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riding down a road this morning, that I have ridden down many times.
road is blocked midway with a raised island with a barrier, to stop cars using it as a rat run.
on the pavement on both sides there is a dropped kerb for pushchairs/wheelchairs/bikes.
so I rode towards the dropped kerb that I know is there. but is covered in leaves. front wheel slides on the leaves and sends me falling to my right into the metal fence on the over side of the pavement.
I land very heavily on my right knee and forearm. and once I manage to get up I may have cracked a rib on my left side.
sat in a fair bit of pain now.
you crashed and burned recently
OTB on the steepest trail I've ever "ridden" at Grizedale a month or so ago, just scrapes and bruises luckily - as it was quite a dramatic ragdoll with the bike flying into the branches.
Healing vibes Ton.
Last weekend, I had stopped for some reason and setting off again I clipped in with the opposite foot to the one I would normally (not sure why) and then lost my balance and fell sideways all before even trying to set off. Luckily no-one was around to see it.
In my early thirties, at Downtowns in Elgin.
I was chatting to a girl, who, when she found out I worked in the RAF and on a particular Squadron, did an about face and walked off, much to the amusement of my mates.
One night in May on the way to a bivvy. End of handlebar caught the unseen end of a sawn off branch, flew off into the undergrowth and landed on some stones and gashed my leg and cracked a rib. It made me shout in pain quite a bit. Carried on and bivvied, but felt the rib for a few weeks after. Crashing isn't fun.
CyB, a few weeks ago, on the Western side, near the end. I just messed up going around a corner, and somehow managed to cycle into the undergrowth, going slowly and gracefully OTB in the process. But fortunately there was some exceptionally soft and comfortable moss, and if it hadn't been for the mocking from my "friends", it would have been really rather nice.
Not for a while, but i've had a gew close calls recently on the canal tow path into Leeds from Woodlesford. I love Schwalbe g-ones but i think i've found their limit in the slop. As long as I'm next to the water when they go....
Went OTB in a timetrial this year - misjudged a bend and it's hard to correct a TT bike once things start to go pear-shaped. Landed in a flower bed but walloped the side of my head, ears were ringing. Can't remember too many times were a helmet has served its purpose over decades of riding, but that was one of them.
Obv did the sensible thing and climbed back on and finished the test 🙂
Last week, black pig in Hebden, over the bars on a drop, dithered about rolling it or popping it and opted for falling off it. While i was picking myself up my buddy showed me the popping technique that finished into a tree. Much crashing. Just cuts and bruises.
Healing vibes everyone.
5 years ago at Bike Park Wales, over the bars, knee ****ed, surgery to repair cartilage followed by another to replace the acl I had ripped off the bone.
Glastonbury 2011
New Years Eve, wet wooden bridge, moss and leaves with 33mm tyres and too much speed. Head first into a metal fence pole, luckily the helmet took the brunt. Lots of road rash down my side as well.
Early spring in a fast chain gang, rider in front went down, I had no where to go and followed him down. Face first into his cassette, had a nice shiner for a few weeks. I have frozen shoulder and neck injuries, that crash took months to recover from.
And one to die from embarrassment with, took a very slow bend last week, with a very steep uphill coming up, dropped into the little ring, chain suck, immediately lodged stuck, going so slow uphill I didn’t have time to unclip, fell like a loser with the bike upside down and still clipped into my shoes. Loads of people in cars there to watch!
Following (obviously too closely) a pal when out on our gravel bikes on a steep wet road, when he suddenly realised he had missed a right hand turn, so slammed on and turned right into my path - nowhere to go except into him, then hit the deck hard. I think he apologised, but I probably missed it with the ringing in my ears.... Big hole in my jacket, baselayer and elbow and plenty of bruises - falling off on tarmac is a lot more unforgiving than off road - who said MTB's are dangerous? 😉
I wipe out in winter a lot more than summer. I do a lot of "pubcross" which is gravel / cross nightrides around Delamere which end in the pub.
45c WTB Riddlers hold a lot of mud, thus rendering zero grip, zero steering and zero braking capability. Long protracted slidey wipeouts happen every week. I could change the tyres to something narrower and more knobbly but i actually like the random fun element of the crashes.
I may live to regret this.
Cooper Falls at Swinley*. Just got it wrong hit a root and went OTB. Took the full force of my body on the top of my head, and down my spine. Back is only just getting back to normal 8 weeks later...
* This makes it sound more gnar than it really is. It's, at most, a big kerb.
I've had two big ones lately, one in September and one in October. That's odd as I normally have one really big one every couple of years. The first was really big - very fast down Ho Chi Min at Glentress, fully pinned and then came out of a hairpin and the front wheel broke traction. I went down front first, cut my chest, put a huge gash in my hand and up my arms and did something to my shoulder that was really sore.
Then a month later I stacked it on a black run at Glentress, tried a funky line through a corner and went down on the same shoulder. It still hurts a bit now.
Both relatively easy trails and I was just trying to push too hard.
On my CDF last year having not ridden drop bars on the road for 35 odd years. Stupid fall going round a gate I’ve ridden a hundred times. Rib damage sucks and hurts get well soon.
Couple of years ago at the Twentyfour12 I was slowly catching a bloke up but really didn't want to be ahead of him going into Cottage Return.
He slowed on the approach and called me past, I shouted it was fine & he should just carry on, but he insisted and slowed by such an amount meaning I had no choice but to go past him.
I then decided that I really needed to put some distance between him & myself, so flew off much faster than I normally would down that particular stretch of trail.
I then clipped a rock awkwardly, went wide & my pedal clipped a massive rock hidden in the undergrowth which sent me flying off into the undergrowth.
Apart from my damaged pride, I was fine apart from finding it extremely hard to extricate myself & my bike from my landing site.
The bloke I'd overtaken rode past, called out to check I was OK & I imagine uttered something like '****' which would have been entirely deserved.... :o)
A couple of weeks ago, changing from a canal tow path to a parallel path.
"There's a gap in the bushes. I can easily bunny hop that little drainage ditch"
... I couldn't.
summer 2018, went for a ride instead of watching England/Croatia semi final. Stacked my bike on a bit of local trail that I've probably ridden more than any other. Went off line going round some steps and ended up going diagonally across the trail to crash into a tree stump on the other side which sent me over the bars. It was one of those ones that seems to happen in slow motion, oh dear I've ****ed it up, if I land over there I'm going to... I'm crashing... and then the ground comes towards you really fast. Cracked a rib or something, finished the ride but was out of action for about 8-10weeks afterwards.
This September...cheeky mid-week day off to ride BPW as a birthday treat. 2nd run of the day on Terry's Belly and lost the front wheel on a berm.
****ted my head off the ground, scraped my shoulder up, bruised lots of ribs and broke a bone in my hand.
I wasn't concentrating or wearing my lucky shirt.
Tomorrow is Antur Stiniog and my first uplift since BPW...I'll be on the brakes, concentrating and wearing my shirt!
Riding home from the Christmas night out a year or two back. Icy canal towpath, no big problem as I wasn't too drunk (for reasons other than cycling home safely I'd limited my booze levels) and I had spiked tyres on.
Headed down a hill that goes under a tunnel to get onto the right bit of towpath at a junction in the canal, didn't brake until quite near the bottom, started to skid, braked harder (doh) and slid more, fell off, slid much faster now I had no spikes digging in, straight into a gate thanks to the camber. Slightly difficult to stand up, had to bum shuffle around the gate. Mental note - studs make sheet ice rideable, but not infinitely grippy.
Scraped fork stanchions and sore shins from the gatepost, possibly sore ribs too.
Bike Park Wales a couple of years ago, washed out on a berm and went down hard, full face chin guard took the brunt of it but was seeing stars for a while and had ringing in my ears.
Riding a wide but steep and rutted local trail, as I reached the bottom and was about to turn left my front wheel sort of bounced out of the rut and onto a little patch of grass, washed out and dumped me over the bars, slid along the ground om my face, saved from a lot of scrapes by a few weeks of beard growth.
I clipped the bars on a road restriction barrier on my commuter whilst going to the hairdressers a couple of years ago. Hurt my elbow. No further damage luckily. Only other fall since was a stationary fall coming home from the pub. Bruised my arm and shoulder.
January 5th this year. Pins coming out from a ruined shoulder next week 🙏
STW says it was 2 years ago
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/bored-in-a-e-so-start-thread/
Similar thing, stupid sideways skid in the wet, with a frickin hard landing.
Nearly every ride recently, but the last one trying to chase fellow Hk STW'er BigD, happens at the 4.50 mark.
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OTB in Morzine in July, Was off piste in the middle of no where. Thankfully just a gashed elbow. Didnt fancy being airlifted off a mountain in France!
Twice a couple of weekends ago, crazy muddy trails and it was always likely on the terrain i was riding, slippy sloppy mud, no grip at all... Went down, fell into nettles/brambles... no major issue but stung like hell for 3-4 days.
Two weeks ago, riding some offpiste at the trail centre, not paying attention, take a diversion and end up on the ground in a lot of pain, must have landed on something hard as managed to crack my shoulder blade!
9 weeks ago...
rode a really high consequence and steep chute.. got to the bottom with no issues..
Was coming to a stop afterwards on a flat piece of ground.. weird comedy slow speed tumble.. got up and my fingers where somehow pointing in the wrong direction!
^^^
Yikes!
tuesday night, multiple somersaults off a thin track to the bottom of steep little valley. Certainly two. Quite impressive apparently with helmet and bar lights burning circles. I blame first ride in ages on my no suspension bike, and being clipped in. Once I'd lost the front wheel only one thing was going to happen and after the initial slow motion it happened quite fast. Will have covered 3-4m vertically, over bouncy heather.
Lots of laughing before the 'are you okay?' which I was, no scrapes or bruises even so on with the ride.
Tried snuggling up with MrsMC when the alarm went off this morning.
Got an elbow in the ribs and told to "F off to work"
Was this not what you meant?
A couple of years ago we had a one year old baby and I had just been laid off. Things were stressful in the Wee household. I was planning on going to the pub that night to watch the rugby. My girlfriend and I were having an argument, I can't remember what it was about.
There was a full on storm going on outside. I was planning on taking the bus. We were still arguing as I was putting my shoes on and my girlfriend said, 'Don't cycle into town, just take the bus.'
'Well, actually', said I, 'I am going to cycle into town.'
So there I was, riding the four miles into town in the face of a fearsome headwind, cursing my girlfriend for telling me to take the bus meaning that I had to take the bike even though I really wanted to take the bus.
Got to the pub, rugby was watched, around 10 pints were drunk.
Closing time came and I fell over trying to unlock the bike. It doesn't matter, I'm always more stable on a bike than I am walking, I said to myself.
Riding home was a joy. The storm was still blowing but this time at my back. I barely had to turn the pedals.
What I didn't take into account, as I rounded the final bend leading into my street, was that if you turn 90 degrees a tail wind becomes a side wind. I was pushed to the edge of the road where an inconveniently placed traffic cone sent me over the bars and into a ditch.
4 stitches in my forehead and 5 to re-attach what was left of my ear.
My girlfriend, to this day, has still not apologised.
Last crash, tried to ride the cross bike through a drainage tunnle (one of those spiral corrugated ones, about 8ft diameter.
It was wet and slimy, it had a friction coefficient about 100x lower than greased teflon, I went down like a sack of proverbial potatoes and then struggled to even get up and walk the bike length back out again!
Also still have a deep unhealed gash on my knee from riding the fat bike up a flight of stairs, reaching the top, and missjudging the corner leading to the shifter digging a hole in my knee as I tried to hop and turn up the last step.
^ Wow Bruce that's quite a story. What level of sympathy did you receive on your return? I would have probably made up a story about being attacked for my beer money by some bigger boys.
Hit a rope strung across the trail in June. Left with a wonky finger and ongoing problems with a trapped nerve in my shoulder.
Started the C25K run thing while off the bike, which I've enjoyed. Now got a torn calf and can barely walk....
Its the ones you don't see coming that really hurt.
Couple of years ago riding along Pie Run at Glentress, didn't see a root sticking out from the bank I was riding past. It caught the bike just above the front hub, it was like a really strong wooden hand had just grabbed my forks and stopped the bike dead.
I went pinging over the bars and landed about 6 feet away, completely oblivious as to why I'd taken flight and then used my face and chest as landing gear. As I picked myself up and gathered up the bike, which had flopped peacefully over onto the dirt bank like it was having a little rest, i spotted the root and pieced it together.
Nothing broken but was pretty bruised
^ Wow Bruce that’s quite a story. What level of sympathy did you receive on your return?
Not much, to be honest. If you asked her you'd think it was 100% my own fault.
Dalbeattie a few weeks ago. Had avoided most of the rock slab sections since, after a quick lap of the little skills loop, it became apparent that they were wet and greasy as hell. Got to one of the 'roll along the top of a series of rock slabs' sections and thought, "it's out in the open, looks a bit drier, it's downhill slightly, 12-15 metres so fairly short, the alternative is a nasty rut down the grass. It'll be fine..."
...It wasn't fine.
3/4 of the way down my front wheel washed out to the right, and I got launched - fortunately I was on flats rather than clips so just got ejected. No major injury but I have existing neck problems anyway and it jarred and sent me cross-eyed for a couple of minutes.
September-
On canal towpath, overtaking people, on the grass near the water, riding too fast, looking at phone, thinking about dinner .... hit a mooring post.
OTB towards water and hit a moored barge head first. Not quite on the rear deck and slump into the water. Luckily the boat owner came to pull me out as I was pretty dazed.
Helmet smashed. Fractured rib(s?). Knee swelled so much I couldn't bend it more than 20 degrees or so. Usual random bloody scrapes. Phone and pump lost to the water.
I hope it was amusing to the people that witnessed it 🙂 they were nice about it though.
Basically, crashing into the canal might not be fun even if it is a hot day and you like swimming!
Ton.
Get well quick big man.
Its the ones you don’t see coming that really hurt.
Tru Dat
Came off 3 weeks ago on a turn that I do most mornings.
There had been a public event in the park the day before and they hadn't been round to clear up ,so I suspect there had been some food/beer/bodyfluid left on the path (slabs).
Came down quick but got away with just a chunk off an elbow as I slid into the flowerbeds.
Felt a complete muppet doing it in front of all the regular commuters 🙂
After years of not crashing, I binned it a couple of times summer just gone, I'm taking as a positive that I'm 'pushing' a bit again.
Group Ride with some lads on twitter (#UKMTBCHAT), tried to manual a rocky stream coming down The Gap Brecon at a milionty miles per hour (probaly more like 15mph), I not sure what I caught but the bike went sideways, caught it but just when I thought I got away with it I hit something else, bike just stopped and I went OTB into a lovely soft patch of rocks. A bit winded, bruised for weeks afterwards.
Couple of weeks before riding Twrch at Cwncarn, there's a section called Odin, the descent is just a bunch of S bends, if you know them well, which I do, quite a few of them you can jump/cross rather than actually turning, it makes 7/10ths of bugger all difference to your speed, but it feels cool to me. Well I messed one up, landed awkwardly and humped the bars, I'd resigned myself to a big OTB stack, but just when all hope was lost, the massive bank on the left appeared in view and I threw myself at it and sort of slid down it.
I was never a massive fan of Ali G, and frankly I'd have to be reminded who he was - but somewhere deep down in my subconscious something was awoken and once I'd decided I wasn't dead and there weren't jagged shared of broken bones sticking out of me I shouted "Booyakasha!" jumped back on my bike and ****ing set the place on fire - slashed my Strava times in a couple of places, I've got something like 80+ runs of the place in Strava so it's not an easy thing for me to get cups on anymore.
I do try to unleash the beast a bit when I crash, I think that if I jump straight back on I'll be less likely to lose my Mojo, it sorta works - post Cwmcarn I was timid for a few rides, post Brecon though I was nervous for weeks and weeks.
Last night.
Perfectly angled root deflected my front wheel and I was heading off trail. Corrected course and the front wheel gave up, turning into a high side that I managed to avoid with a full speedway reverse lock at the last moment, the consequence of which was continuing lack of front wheel grip, pushing me into a low-side and a full 180 so I was facing up the trail lying on my side.
No damage because the spin took all the energy out. I count it as an epic save, because the high-side would have sent me down a wooded back at high speed and I don't think I would have got away with it.
Following a flock of sheep being driven down a lane by the farmer, after showing off my awesome trackstand skillz for a bit, went to put a foot down, it stuck on the pedal, slow keel over sideways. Various cuts and bruises. His daughter seemed impressed.
Most recent major wipeout was a high speed front wheel washout in the ford which appears in the opening credits of 'All Creatures Great and Small'* . Needed a bit of hospital de-gritting and stitching up after that one.
*If you were born after the 70s, this is not a valid reference.
Last bad crash was a few years ago, last gasp of summer in Friston, sunlight flickering through the leaves and coming down "Doris and Burt" trail at telephone numbers when I spotted something ahead that my brain couldn't figure out what it was. My closing speed was massive and I realised rather late it was a bloke walking up the trail dressed in woodland camo!
I managed to steer off the trail with a flick and miss him but as I turned back onto the trail the tyres cried enough and I high sided with most of my horizontal speed being translated into UP. I smashed into the floor on my head and side. As I sat there waiting for my eyes to look in the same direction woodland camo man didn't even look back to see what the horrible noise was.....GIT. I got back on the bike did another 10 miles or so before starting to feel very sore and odd. Got home to find I had cracked my helmet and couldn't sleep properly for months as one side hurt from Sternum to bottom of rib cage every time I turned over.
This year was a stupid OTB as I rode over a block of granite on Dartmoor showing off to Mrs M (I'm 50, we've been married nearly 30 years...........) Basically the bike wedged itself on the granite and I pushed myself OTB. Whacked my elbow really well and crunched the carbon lever of my SRAM Ultimates. This may well have been a Gin hangover fuelled incident.
Out in the woods I mucked up an icy diagonal log jump. Went down sideways, faster than gravity, and landed on the extending dog lead I had clipped to my backpack hip belt.
That was a year ago, the two huge bruises went but there is still swelling and a tingly feeling. Dr says if its not gone by now it probably won't.
Bike Park Wales. On the very first trail before you even get to the uplift. Thought I'd pop a jump, got sideways then also landed sideways. Badly bruised all over, confidence shot. Had about 2 runs to try and ride it off before realising I actually had done something really rather painful.
Bike Park Wales. On the very first trail before you even get to the uplift.
Notorious for crashes that bit of trail.
Maybe it’s nerves/excitement but I always get bucked on those jumps, front wheel goes no where, rear takes off like a rocket.
Last snowy period, probably February. All I did was ride round to my mates to see if he was coming out. Crashed on his path on some ice and hit my knee. He came out to see if I was ok and I claimed I was fine and then I went out for a snowy solo ride. At the furthest point out my knee gave up all movement and swelled up like a melon.
3 months of physio for ligament and muscle damage and it's ok again.
Out with the boy back in the summer,local woods. Just cycled through the car park and the fire road begins to fall gradually meaning you can pick up a bit of speed. Turned left onto the first trail and the front wheel unexpectedly washed out sending me onto my side. Lay there for a few moments before the lad caught up, saw me lying on the ground. Large bruise to my hip which is still there and bruised ribs which ached for weeks. On closer inspection it appears to be a concrete slab with some loose gravel on top exactly before the turning. Having never lost the front wheel on the fatty, this little off has reminded me that I’m not invincible. Heal well and quickly OP!!
On a cx bike trying to do some trails near leith hill. White lightening I think? Over the bars on a jump, landed on back of hand and chin 😂. Took a while to mend but nothing major was done.
I reckon I got very very lucky at the Hope MTB Marathon in September, big OTB on the descent from Jacobs Ladder, if anyone knows that descent its full of baby head boulders, however I just landed in a dead stop on my head, neck and shoulder, didn’t move, not a scratch anywhere else - X-ray was clear, pain has more or less subsided, about 3 days after I got intense pain in my neck on the opposite side, still twinges a bit, could have been a life changer
Three months ago, coming back to the car park in FoD after doing the hard stuff, knee had a hole in it you could see the kneecap through, done a couple of ribs and fracture my collarbone in 3 places.
May of this year for me, hit a 10ft drop blind and at speed, which unbeknown to me had steep steps on, unfortunately hit the unsighted from the top steps.
Ended up in hospital for 5 days, a bleed on the brain, still not able to drive due to the dvla making me surrender my licence, no memory of the first few days or the accident.
Helmet did its job though!
Whistler this summer.
Did some blacks and they were ace! Did some double blacks, they were amazing and went well.
Couple of daft crashes and wrote my front then rear wheel off. First one just pushed straight on on a corner and stuffed my front wheel into a tree. Off to the bike shop.
Next day, second run over the bars and somehow ripped 3 spokes out the rear rim. Back to the bike shop.
Back out at lunch time. Did crank it up, a blue I’d done every day for a weeks to warm up.
After the second corner there are several hours missing. I don’t remember the lift to the clinic, any of the xrays or ct scan. I remember a doctor saying “you don’t remember me “. I had no idea who they were. I also have no memory of what they looked like.
Fortunately that was the day before I went home! I made it home safe and sound with just 2 migraines with auras.
All that was through a full carbon Dh full face helmet! I’m pretty glad I did whatever happened with that on.
I’m fully militant about wearing helmets now.
The day before christmas 2017. I have never been to keen on drops, but after reading some tips on the subject on STW, I decided to give it a go. Cycling along the harbour on my way to the trail, I spotted a 30 cm drop, and went for it. Upon landing, the bike vanished from beneath me... I came down hard on my side, right in front of the panoramic Windows of the most expensive restaurant in town. Bleeding from my elbow, and my knee, my helmet cracked, my brand new rear derallieur (5 kilometers on it) torn off. Went to get my bike from the edge of the water, waved to the people eating fancy food, and started walking home. My hip was yellow/purple/green/black for six months. The elbow still feels weird when it gets cold.
Worst was about a year ago, just coming down a fire trail, not technical just a bit steep. Think I washed out the front wheel and over the bars, luckily was riding with a a mate. Unconcious for about 10 mins then walked out to the ambo (wanted to ride home apparently). 3 column break of T11 and broken occipital condyle (base of skull where spine attaches). Don't remember the week in hospital afterwards. Luckily no long term issues although the head injury does worry me.
My biggest and most prominent was at the end of Bristol Bikefest in 2012 on that ******** stupid jump they put out at the end. I was a bit knackered and basically lacking in any talent but decided to jump off it. Went OTB in front of massive finish line crowd. Which was bad enough, but also managed a Grade 3 shoulder separation which has never fully recovered.
Definitely not the last time but in the Hero Dolomites this summer some guy overtook me on a wee incline so to be clever I tried to jump back past him as we turned down into a gravel track. Jumped ok but wiped out as I landed. Guy asking in broken English if I was ok and me apologising for being such a knob. Only lycra on so quite a bit of blood. Unfortunately still had 7 hours riding to go.
Most recent was on the Cotic Owner's ride on the Sunday after the Steel is Real weekend at the FOD. Riding along a narrow bit of single-track with bushes either side and the rider in front of me pinged a bramble back and it swung into my handlebars. It decided to grab my rear brake,putting it fully on so I wobbled off to the right. Stayed up but went straight into the hedge on the right and came to an immediate stop. Felt a bit winded but nothing out of the ordinary. Carried on with the ride but for some reason had no confidence any more so wimped out of an easy steep drop and finished the ride. Got back to the car and as I was getting changed realised that my base layer wouldn't come off my right side for some reason. Gave it a good pull and it came off but I was in absolute agony and there was blood dripping down my side. Looked at the base layer and just above the hip was a blood stain about 2 inches across, exactly the same size as the now bleeding skin in the same place on me! I must have caught a branch or one thing going into the bush and it grazed me. Cue clotting making the base layer like one giant plaster and removing it was like a giant waxing strip. Took 6 weeks for that to heal, including it getting infected and having to take antibiotics.
Last night ! Out on the cx in Trent park. I didn't see a root under the leaves and SLAM! I went down like a sack of cursing potatoes. Luckily the ground was soft so I got away with minor bruising and a muddy bum.
bloody heck people. think I got away lightly after reading some of your stories.
be careful kids.............. ;o)
June, Parkamoor (Lake District), combination of too much speed and front wheel stuck in a rut going one way, centre of mass going a different way, resulting in a high side and injured rib. I can't say for sure whether it was broken, but it was damned painful and took there weeks to heal properly. I did manage the red route at Grizedale the following day though, with a few expletives…
In February we had freezing rain - I knew it was coming and stayed off likely problem routes, but there was one section of track where the ice was so thick that it took me by surprise, leading to a completely out of control slide on my side for about 20 m on ice with stones protruding through at regular intervals, resulting in some tremendous grazing but nothing more serious.
It the bars then draping myself over a log. Back wheel came out end everything.
Best one was a Buchanan Street Glasgow and front wheel washed out in due to bin lot diesel. I slid for miles before coming to a halt. Feet still strapped in I lay there is histerics unable to free myself. And this drunk guy serious drunk came running for miles to make sure I was okay. He could barely stand but he was still more use than my mate who could stand but was just laughing his head off.
August 2017 iirc, heading across Old Winchester Hill plateau to attempt Bell Hill cat3 climb for first time. Just past Sustainability Centre there's a steep fast right sweeper, just before you turn left to do main bit of Mercury Drop to Oxenbourne Lane.
Came to the sweeper and noticed very late there was gravel all over my side of Droxford Rd, plus what looked like a car foot well mat...
Slow motion feeling of knowing I'm understeering and won't make the corner, just managed to scrub enough speed to avoid a moderate tree trunk, fall on my left side and slide into the grass/hedge.
Car behind me were great, helped me clean up my grazes and continued to my climb, felt sore after i got back for a few days!
Yesterday, kitesurfing in Cape Verde.
Chicken look self-released in the waves... managed to get it sorted then I happened again a minute later. Started self rescuing when a wave hit me and tangled me up in lines. All wrapped round my fingers, toes and neck... Kite still trying to fly as not fully depowered....
Properly thought my moment was up.
Got back eventually, took an hour to untangle and sort lines. Most importantly the kite was unharmed. Had another go so my confidence wasn’t ruined. About to have another session which I’m sure will be fine. I’m less a little finger flesh though!
That finger! Ouch!
My most recent crash happened as I was putting my first pedal stroke after coasting across a roundabout on my way to work. It transpired that my lockring had come away from the cassette (no idea how!) but as I was in 11th gear, the chain slipped and I got highsighded off the bike. Luckily there were no cars behind me. There was, amusingly, a trail of soy milk from the carton that had exploded in my pack! I'm grateful that I keep spare clean clothes at work!
My second most recent crash was after a decent ride in the peaks, gently riding along a bridleway, went slightly off trail to give a group of walkers plenty of space and as I rejoined the trail my inside pedal hit the floor. Spat me right over the bars. There was a group of other mtbers behind me who stopped ans checked I was ok. I was, but I felt like a bit of a plank!
Happily both crashes only resulted in minor scrapes and soreness.
This morning.
There was as much friction as a shaved seal in a olive oil dressing in mine woods today. If it wasn't ice, it was mud....
Cue a huuuuage two wheel slide on an off camber section (sorry for the erosion) for about 10-15metres, followed by knee, elbow and face into mud - while eldest_oab rides it out ahead of me...
Worse one was years ago. Hit a dog a speed went OTB, faceplanted and scorpioned on hitting the deck, broken vertebrea was in HRI for a week. Last hurty one was at BPW (One a chuffin' blue aswell!) landed hard on my shoulder on the first run of the day.
At the start of the year i was at Glentress and went over a tiny drop (kerb size) at the bottom. Done it hunners of times but this time my foot slipped off and i landed on my RHS. Was fairly sore at the time but went up to the skills area for a few jumps and took the blue back down to the bottom. It was only when i got home to take my top off i noticed it had turned a purple colour and was sticking to my fore-arm, but not even a rip in my top or coat. A&E gave me 4 stitches
CYB few years ago. Spent 3 hours riding the rocky trails kind of ok. Finished, riding the little trail up to the cafe, looked back with a proud sigh and a smile.... instantly fell off, down a gully, cut my face open. In view of the cafe
Early summer I was going for a KOM on a downhill and clipped a fallen tree trunk on my right at about 30mph. On the left of the trail is a 4-5ft deep gully and I hit the bottom of that with just the top of my head. Nothing else, just poleaxed the ground hard. Thanks to POC I think I escaped lightly though my neck has only just stopped being painful. It was extra-stupid for two reasons: 1) I knew the tree and the gully were there because 2) I already had the KOM, I just wanted more than 1 second lead. Definitely learned a lesson.
Wild starfish manoeuvre on my local trails this morning, didn't so much as go otb's just propelled my nuts into my stem which stopped them quite effectively, and then bike and I flipped over into mushy vegetation at the side of the trail. Cause was too much speed and a sudden change of mindset from riding God to dad tasks, then all of a sudden I was looking at my right hand which should have been on the bars but appeared to be flipping me the bird.
In fairness I got off pretty lightly. Couple of knocks and aches, my little lads are singing 'love me tender' and my lower back is aching like a mo fo, so assume I over extended. Numbing the pain with some cheap red wine and thinking tomorrow morning will make me feel old.
I would like it noted I finished my usual loop, but will admit to it being a tad slower than normal.
Couple of years ago about this time I had a spate of stupid falls. Damaged a wrist in one, broke a rib in another. All were inexplicable (well, apart from one where my bar caught a fallen tree and I almost fell 30 metres into the Spey). Fingers crossed, I've mostly managed to stay upright since then.
I did have a small slide in Morzine in July but the main one was the campsite descent in Hayfield in February this year and my riding has slowed a lot since then, diffidently a guardian angle watching me that day. Full crank into the wood just before the sender and ended up on the wrong line , wheel stopped out front and i didnt taking the bike with me over the top, i ended up in a pile of rock on my back. Just glad I bought the back pack with a back protector.. forks wreck rear mech grips seat ,and my leg wrist head and nose in blood, NOT THE BEST FINISH TO A RIDE, the sweats and shakes that evening indicated shock, tbh I should have gone to hospital.Slowed right down since