Who has never had an "off"?

[jefmcg]

At least 2 times in 2014 (including a memorable day in December when @vickster and I both came off in separate incidents), and 2 again 2015. Maybe none last year, and none so far this year.

So, 2 years with no offs, but in 2018 I am reverting to type.

Happened a couple of days ago, nothing too dramatic. Heard a siren, and in a effort to get out of the way, i hit a rough road surface and a raise lip at an obtuse angle, toppled slowly over

Tangled in my own pedals, so flailed on the road for a moment before getting up. Only injury is bruises to pride and it's possible my atrophying dignity may have to be amputated.

Apologies to @vickster for recycling the jokes I used when I told her about it.

 

[mjr]

Came round a roundabout at speed to have the wheels go from under me,head onto roads tarmac...Without the helmet,well,dunno what would be....
Fast forward non commuting-to-work thru major roads,abandoned helmet and really haven't worn one since.

As I'm another fairly-early-adopter who has also abandoned it, I've done a few ad-hoc trials and what seems to happen without it is my head doesn't hit the floor, which isn't at all what I expected. Nevertheless, I do still wear a hat to try to give some padding if I've misunderstood what's going on here, as well as defend against the frequent low-hanging branches.

Having said the above,I go at a sedate speed and try to be wary. I also don't travel in groups and am not a road-man. At local caf where I go for tea some late aged riders(70+)hammer thru the country lanes at 20mph or more in groups. Always having spills.sometime pretty serious and in intensive care. Gee...that's too scary for me. Madness.

I don't think I've heard of any in the ICU yet but I also know some groups which seem determined to make it into an extreme sport, breaking bones with a frequency which would distress me.

 

[JhnBssll]

No off's on the road but several near misses caused by daydreaming drivers. Hundreds of off's on a mountain bike over the years but I've been fortunate enough to remain largely intact through all of them I must admit I'm a little more cautious these days!

 

[ADarkDraconis]

The only time I have ever crashed on a bike was over 20 years ago. I was 8 or 9 and riding around our small town with my friend (we rode everywhere, as long as we were home by dark our moms didn't care where we went! Different times now, I would have a nervous breakdown if my daughter was gone all day without a word like that, haha!) A dog running loose came dashing out into the road, I was a bit in front and swerved to avoid hitting the pooch and I skidded on the gravel road. I fell over and scraped some distance, got torn up really but nothing broken.

I did have rocks embedded so far into my skin that they had to dig them out with a needle at the hospital, fun times! They did not manage to get all the gravel out of my right knee and told my mom that soaking it in a warm bath would loosen the stubborn ones and they would come out, but that didn't work. There are still a couple of small rocks in there, one which is very visible and people think it is a mole. (If you have ever played an Elder Scrolls game such as Skyrim there is an affliction called Rockjoint that your character can get, my partner tells me that I have Rockjoint ) Other than that, I have never had an accident and I used to commute through very heavy city traffic.

I also fell off of a casterboard once as well, same type of scenario but this time it was a goose that abruptly made its appearance in front of me! I ended up swerving off of a curb and bashing my elbow, but the goose was fine.

 

[hoopdriver]

The only time I have ever crashed on a bike was over 20 years ago. I was 8 or 9 and riding around our small town with my friend (we rode everywhere, as long as we were home by dark our moms didn't care where we went! Different times now, I would have a nervous breakdown if my daughter was gone all day without a word like that, haha!) A dog running loose came dashing out into the road, I was a bit in front and swerved to avoid hitting the pooch and I skidded on the gravel road. I fell over and scraped some distance, got torn up really but nothing broken.

I did have rocks embedded so far into my skin that they had to dig them out with a needle at the hospital, fun times! They did not manage to get all the gravel out of my right knee and told my mom that soaking it in a warm bath would loosen the stubborn ones and they would come out, but that didn't work. There are still a couple of small rocks in there, one which is very visible and people think it is a mole. (If you have ever played an Elder Scrolls game such as Skyrim there is an affliction called Rockjoint that your character can get, my partner tells me that I have Rockjoint ) Other than that, I have never had an accident and I used to commute through very heavy city traffic.

I also fell off of a casterboard once as well, same type of scenario but this time it was a goose that abruptly made its appearance in front of me! I ended up swerving off of a curb and bashing my elbow, but the goose was fine.

It is funny, isn’t it, how we all rode around carefree and footloose in the worlds of our childhoods but would be scared to death to let our kids do the same in the altogether less friendly world of the 21st century. My childhood predates your by decades, but I have the same sort of fond memories of limitless freedom to ride and explore on my bicycle - something I would be very scared to let my 14 year old daughter (who likes cycling ) do today.

 

[PBB]

I had an off at the end of last year, a day in casualty but fortunately just a scar to show for it.

According to my wife it was a warning shot across my bow, and with two children to consider it would be extremely selfish of me to risk two wheels again.

Being unable to think of a brilliant response to this (apart from the obvious that anything can happen to anyone) unfortunately I have not been back on the bike since.

I really miss it, just wonder if others have faced the same emotional challenge from their other half following an accident?

 

[JhnBssll]

It's an emotive subject and not easy to discuss but try and be objective - regular cyclists are statistically healthier and live longer despite the risks.

Also by the sounds of it technically she didn't rule out trikes...

 

[colly]

Had a few offs since I took to cycling again. Mostly slipping on ice/oil/gravel. Twice involving cars, one of which involved an elegant somersault across the bonnet and windscreen of the car. Thankfully, other than cuts and bruises no serious injuries. Pretty reasonable for 20 odd years.

 

[Salty seadog]

Twice on the road since being a kid, once when I was about 16, drifted into the kerb and spangled it. Then a couple of years ago on a pedestrian precinct in the middle of the night with a fine shower turning the bricks to glass. Turning right the whole bike went from under me. Shoulder, elbow and knee all hit the deck. Shoulder took about 6 weeks to heal.

Oh, I suppose this counts from last year......

 

[jefmcg]

@PBB sorry you had a fall, and sorry it affected your wife so.

brief response: what @JhnBssll said

More detailed response - cyclists live longer than non-cyclists. But the thing is, if a cyclist dies in a collision, then their family can say to themselves "if only they hadn't cycled". But if a non-cyclist dies of a CV disease at age 72, no family would say "if only they'd cycled" Because you don't know for sure if regular exercise would have delayed this particular death, but statistically it did.

On average you will probably live longer if you cycle, but your loved ones will only know if you are in the tiny percent that cycling ends their life, not if you are in the majority that cycling extended their life.

This is a particular thing with me because of two things:

1. My parents were the ones who worried most about me. I didn't have this discussion with them, because they would be alive if I was killed in a crash, but they'd be long gone if my life was extended by 5 years.
2. My mum asked me to help her take up cycling when she was in her 50s. My father talked her out of it because it was "too dangerous". A couple of decades later, she had a devastating aneurism that might have been prevented by CV fitness. Of course, we will never know what might have been.

So to tell your wife - the life extending benefits of cycling outweigh the risk of being killed in a collision. Honestly, I doubt you can convince her, but good luck.

 

[ADarkDraconis]

I had an off at the end of last year, a day in casualty but fortunately just a scar to show for it.

According to my wife it was a warning shot across my bow, and with two children to consider it would be extremely selfish of me to risk two wheels again.

Being unable to think of a brilliant response to this (apart from the obvious that anything can happen to anyone) unfortunately I have not been back on the bike since.

I really miss it, just wonder if others have faced the same emotional challenge from their other half following an accident?

Driving a car is also dangerous, more people are killed or seriously injured in motor vehicles each year than on bikes. Sure, there are far more motor vehicles on the road, but why add to the pool and become a statistic?

Glad you are ok, though! My brother had a bad off a year or so back when if I recall someone doored him and I do worry about him, but that is kinda my job. I would never suggest he give up biking just because of an accident, and it has made him a more careful traveller.

 

[gaijintendo]

Not recently. Chance would be a fine thing what with the kids and...

Oh. "An off"? Plenty of those sadly. Almost all of them due to chain drops, slips, and things jamming and ceasing suddenly. Vive la Fixie.

 

[mjr]

It's an emotive subject and not easy to discuss but try and be objective - regular cyclists are statistically healthier and live longer despite the risks.

Also by the sounds of it technically she didn't rule out trikes...

But how would you answer the obvious response that you won't die any sooner from inactivity if you drive to the gym?

To me, there's the concern that doing so poisons the air for the children, so is extremely selfish, but is that widely accepted and are there more direct reasons to use instead?

(edited to fix punctuation)

 

[Adam4868]

My wife doesnt give a feck,she allways says shes glad to get me out the house !

 

[captain nemo1701]

I once skidded on black ice at very low speed and found myself on the floor. Picked myself up quickly, more embarrassed really.

Second time was really embarrassing. As I...ahem...got my leg over (no sniggering at the back), it wasn't high enough so when I tried to plonk myself down in the saddle, my shorts caught on it, I overbalanced and....ouch. I hadn't even gone 2ft. Falling off a bike while practically stationary........