OVER THE HANDLEBARS

[pwa]

For reasons of safety and reassurance it would be best to find out what caused this. Obviously. The "something stuck in the brake" theory doesn't sound likely to me. But I could be wrong.

More likely is something wedged under the mudguard / fork crown. If that has happened there may be some evidence on the surface of the tyre. Worth a look, if you haven't already done it.

With mudguards I try to have the lower rear edge of the guard pretty close to the tyre, closer than the gap at the fork crown. That way, any object big enough to get stuck at the fork crown has to get past a slightly smaller gap first. The guards have quick release fixings, so an object striking that edge of the guard should not cause the wheel to stop. And the object will probably not get any further. Well, that's the theory.

[hamster]

If you went over the 'bars, the front wheel must have locked.

I disagree, off road I've taken a fair few pearlers over the years when the front steering has been sharply turned by an obstruction on the ground. The bike then trips over the front wheel. The classic example is Joseba Beloki's career-limiting crash in the 2003 TdF (in his case the bike was sideways first):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_8m5-sR6I4&

My guess is that you caught a rut, embedded stone or pothole edge just enough to twist the bars. It's surprising how small it can be. I wrecked a set of bars, helmet, bar ends and forks by hitting - very slightly obliquely - a tyre tramline frozen in mud. It all happens so fast it's hard to work out the sequence of events.

[geocycle]

Nearest I have been to going over the top was my infamous encounter with a frozen rabbit....!

[reohn2]

Nearest I have been to going over the top was my infamous encounter with a frozen rabbit....!

I always find the frozen ones never jump out of the way,no matter how loud you shout

[anniesboy]

Surely (Joseba Beloki's career-limiting crash in the 2003 TdF )

Happened because his rear wheel went sideways on melting tar.
He lost the back end not over the bars.

[hamster]

He lost the back end first, however when you look at it he didn't just slide out in a typical rear slide (low side) but regained it and then fell forwards over the front wheel (high side).

I agree it's an imperfect analogy, but the point I was trying to make was that despite NO obstruction to the front wheel he still went over it. In each case it's due to a big steering angle such that the forward momentum carrys you over the wheel rather than it rotating.

[Postboxer]

Muscle spasm? Somehow throwing yourself forwards? Just thinking of all possibilities, electric shock?

[Stradageek]

Came a cropper on Tuesday and took out the cyclist I was overtaking on a designated cycle path. Careful investigation showed that I had touched the tiniest muddy edge to the cycle path on a very slightly adverse camber probably whilst steering to go round the other cyclist - it doesn't take much when there's a very slippy surface.

Fortunately, as has happened on the one or two prior occasions in the last 10yrs, the bike slid down the path on the edge of the seat (lowrider recumbent) and I was just a little jarred - though I did have some darning of scuffed shorts and jacket to keep me amused that evening.

Like you I felt my confidence might be shaken so I cycled the same route to work and back the next day and soon found myself flying confidently along - but the big difference was the now totally dry roads and paths!

[hamster]

Muscle spasm? Somehow throwing yourself forwards? Just thinking of all possibilities, electric shock?

You have omitted alien death ray, the p***ture fairy's evil twin or the effect of riding with only one pannier...

[axel_knutt]

I was standing on the pedals at the time, going uphill, when suddenly I was over the bars and on the ground in a tangle of legs and bike - pretty well as you describe.

The cause? At the time I could only think that the 3-speed rear hub jumped out of gear under the strain, the rest was just like doing a hand flip!

I once had a sprocket with a ratchet that used to let go if I stood on the pedals, but it dumped me on the ground, not over the bars. I've also had a crank break whilst honking, but that didn't send me over the bars either.

[Postboxer]

Springy stick in the spokes, that then pings away leaving no evidence.