Accidents happen

[pagheca]

sometimes, for fun and also to learn a bit of technique, I watch youtube videos of people who practice MTB professionally or semi-professionally. They do often quite hallucinatory things, where even the slightest mistake would cost certain death but that's okay, long live freedom (and... good luck with Darwin). However, even excluding extreme cases, they often record several bad accidents as well, but they usually get right back up joking and laughing, even though they don't seem to wear any special protection, helmet excepted.

I, so far, have never had any accidents, but I am very careful and certainly cannot compare myself to these guys, both in age and in experience and competence, however, I am surprised that they always get back up without even a peel. Now, there are two cases:

Hypothesis 1: they are veeeeeeery, very resilient
Hypothesis 2: When they do NOT get back up without a peel but end up in the hospital, perhaps with a broken arm and leg or a concussion, they have no time and no way to make a youtube movie about it.

Has it ever happened to you to fall (I mean, while performing MTB)? Have you gotten back up in one piece without a peel? And, most important: do you wear special protective gear when you MTB?

 

[neutron]

No, but I hit a pedestrian once and fractured my sternum amongst other cuts and bruises. The pedestrian got up and walked away leaving me lying bleeding and having difficulty breathing. I think he realized it was his fault and wanted to get away as fast as possible. I did not bounce up laughing and smiling, I can assure you.

 

[DieselTech]

I wiped out at 45+mph on the highway. I was wearing no safety gear, got some road rash. Jumped back up off the highway like nothing happened, but by this time there was a audience. I got lucky is all I can say, guy upstairs was watching out for me I guess.

Lmao alls I remember was rolling down the highway flopping around!!!

 

[HumanPerson]

I wiped out at 45+mph on the highway. I was wearing no safety gear, got some road rash. Jumped back up off the highway like nothing happened, but by this time there was a audience. I got lucky is all I can say, guy upstairs was watching out for me I guess.

Lmao alls I remember was rolling down the highway flopping around!!!

on a 2 stroke you made?
Man i feel as though when i got out of the 2 stroke bikes and into electric i opened up a new can of worms LOL

Did you read my posts over there? LOL Good times

Some lady pulled out in front of me last year and i laid my bike down and put my weight on my elbow and shoulder somehow.
My shoulder still hasnt been the same since then..crazy pain.

Ride Safe ya'll

HP

 

[pagheca]

thanks for your comments, guys! However, I think some difference is made by the ground: in a forest it is often quite soft unless it's rocks, no asphalt or concrete, which produces much more abrasion.

Another aspect is the speed at which you fall. 45 mph is more motorcycle-like than bike-like. On MTBs the speed is often reduced and the slope of the terrain allows you to slide while stopping late. The fact remains that in some cases I really wonder how they don't get seriously hurt....

 

[DieselTech]

on a 2 stroke you made?
Man i feel as though when i got out of the 2 stroke bikes and into electric i opened up a new can of worms LOL

Did you read my posts over there? LOL Good times

Some lady pulled out in front of me last year and i laid my bike down and put my weight on my elbow and shoulder somehow.
My shoulder still hasnt been the same since then..crazy pain.

Ride Safe ya'll

HP

No that was on my big 4stroke bike, was riding within a foot of the shoulder. When a big rogue Gust of wind blew me off onto the gravel shoulder. Well as they say! The rest was history!!!

 

[DieselTech]

thanks for your comments, guys! However, I think some difference is made by the ground: in a forest it is often quite soft unless it's rocks, no asphalt or concrete, which produces much more abrasion.

Another aspect is the speed at which you fall. 45 mph is more motorcycle-like than bike-like. On MTBs the speed is often reduced and the slope of the terrain allows you to slide while stopping late. The fact remains that in some cases I really wonder how they don't get seriously hurt....

These guy& gals that do this single track downhill mountain biking is crazy!!! Trees barely wide enough for your handle bars to fit between. I still dont know how them people do not get hurt riding.

 

[HumanPerson]

No that was on my big 4stroke bike, was riding within a foot of the shoulder. When a big rogue Gust of wind blew me off onto the gravel shoulder. Well as they say! The rest was history!!!

Bro that happened to me on a 2 stroke LOL

Comin down a huge hill i hit a cross wind coming from the right out of a little valley and it liked to blew me cpmpletely over

I ended up on the other side of the street up against the curb with people at the gas station just lookin at me laughing LOL

 

[HumanPerson]

I might make a 4 stroke bike soon

 

[DieselTech]

The other wreck/wipe out i had, I was riding gravel at about 20-25mph when a old lady pulled out of a intersection in front of me & she just stopped in the middle of the intersection.

My only option was to lay the bike down in a controlled fashion & ride it out. I personally think gravel is way worse to wipe out on than the highway. I picked gravel out of my arms & hands for a week.

 

[JerryB]

I am 70 yrs old....I always ride slowly and cautiously.....never in a hurry.....plus....I don't want to spill my drink!

 

["A"]

E=mv^2
The more mass &/or velocity you have the stronger the force in impact.
Likely those athletes doing downhill riding are physically fit and don't have much excess mass to begin with.
Reduce the mass, likely you can roll off most impact with less physical (skin & bone) damage.
Keep up your calcium level, maintain your bone density, less likely to break or fracture bones on impact.
I live within 15 miles from a ski area with lifts, in the summer time it's converted to downhill mtb riding area that they hold downhill racing events.
I have gone there a handful of times with my downhill mtb when I was in shape & 25-30 lb. lighter, nearly 15 years ago.
I've taken a few falls on that mountain, all of them when the front tire went flat at speed and front end washed out.
Gloves, arm & hip armor reduce much of the impact injury, few days soreness and back in action.
In traffic, I've had a few "door prize", when car door opens into cycling path, usually hit with shoulder and forearm.

On dirt bikes (motorcycles) I've had good number of wipeouts in dirt, mud ice & snow, but always had protective gear on me, never broken any bones.
On street motorcycles, I've always had close calls and only one get-off (20 years ago) due to wet leaves on roadway, and front wheel washed out.
I slid one direction and motorcycle to another.. few bruises NBD.
As I get older, I find myself slowing down, paying more attention and taking less risks than I used to.
It is more important to enjoy the ride and the company I keep over trying to impress those who are on the ride with me who rides faster.
I think it's part of being more mature, but taking only calculated risks.
Using as little brake as possible and allowing myself more control & options to avoid impact.

 

[pagheca]

all great except I do not think you are moving at relativistic speed with your bike, don't you? Therefore the right formula is E = 1/2 m v^2...

Interesting comment, however!

 

[packnrat]

there is a very old saying.

the young go bong when they fall,
the old go splat when they fall.

at 63 bad back, broken neck, crushed leg (when i was 21), and even gutted open for cancer, (at 45) another on my arm getting cut out in two weeks on the fifth of the new year. yes i have had fun in my life. been very very lucky. but now the back just hurts and every joint in my body aches all the time. not sure how much more my body can take.if i get back on a mt bike or mt e bike. i might look like a fool at times as i will use padding.
on a motor bike i only use leathers. or a special touring style riding suite.

 

[Jackson Ford]

I found out that helmets have little value in preventing a concussion, which shouldn't happen more than a few times in a lifetime.

 

[packnrat]

a friend some years back, his head was saved by these stryfoam lids. crashed on his skinny tire rd bike.

 

[pagheca]

I found out that helmets have little value in preventing a concussion, which shouldn't happen more than a few times in a lifetime.

true, but without it, the first head bump maybe fatal....

 

[Jackson Ford]

Sorry, didn't mean to imply they shouldn't be worn. Just that your brain still hits the inside of your skull even with it. Last time, I lost 10 minutes of memory before and after the hit that can't be recovered.

 

[Smaug]

Downhill mountain biking is inherently probably the most dangerous form of cycling. (although I bet commuting in a big city is right up there...)
Since I saw this video, it's the first thing I think about when someone mentions it:

I think a lot of accidents, we don't hear about, because people aren't proud of them.

 

[pagheca]

really sad, and scaring. Hearing them having fun and joking and then... I will think about that.