or eight weeks to get back on a bike, then bought a Linear recumbent to ease the pelvis discomfort.

After about 6 months I was back riding all the bikes.including the one I was on at the time, but even after a respray, new forks and wheels I never felt really comfortable on it, and although I still ride it occasionally I am more careful and slower on it (even after all this time). I ride past the place where it happened regularly and it really doesn't spook me

Haven't done much off road since, and have gradually become more laid back literally with my weapons of choice all being recumbents.

Still have folders, racers, MTBs, load carriers and touring bikes.. all of which I ride without any issues

 

[PaulB]

It's a mountain bike horror story that makes me steer as clear as I can from that particular contraption. I was talking to a barman in an Aberdonian hotel one time and we got on to cycling. He had stopped his mountain bike jaunts after an incident that makes me wince even now, many years later. He hit a large boulder with his front wheel and was propelled forward out of his saddle but considered himself lucky he hadn't hit the object himself but the cost was landing very hard on the top tube, 'splitting the difference' if you will. He then noticed some perineal pain and bruising and blood in the urine. This got progressively worse and he was diagnosed with a split urethra requiring a urethroplasty where the piss-tube is brought out behind the clockweights! In the 'taint'!

 

[dan_bo]

It's a mountain bike horror story that makes me steer as clear as I can from that particular contraption. I was talking to a barman in an Aberdonian hotel one time and we got on to cycling. He had stopped his mountain bike jaunts after an incident that makes me wince even now, many years later. He hit a large boulder with his front wheel and was propelled forward out of his saddle but considered himself lucky he hadn't hit the object himself but the cost was landing very hard on the top tube, 'splitting the difference' if you will. He then noticed some perineal pain and bruising and blood in the urine. This got progressively worse and he was diagnosed with a split urethra requiring a urethroplasty where the ****-tube is brought out behind the clockweights! In the 'taint'!

 

[fossyant]

 

[fossyant]

Have you ever had a nasty crash on the two-wheeled machine you pedal? Not a bad one with bones and stuff, just a nasty one leaving you bleeding, limping and sore. If you have, did it affect your riding soon afterwards?

I'll tell you why I ask; I have never had a fall at speed before but the day I rode with that Brit who won the Tour de France, I can't think of his name but he's a Paul Weller wannabe, I crashed at around 20 mph at the 46 mile mark. Along with the injuries, it was predicted I'd suffer shock but I haven't and refuse to. But on the bike today, I noticed I was braking earlier and descending much slower and more carefully than for a very long time, almost like I'm a novice again.

To those sages of the forum who have crashed at speed, did you get your courage back or do you notice you still ride more cautiously than you did before the incident?

Love to hear any experiences on this.

It knocks you back for a short while, but I've generally got back on.

Even getting side swiped at 25 mph, including said superman impression, and landing in the middle of scaffolding (I missed it, the bike didn't RIP) and one busted wrist, I was back on.