Who has never had an "off"?

[Siclo]

Far, far too many times reasons include clipless moments, ice, leaves, being dazzled, pedestrians, mechanical failure (my own neglect), hit by vehicles on 3 occasions, hit by a scaffold pole falling off a wagon.

Results range from a bit sore through to soft tissue injuries and broken bones including a fractured skull that left me without any balance for months, believe it or not it's quite easy to fall off chairs in this state, and a stutter that took several years to go away.

Typically its a minor off once a year so every five to eight thousand miles.

 

[irw]

As far as I can recall, in the past 10 years, I've had two offs- both on the same wintery, icy night about 7 years go, after a panicked phone call from work that the fire alarm was going off (false alarm) and they couldn't silence it. At the time I lived about a mile away, and bike was the only transport option to get there quickly. Cue riding out of my driveway, then taking an immediate left on a mini-roundabout. Bam. It was so close to home, the wife heard and came to check on me. Picked myself up again quickly, carried on towards work, round the right hand bend that took me up to stage door, and sliiiiiip, down again. Right in front of the entire company that had been in rehearsing and were now stood at the muster point. Picked myself up again, sorted out the fire alarm, and when cycling home realised that the top of my left leg was now in quite a bit of pain. Got home to find a big patch of road rash from the first off at the top of my leg. Still got marks on my leg today from that.

 

[Jody]

Few falls as a kid, mainly though being stupid. Fractured arm and lots of gravel rash.

1 in recent times which was a silly fall resulting in a painful few days cycling in Wales. Not good having to hang onto your bike coming down Snowdon with a bruised bone in the palm of your hand

 

[jefmcg]

including a fractured skull that left me without any balance for months, believe it or not it's quite easy to fall off chairs in this state, and a stutter that took several years to go away.

Yeah, this one is not getting a "like"

 

[Seevio]

In my "adult" life, one clipless and one alcohol related. None while actually moving..

 

[nickyboy]

I've been cycling about 4 years and done about 20,000 miles in that time.

Two very minor offs

First was on a patch of ice near Alderley Edge. Cycling along, next thing I'm on my side on the floor, still clipped in. Can't have been doing more than 10mph. Bit of a sore shoulder, that's all

Second was me stupidly trying to cycle down a steep little cobbled lane in a rainstorm. Slipped from under me at all of about 3mph. Cut knee, broken brifter (Campgnolo, which I now know costs a fortune to replace)

Considering I like to hurtle down hills and generally go as fast as possible, that's good I think

 

[Crackle]

a fractured skull that left me without any balance for months

Quite similar: I suffered with blood pressure and dizziness issues for about 12 months. One should avoid fracturing ones skull if at all possible, is my advice.

 

[Alan O]

Hmm, tricky to remember...

1) Rear shunt at a roundabout by a car
2) Sideswipe by a car that started to pull out in front of me
3) Another sideswipe by a car that started to pull out in front of me
4) Full-on collision with a car that fully pulled out in front of me
5) Black ice
6) Black ice (just minutes and about 100 meters after 5)
7) Somersault after pedal strike riding too close to the pavement
8) Slippery wooden "boardwalk" path

I think that's all, and I reckon it's a relatively safe record for a total of about 25 years of cycling.

(update: added one more)

 

[winjim]

One ridiculous catapulting into a dry stone wall on a fast descent in Snowdonia as a kid, from which I still bear the scars, a minor clipless when I first started with them, otherwise nothing.

I did have a hilarious ride a couple of years ago with a mate, a well experienced sportive type. He was just recovering from an ear infection so had no sense of balance. He basically spent the whole day falling over and riding into fields because he just couldn't do corners.

 

[I like Skol]

I'm not going to list them but there have been more than enough in my long and glittering cycle career! In my defence I do like to ride enthusiastically so probably haven't had as many offs as I should considering my penchant to sail close to the wind!

We are not doing very well with the 'never' vote.....

 

[jonny jeez]

For data sake

3000 miles a year (spiking at 5000)
10 years
30-50,000 miles in total...blimey

One off, my own fault.
Never been hit but went into the back of a polish taxi driver once, whilst looking for a rattle in my block. No damage just a "bump" and a red face.

Some long rides of 100 miles a day too. (probably 1000 miles a year)

 

[classic33]

25,000 miles to and from work, T-boned once. A few close calls in the same period.

I've been run off the road on purpose, rear end shunts(for the fun of it whilst on four wheels) and deliberate side swipes from some drivers.

18:35, 5th March 1977, was my second recorded off from a bike. Trying to get away from the ambulance crew, sent to help for my first recorded off.

 

[mjr]

It did not occur to me that was a lot, just one of the hazards of being alive; if you ride a bike, you fall off it occasionally. It turns out @jonny jeez has only come off once in 10 years, so he thinks offs are extremely rare.

So then, data: is coming off a rare event for you or not?

What do you mean by "coming off"? I remember one adult moving fall/crash, on ice, New Year's Eve maybe 2014. Broke handlebars - but I've come off the bike more often than that because if the bike is going over, I'd rather not be on it, so I jump off onto my feet and usually get away with it! I also remember one crash, summer 2012, where I ended up with the bike on top of me after trying to reverse it. I still call this "too many times" though!

I've not been hit by a car in over 30 years riding so far. About 4000 miles/year over the last three years (since I started counting on this computer). A few near-misses, but emergency stops and turns have averted collisions so far.

 

[chriswoody]

In over Thirty years of cycling, I've had a few. There not too regular though and no lasting injuries beyond pride.

I'll always remember the first proper off though, just having mastered leaving stabilizers behind, I was wobbling along on my Grifter, in shorts and tee shirt on a local piece of wasteland. Suddenly I wobbled too much and lost the fight with gravity, straight into a big pile of stinging nettles. That smarted.

 

[Tim Hall]

A while since I have I think.
Most recent was on ice a couple of years back. Looked down at the road, realised it was shiny, bang! down I went. Great lump in shin from a pedal.
About four years ago I got taken out on a roundabout by a dozy motorist. Didn't know anything about it until I was aware of being in hospital. Overnight stay, mild concussion, stitches. Bike U/S. Painless compensation from driver's insurer (I think they got scared by the amount of blood). No prosecution of the driver, so that can't have been driving "below the standard of a competent motorist".
Dropped the tandem a couple of times, nothing major.
Was on the tandem with someone else piloting it. Over enthusiastic cornering in the wet on a left hand slight down hill. He went over the centre of the lane, so the camber was against us, as was the lack of friction. Slide, swear, get up. Big hole in big tights, big hole in skin. I tried kidding a new rider that it was all an initiation ceremony and that she'd have to apply soothing lotion. She declined but fortunately we had a hairy arsed fireman on the ride who did the necessary.
Ages ago a right turning car onto the major road I was on collected me onto the bonnet. Little damage to me and got that driver prosecuted. £120 fine plus points.
When I was much younger slammed my bike into a barrier at the end of a car park, trying to show off.