I actually (knock on wood) haven't wiped out since I got my new bike over the last 750 miles.

Now.. with my first bike I think i spent just as much time on the ground as I did on the saddle.

noticing that I've spent abit to much time on the ground also..... although the roderash have skabed (spel?) over pretty quick... looks like the bike is going to be in the shop till thurs

first major crash:
When I first started seriously riding in jr high, I was riding 15+ miles a day, and basically had a couple route choices. Since I lived in the bottom of a valley, all options were uphill. Fortunately I had a few flat areas to warm up on. Coming back was great, all downhill, and usually the wind was in my favor on the flats.

One time, as I made the 7.5 mile turnaround, and was starting down the hill, I started day dreaming. Before I knew it I had drifted into the gravel shoulder. Overcorrecting and turning the handlebars too far to the left, produced an instant endo effect. Luckily my head absorbed most of the impact. The air was knocked out of me, and of course I found myself directly across from the house where the new girl had just moved to. This is the ultimate 7th grade nightmare. Embarassed and scratched up, I dusted myself off and took off my helmet. There was a new gouged section on the outside of the helmet. Wow I thought, that could have been my head.

My front wheel was taco'd and the bike was out of temporarily out of commission. After a call to my parents, (from the new girl's house), I sat in the car on the way home contemplating my brush with a potentially life-altering situation. That next week I was going out with the new girl :)

the latest crash:
Two weeks ago, coming down a small residential street from an El Sereno mountain-bike ride, going very close to 5 mph, waiting for some friends to catch up, I hit a patch of well-oiled asphalt, on a corner, after a light rain.

Who knew that stuff is that slick? WOW! I was down so fast, it was like I was trying to make a 90 ° turn in an ice-rink. Only a couple scrapes, but holy cow my riding gear has permanent oil stains.

Anyone know how to get tarish-oil stains out?

I have two fairly memorable crashes over my years riding. One on the mountain bike and one on the road.

Was coming down a fairly rocky descent on the mountain bike and came straight over the handle bars as my front tire wedged into a groove on the path. It was pretty steep so i must have slid 20-30 feet on my back. No broken bones, but I was picking pebbles out of my back for hours and the minor scars lasted months. And, the shower that night was painful :)

On the road, I was coming back from a ride on a major street but level and at a relaxed pace. Just had my hands resting on the handlebar (don't do that anymore) and I hit a bump in the road. My hands popped off the bars and I lunged forward. I couldn't recover in time and went head over heels into a ditch on the side of the road. Busted up my derailer but I was relatively fine. What shocked me was not one car stopped to see if I was going to make it out of the ditch. A pretty busy street as well. Oh, well.

Second that on wet tracks, at the Big Kahuna 1/2 Ironman, I watched the woman who would later win the women's overall division at the end of the race, totally eat it on the davenport section of fog-slicked tracks. She flipped and landed hard. Yeah tracks are not so good.

That's some good stuff, and we have all "been there, done that" brother.

I remember my first time I didn't get clipped out and fell on my right side. It just HAD TO BE at the busiest intersection in my town. I would think people would think we are impaired somehow to just fall over.

Well, I just tried to remember that this happens to everyone when the first use clips....gotta luv it!!!

Sorry to resurrect such an old thread but I didn't want to start a new one of the same topic. Searched and found this thread, anyway...

I'm training for my first tri and went on a 17 mile ride this morning. I also had my frist major wipe out on a bike this morning. I was on a busy street that is curved and has no sidewalk. I had to turn left up ahead and the road was divided by a concrete barrier so I had to ride on the left side, into opposing traffic. I was zooming down the shoulder and here comes this white car, half in the shoulder. I knew there was no way I was going to be able to squeeze between him and the guard rail. I was going downhill and had gathered so much speed that pedaling wasn't propelling my forward anymore. He slowly started veering back into his lane but I still wasn't confident that I had enough room to get by without being hit so I veered toward the guard rail.

I clipped the guard rail/curb and loose complete control. I went over the handle bars, landed on the shoulder of the road, and tumbled a good 10 yards - half on the curb and half in the shoulder. My left elbow was covered in blood, my left ankle was cut bad, and now my left knee is feeling very sore although it felt fine at the time. There is a lump forming and I just had trouble walking down the steps.

The guy in the car just kept going and I got right up just as quick as it happened, straightened my bike seat, and rode the remaining 3 miles of my ride bleeding. I know this is going to sound stupid but I wasn't wearing a helmet either. I'm fortunate that I didn't face-plant and crack my head on the concrete, which could have completely happened. I now have a helmet and a good war story. And my training is going great!

Live and Learn!

-Insom

Insom -- I'd also say don't ride on the wrong side of the road... if there is a barrier, it means left turns aren't allowed there, so you need to pick a different spot. Follow the rules of cars and hopefully you'll have fewer brushes with them.

I've been rather lucky. The only time I've hit the ground was when I was stopped and didn't get unclipped. I don't remember what the problem was but it did prove to be funny for the people watching me!

oH MY GOSH! you guys are scaring me to death!! I haven't crashed since I was a kid, and try hard not to...I ride on a paved trail, and for the three or four stops, I get off, look both ways and run across the road (like I was doing a transition)...and I always wear a helmet, 10 years ago when I just started college, one of the guys that worked at the local bike shop was killed when a car ran into him...

hi hi I got 2 good ones.

First, in my first season training, got the front wheel stuck between the curb and the tar: flew over the bike. Had enough time to hear the taxi honking behind me as I was landing on the road, downtown Tokyo...

Second, 2 weeks ago, trying to test myself with a 180 km ride (longest is still 100 km so far). I touched my friend's rear wheel, it sent me off to the curb. Had time to think "cool, a bush = soft landing". NOT
Huge bar hidden stop my fall short, and fractured collarbone and something else... Season is over, surgery a pain, and I might postpone my first IM one more year... oh well.
I'm back on the web, reading about others...

d