Crash tips?

Apart from "don't", closely followed by "stay alert", what advice do you have for minimising the damage in a crash?

I hit an unmarked hump last Sunday (so I failed to stay alert). What followed happened so fast that I didn't have time to think and the bike and body damage suggests a rather chaotic splat.

Since then, I've been particularly aware that a roadie's riding position doesn't give much opportunity to bail. Chances are, you're rather stretched out with your arse some way above your hands.

So. Is there some mantra that you repeat for when it all goes wrong? "Tuck and roll"? "Feet first, hands second, helmet third"? Or for me: "Don't land on your teeth!"

Yes, I've searched old threads; apologies if I missed something.

ime you will do it instinctively, you will put your hands out to cushion your fall, it always happens so quickly you wont have time to think about all that shit. the main thing is to try not to hit your head i suppose.

Stuff your hands or your head just make sure your gonads don't catch the top tube or the handlebar stem.

Try and hold onto the bars - take the fall on your shoulders / massive triceps.

gloves will be your friend as it'll stop your hands being trashed

it depends on how you fall.. losing grip on a corner a d sliding hitting something head on, being left hooked etc

Don't put your hands out, you'll end up breaking your collar bone.

**ALWAYS **go head first, it's the strongest part of your body so is most likely to prevent any lasting damage. :|

Try and hold onto the bars - take the fall on your shoulders / massive triceps.

you might want to do this with hindsight but in the reality you would never do this!

rugby, judo and snowboarding are all good for learning how to fall properly, or you could just HTFU

or spend a week or two as a cat:

Aim for the fattest fucker you can see.

The time I kept my hands on the bars, i scuffed all of my knuckles, chipped one, and broke one (a year later it still hurts sometimes.)

Aim for the fattest fucker you can see.

That works well for me.. ;)

The time I kept my hands on the bars, i scuffed all of my knuckles, chipped one, and broke one (a year later it still hurts sometimes.)

and if you didn't hang on you would have fucked palms (gf has to wipe your arse), broken collarbone, dislocated shoulder, blah..

Hanging on, ftw!

ime you will do it instinctively, you will put your hands out to cushion your fall, it always happens so quickly you wont have time to think about all that shit. the main thing is to try not to hit your head i suppose.

Yep - you stick your hands out without thinking - something we pick up from starting to crawl to knowing something dangerous is in very close proximity like a flying object (or the tarmac) coming towards your head . Something intuitive kicks in and the hands cop it unless you can think of something better in the split second before contact.

if you have time, try going into a forward roll or tumble to dissipate the impact: put an arm out to protect your bonce and you should flip over nicely

But when my chance came to put theory into action....I failed miserably - I got hit from behind by a frikken scooter (whilst in a green cycle lane)... I flew off over the bars & landed flat on my back, so hard that the back of my helmet (not cock) was smashed off - had whiplash for a week.

So in reality, do what you can...but it usually happens too fast

go limp

I stacked it this evening. The car in front stopped suddenly, I tried to stop quickly and suddenly found myself on the ground and my bike sliding along into the car in front. (will blame it on oil on the road but probably my fault entirely) Somehow landed on my arse and hand, and was wearing gloves. It was all a bit sudden, no time to think about it, just simply reacted and seem to be in one piece now.

Would always advocate proper cycling gloves with a modicum of padding, much better for them to take the brunt rather than bare skin.

So if you have a large padded arse use it!

That's a bummer James, I hope you are ok.

Ok being serious here and having a few accidents on road and on track layered clothing, gloves or mitts a must (helmet up to to you but I never wore one on the road) and when you do come off on the road try to roll, on the track it doesnt usually matter. Go to Uniglo as those cheap synthetic Tee shirts for under a fiver are a godsend for a base layer. I wish I had those when I slid a 100 hundred yards on my arse down a moutain in Wales. Yes I am talking bollocks but it felt like a 100 yards mark my words ;o))

Am totally fine, the poor guy in front was so apologetic despite my reassuring him that it was totally my fault and that he had done nothing wrong.

It was really quite amusing, though I was actually not going fast when it happened (had practically come to a standstill) the actual fall happened in an instant.

I do feel like i have been give a dead arse (like a dead leg) but otherwise am fine and the bike is fine.

It rather reaffirmed my faith in humanity, a black cab driver stopped to ask if I was ok as well.

More amusing than anything else, but was glad to have gloves and a helmet on (though my head never touched the ground).

Always maintain a suitably protective layer of alcohol in the bloodstream>

Always maintain a suitably protective layer of alcohol in the bloodstream>

That only works when riding home from the Pub meets.

Apart from "don't", closely followed by "stay alert", what advice do you have for minimising the damage in a crash?

I hit an unmarked hump last Sunday (so I failed to stay alert). What followed happened so fast that I didn't have time to think and the bike and body damage suggests a rather chaotic splat.

Since then, I've been particularly aware that a roadie's riding position doesn't give much opportunity to bail. Chances are, you're rather stretched out with your arse some way above your hands.

So. Is there some mantra that you repeat for when it all goes wrong? "Tuck and roll"? "Feet first, hands second, helmet third"? Or for me: "Don't land on your teeth!"

Yes, I've searched old threads; apologies if I missed something.

I can't really offer you much experience of crashing (so not answering your question), but standard prevention advice applies which may be more helpful than 'don't': Book yourself some cycle training to the National Standard (search forum for details all over lots of threads) and read 'Cyclecraft' by John Franklin.

of all the crashes i've had the only reaction i could fit in was instinct. i wouldn't worry about it to much, its one of those things that you get better at with practice. unfortunately.

Always try your best to roll with the fall, relax, as soon as you tense up thats when you are far more likely to hurt yourself. Accept that you are gonna get hurt no matter what but by attempting the above you are more likely to minimize injury.

Don't land with all your weight on your forearm because this is the result:

15 internal stitches to my muscle fascia (the bit that groups muscles together and forms ligaments) and 10 external stitches to my arm. Not to mention some lovely road rash.

Apparently your forearm is susceptible to the common boxing injury, if you compress the tissue against the bone, it WILL burst open.