[Closed] Close call, only luck saved me

I fall off my bike nearly early week. 🤷🏼

I Wouldn’t dwell on it too much. These things happen. But definitely keep your helmet on when riding off road.

I only fall off about monthly and shrug it off too, but not this one and I doubt many people would. Cheers. The helmet is the key thing, would've been quite easily shruggable with it on even if I had hit my head.

What is a chin bar?

Every so often in life small circumstances combine and conspire to remind you that you are on a knife edge all your life it's just you hardly ever realise it.

Sometimes these reminders serve a bloody good purpose.

Glad you are ok op, if a little understandably shaken up.

It's the extra bit that makes a helmet full face, it protects your chin. On a convertible helmet you can unclip to remove it as you see fit for uphill/downhill and different types of rides.

Ah got you! Of course. Sorry, not ever used such a helmet. Thanks

Hmmm, maybe mountain biking is not for you??
The OP seems to suggest you are somewhat risk averse and there's only so much preparation (or risk mitigation) you can do...
Out of interest, how old are you? Generally, we take less risks the older we get.

Having said that, I always* wear my helmet when riding...

*except a few odd occasions when climbing and it's stupidly hot and I'm in danger of dying of heatstroke 😃😃😃

Glad you're ok. I had a similar scare many years ago helmet-less when I woke up the morning after a crash and realised I'd scraped the size of a 50p off the top of my head in a crash off road; obviously it could have been a smashed skull, not just a scrape. I've had a few incidents since where I was very glad of a helmet, so always wear one now.

I'm now very cautious (and old 🤪) when off road particularly in my own with a loaded bike and have no shame walking bits that I know I can ride, but it'd be safer not to given the location/situation.

BTW My rucksack has a built in whistle in the chest strap, many do nowadays. I also have a PLB that I take on bikepacking trips or more adventurous day trips. Obviously you need to be conscious to operate either though.

Been using Strava beacon too lately, but that relies on data signal. But it's great for my wife seeing that I'm nearly home for tea!🤣

I don't let it worry me or stop me getting out and having fun, but I do like to try to cover my safety.

I couldn’t work out if the drama was that you nearly drowned or that your head hit lots of rocks and nearly exploded?

But it was neither.

Not sure mountain biking is for you ?

I've always been very cautious off road, and increasingly on road after a couple of crashes.

I've had nothing worse than road rash, a broken finger and wrecked shoulder ligaments, but gone through a few helmets.

I'm aware that I've never "risked" enough to develop proper off road skills though. I'm more blue route these days. At a creaky 52 I toy with the idea of getting a full susser, some pads and a skills course and get myself up to red route skills, but I'm happy with what I do.

Riding bike = wearing helmet for me

I never really take my helmet off because there's nothing worse than putting a soggy, sweaty helmet back on after your head has dried out a bit

Recently I suddenly found myself upside down in a rocky trickling stream, alone, with my bike on top of me, my head inches from several rocks in every direction, my helmet on the bank (having fallen off the back of my rucksack), wearing zero other protection, on a quiet trail in a remote valley, several miles from help, with no mobile phone signal. After getting up without much trouble, taking a few minutes to settle down and process what had just happened, I checked myself and the bike over and walked/rode back (met one biker coming in my direction, I’ll forever remember his face) to my car and drove home. Picked up a minor limb injury, nothing compared to what could have been.

Our local paper once ran a story headlined: 'Tree almost falls on car'. Your story reminded me of it. Two thoughts: one is that people are generally tougher than we think thanks to our doomtastic media. Two: don't get into mountaineering 🙂

Cold sweaty helmet pads, not nice.

OP's crash doesn't sound too bad really. Didn't die, I'd be taking that as a win! Just keep your helmet on next time.

I wouldn't overthink it. These things happen.

Also, don't overestimate the effectiveness of your helmet in your risk assessments.

As others say, not worth overthinking, i fall off on a weekly basis, had what could have been bad ones where i don't even get a graze, then simple ones where i end up in real pain, no point worrying about it, just be as prepared as you can.

It's a shock thing. I'm sure binning it at 20mph wouldn't have the same effect.

Tbf I climb with no lid on sometimes if it's a big 40min slog...

Falling off up hill is easier if your clipped in. I'm in flats so I can dab😛

I fell off into a stream once. If I'd been knocked unconscious and the stream was deep enough I could have drowned. Fortunately I wasn't and it wasn't, so instead I just felt like a ****t for lying in a stream of about 3" deep water trying to get myself unclipped.

Ruined my ride though, it was chuffing freezing.

At least the OP suffered no nasty rotational forces ill-effects though, so all's well in the end. YMMV, DYOR.

A few years back after a day on the uplift at Cwmcarn-full face, body armour obvs

Got home too tired to cook, so went out to grab a curry, (Brentford tandoori 👌) on my dh bike coz I was still buzzing (but no helmet)
On way back going gown an alley next to Morrissons I'd ridden down a hundred times hit a low bollard and...

https://flic.kr/p/qGaEVr

Curry in my backpack was also a write off, I think my wife was more upset about that than my face

I wouldn’t overthink it. These things happen.

I agree, and just wear the helmet from now on, it might not save you but then again it might

Based on a real life rescue incident I would recommend having a whistle where it can be reached, other than that just get back to riding

*sigh* this place never fails to disappoint.

It's called a near miss. Whilst the reaction is a tad extreme (not sure the helmet is needed just for pushing) the OP is correct that they were lucky in this instance. End of.

my head inches from several rocks in every direction

I’ll be making several changes to my natural riding as a result of this death scare (maybe that sounds alarmist but it’s how I feel right now). Helmet will be worn at all times while riding, pushing, or carrying the bike.

How much does the helmet extend beyond your head? If you had been wearing it would it have contacted the rocks and possibly cracked it? Would that have made the story better or worse?

There's a big variation on here about risk and equipment, see any "what gear do you carry" or "first aid" thread. Peoples local terrain varies hugely on this little island, and therefore the risk and sensible approach also changes.

99.9% of my rides are natural trails on my own. When I'm feeling fit I quite often do 35-40mile xc routes. I quite often take my crash helmet off when it's hot to ride up climbs, but I don't forget to put it back on again. Only this last Christmas on Boxing day, at about 16:00hrs just as it was getting dark I found myself rolling around upside down in a freezing cold stream trying to kick my bike off my feet as I'd gone over the bars riding over the narrow stream crossing! I was laughing at myself for being such a knob. Stuff happens, it goes with the territory.

After a crash at 30mph on the trails where my helmet saved me from a wheel chair or worse I never ride without it. I don't even comtemplate taking it off mid ride cos a sweaty helmet is as bad as wet socks to be putting back on. I do think you are overthinking it a bit though, these things happen and you are ok, if it means you leave your helmet on all the time when on your bike then thats a result. I cringe when I see youths in the woods doing gap jumps etc without helmets.

It’s called a near miss.

This. It sounds pretty terrifying to me and I'm not sure if there's just a sense of bravado on this thread that's dismissing it rather easily. Good that you're reviewed the situation in your own mind and come out with some improvements to your riding (which sounds a bit like a corporate washup, but that's what they're for).

I too fall off every now and then, most are innocuous, but some still live in my mind as "could have been (a lot) worse". These things persist as lessons and as a general rule I try not to ride too hard / fast when on my own. That's when I have come a cropper and been lucky to have people close enough by / just got my first mobile / learned how to fall etc etc.

Thing is, those saying "don't overthink it" - some crashes do exactly that - make you overthink the events... Go round in your head over and over. I've had plenty of crashes in my time and there are some that still go round in my head. Best one was riding home from the beach, no helmet, not even offroad (well it was a pavement), tyre got stuck down a little rut, OTB, smashed into a solid metal fence and ended up in A&E. Doc wouldn't let me leave cos of the lump above my eye.
Helmets - choose to wear one or not. I certainly won't be arguing the case for or against, I've seen how dull that sort of thread is many many times.

Having once woken up to find I’d cut my head open falling down a flight of stairs while drunk, despite having a helmet in my room only ten yards away, I now operate a “having a drink = wearing a helmet” policy as I don’t perceive any difference in risk between a half pint of ginger beer at lunchtime and a massive Friday night pub-golf bender. Though I’m certain that if I don’t have the half pint of ginger beer then there is no risk at all.

😉

(Just to hammer home the “dull thread” point 😉)

OP - Glad all ended well in the end, though can see why it gave you cause to stop and think, and also to remind others not to get complacent. And I don't think you should give up mountain biking.

Shoot happens sometimes. I take things easier when I'm on my own, especially natural trails. You've got to rely upon yourself to get back.

As I said, crap happens, like finding a woman impaled on her bars at Deggers 6 weeks back !

I do, however, ensure the 'crash detection' on my Garmin is switched off. It would be phoning home every ride !

My worse accidents have been on my road bikes, usually involving cars. I've had one bad MTB crash, and that was relatively low speed but I hit a stump and went OTB. Helmet was wrecked, and my shoulder very sore. Now, don't get me started on road bike crashes - many injuries and cracked helmets.

Well this took off a bit... thanks for your thoughts.

Hmmm, maybe mountain biking is not for you??
The OP seems to suggest you are somewhat risk averse and there’s only so much preparation (or risk mitigation) you can do…
Out of interest, how old are you? Generally, we take less risks the older we get.

Thankfully I can answer yes to that, and your question doesn't sow the unhelpful seed of doubt that it could easily have done for some. Yes, though my risk averseness mostly only extends to mitigation, awareness and preparation, rather than avoiding risky activities or situations. The kit I carry is standard mountain plus MTB stuff, my follow-up is part over-reaction and part my analytical nature. I'm mid-30s.

My rucksack has a built in whistle in the chest strap, many do nowadays.

Based on a real life rescue incident I would recommend having a whistle where it can be reached

I have this on other rucksacks... and it turns out also on the rucksack I was wearing at the time.

I don’t let it worry me or stop me getting out and having fun, but I do like to try to cover my safety.

Same.

I couldn’t work out if the drama was that you nearly drowned or that your head hit lots of rocks and nearly exploded?
But it was neither.
Not sure mountain biking is for you ?

Just that it got too close for comfort to either of those outcomes. If that's drama then ok. I've replied to that question from another poster above.

Our local paper once ran a story headlined: ‘Tree almost falls on car’. Your story reminded me of it. Two thoughts: one is that people are generally tougher than we think thanks to our doomtastic media. Two: don’t get into mountaineering 🙂

Thanks, as much as some of these responses may sound (or are) dismissive, it helps put the event in perspective. I do do scrambling but not mountaineering and have been in some sketchy/exposed situations, and had a few scrapes.

It’s a shock thing. I’m sure binning it at 20mph wouldn’t have the same effect

Yes I think so. My post would have been different if written sooner after the event, and perhaps if I'd left it another few weeks I wouldn't have thought it worth writing. Agreed, every other crash results in just surprise and confusion.

*sigh* this place never fails to disappoint.
It’s called a near miss. Whilst the reaction is a tad extreme (not sure the helmet is needed just for pushing) the OP is correct that they were lucky in this instance. End of.

Glad to be maintaining the supply 🙂 For pushing in mountainous terrain I now consider it a good idea because your agility is impaired by the presence of the bike, you may be off the ideal path because it's too narrow for both the bike and yourself, and your shoes are less grippy than those you'd wear in the terrain if you weren't with a bike.

Also, don’t overestimate the effectiveness of your helmet in your risk assessments.

How much does the helmet extend beyond your head? If you had been wearing it would it have contacted the rocks and possibly cracked it? Would that have made the story better or worse?

Good point and question. If all else was equal I may have hit it, more likely if I didn't have the backpack on. I didn't post for the sake of a story.

It sounds pretty terrifying to me and I’m not sure if there’s just a sense of bravado on this thread that’s dismissing it rather easily.

It is interesting to read different people's perspectives.

I try not to ride too hard / fast when on my own

I take things easier when I’m on my own, especially natural trails. You’ve got to rely upon yourself to get back.

Same, and very used to self-sufficiency in the mountains. Although as I learnt riding leisurely and not concentrating as much can also catch you out. I've heard racers in many disciplines talk of similar danger when they're leading by a comfortable margin.

My worse accidents have been on my road bikes, usually involving cars

An insight I read recently - on the road crashes are 90% other people's fault, on MTB it's 90% your own fault.

I’ve just had the worse crash of my life pootling down a country lane with a mate. Would have probably died without a helmet. Fortunately only ended up with a fractured shoulder and a headache lasting 2 months. My first ride afterwards was back to the scene (to complete the ride) still can’t attribute it to anything just a freak accident so you just have to get on with it as there’s nothing I can do to change how I ride.

If I’d done a risk assessment this was probably the lowest risk ride I’d ever do, but without a helmet my brains would have been splattered all over the road and they don’t like that in Alderley Edge or they didn’t appreciate the air ambulance landing in their garden. That doesn’t usually happen after even a load of beers.

Wow, that multi-embedded quote typey typey post from bikesandboots there must set some kind of record. Stevextc and Cougar have a challenger! 😉

Hey there,

Always wear a crash helmet, regardless. Anyway a few years back out cycling went over an summer baked earth bank at about 20km/h on the other side guy walking his dog. Hit the brakes over the handlebars brand new helmet cracked in half. For sure I'd be dead or brain damaged because the crash helmet was toast. It saved my life, that I'm pretty sure. Not the worst crash I have, but the crash helmet really was broken literally in half. I still had concussion and saw stars as you do.

JeZ

At friends house. Finished a bottle of vodka in about an hour, cycled home.
Rode right into a traffic island and over the bars landing on head. Did a complete flip and pivot over.
Neck starts to get very sore within an hour, doctor visit, severe whiplash. 6 months wearing a neck brace,took about 5 or 6 years to stop hurting whenever i carried a shoulder bag or used the computer mouse.
Thankfully I wasnt wearing a lid, doc suggested the extra width of a lid would have put even more pressure on my neck, possibly leading to a spinal break.
I was kind of surprised that was his attitude to it, thought i'd get a bit of abuse for not wearing it, and naturally of course I didnt tell him how much vodka i'd consumed 😆

A friend of mine misjudged a corner while MTBing on holiday, in an unfamiliar place. The resulting slide off the track didn't injure him, but took him over the edge of a culverted waterway. The stream was only a few inches deep, but the banks were build up above his head. He thought he was fine until he realised that he couldn't climb up the steep concrete 'banks', had no mobile signal, and didn't know where he was anyway. He spent a while panicking, apparently, but must have got out of it because I've ridden with him recently. 😀

Always wear a crash helmet, regardless.

just biking or for general wear too?

have you seen how many people die from falling down stairs a year...

OP have you considered writing a book, Danny Boyle could turn it into a film.
Kimbers story was karma for cultural appropriation 😁.

I don't get it.
You fell off your bike and didn't hit your head.
And the moral of the story is...helmets!!!

Hope you’re okay OP? Everyone reacts differently to these situations. Try not to see it as lucky because it really wasn’t. It just was, you fell off and you didn’t get hurt. I appreciate it can be difficult to think about it that way though. We all have crashes, some more than others. I’m a regular crasher due to ambition outrunning a low skill level.

I’ve never understood the term near miss. It’s like folk who nearly win the lottery. You do or you don’t.

I've fallen off wearing a helmet and hit my cheekbone on a (luckily thick moss-covered) rock. I'm not sure even a full face would have stopped it.

Some crashes do shake you up more than others and it isn't always rational, but I reckon you're over-thinking it.

If we're going to be fully rational we should probably start wearing helmets for being a pedestrian around cities, and while driving.

A friend of mine was out on a trail run on the outskirts of Sheffield and Peak District a few years ago and slipped and broke his leg. Was on his own and had no phone or spare clothing, and had to crawl to the nearest house.

It wasn’t particularly cold or poor weather but he was getting towards mild hypothermia by the time he got to the house.

I guess the motto is prepare for such eventualities and don’t assume you’ll either be fine or someone will find you quickly. I’ve just been and popped a foil blanket in my main biking bag as this reminded me that I need to be more self sufficient (though never ride without a phone).

I guess the motto is prepare for such eventualities and don’t assume you’ll either be fine or someone will find you quickly. I’ve just been and popped a foil blanket in my main biking bag as this reminded me that I need to be more self sufficient (though never ride without a phone).

Hence the whistle, I was involved in an incident where the casualty was very lucky that someone had seen him fall, if they hadn't he would have been hidden in bracken and without mobile signal well away from any track, he couldn't have moved and without prompt attention would have died. A whistle would have enabled him to summon help, although if he went unconscious then he's stuffed. Instead he was very lucky and a family still has Dad.

I don't think it's a bad thing to do a bit of analysis/over thinking on some near misses.
If it resets your risk assessment a wee bit then that could be a game changer somewhere down the road. I had a ridiculous (on my own), comedy crash last year on a trail I know very well. A combination of location, level of impact, time of day and how long it would have taken to be found had me going over lots of 'what ifs'.

reflective practice helps you improve. " what when wrong? How can I avoid that again? What could I do differently?

Even I almost never carry a helmet. If I have one with me its on my head