Ah,
@cookie32, don't let it scare you. The internet is big enough to find fuel for any phobia these days. I rode that corner four times a week for five years, only went down once, and that was in the same condition as
@gaz's off.
@Scoosh has it right, I reckon.
For what its worth, in terms of going rubber side up (and allowing for variation in experience) when its happened I've witnessed the following:
- If it goes down because of collision with immobile (or mobile but unobservant) object, DF riders can go over the bars where 'bent riders will slide forwards with their weight on their feet. I've put the SMGTe into the side of a car hard enough to require digging the chain rings back out of the driver's door, but came away without any damage to self (or oddly bike). It might have been different on an OSS bike, but USS gave me a very easy exit.
- If it goes down because of catastrophic loss of grip, DF riders may get a foot down and keep upright before a 'bent rider can usefully react. But, assuming neither keeps it upright, the DF rider re-interfaces with the ground using extremities such as arms and wrists, whilst the 'bent rider more typically gets dumped on their butt. I've gone down beside a DF a couple of times, and the DF got a broken wrist whilst I mainly bruised my ego and painted by rear end an interesting mottled raspberry. The times I've done this on a DF have entailed rolling out of it to avoid injury. The times its happened on an OSS 'bent, I've tended to slide to a halt with the frame. The times its happened on a USS, I've tended to slide to a halt ON TOP of the frame (and have worn down bar ends that will witness my lucky escapes).
So... what have I learnt?
- 'Bents are no less safe than DFs when it all goes wrong.
- It takes me a long time to realise I need to ride appropriately for the conditions.
Yes, I've put myself in hospital a few times. Yes, I've had some horrific offs. But then, my hospital file was already being trollied into ERs when I was on DFs, so its more likely my approach than the specific choice of steed. So don't worry about high speed corners, bud. The very fact that you do means you don't need to.
Here are the original vids, btw:
- me.
View: http://youtu.be/Be9zGY5LofA?t=35s
- gaz:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtSwmLWCRjU