My first down...
Discussion
So at the right old age of 60, I've had my first road "off" 
I say this in the context of having a few "off's" whilst green laneing around Wiltshire in my younger years. But then I only hit the grass and mud at slow speeds.
So, just riding my triumph scrambler up a local country road on a dry day at 30mph past White Waltham airfield, approaching a gentle curve in the road, leaning so slightly and the back wheel just slid away and down I went.
Now, I'm not here to preach to others what to wear, and I don't want anyone telling me either. All I will say is the armor in my jacket did what it says on the tin. My elbow and back that took the brunt of the impact and slide down the tarmac are fine, and the jacket still looks good too.
I wasn't however wearing my biking jeans with armor, just workmen's cotton trouser, and yes they tore up a bit on the hip.
For some reason I kept my head off the ground as I slid and just watched the direction I was sliding, so the crash helmet has not a mark on it !
After a few moments got myself up, a few cars stopped to check on me, a guy helped me push the bike of the road. After realizing I was ok, and the bike only seemed to have a broken clutch and gear lever, I then called my son around and we pushed it the half mile home !
The bike can be fixed for not much money, and it was my pride that hurt the most.
As per the picture, seems a build up of road grit and other crap was enough to make the tire loose grip. I'm usually good at checking the road ahead but just didn't notice this.
What do I personally take away from this ? If you ride long enough your bound to have spill, except that fact or go do something else with your time and money.
But going forward, my New years resolution is each ride I'll make sure I put my bloody biking jeans on !!
I say this in the context of having a few "off's" whilst green laneing around Wiltshire in my younger years. But then I only hit the grass and mud at slow speeds.
So, just riding my triumph scrambler up a local country road on a dry day at 30mph past White Waltham airfield, approaching a gentle curve in the road, leaning so slightly and the back wheel just slid away and down I went.
Now, I'm not here to preach to others what to wear, and I don't want anyone telling me either. All I will say is the armor in my jacket did what it says on the tin. My elbow and back that took the brunt of the impact and slide down the tarmac are fine, and the jacket still looks good too.
I wasn't however wearing my biking jeans with armor, just workmen's cotton trouser, and yes they tore up a bit on the hip.
For some reason I kept my head off the ground as I slid and just watched the direction I was sliding, so the crash helmet has not a mark on it !
After a few moments got myself up, a few cars stopped to check on me, a guy helped me push the bike of the road. After realizing I was ok, and the bike only seemed to have a broken clutch and gear lever, I then called my son around and we pushed it the half mile home !
The bike can be fixed for not much money, and it was my pride that hurt the most.
As per the picture, seems a build up of road grit and other crap was enough to make the tire loose grip. I'm usually good at checking the road ahead but just didn't notice this.
What do I personally take away from this ? If you ride long enough your bound to have spill, except that fact or go do something else with your time and money.
But going forward, my New years resolution is each ride I'll make sure I put my bloody biking jeans on !!
I'm glad to hear you're OK and thanks for sharing. I'm sure you'll hurt for the next week or so as older bodies definitely take longer to shrug off the sort of things that youth would have barely noticed.
As you say, kit is a personal choice but it's good to know that when it is being used it does what is expected.
I hope this doesn't put you off.
As you say, kit is a personal choice but it's good to know that when it is being used it does what is expected.
I hope this doesn't put you off.
CHLEMCBC said:
TheTrash said:
Is there any obvious source for all that crap on the road like a field entrance or similar?
It's a build up of salt and grit from spreadingI think if you ride bikes for a number of years the odds are stacked against you in some way shape or form.
I've had my fair share of offs over the years, mainly on a racetrack but one or two on the road due to surface (like this one, diesel) and being punted off by a SMIDSY.
What it taught me was you need eyes in the back of your head, but make sure you invest in some decent gear and wear it regardless of the weather.
Glad you are OK, I'm sure you will feel battered and bruised for the next few days at least it's Xmas and you can numb the pain a little.
I've had my fair share of offs over the years, mainly on a racetrack but one or two on the road due to surface (like this one, diesel) and being punted off by a SMIDSY.
What it taught me was you need eyes in the back of your head, but make sure you invest in some decent gear and wear it regardless of the weather.
Glad you are OK, I'm sure you will feel battered and bruised for the next few days at least it's Xmas and you can numb the pain a little.
Firstly I'm glad you're OK, it's exactly this kind of unexpected crap on the road which plays on my mind. Much as you make your best efforts to note all conditions around you it's inevitable that sometimes you're just not going to spot something.
But I'm in two minds about the comment about accepting the inevitably of an "off". I know exactly where you're coming from and intellectually i think you are correct.
But if I were convinced that at some time I'm gonna have an off then i wouldn't get back on a bike. Same for me with skiing ( so far broken ribs , broken sternum, broken thumb ) but I ain't gonna crash next time. Paragliding ( busted knee ) but I ain't gonna crash next time. Smoker ( no lung cancer yet ). among other behaviours some may regard as dangerous. I think , as humans, we have an inbuilt ability to believe it will only happen to someone else. And without that ability we'd lose out on so much fun in life.
Having said that i am an ATGATT just in case.
Just my tuppence.
But I'm in two minds about the comment about accepting the inevitably of an "off". I know exactly where you're coming from and intellectually i think you are correct.
But if I were convinced that at some time I'm gonna have an off then i wouldn't get back on a bike. Same for me with skiing ( so far broken ribs , broken sternum, broken thumb ) but I ain't gonna crash next time. Paragliding ( busted knee ) but I ain't gonna crash next time. Smoker ( no lung cancer yet ). among other behaviours some may regard as dangerous. I think , as humans, we have an inbuilt ability to believe it will only happen to someone else. And without that ability we'd lose out on so much fun in life.
Having said that i am an ATGATT just in case.
Just my tuppence.
Glad the op is ok!
I'm almost 60 & have been a very lucky boy on too many occasions. I hit a similar amount of silt on a B road in Kent last year. Was from flooding presumably a week earlier & obscured by shade going into the corner. By some miracle the traction control avoided an almost certain high side as I was giving it the ham fisted beans.....
I'm almost 60 & have been a very lucky boy on too many occasions. I hit a similar amount of silt on a B road in Kent last year. Was from flooding presumably a week earlier & obscured by shade going into the corner. By some miracle the traction control avoided an almost certain high side as I was giving it the ham fisted beans.....
Biker9090 said:
Glad you're OK.
I know that road VERY well.
Please report the build up of muck there along with pictures of the accident it's caused. The next poor sod that hits it might be able to claim from the useless entity that is RBWM if they come off!
What tyres were you on out of interest?
I was going to ask the same. I've started using way 'knobbier' tyres since the roads around me are covered in this sort of crap all the time. My Tiger had fairly aggressive 50/50 tyres that would cope fairly easily with any gravel on the road.I know that road VERY well.
Please report the build up of muck there along with pictures of the accident it's caused. The next poor sod that hits it might be able to claim from the useless entity that is RBWM if they come off!
What tyres were you on out of interest?
Continental TKC 80's
I'm no tire expert here guys, but I don't think the tire choice would matter here (unless you had ice spikes!).
The grit lifted the tire off the tarmac, so as my mate said, your riding on glass beads.
To answer the other point, no my confidence isn't dented. I'm thinking ahead to 2026 and the many trips I wont to go on
But I have learned the effectiveness of the modern day protective clothing you can buy.
We are very fortunate that what ever type of biking gear your into, racing leathers, retro style or the urban camouflage etc, you have a great choice of what to buy and know it will offer you some level of protection to your choosing.
I'm no tire expert here guys, but I don't think the tire choice would matter here (unless you had ice spikes!).
The grit lifted the tire off the tarmac, so as my mate said, your riding on glass beads.
To answer the other point, no my confidence isn't dented. I'm thinking ahead to 2026 and the many trips I wont to go on
But I have learned the effectiveness of the modern day protective clothing you can buy.
We are very fortunate that what ever type of biking gear your into, racing leathers, retro style or the urban camouflage etc, you have a great choice of what to buy and know it will offer you some level of protection to your choosing.
Edited by pcn1 on Tuesday 23 December 09:18
quigonjay said:
Unlucky, hope it does not knock your confidence to get back out on the bike again.
Don't want to be 'that guy' but unless you had the sun in your eyes or something, how did you not see that? seems quite a substantial amount of built up grit, slush even?
44 years off riding, and I'm a very "defensive" type of rider, I've noted everything on the road ahead of me.Don't want to be 'that guy' but unless you had the sun in your eyes or something, how did you not see that? seems quite a substantial amount of built up grit, slush even?
Until then
If my eyes spotted it, my brain just didn't process it.
pcn1 said:
quigonjay said:
Unlucky, hope it does not knock your confidence to get back out on the bike again.
Don't want to be 'that guy' but unless you had the sun in your eyes or something, how did you not see that? seems quite a substantial amount of built up grit, slush even?
44 years off riding, and I'm a very "defensive" type of rider, I've noted everything on the road ahead of me.Don't want to be 'that guy' but unless you had the sun in your eyes or something, how did you not see that? seems quite a substantial amount of built up grit, slush even?
Until then
If my eyes spotted it, my brain just didn't process it.
When I was last out on the outward journey I clattered into some road imperfection. It felt like the front suspension bottomed out. So my thought at the time and lastnight after reading this thread was 'how did I not see whatever it was I rode into?'. It was downhill on a wide open stretch with little traffic at the time.
I think perhaps with the leaf litter mulch at the kerbside and the centre of the road and the low winter sun I have wondered if it was worth it, but when I got home I felt more awake, invigorated and with it. Perhaps it was seeing the sunshine, not getting rained on seeing the part of the route home shining up hill and over crests into the distance with the sunshine on the wet road?
That latest chinese made British heritage retro bandwagon jumper that was discussed here a couple of weeks ago had almost two inches more front suspension travel than my current bike. Coping with potholes and hopefully trying to get away with riding into them and through them is starting to figure in my motorcycle spec. considerations. I don't want a want a tallroader motorcycle equivalent of an SUV, but functionality wise a V-Strom 650 may suit what I encounter and roads and my riding.
Last time in a motorcycle showroom I tried 9-12 bikes for size. The discounted previous model TransAlp 750 was too tall and I generally didn't feel comfortable with the bulk for my size and the roads I use and I tried the NX500 or whatever the Honda 500 is called, was previously CB500X or something, felt OK so I was thinking 'shame that 750 motor isn't in this 500'.
I came off on grit left in lengthwise grooves when road works were going on when I was a youngster. That was due to my youthful exuberance and failing to heed my own thought of 'I wonder if they've finished the road works on that nasty right angle left hander'. So I had the thought but ended up too fast on gritty grooves and going down.
If nothing else the post serves as a 'be careful out there'. It's easy to get complacent, most of my nearest misses have been local and one was when I was mentally 'almost home now, three miles to go'.
pcn1 said:
Continental TKC 80's
I'm no tire expert here guys, but I don't think the tire choice would matter here (unless you had ice spikes!).
The grit lifted the tire off the tarmac, so as my mate said, your riding on glass beads.
To answer the other point, no my confidence isn't dented. I'm thinking ahead to 2026 and the many trips I wont to go on
But I have learned the effectiveness of the modern day protective clothing you can buy.
We are very fortunate that what ever type of biking gear your into, racing leathers, retro style or the urban camouflage etc, you have a great choice of what to buy and know it will offer you some level of protection to your choosing.
I dunno, I've hit worse patches of mud at speed with Dunlop Mutants and whilst they squirmed they grabbed grip again quickly - unlikely many others. Quite remarkable how well they cope with this sort of stuff to such an extent I will only go down the "dodgy" roads on the bike that has them on. I'm no tire expert here guys, but I don't think the tire choice would matter here (unless you had ice spikes!).
The grit lifted the tire off the tarmac, so as my mate said, your riding on glass beads.
To answer the other point, no my confidence isn't dented. I'm thinking ahead to 2026 and the many trips I wont to go on
But I have learned the effectiveness of the modern day protective clothing you can buy.
We are very fortunate that what ever type of biking gear your into, racing leathers, retro style or the urban camouflage etc, you have a great choice of what to buy and know it will offer you some level of protection to your choosing.
Edited by pcn1 on Tuesday 23 December 09:18
The mud etc does all seem to be worse this year regardless.
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