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Near fell off my bike today. Like too close a call.
 

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

4/23/13 10:05 PM

Near fell off my bike today. Like too close a call.

Got back on after returning a call to my son. I was in too high a gear, and clipped in on a slight downhill and made a slow tight [look I can balance] turn back up grade. But my weight got ahead of me due to the tall gear. So my reflexes pushed the pedal hard to get the bike back under me before I went over. Only I pushed hard enough to move the wheel in the horizontal dropout of the Bridgestone 400 and against the stay. Which of course is like putting on the brake at exactly the wrong time. I did a total body english balance act and exploded out of both pedals @ 0 MPH. I somehow remained on my feet [once they landed and slid a bit] with the bike @ 45^ angle beneath me. Luckily no part of me or the bike touched the pavement. But I bet my cleats got a mm or two torn off.

I would love to see this 2-3 second spaz-fest on video.

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daddy-o
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 3307
Location: Springfield

4/23/13 10:47 PM

I'll bet you looked like somebody who knows what they are doing.

That was a good save. Now tell us a story about a favorite win, one that sneaks up on you and makes you smile.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

4/23/13 11:13 PM

That was it ;)

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cyclotourist
Joined: 04 Mar 2005
Posts: 116

4/24/13 10:47 AM

My win

Was riding through a neighborhood side by side with my brother in law. He knew where he was going and I didn't, and he totally cut me off at slow speed. I slammed on my brakes and as my bike was crashing I was somehow able to unclip and leap frog over the front of the bike and land on two feet. I felt like standing proud and bowing like a gymnast!

David

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Smunderdog
Joined: 13 Jan 2004
Posts: 611
Location: Indianapolis, IN

4/24/13 12:53 PM


quote:
Was riding through a neighborhood side by side with my brother in law. He knew where he was going and I didn't, and he totally cut me off at slow speed. I slammed on my brakes and as my bike was crashing I was somehow able to unclip and leap frog over the front of the bike and land on two feet. I felt like standing proud and bowing like a gymnast!


I executed the same thing when I was in college - was buzzing through campus one night on my mountain bike, cutting across and was jumping the mounded and mulched landscaping when I had to come to a quick stop for some reason (can't recall why). I punched the front brake a bit too hard, went into an endo, jumped over my bars (didn't have clips thankfully) and landed on my feet. In the process, the hat I was wearing (no helmet of course) flipped off my head and when I landed I was a bit bent over, so the hat landed on my back and never hit the ground.

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dan emery
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 6884
Location: Maine

4/24/13 2:07 PM

saves

I have been through various variations on that theme over the years when I am riding out my narrow, slightly uphill dirt driveway and realize I have forgotten something or have the wrong shoes on or whatever. The driveway is bordered by scrubby ditches, so I initiate a tight, lowspeed Uie and, well, sometimes I do better than others. I usually don't fall but I think I have at least once, and a number of quick footplants. It's even more fun if there is snow and ice.

But my best save came after heavy rains one year. I was riding and came to an area where a brook flooded the road and was washing across it with a pretty good current. I have come across this before, and for some unknown reason I am always inspired to ride through it, executing sort of vector analysis with the current. Anyway, this time I got a little too far to the right (all you could see was water) and went off the road into a deep ditch. The bike and I were sideways, completey underwater, not touching the bottom. I remember taking a few arm strokes like an underwater sidestroke, feet still clipped in. Eventually I got my feet out of the clips, planted them on the bottom, stood up and climbed out. Then I finished the ride.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

4/24/13 4:39 PM

"Then I finished the ride."

LOL, I was wondering if you lost the bike in the briny deep until I read the closing sentence.

Today was not without drama either. 73^ and sunny, no way I am not ridng as much as I can get in before I am pooped. ;)

Put bike in Del Sol Trunk and head for the flat 40 miler. Get 6 miles from house and a heater hose pops, aneurism I did not see. I head back to the house, stopping every 2 miles to let it cool, put some of the water I had for rides end, and drive again. 30 minutes to get back the 6 mile to the house not letting it get too hot..

Not done either, Screw it an hop on the bike and head out from the garage. Get about 7 miles to the bottom [500' Elevation last mile] and ping!! Dura Ace 7850-SL popped a rear spoke. I only mention what wheel is was because we all know happens when a highly tensioned low spoke count wheel pops a spoke. Had a tool to let loose the rear brake cable, but was hitting the stays. Shoulder the bike and start walking to the main road with the intention of hitchhiking home. Walked 50 feet and a retired guy in a Ford Valdez stops and rides me home even though in the opposite direction than he was going.

Get home, swap wheels, head out again. Not giving up for nothing. "Then 'I' finished the ride"

Made it home in one piece each time, [well almost one piece on the Del Sol] and am sitting enjoying how tired my legs feel after 3 day in a row riding. Life is good! only 20-4 miles a pop, but that is a start now that the weather broke [or un-broke], again, again. As in shorts and short sleeves, well arm warmers yesdity, ;)

Luckily my femoral nerve pinch is not causing cycling issues. Even though my thigh is still numb 5 mo. later. I would be suicidal if that was the case.

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ErikS
Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 8337
Location: Slowing boiling over in the steamy south, Global Warming is real

4/24/13 6:35 PM

I dodged a half dozen deer a few weeks ago. That was sporty.

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KerryIrons
Joined: 12 Jan 2004
Posts: 3234
Location: Midland, MI

4/24/13 6:56 PM

Moo

Rode through a herd of probably 40 cows on crossing the road in Vermont. I could have waited but I ain't afeerd of no stinkin' cows.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

4/24/13 7:23 PM

" I could have waited but I ain't afeerd of no stinkin' cows."

Any pies?

I remember hitting some horse grease in central park mid 90s. I went sideways and somehow stayed up. Motocross prior years helped that probably...

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April
Joined: 13 Dec 2003
Posts: 6593
Location: Westchester/NYC

4/24/13 7:27 PM

spring time booboos

Every spring, the first couple rides can be a bit...disorganized. And strange as it may sound, I even forget some of the pretty basic stuff like how to ride in a straight line!

First, I had to get out of the garage. The company garage that is. I was going to do a lunch loop, stopping to buy lunch half way. The garage was underground, with a gate which I won't bother, since there's a small door next to it that always remain open. But today, it's only half open. So I slow down... I mean, I WANT TO slow down, only to realize I didn't put the brakes together (V-brakes). Too late to stop, I slip through the half open door at rather higher speed than I was comfortable with, before stopping to put the brakes back together!

Some minutes later, the velcro on my shoe went undone. This had happened before, so I reach down to re-attach it but it was a bit stubben. Fiddling with it a bit more, something in my head scream "look up!" Looking up, I saw I was heading towards the curb! No chance to avoid hitting it. And it's at an angle that would tip me on my side. I was also going at moderately good clip. Falling at that speed would not be pleasant. Realizing I was about to repeat a rather bad crash I had suffered some 10 years ago, the adrenalin kicked in! I yanked my feet out of the pedal and had barely enough time to put it on the ground AT THE SAME MOMENT as the front tire made contact with the curb and tossed my butt sideways! Ran sideways a couple steps without going down. No one was there to witness the save. But the lack of ambulance serve as the evidence and reward!

Slightly forgetting my regular routes, and still a little rusty on riding skills, I reached a couple of turns late in positioning myself in the correct location and rolling through stop signs without looking both ways. Though most of the roads had no cars on it, I realized I wasn't riding as safe as I should be. Thankfully, I managed to get my lunch back to the office without incidence.

Need to re-learn how to ride quickly in the next couple of weeks.


Last edited by April on 4/24/13 9:06 PM; edited 1 time in total

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

4/24/13 7:41 PM

"Need to re-learn how to ride quickly in the next..."


No kidding... Glad I am not the only one...

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dddd
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 3345
Location: NorCal

4/25/13 3:11 AM

I have many times informed newbe clipless pedal users never to get stuck in your pedals, "you might break your wrist".

Exactly what I nearly did after Friday's ride as I came to a stop.
It was worse than that, the ground went downhill steeply from the roadway in the direction I fell, felt like 10 feet(!), landing on my right thumb-palm, totally hyperflexing the wrist joint.
Bike miraculously wasn't damaged, but I had a flat tire on the final 2mi stretch back to the start, and was barely able to get the wheel back in as the wrist swelled.
I already had a rare app't for a physical only an hour later, so an xray was added which appeared negative. I only today tried doing easy tasks without the molded arm-length thumb splint, and there is some improvement, but likely the ligaments will take a month to recover their tautness and restore joint stability.

I can totally relate to David's gymnastic feat, I thought I patented that one ten years ago while riding my touring bike around a fire-road corner. It was intuitive lifting my feet over the fast-descending handlebars, so didn't exactly have to jump very high.

I have yet to take a full swim on my bike, but have fallen backwards into a couple of small creeks on mountain bike rides.

Sparky, your Bridgestone 400 cornering adventure reminded me of berm-cornering my huge XL500, having the engine bog when I snapped open the throttle too fast, then having to jump free of the falling mass.

April's trip through the doorway reminded me of a fast ride right between two groups of stopped riders when I lost traction on a wet down-grade while trying to stop for a tree-trimming crew. Quoth one rider: "you almost took my arm off".

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April
Joined: 13 Dec 2003
Posts: 6593
Location: Westchester/NYC

4/25/13 7:55 AM

Over handlebar land on 2 feet

We should start counting how many of us had done that!

Usually, it happens in a slow motion. I had quite a few of that while mountain biking, when the front wheel hit something I didn't anticipated and stopped all forward motemum, of the bike but not the rider! I termed it "creative dismount". ;-)

But my one and only one (thankfully) involving a ROAD bike was a lot more dramatic! It happened when a piece of plastic garbage worked its way into the rear deraulleur, jamming the chain and wheel as I was spinning at high cadence during a transition from descend to climb...

So my legs were going around really fast and suddenly the pedal stopped moving! My legs got ejected from the pedal, clip notwithstanding. The bike fishtailed, since the rear wheel was locked up, skidded for a short distance and stopped. My body, in the mean time, kept on going forward over the handlebar...

Totally without thinking (there was no time), as my body flew over the handlebar, my legs kept on "spinning" as they hit the ground. Had there been bystanders, they would have seen my running in a weird posture for several steps before coming to a stop!

I didn't feel like bowing. My derailleur was toasted and I was still 20 miles from home at an area without cell phone service. To say I was preoccupied was an understatement (I made it home by bike nonetheless)

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Brian Nystrom
Joined: 26 Jan 2004
Posts: 5096
Location: Nashua, NH

4/26/13 5:25 AM

Similar, but off-road

I was on my mountain bike, descending a steep section and started doing an endo. Without even realizing it, I popped both feet out and vaulted spread-eagle over the handlebars, landing on my feet and running. It's probably the most gymnastic thing I've done in my life. I stood there for a moment trying to figure out what had just happened, then dusted off the bike and kept riding.

We won't discuss the outcome of the other 99% of incidents I've had on a mountain bike...

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April
Joined: 13 Dec 2003
Posts: 6593
Location: Westchester/NYC

4/26/13 1:50 PM

In general, mountain biking is a good training for that! ;-)

We do those "creative dismounts" repeatedly until it got ingrained in the brain so it become automatic...

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daddy-o
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 3307
Location: Springfield

4/27/13 8:24 AM

My favorite dismount came at the end of a pre-dawn commute in a hard 40 degree downpour. It is noteworthy because it was so casual and uneventful.

The loading dock was at street level and made from polished concrete. I came through the open door at a fast walking pace, un-clipped both pedals, popped the bike under me while straddling it. When my cleats hit the dock I had one hand on the saddle, steering like that, and I slid forward a few feet before I casually started to walk. I didn't even notice the guy sitting there watching me until then. We silently gave each other a "some weather, eh" look and I kept going.

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Andy M-S
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 3377
Location: Hamden (greater New Haven) CT

4/28/13 4:45 AM

Happens to the best of us...

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/28/us/politics/justice-breyer-has-shoulder-surgery-after-bike-crash.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y&_r=0

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

4/28/13 11:03 AM

Justice Breyer, 74, was expected to make a full recovery after the operation, said a court spokeswoman, Kathy Arberg.

His right shoulder was injured on Friday in a fall near the Korean War Veterans Memorial.

Previously, the justice broke his collarbone in an accident in 2011 and sustained broken ribs and a punctured lung in a bicycle crash in 1993, before he joined the court.

----
If this means I got 18 year more on the bike, I find that encouraging. ;) Sounds like he may be having some dexterity issues. Unfortunately our bones get brittle at a point. I used to bounce, now I just seem to crack..

He must have smashed up that shoulder pretty badly to need reconstructive measures. Probably was living with arthritic deterioration, and the doc said "them parts is shot" ;) Amazing really @ that age...

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Andy M-S
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 3377
Location: Hamden (greater New Haven) CT

4/28/13 2:38 PM

If this means I got 18 year more on the bike,

...then we're in the same boat.

Where I lived in La Crosse, WI, I used to regularly run into an 80-year-old cyclist on my morning commute. He'd ride from La Crescent, MN (over the Mississippi river) and across the marshes, some ten miles or so, every day at 7:00 AM at to have coffee with his buddies at the McDonald's near the mall.

He once told me he rode every day until the temperature dropped to 15 degrees.

I want to be that guy.

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dan emery
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 6884
Location: Maine

4/28/13 2:55 PM

Justice Breyer and I have something in common

Unfortunately it's not intellect or legal talent, but broken ribs and a punctured lung from a bike crash....Swift recovery to him.

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greglepore
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 1724
Location: SE Pa, USA

4/28/13 5:20 PM

Yeah, I had heard he wasn't as smart or talented as you...

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