I had a bad fall!

[harryS]

My wife has fallen a few times like that, bike slows down to a stop on a hill, and she slowly tips over, being more focused on rolling than catching the fall.

 

[soyabean]

If you are not a bike rider and just started on an electric bike

You nailed it.

This is the part many just don't understand. Seasoned ebike owners assume everyone plays safe, when the truth is that there are a lot of affluent punks that just mail order an e-whatever for fun because it's easy to impulse buy and checkout with their phones, and then the fun stops when they break their own bones, or bones of other folks they hit.

 

[dmourati]

I'm curious how many accidents happen to e-bike first riders compared those who transition over to e-bikes from traditional bikes.

 

[Art Deco]

You nailed it.

This is the part many just don't understand. Seasoned ebike owners assume everyone plays safe, when the truth is that there are a lot of affluent punks that just mail order an e-whatever for fun because it's easy to impulse buy and checkout with their phones, and then the fun stops when they break their own bones, or bones of other folks they hit.

Seasoned ebike ( or motorcycle) owners assume they are invisible, and that everyone else is a threat. That's how they became "seasoned" riders rather than more statistics.

 

[Dewey]

Hmm I'm unsure if in fact it's not the other way and overconfidence plays a factor, when the Dutch began reporting an increase in falls from elderly ebike riders most of those injured would have been 'Seasoned' bicycle riders before transitioning to a heavier ebike. A good idea my local Pedego store does is to have customers sit on bikes in the store for a while before they take a test ride, and also to organize group rides so there's someone to help just in case.

 

[Alaskan]

Seasoned ebike ( or motorcycle) owners assume they are invisible, and that everyone else is a threat. That's how they became "seasoned" riders rather than more statistics.

I don't even go through an intersection with a car stopped on the cross street until I make eye contact with that person. I just keep slowing until they see me. Speaking of invisible people, I also assume there is an invisible, evil little person in every car parked along the road, just waiting to open their car door and take me out just as I pass by.

 

[Alaskan]

You nailed it.

This is the part many just don't understand. Seasoned ebike owners assume everyone plays safe, when the truth is that there are a lot of affluent punks that just mail order an e-whatever for fun because it's easy to impulse buy and checkout with their phones, and then the fun stops when they break their own bones, or bones of other folks they hit.

Can you ever make a useful comment, or one that does not insult your own customers, members of this forum or humanity in general?

 

[Dewey]

I like how some European bike companies are thinking through the balance issues and coming up with practical ideas marketed to older riders like
IslaBikes Icons line of lightweight step-through ebikes, or the Nihola Low trike.

 

[mjeds]

or us hitting a post on our tandem. me a massive hematoma on my pubis bone wife with a cracked kneecap killed the whole drivetrainView attachment 91455View attachment 91456

Sorry for your injuries. that looks really bad, a lot worse than my crank, though not by much.

in my case I was lucky in that I saw the oil but it was too late to slow, locking the brakes would have made it far worse, I knew I was going down so I just let it happen and let go. 35 years riding motorcycles on street and track so I know how to fall and land if I can anticipate the fall. I wouldn't walked away unhurt if I had been wearing pants, hot day so decided to wear shorts. never again regardless of the temps, I will stick with my Kevlar bike pants.

 

[mjeds]

...and folks want Class3 ebikes totally legal for use everywhere

Seriously, what's with all the falls and accidents? Just slow down

obviously someone that didn't read the OP... in this case the OP needed to speed up and be in a lower gear.

 

[Art Deco]

I don't even go through an intersection with a car stopped on the cross street until I make eye contact with that person. I just keep slowing until they see me. Speaking of invisible people, I also assume there is an invisible, evil little person in every car parked along the road, just waiting to open their car door and take me out just as I pass by.

His name is Murphy. And he just wants a little respect.

 

[Art Deco]

New riders might want to search for elephant in the room. TLDR Many have fallen , all got back on the bike AFAIK .

 

[Fiets]

A demeaning, irrelevant and useless comment. The OP fell because the bike's speed reduced to zero due to poor gear selection on a steep grade. It had nothing to do with speed.

True. Nothing to do with speed. I took the bike to a park with rolling hills today to practice. I think I may have hit the wrong button and decreased the assist instead of increasing it.

 

[dmourati]

Focus on gearing first, assist second @Fiets

 

[Fiets]

If you have an ordinary pedal bike I would suggest riding it as a warm up before jumping on the POWER machine. If you are not a bike rider and just started on an electric bike you should rent or borrow a pedal bike and get familiar with cadence, geometry, braking, turning etc before you have another tumble. Take it easy and have fun.

I rode around a park today. I'm getting the hang of it. I was a serious road rider about 11 years ago. I'm 72 now with a bad back but I want to keep riding. I think I may have pressed the wrong button before I fell. Less assist instead of more.

 

[Luto]

By this logic, people on motorcycles must fall over all the time. The gyro effect on a bike comes from spinning of the wheels, not the chainring. Even if there was a measurable stabilizing effect from the spinning of the chainring, it would be negated and overpowered by the force of pushing down on the pedals on every stroke. OP definitely needs basic lessons on bike handling and operation, but spinning at a higher cadence is not the solution.

It is the ratio of weight. Your legs moving provide significant amount of the total weight. On a motorcycle, not the case. And by that non logic, a bicycle wheel weighs the same as a motorcycle wheel. Also higher cadence allows for adjusting the balance many times per minute.

 

[Art Deco]

I rode around a park today. I'm getting the hang of it. I was a serious road rider about 11 years ago. I'm 72 now with a bad back but I want to keep riding. I think I may have pressed the wrong button before I fell. Less assist instead of more.

What's that phrase about 'You never forget how ... it's like riding a bike...'

 

[PatriciaK]

True. Nothing to do with speed. I took the bike to a park with rolling hills today to practice. I think I may have hit the wrong button and decreased the assist instead of increasing it.

That's why auto assist is so helpful, as you're getting used to your new bike

 

[Handlebars]

Next thing to watch for IMO is in making turns from a stop. Look at where you are going to, not at the area in front of your bike. Do not back off the power suddenly. My bike has a throttle, and I find it very valuable all day long. When beginning with ebike it is too difficult to be automatic in the mind on gears and power assist level and where they are located when you need them and so on, and the bike handles differently - probably much heavier.

 

[Handlebars]

And I've learned to always keep a brake on when stopped just in case of a tiny pedal movement making the bike jump forward.