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  #1  
Old September 1st 06, 01:11 PM posted to uk.rec.cycling
D.M. Procida
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Posts: 357
Default Ouch

I've just had my first non-pratfall accident (not ever, but in years).

I was coming down a hill at about 51km/hr, towards a roundabout with a
nice clear sweep to go straight on. I think I must have misjudged my
line, but at any rate once into it I realised I wasn't quite going to
make it. I was angled over so far that my knee was almost touching the
ground (according to my companion who was following) and I felt I
couldn't turn any sharper.

So I tried to shed some speed using the brakes, which was probably a bad
mistake, as I lost even more of my turn, and it just didn't feel
sustainable. The last thing I wanted to do was hit the kerb a glancing
blow at that speed with my feet locked in, so I straightened up and went
for it.

I went flying, almost right over the pavement into the ditch.
Fortunately my shoes disengaged quite early on, so I wasn't tangled up
with the bike. I have a rather nasty scrape along my elbow from the
concrete pavement, and a couple of other small grazes on that side, but
nothing really worth writing about other than on Usenet. The bike is
almost unscathed, apart from some torn bar tape. I was expecting the
front wheel to be bent in half.

The actual fall was, in the circumstances, a very neat Aikido-style
breakfall, and I am sure it saved me a great deal of injury. I felt
quite in control.

Three or four car drivers went past before anyone stopped to see if we
needed help.

Daniele
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  #2  
Old September 1st 06, 03:35 PM posted to uk.rec.cycling
[email protected]
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Posts: 883
Default Ouch

On Fri, 1 Sep 2006 13:11:58 +0100,
(D.M. Procida) wrote:

I've just had my first non-pratfall accident (not ever, but in years).

I was coming down a hill at about 51km/hr, towards a roundabout with a
nice clear sweep to go straight on. I think I must have misjudged my
line, but at any rate once into it I realised I wasn't quite going to
make it. I was angled over so far that my knee was almost touching the
ground (according to my companion who was following) and I felt I
couldn't turn any sharper.

So I tried to shed some speed using the brakes, which was probably a bad
mistake, as I lost even more of my turn, and it just didn't feel
sustainable. The last thing I wanted to do was hit the kerb a glancing
blow at that speed with my feet locked in, so I straightened up and went
for it.

I went flying, almost right over the pavement into the ditch.
Fortunately my shoes disengaged quite early on, so I wasn't tangled up
with the bike. I have a rather nasty scrape along my elbow from the
concrete pavement, and a couple of other small grazes on that side, but
nothing really worth writing about other than on Usenet. The bike is
almost unscathed, apart from some torn bar tape. I was expecting the
front wheel to be bent in half.

The actual fall was, in the circumstances, a very neat Aikido-style
breakfall, and I am sure it saved me a great deal of injury. I felt
quite in control.

Three or four car drivers went past before anyone stopped to see if we
needed help.

Daniele


Did your helmet save your life?
  #4  
Old September 1st 06, 04:35 PM posted to uk.rec.cycling
Simon Brooke
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Posts: 4,493
Default Ouch

in message
,
D.M. Procida ') wrote:

I've just had my first non-pratfall accident (not ever, but in years).

I was coming down a hill at about 51km/hr, towards a roundabout with a
nice clear sweep to go straight on. I think I must have misjudged my
line, but at any rate once into it I realised I wasn't quite going to
make it. I was angled over so far that my knee was almost touching the
ground (according to my companion who was following) and I felt I
couldn't turn any sharper.


Much sympathy. Sounds very much like my crash last year. Thing is, when
you overcook a bend, there really isn't anything else to blame.

Hope you feel better soon!

--
(Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; Semper in faecibus sumus, sole profundum variat.
  #5  
Old September 1st 06, 06:29 PM posted to uk.rec.cycling
D.M. Procida
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Posts: 357
Default Ouch

Simon Brooke wrote:

I was coming down a hill at about 51km/hr, towards a roundabout with a
nice clear sweep to go straight on. I think I must have misjudged my
line, but at any rate once into it I realised I wasn't quite going to
make it. I was angled over so far that my knee was almost touching the
ground (according to my companion who was following) and I felt I
couldn't turn any sharper.


Much sympathy. Sounds very much like my crash last year. Thing is, when
you overcook a bend, there really isn't anything else to blame.

Hope you feel better soon!


Better? I felt *fantastic*!

As soon as I got back on I cycled up a hill (admittedly not a terribly
steep one) at the same speed I came down the other side. I could win
races like that.

My companion was rhapsodising about the crash; he said it was the best
he'd ever seen.

Daniele
  #6  
Old September 3rd 06, 05:34 PM posted to uk.rec.cycling
D.M. Procida
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Posts: 357
Default Ouch

Geraint Jones alid
wrote:

I was coming down a hill at about 51km/hr, towards a roundabout ...


I don't understand: "51km/hr" doesn't seem to be a nice round speed in
imperial units. What sort of "about" was that, or do you have your speedo
calibrated in foreign and were you watching that when you should have been
not misjudging the line?


I glanced at it while descending the hill a moment or two before the
roundabout. It said 51km/h. I continued descending. Therefore I inferred
(from the available evidence, certain assumptions about the equipment,
and some basic principles of physics) that I was doing about 51km/h.

Daniele
  #7  
Old September 3rd 06, 05:36 PM posted to uk.rec.cycling
Danny Colyer
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Posts: 1,244
Default Ouch

Geraint Jones wrote:
I've stopped carrying a speedo since I realised it was making me come down
Cumnor Hill more slowly than I could. Perhaps I should carry it, but tape
over the display.


Don't look at it on the way down. When you get to the bottom, take a
look at your max speed.

--
Danny Colyer URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine
  #8  
Old September 3rd 06, 06:30 PM posted to uk.rec.cycling
Stevie D
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Posts: 259
Default Ouch

Geraint Jones wrote:

I've stopped carrying a speedo since I realised it was making me come
down Cumnor Hill more slowly than I could. Perhaps I should carry it,
but tape over the display.


When I'm roaring down a hill (particularly on narrow lanes or in urban
areas) I don't look at the speedo, because there's just too much else
to concentrate on. When I've slowed down in the following valley, I
have a look and see if I hit a new vMax but staying on the bike is
always the first priority!

--
Stevie D
\\\\\ ///// Bringing dating agencies to the
\\\\\\\__X__/////// common hedgehog since 2001 - "HedgeHugs"
___\\\\\\\'/ \'///////_____________________________________________
  #9  
Old September 3rd 06, 06:30 PM posted to uk.rec.cycling
Stevie D
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Posts: 259
Default Ouch

Danny Colyer wrote:

Don't look at it on the way down. When you get to the bottom, take a
look at your max speed.


Sound advice - unless you've been down a better hill earlier in the
ride...

--
Stevie D
\\\\\ ///// Bringing dating agencies to the
\\\\\\\__X__/////// common hedgehog since 2001 - "HedgeHugs"
___\\\\\\\'/ \'///////_____________________________________________
  #10  
Old September 3rd 06, 08:53 PM posted to uk.rec.cycling
Clive George
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Posts: 5,394
Default Ouch

"Stevie D" wrote in message
...
Danny Colyer wrote:

Don't look at it on the way down. When you get to the bottom, take a
look at your max speed.


Sound advice - unless you've been down a better hill earlier in the
ride...


It's why I want a speedo with a resettable max. Unfortunately nobody seems
have thought that this might be a good thing.

cheers,
clive

 




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