What would you do if...
- Thread starter Jake
- Start date
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Landslide
Rare Migrant
- Location
- Called to the bar
Fall off, probably.
OP
OP
Jake
New Member
lol at fall off, yes, but trying to avoid that if can. If you apply the brake, wont the front wheel more then likely turn and you go over the top? Grab which part of the frame? if you got clip on shoes, then twisting them out will be a prob too. It's going to be a sight to be seen for sure
Brahan
Über Member
- Location
- West Sussex
You can steer your bike using the tops of your forks. But you need to watch your fingers in the spokes and the more your looking at where to place your dainty little didgits the less time you have to react to that car ahead of you which has just lit up it's brake lights.
Landslide
Rare Migrant
- Location
- Called to the bar
In all seriousness, I suspect that such a catastrophic failure will most likely occur when you're out of the saddle and sending more force through the bars. As such, I suspect that you'd have to be either incredibly lucky or the best bike handler in the universe not to fall off.
Jake said:
Only if you brake stupidly hard. In anycase if you massively overdo the front the rear will come forward and you're off handlebar or not. I'd grab the top of the triangle.
Unclipping ain't a problem. It's perfectly possible to unclip whilst cycling no handed.
Brahan
Über Member
- Location
- West Sussex
Ha that picture is brilliant. It doesn't really paint the picture of having too much time to consider one's options though - gravity it seems acts quicker that the mind.
Landslide said:Fall off, probably.
Funny and probably correct.
I don't think you can really plan for this, it would all happen too quickly. Just maintain your bike well and check it regularly and the likelihood of this is minimal.
Unless of course you worry about whether to wear a helmet or not in case of meteorite strikes or tortoises being dropped by large birds of prey, in which case all hope is lost.
OP
OP
Jake
New Member
crazy pic, when was that? yes i they would come off when your pushing/puling real hard. so your prob right, your just going to fall off with some force one way or the other. no time to unclip, and not sure about unclipping with no hands-yet.. you can try breaking i guess but your prob going to let go of your handle bars to put down on the road.
simon_brooke
New Member
- Location
- Auchencairn
The moral of the story is:
* Don't use ultra-light handlebars - there are better places to save weight;
* Do inspect your handlebars for cracks or other damage, whenever you clean the bike and after any fall however minor;
* Also check your stem and the crown of your forks!
The fact you can ride a bike no hands is more or less irrelevant here - if your handlebars break it's almost certainly when you're putting pressure on them, in which case when they break suddenly you are going to be suddenly off balance, and you cannot ride no hands when off balance.
A broken handlebar, stem or front fork will result in a crash on at least 90% of occasions.
* Don't use ultra-light handlebars - there are better places to save weight;
* Do inspect your handlebars for cracks or other damage, whenever you clean the bike and after any fall however minor;
* Also check your stem and the crown of your forks!
The fact you can ride a bike no hands is more or less irrelevant here - if your handlebars break it's almost certainly when you're putting pressure on them, in which case when they break suddenly you are going to be suddenly off balance, and you cannot ride no hands when off balance.
A broken handlebar, stem or front fork will result in a crash on at least 90% of occasions.
beanzontoast
Guru
- Location
- South of The Peaks
If it happened when most force was being exerted on the drop bars, it would be when I was out of the saddle and climbing a hill. On the good side, I wouldn't be going very fast. On the bad side, I can't see any option but hitting the ground with some force as a result.
My brother once had a bike that he needed to fix. He left it outside a shop unlocked (yes, silly I know) and was going to walk it back home because the handlebar was completely loose. But someone stole it. It was only a cheap second hand bike, and it was some consolation that the thief will have injured themselves!
