Can you remember your first fall on a bike?
Discussion
Evening all
So, just come off my bike for the first time today. I was following a car through a 30 zone which was in front of me a good few metres. The car indicated left in plenty of time and when she reached the turn, she stopped as I was behind her. There was no where for me to go so I rode into the back of her. So in theory, her over awareness got me knocked off my bike.
The bikes ok, my wrist hurts a bit but I'll live and she was very apologetic. Thinking back, I probably could have been a bit more sensitive to her plea for forgiveness but I just gave her a look and a dismissive wave away.
And to top it off, it was only my second ride clipped in so no saving myself by putting a foot down. And it happened directly outside an LBS!
I don't think I was in the wrong but I couldn't have a go at her because she was maybe too aware of my presence which made her hesitate, stop in my path and put me on my arse.
So I know I'll probably remember my first time fondly, but do any of you remember your first tumble?
So, just come off my bike for the first time today. I was following a car through a 30 zone which was in front of me a good few metres. The car indicated left in plenty of time and when she reached the turn, she stopped as I was behind her. There was no where for me to go so I rode into the back of her. So in theory, her over awareness got me knocked off my bike.
The bikes ok, my wrist hurts a bit but I'll live and she was very apologetic. Thinking back, I probably could have been a bit more sensitive to her plea for forgiveness but I just gave her a look and a dismissive wave away.
And to top it off, it was only my second ride clipped in so no saving myself by putting a foot down. And it happened directly outside an LBS!
I don't think I was in the wrong but I couldn't have a go at her because she was maybe too aware of my presence which made her hesitate, stop in my path and put me on my arse.
So I know I'll probably remember my first time fondly, but do any of you remember your first tumble?
You rode into the back of her...so I think you have to take that one on the chin. 
I've been lucky enough to have not fallen off since I was a kid. Hope it stays thay way.
I do know what you mean about cars being over cautious...but then I'd rather have that than the ones that don't see you at all.
I've been lucky enough to have not fallen off since I was a kid. Hope it stays thay way.
I do know what you mean about cars being over cautious...but then I'd rather have that than the ones that don't see you at all.
The only one I can remember before taking to four wheels (probably many others that I can't remember but plenty since coming back to two wheels, although mostly off road)......was coming home for lunch, head down on my Dawes Dorado (anybody remember those) up the cat 1 part of our road when on looking up saw that some inconsiderate person had parked his car in my way. It was only when picking myself and my, now bent 'bike off of his boot that I noticed him standing in his front garden where he had been cutting the grass. Nothing was said.......no helmets in those days so was probably lucky, oh, and that reminds me. I got knocked off my bike cycling out from behind a bus the day after passing my cycle proficiency test.
If she had just made the turn, I wouldn't have hit her, but she started to turn, so blocked any route to pass her on the kerbside, so I had to try swerve and pass her in the middle of the road as I couldn't stop in time.
Maybe I could have anticipated what she may have done, but i don't think anyone would have known she would stop mid manoeuvre.
If she's in front of me, it should be my responsibility to watch out for her. If she's behind me, then she watches out for me.
Never mind though.
Maybe I could have anticipated what she may have done, but i don't think anyone would have known she would stop mid manoeuvre.
If she's in front of me, it should be my responsibility to watch out for her. If she's behind me, then she watches out for me.
Never mind though.
DeanR32 said:
Please tell me it was a Raleigh Burner!!!
Grifter ?I fell off aged 4 in 1971, crashing into the gatepost after my sister (aged 6) grabbed the handle bars of my trike. There was a cut above my eye, that was like a horror film, and another on my cheek, where I still have the scar.
I fell off my Raleigh Grifter, doing jumps off a make shift ramp, when the front forks snapped on landing (about 1981 - aged 14)
I fell off my Tour de France in the snow, whilst doing a paper round and whizzing down an alley, and failing to stop as I slide across a main road, landing on the opposite curb (1983)
I fell off my mountain bike in 1992 in the Lickey Hills near longbridge, after I failed to bunny hop a log at speed.
I replaced the buckled wheel about 6 weeks ago only 20 years later. £37 !!!!
All very funny, except that a friend of my wife's. Well her husband was mountain biking with a mate, crashed into the back of him, and broke his own scull. When we awoke in hospital 3 days later, they had to tell him he'd killed his mate.
DeanR32 said:
I don't follow.
[sesame street spell it out]You were following too close or not paying enough attention or a combination of both[/sesame street off]Now do you follow, or based on your previous experience following it's probably best you don't
Edited by BadgerBenji on Tuesday 2nd October 20:39
New POD said:
I fell off my Raleigh Grifter, doing jumps off a make shift ramp, when the front forks snapped on landing (about 1981 - aged 14)
I am sorry but that is a blatant lie, the Grifter weighed in at just under 5 tonnes and was physically impossible to get off the ground without a block and tackle!!! I have far too many 'offs' over the past 40 years to remember the first, I do have a few memorable ones though;
BMX track Slough early 80's - hit a double far too fast and went far too high, landed on the front wheel, forks promptly snapped off.
Racing bike going over 'Fords bridge' in Langley just as Concord was taking off in the mid-late 80's, spent too much time watching the mighty bird scream above me to notice my trajectory with a 4ft concrete fencepost, another set of snapped forks, bent bars and an otb moment that resulted in a very bruised neck and very small chip on one of my front teeth.
Couple of weeks after the above I borrowed my Mum's Triumph ladies bike to go fishing in Datchet, crossing the A4 in Langley with a couple of mates I 'ramped' off of a traffic island, the result was the headtube parting company from the top tube and down tube - net result was front wheel on one direction with hands attached, rear wheel and seat in another direction with arse attached. Final result, me sat in the middle of the A4 with 2 halves of a bike and cars full of commuters laughing their heads off!
More recently (and slightly more seriously) I had a big off while MTB-ing at Swinley Forest that resulted in a lot of damage, and several months off the bike in physio. Fractured skull in a few places, broken shoulder, broken wrist, a few broken ribs, broken eye socket, and more muscle/tendon damage than you can shake a stick at!!
This year my worst day was 3 off's in one 45 mile ride! First was a lady in a Range Rover who bailed on a parked car overtake in Cookham who forced me into the back of the aforementioned parked car - result was an OTB moment and me landing on the car. Second was about 4 miles down the road on the outskirts of Maidenhead, learner driver overtook me and then immediately turned left - I had nowhere to go and walloped into the passenger door. Final off was on the A4 out of Maidenhead over the Thames, elderly lady with no spacial awareness was overtaking me, panicked as a car coming in the other direction was slightly towards the middle of the road, she over-corrected and pushed me into the kerb - then drove off! Unbelievably at the end of the ride there was almost no damage to the bike, but my wrists, neck and voicebox hurt!
swerni said:
Had you not been so close and had better observational skills, you wouldn't have hit her.
It's not her fault
The smiley?It's not her fault
See, I don't think this is the case. We had just left a mini roundabout, and the turning was maybe 20 metres from the roundabout. I sat behind her and waited for her to proceed. It was quick enough that I could keep my balance and stay clipped in the pedals. After crossing the roundabout I stayed close to the kerb and carried on following her. I noticed her indicating nice and early but because of the distance she had gained from me, I just stopped pedalling and coasted. She then started to turn. Nothing unusual, but stopped just enough to block the whole lane. As it was a little damp I tried to brake has hard as I can but the back lost grip so tried to make it out to the middle of the road and the only way past her but it was too late. Me, the bike and her car were fine. My wrist hurts a bit but nothing I can't handle.
Now, considering all ive said, and the fact that she had been in front of me for a good while, should she have stopped in front of me, or was it up to me to look out for her?
And besides the point. Some people have come up with some funny stories (love the stack trying to bunny hop the log. I did the same name moons ago). Does the jury have any stories to add?
Edited by DeanR32 on Tuesday 2nd October 21:07
Aged 13, touched from behind (matron) by a white Nissan Bluebird going through a pinch point - one of those pedestrian islands in the middle of the road. Flung me off and onto a Tarmac pavement.
Left a quantity of the skin from my chin, tip of nose, forehead (still have the scar) and right palm (now have a sort of brown birthmark that wasn't there before).
And of course they didn't stop.
Left a quantity of the skin from my chin, tip of nose, forehead (still have the scar) and right palm (now have a sort of brown birthmark that wasn't there before).
And of course they didn't stop.
Gizmoish said:
Aged 13, touched from behind (matron) by a white Nissan Bluebird going through a pinch point - one of those pedestrian islands in the middle of the road. Flung me off and onto a Tarmac pavement.
Left a quantity of the skin from my chin, tip of nose, forehead (still have the scar) and right palm (now have a sort of brown birthmark that wasn't there before).
And of course they didn't stop.
Bloody sounds like a lucky escape that one!Left a quantity of the skin from my chin, tip of nose, forehead (still have the scar) and right palm (now have a sort of brown birthmark that wasn't there before).
And of course they didn't stop.
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