How many crashes this year?

[Slowtwitch]

Almost taken off today in town by a fiat 500 driver. Looked to be a wee lass behind the wheel.

She overtook me and immediately turned left into lidl car park. I braked hard -- don't know how I didn't hit the left side of her car. There were loads of witnesses and I could see them gasp as it happened.

This was one of those occasions where there were too many people on the shared use footpath to cycle on.

Happens all the time, people in a rush to pick up their fresh brioche!

[Pebble]

Havent been out since i burnt myself badly a few weeks ago, so great no crashes. But funily enough i just came across a picture of my first "touring" bike in 2010, after maybe 15 years of just dieselling.

Bought a brand new Edinburgh Bicycle coop Revolution Country Traveller bike, in maybe 6 months it had pretty much fallen apart (sent it back to them twice in this time, hubs, spokes , stis, brakes, with terrible customer service to boot), then going down the hill to Seaton in Cornwall,



https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.36379 ... 384!8i8192

had the brakes on fair and the forks just folded up under me. The bus driver right behind me was proper on it and stopped in time. a few minutes earlier i had been going 40+ down a long hill.

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Needless to say the Edinburgh Bike Coop refused outright to admit any liability, but did give me a refund which was the least they could do. Then I got a lovely 2H super galaxy which i wish i still had. Im worried to go out on anything less than a thorn raven these days...

Was that an aluminium bike ? I think ali can just fail catastrophically with no warning, unlike steel that would have probably shown tell tale signs will in advance.

[windysmithy]

Was that an aluminium bike ? I think ali can just fail catastrophically with no warning, unlike steel that would have probably shown tell tale signs will in advance.

Indeed; only steel from then on. Throw that ally rubbish away!

[reohn2]

Almost taken off today in town by a fiat 500 driver. Looked to be a wee lass behind the wheel......

I drive a car and ride a motorcycle 18,000 to 20,000 miles per annum and IME young women are the worst drivers I come across,especially for tailgating and being completely unaware of their surroundings!

[Cowsham]

Was that an aluminium bike ? I think ali can just fail catastrophically with no warning, unlike steel that would have probably shown tell tale signs will in advance.

Indeed; only steel from then on. Throw that ally rubbish away!

Pound for pound can you make a steel bike lighter than an aluminum bike and as strong? I've always thought you can cos my first aluminum bike seemed heavy compared to my previous steel bike ( it was an old late 50's bike the aluminum one was 80's )

[Jdsk]

Was that an aluminium bike ? I think ali can just fail catastrophically with no warning, unlike steel that would have probably shown tell tale signs will in advance.

Indeed; only steel from then on. Throw that ally rubbish away!

Pound for pound can you make a steel bike lighter than an aluminum bike and as strong? I've always thought you can cos my first aluminum bike seemed heavy compared to my previous steel bike ( it was an old late 50's bike the aluminum one was 80's )

That depends on the details of each. And those details can depend on the target price.

And stiffness is an important consideration: it's not only about strength.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_f ... num_alloys

Jonathan

[foxyrider]

Was that an aluminium bike ? I think ali can just fail catastrophically with no warning, unlike steel that would have probably shown tell tale signs will in advance.

Indeed; only steel from then on. Throw that ally rubbish away!

Pound for pound can you make a steel bike lighter than an aluminum bike and as strong? I've always thought you can cos my first aluminum bike seemed heavy compared to my previous steel bike ( it was an old late 50's bike the aluminum one was 80's )

Older Al frames built using tubes could very often be quite heavy as they used huge amounts of material to gain the required strength (which is why they were so uncomfortable to ride!). Times have changed as have production methods, modern 'fluid form' Al frames can be as light as carbon and as strong (the comfort is a lot better too). I have steel, Al and CF framed bikes, they are all quite different beasts but at bare frame level my expensive steel frames weigh much the same as the fluid formed Al @ 2kg f/f, the CF is a chunk lighter. The steel frames cost much more than the Al, @50% more and are actually less comfortable.

[CliveyT]

First one for ages today. If I leave early then my safety is always in the balance of the survival sense of the secondary school kids coming the other way versus their desire to talk to their friends. It's a wide cycle path so plenty of space for me going in one direction and two abreast coming in the other. Unfortunately one of them tried to do three abreast this morning, with just enough warning for me to start braking.
Nothing broken, but the bruising is going to look impressive I think

[Cowsham]

First one for ages today. If I leave early then my safety is always in the balance of the survival sense of the secondary school kids coming the other way versus their desire to talk to their friends. It's a wide cycle path so plenty of space for me going in one direction and two abreast coming in the other. Unfortunately one of them tried to do three abreast this morning, with just enough warning for me to start braking.
Nothing broken, but the bruising is going to look impressive I think

I take it you managed to avoid the kids ? More importantly ( I jest ) is the bike OK?

[CliveyT]

I take it you managed to avoid the kids ? More importantly ( I jest ) is the bike OK?

No unfortunately she dived back into the cluster and they had a coming together in there. Only one went down and they were going slowly enough that she didn't even seem marked (as far as I can tell, I'm rather cautious about checking over 13yo girls just in case my actions are misconstrued ).
Both bikes were fine, I was very solicitous in breaking the fall of mine (mostly with my hip by the feel of it) and just a dropped chain on hers

[Cowsham]

I take it you managed to avoid the kids ? More importantly ( I jest ) is the bike OK?

No unfortunately she dived back into the cluster and they had a coming together in there. Only one went down and they were going slowly enough that she didn't even seem marked (as far as I can tell, I'm rather cautious about checking over 13yo girls just in case my actions are misconstrued ).
Both bikes were fine, I was very solicitous in breaking the fall of mine (mostly with my hip by the feel of it) and just a dropped chain on hers

All's well that ends well -- you'll mend.

[kylecycler]

I suppose it's a simple fact that a 9-year-old kid has less than half as far to fall as we have and, being so much lighter, doesn't hit the ground anything like so hard. Absolutely not trivialising it, of course; it depends on how they fall, especially if their head hits the ground, I just mean it was like that for us then but not now.

Sometimes when I ride to the town I go past a stables and meet horses and riders, and it often occurs to me how much further you have to fall off one of them things compared to a bicycle.

Concerning falling, I don't recall this ever being discussed on here, but I believe pro racing cyclists learn never to put their hand down - it won't save you and will probably just make things worse, apparently. Always just hip and shoulder, like this (one or two put their arm out but not their hand down)...

https://youtu.be/o9G8ph1VwZY?t=101

Still hurts, though! And whether we'd have the presence of mind to fall the 'right' way is a whole other question - not something you'd want to practice!

[foxyrider]

I suppose it's a simple fact that a 9-year-old kid has less than half as far to fall as we have and, being so much lighter, doesn't hit the ground anything like so hard. Absolutely not trivialising it, of course; it depends on how they fall, especially if their head hits the ground, I just mean it was like that for us then but not now.

Sometimes when I ride to the town I go past a stables and meet horses and riders, and it often occurs to me how much further you have to fall off one of them things compared to a bicycle.

Concerning falling, I don't recall this ever being discussed on here, but I believe pro racing cyclists learn never to put their hand down - it won't save you and will probably just make things worse, apparently. Always just hip and shoulder, like this (one or two put their arm out but not their hand down)...

https://youtu.be/o9G8ph1VwZY?t=101

Still hurts, though! And whether we'd have the presence of mind to fall the 'right' way is a whole other question - not something you'd want to practice!

I've had my fair share of 'offs' over the years, i learnt very early on that putting arms out was counter productive and anyway, given the speed of most 'crashes', i've been on the deck before i could even think about trying to save myself! I always seem to land on my left side. from shoulder to knee, anything that is remotely sticking out, think shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, outer knee, have multiple scars. The only time i can recall hitting my head was a face plant on an icy morning which broke teeth and road rash on your face is not nice!

I've always put my survival technique down to a year of judo i did pre teen, you are taught to roll into impacts which diffuses the impact energy, do it enough times and it becomes second nature

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Keep hands on the bars.
Always did this on motorcycling off road................hitting your body against the bike is not recommended.

I still do this on bicycle, and it works.
As said you don't normally have time to think about putting hand down.

[Benz3ne]

Gah. Annoying one today. Turning onto a shared bridge (footpath and cycle path, separated down the middle) and clipped one of the 5 bollards at the end of it on entry, very lightly but enough to have an effect. Careered myself towards the railing whereby I contacted chin-first. Bike is fine, handlebars and shifter were on a slight squiff which I’ve adjusted on the roadside. Phone mount broke, chin and shoulder are most uncomfortable with a dead inner thigh following shortly after. Still, cycled the remaining 4 miles home okay.

Rest tomorrow and back on it Thursday, I think.

What’s worse is I was cycling home early due to a headache I couldn’t shift. Suffice to say that’s no better than earlier…