When was the last time you......fell off your bike ?

[Supersuperleeds]

Touch wood, I haven't fallen off for a long time. Last time will probably be the time I got a fly in my eye. I took my specs off with one hand, went to wipe my eye with the other and promptly hit a bike in front of me.

I was riding down the canal on my way to work and I was behind a couple of other bikes who because I had taken my specs off, I couldn't see had stopped. Luckily the bin I hit after hitting the bike stopped me going in the canal . More importantly the only thing I damaged was my pride, was rather embarrassing all these people asking me if I was alright when the off was completely my fault.

 

[Mike_P]

On black ice early 2020 pre lockdown on the morning commute using the road bike as the then ebike converted hybrid had suffered what transpired to be a terminal failure of its motor. Having safely navigated a path a right angle turn on the following road surface was decidedly a quick unbalancing U shaped sidewards and down action. Memorable even more as further on and possibly due to the earlier impact the rear derailleur broke.

 

[welsh dragon]

Last time I fell off was about 5 years ago. Trundling along a little country lane when suddenly a pheasant flew out of the hedge and came straight at me. I jumped, lost control of my bike and fell rather ungracefully onto the grass verge. I was more concerned for my bike than for myself.

 

[Mike_P]

Flip just realized there was a later saying hello to the tarmac last year. Stopped at the top of a climb, put a foot on the ground and the whole centre of gravity went the other way! Must have been some strange camber on the road. Managed to cut my left leg on the shirt exposed part between the bottom of a pair of bib knickers and the sock.

 

[Tom B]

About 8weeks ago. Was going down a residential street at about 8mph. The weather was heavy rain, it was dark and the led street lights on old sodium spacings did little other than cause pools of glare.

Completely relaxed and gawping elsewhere I went down a deep pothole completely didn't see it, the jolt knocked my right hand off the wet handlebar. I wobbles, saved it, wobbled some more saved it again, wobbled some more, saved it wobbled clipped a pedal and went down in a puddle about 25yrds on from the hole....

But it was okay..... Nobody saw.

 

[HLaB]

I've had a few clipless moments on the new gravel bike last month but nothing serious; touch wood its been a few years at least since the last time I did something more serious. So long ago, I can't even remember what that was, maybe in 2018 due to lack of concentration caused the lack of iron in my brain, caused by the cancer During the chemo I was really cautious with good reason, that cautiousness seems to have stuck with me.

Although, I did think a big accident was coming up the week before last and there wasn't much I could do about it. A large black stag came charging through the woods on my left. I was on a rutted track and couldn't swerve or break hard without losing it but before I even had a chance to think about that he jumped right across in front of me. Lol, all I could think about later I wish I had that on youtube. At least the rider behind witnessed it too so fok knew I wasn't making it up

 

[DRM]

About 3 years ago on ice, riding to work one morning
I was annoyed, as it scratched the 'brifter' on the CGR

It was on this bridge; https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1843453

Funnily enough the last off I had was just after crossing that bridge, there’s a muddy track that bears left back down to the canal with a bit of an adverse camber to it, front wheel went out from under me and I landed on my right shoulder which I was having pain due to frozen shoulder, wasn’t impressed, and was down in a flash, didn’t even get a chance to unclimbed it was so quick.
I think it’s a dodgy crossing on that bridge with the metal grid and I never use the metal gulley bit as I feel it’s a definite way to come off

 

[Tenkaykev]

Friday afternoon often involves a bike ride out to the local brewery tap room. It sits at the bottom of a very steep hill on an industrial estate and the road surface is rutted with quite a few potholes. I was preparing to leave when a friend said “ fancy another?” Cycling up the hill a couple of pints later I glanced over my shoulder, hit a pothole and fell sideways off my bike 🍺🙁

 

[Johnno260]

Last week, close pass and cut in, ended up in a ditch.

 

[Jenkins]

Earlier this year with a comically slow tumble in a supermarket car park - I went to pull away but the carrier bag with a pack of rolls hanging from my wrist got caught up in the front wheel & forks.

The last proper falls were in the winter before the first lockdown. Heading out on a 100k ride and the first bit of nice, smooth tarmac after almost exclusively riding on surface dressed roads for about 20 miles. Didn't notice that the sweeping right hander outside Grundisburgh was just in the shade and therefore a bit damp - the front wheel just slid out from under me and I went down resulting in a few cuts & bruises and a sprained thumb. I did fiinish the 100k though.

Then about two months later, on the same bike also with the front wheel again sliding out and causing a few cuts & bruises in almost the same places, a slower speed fall turning into the road for home. This time caused by a patch of diesel which I found out had also caught out someone I know through work earlier in the day.

 

[C R]

August last year. I found an unexpected ford in my route, and I couldn't see a walkway around it, so I thought I would ride through, to avoid getting my feet wet as it wasn't very deep. Of course, as soon as I went in my rear wheel went sideways and I hit the deck. Very luckily no damage to me or the bike, just soaking wet. As I was picking myself up I saw the walkway, and to this day I still can't understand how I missed it in the first place.

 

[bikingdad90]

My last off was November 2018. Running late from work I thought it would be better to avoid the gritted roads and I didn’t want to mingle with the rush hour traffic in the rain so decided to come down the adjacent shared pathway which has a slight kink in it part way along to avoid some natural obstacles.

Anyhow I was on the pathway and started to turn and then bang on the deck; me one way and the bike the other, I’d gone over the slippy white line and lost the front wheel. I slid a good 10-15 feet in the wet and put a hole in the knee of my bib tights.

I got off lucky, just a broken hanger and a cracked helmet and some bruises but the local bike mechanic who comes the same way, was not so lucky as a week before came off at the same point in the same conditions and broke his collarbone.

It’s a dangerous kink!!!!

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Funnily enough the last off I had was just after crossing that bridge, there’s a muddy track that bears left back down to the canal with a bit of an adverse camber to it, front wheel went out from under me and I landed on my right shoulder which I was having pain due to frozen shoulder, wasn’t impressed, and was down in a flash, didn’t even get a chance to unclimbed it was so quick.
I think it’s a dodgy crossing on that bridge with the metal grid and I never use the metal gulley bit as I feel it’s a definite way to come off

@DRM

No, mine was on the road bridge, riding from 'Birkwood Hill, towards Stanley/Aberford Road, as it's susceptible to colder air, with the Aire & Calder Navigation Canal under it

I've ridden across that 'mesh bridge' many times & run over it too
If the weather's not been too bad (& shifts allow me to, due to daylight), I'll ride up the side of the river there, along the old railway embankment, up to NewLands Woods, then through there

This is about the limit on Marathons & with mudguards
2020 photograph, the Halfords 500 Lumen light has been replaced

The challenge to ride the entire length, off the 'enbankment', through the woods, without 'dabbing'
Unless, of course there's walkers along there too

 

[TheDoctor]

Back in June was my last off. Well, sort of off. I'd ridden to the Cricketers in Weston, met up with a few CTC mates and had a or three. We then went to the Dun Cow and got into a state of extreme cognitive disfunction. My friend Ian then toppled over on his bike, onto me and my bike. So I've got a bike and a Scot on top of me, and my bike supporting the entire unfolding tigertastrophe.
Rear mech and dropout bent as a big bendy thing, and ominous looking crumples in a few spokes. And an Alivio shaped bruise on my right thigh...

 

[Badger_Boom]

Plenty of close calls in the past couple of years. I often ride on the canal and the closest ive come to going into the drink was when i put my left foot down to allow people past and did a silly tiptoe dance toward the canal finally resting on the metal barricades of the bank of it. I'd prefer to avoid canal water if you don't mind.

A work colleague somehow ended up going into the Leeds-Liverpool doing that… on his recumbent.