First Ever Crash

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AndyCh

Über Member
Unfortunately, when I was cycling to work this morning I had a bit of a coming together with the road. I was turning left when a pedestrian stepped out into the road where I was turning. I swerved around him, but I had lost my turning arc and the road was wet, so as I tried to tighten the turn around him to complete the turn my front wheel disappeared from under me and I came crashing down in the blink of an eye on to my left hand side.
I was bit too shaken to have a go at the guy who walked out in front of me, he did stop to make sure I was ok though (as did a couple of other people), but I think he was a bit oblivious to the fact he was a major contributing factor to the cause of the accident.

I was going at a reasonably fair lick though (another contributing factor) so it was a heavy fall. I've hurt my left shoulder, elbow, left leg below the knee, ribs of left hand side, and cut my right hand as the handlebars were twisted 180 degrees during the fall and must have dragged my right hand around. There was plenty of blood on show and I must have looked a bit of a sight coming in to work this morning, but fortunately there is nothing too serious (although my ribs are a bit uncomfortable, despite an element of natural padding!).

I felt my helmet smash against the ground and it is has taken much of the force of the fall. The helmet has fractured and crumpled, so I am very, very glad I was wearing it otherwise I'm sure I'd be in a bed at St Thomas' Hospital right now.
After today, I would say never ride without a helmet, ever, even for a short trip.

The last contributing factor is that I still had a Schwalbe Kojak on the front, so no tread at all, which isn't ideal for October roads. Time to change for some tread!

All in all, I'm lucky I'm ok, but given a little less pace and aggression on the road, I wouldn't have come off. I thought after 10-12 years of relatively safe commuting on London roads I was invincible - I was wrong.....

Stay safe out there folks.
Andy
 

coffeejo

Ælfrēd
Location
West Somerset
Ouch. How's the bike?
 

loother

Über Member
Location
kent
Unfortunately, when I was cycling to work this morning I had a bit of a coming together with the road. I was turning left when a pedestrian stepped out into the road where I was turning. I swerved around him, but I had lost my turning arc and the road was wet, so as I tried to tighten the turn around him to complete the turn my front wheel disappeared from under me and I came crashing down in the blink of an eye on to my left hand side.
I was bit too shaken to have a go at the guy who walked out in front of me, he did stop to make sure I was ok though (as did a couple of other people), but I think he was a bit oblivious to the fact he was a major contributing factor to the cause of the accident.

I was going at a reasonably fair lick though (another contributing factor) so it was a heavy fall. I've hurt my left shoulder, elbow, left leg below the knee, ribs of left hand side, and cut my right hand as the handlebars were twisted 180 degrees during the fall and must have dragged my right hand around. There was plenty of blood on show and I must have looked a bit of a sight coming in to work this morning, but fortunately there is nothing too serious (although my ribs are a bit uncomfortable, despite an element of natural padding!).

I felt my helmet smash against the ground and it is has taken much of the force of the fall. The helmet has fractured and crumpled, so I am very, very glad I was wearing it otherwise I'm sure I'd be in a bed at St Thomas' Hospital right now.
After today, I would say never ride without a helmet, ever, even for a short trip.

The last contributing factor is that I still had a Schwalbe Kojak on the front, so no tread at all, which isn't ideal for October roads. Time to change for some tread!

All in all, I'm lucky I'm ok, but given a little less pace and aggression on the road, I wouldn't have come off. I thought after 10-12 years of relatively safe commuting on London roads I was invincible - I was wrong.....

Stay safe out there folks.
Andy
Sorry to learn of your accident. Glad you are ok. I do not think that treaded tyres would have helped, as they would have offered less grip than a "slick".
 
OP
OP
AndyCh

AndyCh

Über Member
I've just been out to check the bike a bit more (I pushed it the last few yards to work this morning) and after a bit of fettling it seems ok apart from a few dents and scratches.

I think the damp road coupled with slicks was part of the issue. I've got an Armadillo at home to go on the front anyway (I've already got one on the back), so not much more tread, but a little.
 

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
I've just been out to check the bike a bit more (I pushed it the last few yards to work this morning) and after a bit of fettling it seems ok apart from a few dents and scratches.

I think the damp road coupled with slicks was part of the issue. I've got an Armadillo at home to go on the front anyway (I've already got one on the back), so not much more tread, but a little.


I used Armadillo's for 5 winter commutes.
Come off twice. Once because a build up of frost, the other because of leaf mulch.
Apart from that they are very good tyres.
 

Maz

Guru
You couldn't it, resist could you? :angry:
Strong with this one, the crankiness is...
im-bg-voice-yoda.jpg
 

J.Primus

Senior Member
I think it's more the combination of damp roads and your speed. You were going too fast for the conditions. Glad you're OK though.

It depends how near the pedestrian was when they stepped out. I've hit a ped before who without warning stepped out a metre infront of me, unless I was doing 3mph it would require a dangerous swerve or a collision.
 

Twilkes

Guru
It depends how near the pedestrian was when they stepped out. I've hit a ped before who without warning stepped out a metre infront of me, unless I was doing 3mph it would require a dangerous swerve or a collision.

If this is the case, is it wrong of me to extrapolate that if a pedestrian unreasonably steps out in front of me at close quarters, I should just aim straight for them with the aim of cushioning any potential impact, rather than trying to avoid them and risking an impact with something less soft?
 
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