My first fall!

route66

Well - since childhood anyway ...

I went out for a cycle this morning - my first since October! It was a bit cold but ok with multiple layers on. My route took me past Kilternan, on to Eniskerry and then right up the hill to Glencree.

All was ok on the way out but on the way back (same route) I had my fall . I was doing about 35 kmp/h and hit some compacted snow and then bang!

It was all very sudden. I wasn't expecting the snow and only saw it when my face was being dragged along it! I scratched down the road for about 5 seconds, thinking of all the various things that were going to get scratched, broken, bent and broken before coming to a stop.

Amazingly, I came out fairly ok. None of my clothes ripped so my knee and elbow were just badly grazed with no ripped skin. My bike is also ok - a few small scratches but nothing else - I was able to cycle it home.

I cycled slowly home and felt reasonably ok. Later I discovered that my expensive smart phone is stuffed, but I'm still thinking of that "tick list" that I was mentally assembling during that 5 seconds and how few ticks there are on it.;)

Anyway, if anyone else is reading this, be careful on the road from Glencree to Eniskerry. There is some deadly road-coloured snow about 5-10 minutes out of Glencree just waiting to catch you out:eek:

Paul Kiernan

Glad to hear you're reasonably OK. I nearly came down that way yesterday but after a bit of eeny, meeny, miney, moing went by the viewing point and Glencullen. There wasn't much ice around but there was a bit so you really need to keep a sharp look out.

I was reading the other day that phones in back pockets get damaged very easily in a fall, I presume you must roll over the area where the standard cycling jersey pocket is. It recommended that you keep your phone either in a bike bag or a chest pocket!

C3PO

Funny I had my own first road bike fall yesterday too (well used to it on the MTB!). Heading for Howth, turning right from the East Wall Rd onto Alfie Byrne Rd and the bike just went from under me!! Road was damp (and probably a bit oily) and I went down hard. Thankfully bike is fine - me and gear a bit "second hand"! Very sore today! Ah well could have been worse ..... there might have been a truck behind me!

iregk

Didn't fall but had some serious sideways drifting yesterday. Coming down the n81 just after crooksling. I'm from blessington so know that road like the back of my hand. Coming around one of the corners the back wheel kicked out and I'd about 3-5 seconds of speedway cornering. I never realised how quickly I can unclip from the pedals when I need to. Foot down back wheel out sliding it around. Poor mate behind me nearly had a heart attack.

Proxima Centauri

Glad to hear your ok, its amazing that time does actually seem to slow down when it happens.

I've only had one BIG crash, was out with the club in a bunch of about 10 of us doing 35kph-40kph, guy in front punctured and braked suddenly. Couldn't get my front wheel out of his back wheel and suddenly i was heading head first for the asphalt.

I remember vividly my head snapping and hitting the road, and as I was sliding along thinking to myself how glad I was I was wearing my helmet, mentally checking off things in my head, no major pains anywhere, nothing broken, jaysus i fell like an eejit etc...

Had some grazing to my shoulder and thigh, bike was ok but my helmet cracked from one side to the other.

Was up around Kilbride today, patches of road coloured ice aswell beware!!

monkeyslayer

Saw that patch of ice too just down from glencree, coyly hidden around a corner and on a shaded wet road. Was actually powering across it when I noticed what it was but cleared it fine. Needless to say I was a bit more cautious after! Sorry to hear you and your smart phone got caught by it! Good to hear you're ok

seve65

I also came off 2 weeks ago (second fall (first as an adult), four other crashes(not my fault))

Was cycling out towards Riverstown cross along the main road in Glanmire on Saturday, was planning to join up with a local club spin to see what they are like before joining (will I ever get there, week after week goes by and one thing or another happens to stop me getting there).

Anyway I digress it was icy before that but I thought the main road was ok), changed up a gear and before I know it me and the bike are on the floor. The whole thing was a bit surreal, watching the bike at the side of me sliding away, thinking the bike felt light as I went down, me thinking this is a bit odd I continued sliding and wondering why I hadnt stopped, oh yes ice..

Got up, 'dusted' myself down. No damage to the bike a few scratches and scufff marks on the pedal and rear derailleur. Nobody around to see my travails, so felt better for that Grazes to the hip, elbow and knee again. Nothing serious, two weeks later only tiny soreness in the knee.

Its only after you have been down, you question more closely how much control you actually have when things go wrong. I guess the answer is very much none, when its ice like that.

Quigs Snr

Welcome to the club. I haven't had skin on my elbows or knees since I was a child. You get used to it after a while.

uberwolf

I've been melting the back wheel on the turbo for this very reason

ice falls are rapid. Down before you even know you're falling.

Greenman

Hello folks,sorry for your troubles re the ice/snow. Managed to cycle every day of the ice and snow with no bother.:)

All I can say.

"You can'r beat a trike".

aquanaut

Came off today on black ice. Not bad though - more because im not used to my spd's yet, felt a bit better because I managed to warn someone else cycling faithlegg direction that the ice was there. Like you say - on the deck before I realised I was falling!

buffalo

It's definitely the season! Came off on a corner out of my estate tonight, must've taken it a thousand times, but it was wet or icy or littered, or I was too tired, because the bike went out from under me. Thankfully I just landed on my front with my hands out, and not backwards on to the bottle of wine in my bag (unopened!). Passing taxi driver asked if I was okay, but I was just winded.

One skinned knee, a torn toe clip, and a hole in my waterproof jacket. Does duct tape work for repairs, does anyone know?

pmcd22

only started cycling so no crashes yet. I follow a few blogs online and one fellow gave a gripping story of his accident. with some photos.

Part 1.
http://markscyclingblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/sunday-2nd-january-2011-oh-dear-what-i.html

Part 2
http://markscyclingblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/oh-dear-what-i-have-i-done-now-part-2.html

funnights74

Welcome to the club, you ain't a real cyclist until you've had a tumble or even a break like myself. Main thing is to get back out asap to keep the confidence up

route66

Thanks Guys,

I was just thinking how lucky I was to have multiple long armed/legged layers on me - they definitely helped. Then again, if it wasn't cold, I wouldn't have had them on and I wouldn't have slipped on ice !

I'd always wondered what would happen my feet if they were clipped on to SPD pedals. Answer - they popped straight out during the tumble.

So yes, I'm lucky. Very lucky. But why is it that I don't feel lucky?

Enduro

RPL1 wrote: »

Funny I had my own first road bike fall yesterday too (well used to it on the MTB!). Heading for Howth, turning right from the East Wall Rd onto Alfie Byrne Rd and the bike just went from under me!! Road was damp (and probably a bit oily) and I went down hard. Thankfully bike is fine - me and gear a bit "second hand"! Very sore today! Ah well could have been worse ..... there might have been a truck behind me!

Ahh now I know what RPL stands for Nice scratches and scrapes alright.

Kintarō Hattori

I got that several months back coming home from Blanchardstown through Castleknock. Being too considerate to the cars I was giving them plenty of room. In the lashings of rain I couldn't see that the front wheel was about to get stuck in a rut which was where the poured concrete of a bus stop met the sloping tarmac of the road.

It all happened very quickly and thankfully I fell in towards the kerb of the footpath as opposed to the road.

I was sore for a week and the bruising on the leg and arms disappeared after about 2 weeks.

Lemag

I fell 6 times on Saturday... That was up at Ballyhoura though. Great craic but a little nuts with all the ice around. My helmet's got a nice little dent in it and that night I felt like I'd gone a few rounds in a boxing ring.

Paul Kiernan

pmcd22 wrote: »

only started cycling so no crashes yet. I follow a few blogs online and one fellow gave a gripping story of his accident. with some photos.

Part 1.
http://markscyclingblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/sunday-2nd-january-2011-oh-dear-what-i.html

Part 2
http://markscyclingblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/oh-dear-what-i-have-i-done-now-part-2.html

This is a very sobering read. Quoting selectively ......

How easily it happened -
"my front wheel disappears under me and I land heavily on my left side."

The immediate aftermath -
"There's blood on my elbow, apparently one of the broken bones popped out through my skin"

The surgery -
"he had much more than the usual problems when it came to operating on me..... ........lots of muscle to cut through"

The longer term effects -
"but will I ever get back on a bike? That's not so clear cut, everyone is so positive about getting me back on the bike .....
..... but I'm not so positive, what if I fall again, I'm not wanting to go through all this again it's just not worth it."

Possedion

almost came of yesterday going through Maynooth, road was slippy, was lucky I had gators!

on this topic, do many cyclist have public liability... just thinking if I had spin out probably would have met oncoming cars.

mvt

Came off on the ramp to the carpark where I live last Thursday night.Also landed on my phone which dug an amazing cut in my hip-you could actually put your finger in it.Managed to wreck my shoulder as well,the second bad fall I have had on the ice this winter.The fun is starting to wear off

biomed32

get used to falling mate, i did lol, infact the most recent was twice on the one spin, but yea it sucks

julio_iglayzis

Lemag wrote: »

I fell 6 times on Saturday... That was up at Ballyhoura though. Great craic but a little nuts with all the ice around. My helmet's got a nice little dent in it and that night I felt like I'd gone a few rounds in a boxing ring.

I did the white loop myself on Saturday morning, I'm now sitting in work with a taped up hand and I'll have to buy a new helmet at lunch.
Fantastic day though.

Lemag

julio_iglayzis wrote: »

I did the white loop myself on Saturday morning, I'm now sitting in work with a taped up hand and I'll have to buy a new helmet at lunch.
Fantastic day though.

We mixed and matched the white, brown and green but, given the conditions, I'd say that the level of difficulty/danger was pretty much the same throughout. The boardwalks were lethal. I've done a pretty good job on one of my hands too and I'll be keeping an eye on CRC for a replacement helmet. The adventure was well worth the bumps and bruises.

Icyseanfitz

Lemag wrote: »

We mixed and matched the white, brown and green but, given the conditions, I'd say that the level of difficulty/danger was pretty much the same throughout. The boardwalks were lethal. I've done a pretty good job on one of my hands too and I'll be keeping an eye on CRC for a replacement helmet. The adventure was well worth the bumps and bruises.

falling is part of the mtb game came off saterday at a really steep technical descent in killarney....great craic although im wearing my knee/shin protectors the next day haha

julio_iglayzis

Lemag wrote: »

We mixed and matched the white, brown and green but, given the conditions, I'd say that the level of difficulty/danger was pretty much the same throughout. The boardwalks were lethal. I've done a pretty good job on one of my hands too and I'll be keeping an eye on CRC for a replacement helmet. The adventure was well worth the bumps and bruises.

Absolutely - that my my first time there, well worth the drive down from Dublin. I'll be back soon.

Lemag

julio_iglayzis wrote: »

I'll be back soon.

I'll be seeing you there so julio.

Probably the least spectacular of my 6 falls from Saturday.

jennyjuan

I have learned many times to take a cycle, but untill now, I can't handle it, how can I do?

Lemag

jennyjuan wrote: »

I have learned many times to take a cycle, but untill now, I can't handle it, how can I do?

eh... stabilizers?