Bad Crash Happens Quick

[Tubbs]

Had a pretty bad crash on July 23. I am an inexperienced rider have had the bike (EBC model R) for 3 months and have about 350 miles on it at time of crash.

I was riding about 7:00 am on a sidewalk and got down into a commercial drive at this point the thought entered my head that I probably shouldn't be riding on the sidewalk as there could be some folks out walking. As I merged over from the concrete drive onto the asphalt road my front tire seemed to start skidding in the seam or joint of where the Asphalt and Concrete met. All I remember is the handlebars were going back and forth could have been me trying to correct it. I landed on my left wrist (I am left handed) then on my right leg. Didn't go out so I dragged myself back to the sidewalk and waited for the fire dept paramedics that were called.

Ended up with a broken Orbital bone in the left wrist and two broken bones in the right leg below the knee. 6 hrs of surgery plates and screws in both wrist and leg. 4 days in the hospital and am on a 12 week recovery before I can put weight on the leg or use the arm.

I would really like to know what were the contributing factors. I had just pumped the tires up to 55pounds max is 60 is that to much? could the fork shock being to soft been a factor?. I know if I would have taken a steeper angle at the seam it would not have been a problem. I really want to keep riding but not sure I can risk this again. I know part of the broken bones is I am a big guy (fat) 6'-2" 300 Pounds guys my size brake things when we crash. Any insight as to what exactly happens when you hit these seams parallel or anyone else experience something like this?

I have attached an X-ray of the wrist and a pic of the incision.

 

[Art Deco]

Had a pretty bad crash on July 23. I am an inexperienced rider have had the bike (EBC model R) for 3 months and have about 350 miles on it at time of crash.

I was riding about 7:00 am on a sidewalk and got down into a commercial drive at this point the thought entered my head that I probably shouldn't be riding on the sidewalk as there could be some folks out walking. As I merged over from the concrete drive onto the asphalt road my front tire seemed to start skidding in the seam or joint of where the Asphalt and Concrete met. All I remember is the handlebars were going back and forth could have been me trying to correct it. I landed on my left wrist (I am left handed) then on my right leg. Didn't go out so I dragged myself back to the sidewalk and waited for the fire dept paramedics that were called.

Ended up with a broken Orbital bone in the left wrist and two broken bones in the right leg below the knee. 6 hrs of surgery plates and screws in both wrist and leg. 4 days in the hospital and am on a 12 week recovery before I can put weight on the leg or use the arm.

I would really like to know what were the contributing factors. I had just pumped the tires up to 55pounds max is 60 is that to much? could the fork shock being to soft been a factor?. I know if I would have taken a steeper angle at the seam it would not have been a problem. I really want to keep riding but not sure I can risk this again. I know part of the broken bones is I am a big guy (fat) 6'-2" 300 Pounds guys my size brake things when we crash. Any insight as to what exactly happens when you hit these seams parallel or anyone else experience something like this?

I have attached an X-ray of the wrist and a pic of the scar.d be appreciated

Sorry to hear it, but you are neither the first or the last. Your tires pressure and bike were probably fine.
Crash avoidence requires practice in a safe empty place like a parking lot or a safety course. Changing levels is difficult at speed even for experienced riders.
One practice drill is crossing a 1 x 3 at a right angle in your driveway. Then a 2 x 4. Then a 4 x 4. Then change the angles slowly approaching parallel. Never hit parallel faster than you can ' jump' the bike.
Many on here have fallen, but AFAIK all got back on. Search for a thread called the elephant in the room in the title for much more .
Again I'm sorry about your injuries and hope you heal well.

 

[Tars Tarkas]

Really sorry for your injuries!

It sounds like there might have been a gap between the concrete and the asphalt that your front tire got stuck in. Things like that can be deadly! Nashville replaced all of their sewer grates years ago because the grates ran parallel to the road, thus the gaps between the grates were in line with bike tires and would suck you in. I hit one of those back in the 70s and ended up in the ER. Of course your bike stops instantly and you go over the handle bars. There are still a lot of railroad track that cross roads obliquely that you have to watch out for and be sure to cross at as close to a right angle as you can. Trolley tracks in the road are the same or worse because they are generally parallel to the street.

These kinds of hazards are things you learn to look out for with very little experience. Your one-time experience and mine generally are the only lessons one needs.

Of course I'm speculating on the cause of your accident, but that's what it sounds like to me.

TT

 

[fooferdoggie]

crap happens and you don't always know. I was riding on a street with light rail tracks. someone did something I don't remember and I was going to cross them but I ended up riding on a track both wheels this was a e scooter with white wheels. the time slipped and I did a end and landed face first. ended up needing sticks in my lip. I wanted till urgent care opened up at 10 went in and they sent me to the er sign it was a facial cut. but took awhile before I figured it out. my Apple Watch was going off asking if I fell. Last crash was the nI drifted into a pole in the bike path. no clue how that happened.

 

[YYZblues]

How fast were you riding? Sure freak accidents can happen at fast, normal or slow speed. But the chance of serious injuries like yours is much less at much lower speed.

 

[Tubbs]

I was right around 15 mph.

 

[Sparky731]

Crashing is a realistic risk when riding on 2 wheels. In addition to practicing rough terrain, we should also learn how to safely crash — or at least lower the number of injuries. One rule I have always tried to retain in my brain is “stay on your bike.” Don’t let go of the handlebars if at all possible. Of course, letting go is usually the first reaction. Not something that lends itself to practicing too often.

 

[RunForTheHills]

Accidents happen. You have to get back on the horse that threw you. Don't give up cycling over it.

 

[Luto]

You did the classic! The road seams are perfect for catching a tire. ALWAYS move across them definitively and surely. Never get stuck.

The worse would be get caught in one and fall to the road side and your head get run over.

As for prevention, as Art Deco says, practice dealing with surface transitions. Road to gravel to untamed grass-weeds. Learn how to brake and adjust speed. Also lean how to bail off a bike. Being able to jump off a bike is a great skill. Less than that, be able to dismount in slow moving situations.

• See a wood bridge over a creek on a fall day (mist-frost), Go ultra Slow and be prepared to bail onto frost ice! (creeks are always colder)
• See tree leaves that are wet on the side of the road, Slow and be prepared for SLIM and double slim when you dismount.
• See a dog potentially crossing with a leash, go Slow, be ready to dismount.
• Hear a car-truck, Slow and prepare to bail out, off the road onto the gravel or grass and dismount.
• See someone in a car, possibly opening a door, Slow down, go wide if safe or super slow.
• See cars turning across your path, Slow down and make sure you are seen, be prepared to bail onto the sidewalk.
• See a place to eat, Slow down, be prepared for food and beer.

You can YouTube these and watch the bike accidents.

Too much speed, 15 is pretty fast for that transition. I would NEVER go that fast and not be ready for a "pre jump unweight, bump and land" move to get across. I got 40 years of riding experience. Normally, I get to a slow speed like, 3-4 mph, so I can bail. Cross the rough stuff, then I just speed up again. With e-bikes getting back up to cruising speed is real easy. So make the best of that "feature".

You are not the first inexperienced rider on a e-bike who is going too fast for their experience level. Usually once a month someone posts an accident. The common factor is too much speed. I say that as some one who hauls ass on a regular bike, slows down to a crawl when needed, and then cranks back up.

Also consider how you hold the handle bars. Some people try to steer through anything. Truth be known, one should know the difference between the direction bike wants to travel and where you are steering it. Then you will know when you are caught and need to bail out or just pushing through some road resistance.

Can you stand on your pedals, off your seat and steer, then dismount? That is a good skill also. Biking does take skill.

 

[TForan]

How wide are your tires ? I feel fat street tires are so much more forgiving on bad city streets.

 

[Tubbs]

How wide are your tires ? I feel fat street tires are so much more forgiving on bad city streets.

3” tires

 

[Tubbs]

You did the classic! The road seams are perfect for catching a tire. ALWAYS move across them definitively and surely. Never get stuck.

The worse would be get caught in one and fall to the road side and your head get run over.

As for prevention, as Art Deco says, practice dealing with surface transitions. Road to gravel to untamed grass-weeds. Learn how to brake and adjust speed. Also lean how to bail off a bike. Being able to jump off a bike is a great skill. Less than that, be able to dismount in slow moving situations.

• See a wood bridge over a creek on a fall day (mist-frost), Go ultra Slow and be prepared to bail onto frost ice! (creeks are always colder)
• See tree leaves that are wet on the side of the road, Slow and be prepared for SLIM and double slim when you dismount.
• See a dog potentially crossing with a leash, go Slow, be ready to dismount.
• Hear a car-truck, Slow and prepare to bail out, off the road onto the gravel or grass and dismount.
• See someone in a car, possibly opening a door, Slow down, go wide if safe or super slow.
• See cars turning across your path, Slow down and make sure you are seen, be prepared to bail onto the sidewalk.
• See a place to eat, Slow down, be prepared for food and beer.

You can YouTube these and watch the bike accidents.

Too much speed, 15 is pretty fast for that transition. I would NEVER go that fast and not be ready for a "pre jump unweight, bump and land" move to get across. I got 40 years of riding experience. Normally, I get to a slow speed like, 3-4 mph, so I can bail. Cross the rough stuff, then I just speed up again. With e-bikes getting back up to cruising speed is real easy. So make the best of that "feature".

You are not the first inexperienced rider on a e-bike who is going too fast for their experience level. Usually once a month someone posts an accident. The common factor is too much speed. I say that as some one who hauls ass on a regular bike, slows down to a crawl when needed, and then cranks back up.

Also consider how you hold the handle bars. Some people try to steer through anything. Truth be known, one should know the difference between the direction bike wants to travel and where you are steering it. Then you will know when you are caught and need to bail out or just pushing through some road resistance.

Can you stand on your pedals, off your seat and steer, then dismount? That is a good skill also. Biking does take skill.

Good info, thank you.

 

[DaveMatthews]

Yikes!
Heal quick buddy!
And when you can, get back on that horse!

 

[Rickman1]

Yowza! Wishing you a fast and full recovery.

 

[indianajo]

Crossing seams, edges, inclines, curbs, ruts, speed bumps, etc at a small angle tend to knock a bicycle over. When required to do that, get at a large angle to the seam, 40 degrees or more. This requires you to violate lane control so you have to be sure nobody behind or ahead of you is going to hit you because of your sudden change in direction. Also, making a 40 degree turn means you won't be able to maintain 15 mph. Particular danger zone is railroad tracks at an angle. I have one I cross that I stop & push the bike over, as the next lane over is full of 60 mph traffic.
I'm very lucky, have fallen off the bike dozens of times and the only time I broke anything I was going 25 mph & went over the handlebars onto my chin. Carrying weights tends to toughen bones. I carry tree limbs & ag waste to throw into a gully on my property. Pilates exercises can achieve the same goal indoors. I never carry over 50 lb except on my back, so extreme weightlifting is not required.
To prevent road burn, I wear poly/cotton dickies long sleeve, long pants, and cotton poly gloves. Closed walking shoes. Chin is now protected by a "downhill mountain bike racing helmet", which search term I was unable to find out before the broken chin. All search engines would show me of chin guards before the accident was totally sealed motorcycle helmets. My fox rampage helmet has plenty of vents.

 

[Catalyzt]

So sorry about your injury! I nearly dumped my old road bike several times in NYC a few weeks ago.

If you see a seam or an edge that I have to cross at an angle I don't like, and there's no escape route? Consider just stopping if it's at all possible and walk your bike over it. It feels weird, like you're giving up or something, but there's no shame.

Wait till you're healed and get back out there. Thanks for the post-- these are good safety reminders, even for the most experienced. Anyone can get careless, we all do, no matter what our level of skill.

 

[TForan]

3” tires

Maybe lower the pressure to 30 lbs. I had 3.5 inch and ran around 20 in them.

 

[Handlebars]

Best wishes for good healing! ... and thank you for the wake-up

 

[Luto]

You will get a good handle on all this stuff in no time!

Also don't forget the slippery wet man hole covers! Slip and slid on those.

Consider practicing not having all your weight on the seat. Support yourself with the pedals as you hit bumps. Like a horse rider in stirrups, or something akin to that.

 

[Akrotiri]

Had a pretty bad crash on July 23. I am an inexperienced rider have had the bike (EBC model R) for 3 months and have about 350 miles on it at time of crash.

I was riding about 7:00 am on a sidewalk and got down into a commercial drive at this point the thought entered my head that I probably shouldn't be riding on the sidewalk as there could be some folks out walking. As I merged over from the concrete drive onto the asphalt road my front tire seemed to start skidding in the seam or joint of where the Asphalt and Concrete met. All I remember is the handlebars were going back and forth could have been me trying to correct it. I landed on my left wrist (I am left handed) then on my right leg. Didn't go out so I dragged myself back to the sidewalk and waited for the fire dept paramedics that were called.

Ended up with a broken Orbital bone in the left wrist and two broken bones in the right leg below the knee. 6 hrs of surgery plates and screws in both wrist and leg. 4 days in the hospital and am on a 12 week recovery before I can put weight on the leg or use the arm.

I would really like to know what were the contributing factors. I had just pumped the tires up to 55pounds max is 60 is that to much? could the fork shock being to soft been a factor?. I know if I would have taken a steeper angle at the seam it would not have been a problem. I really want to keep riding but not sure I can risk this again. I know part of the broken bones is I am a big guy (fat) 6'-2" 300 Pounds guys my size brake things when we crash. Any insight as to what exactly happens when you hit these seams parallel or anyone else experience something like this?

I have attached an X-ray of the wrist and a pic of the incision.

Sorry to hear this and wish you a speedy recovery and get well soon.