Keep hitting my shin and recently fell off bike - What shin pads?

[fossyant]

What are lugs on shoes sir? What are cross country shoes? Thank you kind sir.

Just don't straddle the bike and move it. Get off and shift the bike. Your shins will thank you.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Watch this...

With respect that's a load of cr@p (@classic got wrong one). I think that's probably what the OP is doing but (a) he has a top tube whereas the video hasn't and (b) it's not scooting, it's shuffling.
Scooting is where the rider lifts a leg over the saddle and, keeping one foot on the pedal, 'scoots' with the other, sort of cross legged.
Worth practising this (most at the age of 6) on flat ground, could be grass if confidence is so low you think you'll fall.
Starting off:
1) Place right foot on right pedal (left footers can do all this opposite iyswim)
2) Push off and move, but do not lift the left foot over the saddle
3) 'Scoot' (push backwards on the ground) with that left leg/foot: may need to bend right leg
4) At the end of the push, swing the left leg forward as far as it'll go (right leg in front of it limits this)
5) Repeat Step (3)
6) If the nice man says stop riding your bike: this is a pedestrianised area and no cycling allowed, reply both politely and intellectually, and take prudent remedial action: e.g. put both feet on ground (NB still on one side of the bike) and push it.
Going from riding the bike to scooting:
1) Without stopping (shoe/pedal unclip as necessary) throw left leg over the saddle
2) Do not unclip right shoe; maintain some momentum (and balance)
3) Left leg is now hanging behind right leg
4) As (3) above
Scoot on
On cross country training shoes, this is what I mean: the industry likely calls them 'trail shoes' (see also 'gravel bikes'), but there are plenty of less extreme tread patterns, and shoes across the price spectrum (I am not suggesting the ones below, which I paste for illustration only). I use my orienteering shoes (inov8) once they have bashed the forests for their life's work.

 

[classic33]

With respect that's a load of cr@p. I think that's probably what the OP is doing but (a) he has a top tube whereas the video hasn't and (b) it's not scooting, it's shuffling.
Scooting is where the rider lifts a leg over the saddle and, keeping one foot on the pedal, 'scoots' with the other, sort of cross legged.

Posted the wrong one.
So in the interest of safety, I'll delete.

The majority seem to be for teaching a child, someone who can't ride a bike to learn it.

 

[Bazzer]

Sir, how do I scoot with one foot off the pedal? My foot won't make full contact with the ground while seated. I'm stupid. I'm sorry. Thank you. I appreciate your reply and everyone else's.

Lower your saddle, until you can put your foot sufficiently on the ground that you are confident with. Over time and as your confidence grows, you may be able to raise the saddle, so that when peddling your knee is less crooked in rotation.
When sitting on the saddle, it is my toes on the ground not my foot, but I suspect that may be too far for you to go.

 

[Milena]

Okay you don't want to give up riding a bike, now you've to learn to ride the bike you have. And that means riding it in a safe manner. Horrible or not giving up cycling, due to being a danger to others might be your safest option. You don't sound, or act, as though you're confident cycling on the roads. You slipped, and fell off your bike on the footpath. Suppose after coming off the bike, in an uncontrolled manner, your bike had hit someone. What then?
If you want to reply along the lines of "it didn't hit anyone,(this time), so it doesn't matter". The suggestion remains. That or learn how to ride it properly, in a way that's safe for yourself and others around you.

In both of your pictures, there's bollards clearly visible. They've been placed there to stop people taking road vehicles onto the pavement. In one, there's a sign that shows it's a pedestrian zone, no vehicles. Not a shared zone as you've claimed.

You don't know where both your legs are when you're shuffling? A normal bike isn't designed to move sideways, with the rider still on it. Yet you do it for metres.
If you're on a road that isn't wide enough to allow a car past you, then don't. You pick the safe spot where you want to let them past you.

You say there are many factors involved, yet they all come back to you. In the case of you slipping
You were on the footpath.
You claim that the bricks were smooth.
It was also around -2c.
It was wet.
You were changing direction, possibly your speed as well. Having come off the road onto the footpath.
You don't see that you did anything wrong.


One piece of advice, for all road users on wheels, when ice may be present(It's near or below 0c) is not to try and change your speed or direction of travel. You tried, and you've learnt why you're advised not to do it. Your entry level tyres were not to blame.

There's no sign saying for pedestrians only. Where do you see that? 😂 That one sign says 'restricted parking zone' which you can't even tell from the screenshots I gave. You're just making things up 💀

It WAS horrible for someone to tell me to stop cycling just because I fell one time in almost a year of cycling.

That path is very wide and is a very short bit of path like that. All things that connect to that path are roads.

There's no signs saying for pedestrians or cycling or anything at all except the restricted parking sign.

I specifically wrote I do it for LESS THAN a metre. Not going to reply to anything else you wrote. You're message is clearly personal. I shall continue cycling whenever I want.

 

[classic33]

There's no sign saying for pedestrians only. Where do you see that? 😂 That one sign says 'restricted parking zone' which you can't even tell from the screenshots I gave. You're just making things up 💀

It WAS horrible for someone to tell me to stop cycling just because I fell one time in almost a year of cycling.

That path is very wide and is a very short bit of path like that. All things that connect to that path are roads.

There's no signs saying for pedestrians or cycling or anything at all except the restricted parking sign.

I specifically wrote I do it for LESS THAN a metre. Not going to reply to anything else you wrote. You're message is clearly personal. I shall continue cycling whenever I want.

You rode your bike on a footpath, where you lost control of the bike.
This time you were lucky, next time you may just hurt someone else.
But it's not just because you and your bike parted company, once on a footpath. It's the shuffling, and your reasons for having to do it.
You've been lucky so far, but it will catch you out in the end. And the end result won't be anything like the "injury pictures" you posted earlier.

 

[fossyant]

Key advice here is don't shuffle the bike (you don't seem to be listening) - it's why you've whacked your shins.

TBH you are doing well to have only fallen off once in a year - fell off loads myself, usually mountain biking where it's compulsory for 'little lie downs' as we call it.

 

[biketrailerguy]

Folding pedals?

 

[Milena]

So I am back on the bike as of the other day. Riding in jeans would you believe it. My jeans are somewhat stretchy so it's not too bad to ride at all. Nothing like I imagined it to be. The shin still has a scab but I am being EXTRA careful not to shuffle, and I am going for shorter rides and I am minimising on road riding, and any on road, I am no longer getting scared and stopping and shuffling over to the side to let cars pass. I just keep cycling despite hearing a car behind me. They overtake when they REALLY shouldn't though, putting everyone in danger.

Now, what I have noticed is I dropped the tire pressure from around 80-85 psi to 60 psi and I can now ride hands free, I assume because the tire is making more of a flat shape when in contact with the ground as opposed to a more V shape when it has lots of pressure in; aka more tire in contact with the ground. I could not ride hands free when I rode higher pressure.
I find it's smoother to ride and much more stable on gravel. Lowering the tire pressure has made a huge difference to how stable the bike is overall and I now feel safer on it.

 

[Ajax Bay]

So I am back on the bike as of the other day. . . . . on road, I am no longer getting scared and stopping and shuffling over to the side to let cars pass. I just keep cycling despite hearing a car behind me.
I dropped the tire pressure from around 80-85 psi to 60 psi and I can now ride hands free, I assume because the tire is making more of a flat shape when in contact with the ground as opposed to a more V shape when it has lots of pressure in; aka more tire in contact with the ground. I could not ride hands free when I rode higher pressure.
I find it's smoother to ride and much more stable on gravel. Lowering the tire pressure has made a huge difference to how stable the bike is overall and I now feel safer on it.

Back on bike - good.
On the road - good.
Not being scared by a car behind - good.
Not stopping - good.
Shuffling - cut it from your repertoire: either stop legs astride; ride; or get off and push (bike on outside of you).
Cars pass - some drivers give more space than others.
Your tyres are 42-622s (42mm wide: you can measure this).
I suspect that 80psi might be above the tyre's specced max pressure btw. It will be marked on the tyre wall.
If you are 75kg would drop to 35psi front and 45psi rear for the riding you're doing. Add one psi for every 2kg you weigh more or one psi for every 3kg less.
Don't overthink the grip thing. Glad you feel safer.

 

[Brandane]

I dropped the tire pressure from around 80-85 psi to 60 psi and I can now ride hands free,

So.... last week you were having to shuffle your bike into the side of the road if a car came anywhere near you. This week you are riding hands free.
I suspect one of the wind-up members of the past has returned.....

 

[classic33]

So.... last week you were having to shuffle your bike into the side of the road if a car came anywhere near you. This week you are riding hands free.
I suspect one of the wind-up members of the past has returned.....

You as well?

 

[Milena]

Back on bike - good.
On the road - good.
Not being scared by a car behind - good.
Not stopping - good.
Shuffling - cut it from your repertoire: either stop legs astride; ride; or get off and push (bike on outside of you).
Cars pass - some drivers give more space than others.
Your tyres are 42-622s (42mm wide: you can measure this).
I suspect that 80psi might be above the tyre's specced max pressure btw. It will be marked on the tyre wall.
If you are 75kg would drop to 35psi front and 45psi rear for the riding you're doing. Add one psi for every 2kg you weigh more or one psi for every 3kg less.
Don't overthink the grip thing. Glad you feel safer.

No. Tire wall states 50-85psi. So I won't go below 50psi