Does crashing put you off racing?

fat bloke

'Cos I have to say, it does me.

It does and is putting me off. I raced a full club league all last year but I've been slow to get back to it this year, and haven't actually raced yet this season - weather and circumstance have conspired to intervene so far. But I am training with racing in mind, and my intention is to start as soon as I can, and our club league is starting in a few weeks....but....

Statistically speaking, with the frequency at which crashes are occurring, or at least reported to be occurring on Boards threads, the chance of being caught up in something are pretty high and the consequences whether personal or financial, can be pretty frickin hard to come to terms with when you actually stop to think about it. In one sense I think perhaps the worst thing I could've done is bought a new bike because I'm precious about it and I'm freshly and painfully aware of how much it cost, and therefore the cost that would be incurred if I crashed it, all for some poxy bunch-fodder A3 outing:o.
Today for example, the better half was racing out northside way - bunch of 80 or so riders, huge crash, several bikes and bodies broken. She escaped harm thankfully, but it could easily have been a trip to hospital combined with a trip to the skip for formerly thousands of euro worth of carbon fibre.:eek:. Not to mention 6-8 weeks in a cast and a summer on the couch:(.

If I were to crash and injure myself, whatever about the equipment losses, I get paid for days I work. I don't turn up, I don't get paid. Plus I'm in the middle of a hdip, so if I don't turn up for work I don't finish that.

I know a lot of people will tell me I should probably just the shut the fcuk up, stop thinking about it and go race. I tell myself the exact same thing. And racing is mighty craic, lets face it. I thoroughly enjoyed all last season, but getting back to the title question - it very definitely, and actively puts me off racing. I wondered if anyone else felt the same.

cassette50

Yes..crashing can be expensive especially when you don't have any kind of insurance cover.

I'll be over €2000 out of pocket following a minor crash (no broken bones) at the start of March.

Hospital bills, car repairs and replacing the bike. Ouch....No holiday for me this year.

bcmf

I sorta feel the same way.
Thats why I bought a Hong Fu €300 frame and fork and am very hesistant to shell out on decent wheels.
Write them off and its minimal cost loss. Had a very close call down in Laois where I could have easily ended up in a pile up at a decent pace.
Like you If I dont show up for work = I dont get paid.
Having spent some time out of work with no dole and no income its not a place I wanna ever be in again.
Then again you could get hit by a bus.
More or less same consequences.

And BTW I have seen some nasty smashes in Sportives where the standsrd of riding can be horrendous. (One guy directly in front of me in a fastish moving bunch in a sportive decides to stop for the call of nature without any notifaction and was cursed to high heaven mainly by me)

manwithaplan

I know what you mean but I enjoy it too much to give it up. I crashed eight weeks ago on a training spin and injured myself quite badly. I missed five weeks of work but thankfully no income. I went on my first spin since the accident yesterday and a part of me was thinking "loads of people are happy with this. Do I really need to devote a load of time I don't have to getting back to racing only to risk further damage?". But I know that tootling around and doing a few leisure events isn't enough for me. When I started racing I flicked a one-way switch and I know I will be rocking it with the IVCA in my seventies. Nonetheless any rational look at amateur bike racing on the part of someone with a job and a family would lead them to steer well clear.

Ole Rodrigo

Its on my mind too - I don't get paid for days off, as you say, you could feel the impact of a crash long after the wounds have healed. The other thing is the ability to fall and bounce back up again diminishes over time and makes the prospect less appealing than it already is. I had a minor spill recently and I remember lying on the ground thinking Jaysus what would it be like if I was being run over by a herd of bikes as well, with a load of lads cursing me in the rain and cold ??

Pretty awesome probably - where do I sign up !

( Nah, it is something I think about alright )

Lumen

Crashing is mostly just expensive and sore.

The expensive bit can be mitigated by racing a cheap frame and avoiding expensive helmets and wheels, or at last avoiding wheels that can't be easily repaired. I replaced my snapped Scott Addict frameset (£1100 ish) with a Canyon Ultimate AL frame which cost in the region of €650, and even then it's quite rare to kill a frame. My carbon clinchers have been crashed a few times and just needed replacement spokes.

The sore bit can be mitigated by taking a gruesome interest in wound dressing and waiting for those lovely scabs to ripen.

funnights74

Well no harm came to the bike but i broke the collar bone. Like an idiot i was out cycling again (out of work as well so pure boredom) after a few days but packed it in for a year shortly after that. Mostly an issue with confidence and bike handling and even after i went back it took me another year before i was anywhere near my pre-crash confidence level.

bogmanfan

Fear of crashing is the main reason I haven't taken up racing. I train with the racing group in the club, and have no problem keeping up. Several of them have been urging me to give it a go, but I haven't the nerve to be honest.

Wishbone Ash

Lumen wrote: »

The expensive bit can be mitigated by racing a cheap frame and avoiding expensive helmets and wheels, or at last avoiding wheels that can't be easily repaired

Missing time from work would potentially be a lot more expensive than any equipment costs.

Morrisseeee

I was just behind a crash today and it 'inspired' me to get to the front of the peloton.

pprendeville

Bike insurance from cyclesure will cover the full cost of the bike for about €200 - training and racing. Also covers personal injury to some extent. Peace of mind.

Darkglasses

Hypothetically speaking, what if someone were to focus on ITTs instead?

I don't know the first thing about racing here, are there many TTs held in a year? Is the standard much higher than a normal A4 race?

redmenace1

I have a similar issue to "Bogmanfan" - my nerve is gone when riding on the limit, having had a bad smash a while ago - separated shoulder & broken wrist. Missed a shed load of work & couldn't even drive anywhere for nearly 10 weeks, let alone ride a bike. Whole thing cost me a fortune. But............even though its ridiculous I fancy racing and agree with BCMF that sportives can be equally dangerous, so maybe club races are safer?
My problem is my nerve is has gone - more a fear of ten weeks recuperation than actually coming off the bike (but I don't fancy that either).
So how do you get your nerve back to ride hard/race or maybe I am overanalysing it

fat bloke

pprendeville wrote: »

Bike insurance from cyclesure will cover the full cost of the bike for about €200 - training and racing. Also covers personal injury to some extent. Peace of mind.

Closer to 700 quid for me when I checked it:eek: Which is too much, frankly.

Beasty

The financial implications do not bother me, but I've got to say I try and pick my races to reduce injury risks - ideally smaller fields, avoiding early season open races, and I won't try and force my way through a bunch unless I think there is plenty of space. I tend to hang off the back rather than be stuck in the middle - it probably means I do a bit more work and get detached more easily, but it's all part of the judgement I take to try and steer clear of trouble.

Having said that I heard there was a big pile-up in the IVCA race today (those races tend to me the safest I take part in) with 20-30 riders involved and the race being cancelled as a result

manwithaplan

redmenace1 wrote: »

My problem is my nerve is has gone:

This is definitely an issue. It was dry yesterday and I was still cornering like a granny. I think visualisation is a big problem. I could see the bike sliding from under me when i never gave it a second thought before. Oddly enough I think it might be better in a race when i have no choice but to hold my line.

dancecatz2000

Try mtb racing, usually if you crash it's your own fault, trees don't jump out in front of you, sometimes it feels like they do, don't think iv ever been knocked off by another rider unless a bit of messing has occurred, I'm a bit nervous of open racing at big bunches loads of bad crashes, club races will do me.

killalanerr

Is it not "THE FEAR" that is part of the appeal of racing,im self employed so no work no pay so self preservation is hi on my list of goals but for me the thrill of racing outweighs the risks for now,I am of an age if i dont do it now it will have passed me

Sarz91

manwithaplan wrote: »

This is definitely an issue. It was dry yesterday and I was still cornering like a granny. I think visualisation is a big problem. I could see the bike sliding from under me when i never gave it a second thought before. Oddly enough I think it might be better in a race when i have no choice but to hold my line.

This used to be a big problem for me. I then started mixing road with cyclocross, MTB and a bit of downhill every so often. Best thing I've ever done in terms of improving both my confidence and handling skills. Now, I've just gotta find out how to stay injury free. Been 9 months off the bike

BofaDeezNuhtz

It'd give ya some respect for the aul motorbike lads who crash at upta 300kph+ wouldnt it ehh :eek:

lennymc

Suzuki_TL1000R wrote: »

It'd give ya some respect for the aul motorbike lads who crash at upta 300kph+ wouldnt it ehh :eek:

I think id rather crash the mototbike in full leathers that roadbike in lycra (ive done both).

triggermortis

I think I'll use the fear of crashing excuse, instead of the I'm too fat and slow one from now on, as it sounds better..

Slo_Rida

fat bloke wrote: »

but getting back to the title question - it very definitely, and actively puts me off racing. I wondered if anyone else felt the same.

I crashed 2 weeks ago in the Lucan GP and made a point of entering "a" race the following week to test my nerve in the hope I wouldn't be nervous in the bunch. I did Ros an Ossory and truth be told I was fighting it the whole way around the 2 laps and was so happy when we got back to the village for the finish. I sat up with a couple of hundred metres left as I was a bit tired and didn't want to contest the sprint for fear of crashing and of course there was a nice big smash.
So yes it's in my head but I am planning on continuing to enter the races I had intended because as an earlier poster said, you could get hit by a bus or have a stroke or fall seriously ill and whats a few broken collar bones when you're lying on your death bed analysing your life.
Bring on the pain I say.

lennymc

as per slo_rida, i crashed a couple of weeks ago, (it was all his fault) and made sure to get out the next day! When I used to race (crash) motorbikes for fun, I allways made sure to get back on as soon as possible, and not dwell on the crash. Really helps sort out the head. ANyway, I was initially a bit apprehensive in the bunch (for about 5 seconds) but then said fcuk it, if it happens it happens, then got dropped. hahahaha. I really think that anyone racing has to accept that inevitably you will crash, and if you accept that it gets easier. If I was you tho, fatbloke, i would consider a slightly less expensive bike for racing. im considering not racing the new bike when it comes as i would hate to have to write off that, whereas if i wrote off the other boardman it wouldnt be the end of the world.

daragh_

Haven't crashed yet in my very short participation in A4 but I've come close (about an inch from lennymc's foot to be exact in the crash that took out Slo_rida) and missed other big crashes by virtue of not being in a sprint or getting dropped!

Like a lot of other posters anything more serious would be very difficult to deal with in terms of time off work and stern words from my other half. I know what it feels like having had a few fairly painful crashes on the bike(commuting and Sportives). Worst was six sore weeks minding my ribs and admiring some epic bruising.

I'm really enjoying the buzz so my strategy will be to concentrate on the ICL and for Open Races look closely at routes, surfaces, likely pinch points and previous race reports and pick what I do based on that.

I've a cheap-ass PX so not that stressed about damage.

GlennaMaddy

As was said earlier, avoid the early season races and those with a bad reputation for crashes or overcrowding. Hurts like f**k to start racing when all around you have a good few races in the legs but there are plenty of races throughout the season and eventually the legs come round

StaggerLee

I havent raced on the bike ( I do Triathlon), I was out on a club spin yesterday out by the Naul and a race passed us in the opposite direction, I have to say, it looked terrifying :eek: The speed the main group was going at was impressive, but the roads weren't great out there, I'm guessing there's no calling for holes etc in the race? Anyway, fair play to you lads you race, dont think its for me, even if I was fast enough!

BTW, anyone know what that race was yesterday, wouldnt mind looking it up?

manwithaplan

StaggerLee wrote: »

BTW, anyone know what that race was yesterday, wouldnt mind looking it up?

There's a thread on it here:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056917762

Dermot Illogical

StaggerLee wrote: »

BTW, anyone know what that race was yesterday, wouldnt mind looking it up?

Possibly this?
http://www.irishcyclingphotos.com/?p=12502

petethedrummer

It probably won't put me off till I actually crash.

on_the_nickel

Did my first race yesterday, and crashing was on my mind before, but not so much during the race, even when avoiding crashes in front of me!

Now, thanks to this thread, it's all I can think about. Nice one lads.

Hungrycol

lennymc wrote: »

I think id rather crash the mototbike in full leathers that roadbike in lycra (ive done both).

Me too. I crashed the motorbike about 2 months ago and on the bicycle in an open race last year. I got up and walked away from the motorbike crash without a scratch except the gear & helmet was pretty well scuffed. I had on all the full protective gear and this saved me without doubt. The motorbike was written off.

In the bike race last year I had lots of road rash (elbows, hip, knee) and an infected elbow as well as two buckled wheels. Was sore for weeks but fortunately nothing broken... this time. I raced a few leagues races after but even today I'm still not keen on going shoulder to shoulder in a big bunch which probably makes me more of a liability to those around me.

fat bloke

Yeah it has occurred to me to race my less good bike alright which seems a bit counter intuitive. -Race the training bike and train the race bike.

Other than that I've been pondering anti-crash strategies. Riding away from the bunch, being one. Riding at the front until you blow up, being another. And going out the back from the start of course -most likely of all really.

mcallaghan

Its the same in any sport really. After tearing my ankle to pieces playing Football, I was a little hesitant in going in for aggressive tackles and the like since the injury was always in the back of my mind. You see it at all levels too - Eduardo's injury playing for Arsenal comes to mind. Hasn't been the same since and one has to imagine it has to do with the devastating injury he sustained.

I'll admit that I'm still a wimp when it comes to cornering at speed on a bike. I was riding in farm country out here in the US and took a left hand turn at speed going downhill - no different then any day - only this time I hit a patch of gravel and couldn't complete the turn. Went flying off the road and into a field. I was more shaken up when I realized it was the only stretch of field in the area that DIDN'T have a barbed wire fence running along its edge - if it had, I'd have been in a spot of trouble. But that instance is always in the back of my mind when going downhill, especially if a turn of some sort is involved.

Ole Rodrigo

I wonder though - are most crashes just sore for a while and only few are serious? If they are quite common then they must not all be too damaging or there'd be nobody left.

And do they taper off in severity/ frequency as you go up through the categories ?

mcallaghan

I think it depends on the severity of the crash, the conditions under how it occurred, and the mental state of the rider. Some recover more quickly from crashes, some struggle with the mental aspects even after they've physically healed...so I guess it varies per person per crash.

Bh13

I got taken out in that Lucan GP A4 crash a few weeks back, (not bitter at all (I think)) turned out I had a nice and unusual circular fracture of my wrist and turned out I messed up my back too. Got good news this weeks that its healing well and had mri on back which was all clear and feeling 99% better. Could of bought a decent bike for the amount I've spent on consultant visits and xrays!!!

Never thought of crashing before but was always weary of other "bad" cyclists in the bunch (not saying I'm amazing but have some cop-on).

Mad to get racing again and think this will drive me on to improve my performance (maybe).

lennymc

Bh13 wrote: »

I got taken out in that Lucan GP A4 crash a few weeks back, (not bitter at all (I think)) turned out I had a nice and unusual circular fracture of my wrist and turned out I messed up my back too. Got good news this weeks that its healing well and had mri on back which was all clear and feeling 99% better. Could of bought a decent bike for the amount I've spent on consultant visits and xrays!!!

Never thought of crashing before but was always weary of other "bad" cyclists in the bunch (not saying I'm amazing but have some cop-on).

Mad to get racing again and think this will drive me on to improve my performance (maybe).

glad to hear your doing ok - i did hear on the day that someone had a circular fracture of the wrist, but wasnt sure who it was. Glad your also not giving up racing

Bh13

lennymc wrote: »

glad to hear your doing ok - i did hear on the day that someone had a circular fracture of the wrist, but wasnt sure who it was. Glad your also not giving up racing

Cheers Lenny

Slo_Rida

lennymc wrote: »

glad to hear your doing ok - i did hear on the day that someone had a circular fracture of the wrist, but wasnt sure who it was. Glad your also not giving up racing

This stinks of guilt. Lads this may be the first step to a confession! No seriously though did you (or anyone) really find out what caused that crash?

lennymc

Slo_Rida wrote: »

This stinks of guilt. Lads this may be the first step to a confession! No seriously though did you (or anyone) really find out what caused that crash?

I was cycling in a straight line at 35 kph, then from over my left hand shoulder someone rams me shoulder to shoulder at a 45 degree angle without them slowing down. Picture someone swerving to avoid something that's just come out in front of them, maybe avoiding something, or maybe he touched a wheel or something. I really have no clue as to what caused that manouvere. I heard what I think was my pedal or crank hitting something that was possibly a spoke, getting whacked on the shoulder, next thing I know im on the deck. I know racing is racing and things happen, and i fully accept that (both injury and cost wise), but two lads hurt, at least one bike a write off, about 10 lads came down in total, and the guy who caused it disappears up the road, not a word to anyone. An acknowledgement would have been nice. I know if I was in his shoes Id certainly make sure to find those involved to make sure they were ok. Anyway, just my tuppence (which is all I have left after having to get a new frame!! grrrr)

Harrybelafonte

Bh13 wrote: »

I got taken out in that Lucan GP A4 crash a few weeks back, (not bitter at all (I think)) turned out I had a nice and unusual circular fracture of my wrist and turned out I messed up my back too. Got good news this weeks that its healing well and had mri on back which was all clear and feeling 99% better. Could of bought a decent bike for the amount I've spent on consultant visits and xrays!!!

Never thought of crashing before but was always weary of other "bad" cyclists in the bunch (not saying I'm amazing but have some cop-on).

Mad to get racing again and think this will drive me on to improve my performance (maybe).

This is actually my biggest fear. If I broke anything or needed a hospital visit, there's no way I'd be able to afford to fix everything up.

Beasty

lennymc wrote: »

having to get a new frame!!

You see - every cloud has a silver lining

@Bh13 - hope you're getting plenty of turbo work in;)

lennymc

Beasty wrote: »

You see - every cloud has a silver lining

@Bh13 - hope you're getting plenty of turbo work in;)

yeah yeah.

Bh13

Beasty wrote: »

You see - every cloud has a silver lining

@Bh13 - hope you're getting plenty of turbo work in;)

35 min one handed last weekend and was bored to tears.

Diarmuid

Bh13 wrote: »

35 min one handed last weekend and was bored to tears.

TMI

pmurp141

sorry to hijack this forum, just seen alot of the usual suspects and wondering if any of ye racing tonight in piltown,or eaither of the other races in stamullen this weekend got some info off orgainser, but cant find a route profile anywhere

Beasty

pmurp141 wrote: »

sorry to hijack this forum, just seen alot of the usual suspects and wondering if any of ye racing tonight in piltown,or eaither of the other races in stamullen this weekend got some info off orgainser, but cant find a route profile anywhere

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