Falling off

[A Cyclist]

had a couple of clipless moments, specially the first one, as soon as I landed on my left to stop for a traffic light heard a chorus of 'aawww' from the cars around. Pride was...damn don't even talk about it. managed to get back on the saddle very quickly, continued like everyone after the light went green.

 

[Whiskey88]

The best fall I had was when I was 14. I had a standard, teenager's mountain bike and was riding it down a steep, unpaved path through a park. I knew that there were deep JCB tracks at the bottom of the hill coming through 1 of 2 gaps in the fence - I chose the wrong gap and at roughly 40 mph went straight into them. Flew off the handlebars and skidded through a nettle patch, with the nettles themselves cutting my hand open.

I got up, wrapped my hand in my t-shirt and carried on to my mates house, where I was always intended to go. 4 hours later when I went home, waved at my dad and a large chunk of skin started flapping off my hand, he insisted on taking me to the hospital for some reason...

 

[Born2die]

Saying nothing..........................

Earlier MrsF reminded me of a fall, but as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't count. 2 summers ago I parked my bike against this wall by the viaduct and sat on it idly drinking my water, it was sunny, I had my bike and I felt really good, I sat there relaxing, I was so relaxed that I toppled backwards into the River Aire.

I know I shouldn't laugh but Sorry. Hope it was deep enough that you didn't get injured well apart from pride

 

[wilkotom]

I've fallen off twice. Once was after hitting a rabbit hole in an effort to avoid an idiot who jumed straight *into* my path as I cycled through a local park. Was going nice and slow, so no real damage done.

The other occasion was just after dropping my son off at nursery. Forgetting that the back wheel had been liberated of the heavy weight of boy + bike seat, I squeezed the front brake just a mite too hard approaching a junction. The next thing I know I'm over the handlebars on the tarmac. Must have looked hilarious to the woman in the car behind me.

 

[MarkF]

Hope it was deep enough that you didn't get injured well apart from pride

I was not hurt, as in not in real pain, but I was injured enough to be unable to ride for 6 months.......... after my op. I did though, behave like the Yorkshireman I am, I climbed out of the river, clambered back up to the canal and rode home, like a boss!

 

[Globalti]

I've fallen off my mountain bike many many times, dozens and dozens, but always low-speed tumbles. Only one was a fast fall on an icy tarmac downhill, I slammed down on my hip which hurt a lot. After 22 years of mountain biking I am still alive, unlike my poor late pal John Graham who broke his neck on Skiddaw two weeks ago.

I also rode motorbikes for 12 years covering up to 24,000 miles a year in all weathers; after five years of road cycling I've still to have that fall; I guess off-road cycling and motorbiking do give you a feel for the quality of the grip. It will happen soon and I'm not looking forward to it.

 

[Biker Joe]

Having just read of another fall, I was wondering if I am just lucky or an uber cyclist, I've never fallen off. Sure, I've skidded on loose surfaces a few times, but fallen? Never................

but I just don't know how people do it.

I just don't know how people do it either..... never fallen off ,that is.

 

[Born2die]

I was not hurt, as in not in real pain, but I was injured enough to be unable to ride for 6 months.......... after my op. I did though, behave like the Yorkshireman I am, I climbed out of the river, clambered back up to the canal and rode home, like a boss!

True Yorkshireman there they build em ard up north

 

[Davidc]

Had one when I was 9 (52 years ago) from which I still have 3 big scars (ended up in hospital). Had one when I was 20 (41 years ago) in a crash where a car and a van driver died. I'd have been beheaded if wearing a helmet. Hurt but nothing permanent.

I came off this year on a diesel spill. Cost me a jacket and a pair of trousers but no more than a bruise.

Like FF I don't seem to get many falls now. Perhaps I'm slower than I was? more careful? older? I just don't know.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

To conquer the fear of falling, you must take a tumble at least once!

 

[Shut Up Legs]

I've fallen off so many times it's not funny
I do have Dyspraxia (balance problem) and going over a stone could unbalance me enough to make me fall!

I remember being off road and going uphill on a loose, dirt and gravel surface.
The momentum of the bike slowed, the hill was steep and my bike heavy, so I couldn't get it going again.
I ground to a halt, standing on the pedals and in slow motion, fell sideways, bike on top of me and all
My husband said it was the funniest thing he'd ever seen. Lucky I love him eh?

That occurred on my last bike fall, which thankfully, was about 1.5 years ago now, but my hands still have the scars. I landed on the ground, and the bike landed on top of me. That's just wrong: I'm supposed to be on top, damn it!

 

[fossyant]

Hmm where do I start....

Clipped wheels in France, landed on left shoulder, took lots of skin off.
Crashed on Cat and Fiddle, took a six inch patch off my butt, shredded my new shorts, and ground the side off my pedal.
Superman impression on A6 in Stockport, left hook. Broke wrist, written off bike frame.
Hit on roundabout, damaged left shoulder needing surgery and lots of injections
Hit on nose by flying rock on way home from work. Ambulance job to A&E, steri strips on nose, two black eyes, lost feeling in right side of nose for a few years.

MTB generally low speed over the handlebar stuff.

 

[Sandra6]

I don't fall spectacularly very often - in fact I've only done one over the bars dismount with a roll and tuck thrown in for good measure. Damn those disc brakes! But I do have a regular number of not entirely planned or expected dismounts. Usually on the mtb when a hill is steeper than anticipated or a tree root takes me by surprise. I never actually hit the deck so it's not a fall as such.
I've also had a couple of non-clipped in clipless moments where I've just lost my balance while standing still. It's a gift.

 

[vernon]

Only two spills both of them fairly spectacular:

On a descent of a Cam High Road in the Yorkshire Dales I managed to do the splits as I went over the handlebars and found myself running down the track with my bike tumbling behind me. I was unscathed but bewildered. My MTB acquired a few scrapes.

Cycling along the towpath of the Leeds Liverpool canal on my Dawes Galaxy my front wheel dropped into a gap between to Yorkshire stone paving slabs bringing the bike to an instant halt. I remember thinking that I'd hit a force field as there wasn't a visible means of bringing the bike to an instant halt. I did a straight armed rotation over the bars and body slammed onto my back on the tow path knocking the wind out of me. There were no reported casualties of the resultant tsunami - the locks probably attenuated it before it reached Leeds city centre.

 

[tyred]

Since my adult cycling career began, I've had two minor low speed offs - fell off my old MTB on black ice on the approach to a junction on minor road and I dropped the front wheel of my fixed wheel Carlton into the slots on a drainage grate on petrol station forecourt at low speed after using their toilets which was a major observational fail.

Both these incidents happened 3 or 4 years ago and I have to admit as time has gone on, I worry I'm overdue to a real and painful crash.