1. • CommentAuthorwombatK
   • CommentTimeNov 18th 2007

    
   Recently, I broke my wrist tumbling over the handle bars when another rider crashed in front of me and brought my front wheel to a full stop.
   
   While I realise I could have done a lot more damage, I can't help but wonder if I could avoid injury by changing the way I react in future. I was using clipless pedals, had less than 0.5 seconds to avoid the crash (travelling at around 25 km/hr) - and not riding in a paceline.
   
   My question: is there a right way or choice to make when a fall from your bike become inevitable ?
2. • CommentAuthorChainline
   • CommentTimeNov 22nd 2007

    
   Well, "tuck-n-roll" is probably worth training for, but as you know, avoiding it is best. Be careful who you follow, too. Mountain biking is sometimes good training for dealing with unforeseen, split-second decisions. As a roadie, I find it's easy to lull into a state of false security on long miles. Riding in traffic is good, too. Many cyclist avoid it, but then wonder why they can't react fast enough when Susie SUV pulls out...
3. • CommentAuthorbobrail
   • CommentTimeJan 19th 2008

    
   I would go with Chainline on the "tuck and roll" idea. I've come off twice as an adult.
   
   Once was crossing a railway level crossing at an oblique angle in the rain - don't EVER do it! - And just before my front wheel got to the (shiny) first rail I realised the liklihood of it slipping away to one side, so I was really gripping the bars in an attempt to hold the bike upright. It didn't work, and over I went, but the unexpected benefit was that I was trying so hard to hold the bars upright for so long that I didn't put my hand out. This meant the side of my leg and shoulder took the brunt of the collision, not my wrist, which was probably the best outcome.
   
   The second time was because I continued pedalling as I went round a corner, the pedal touched the ground, and the back of the bike just disappeared in the direction of the outside of the bend so fast that I couldn't react at all. Again, my leg and thigh took the impact rather than my hand or arm. In both cases speed was low (6 - 12 mph?) and I was wearing long clothing, so I counted myself lucky, but I did notice that my cuts and bruises injuries were preferable to broken fingers or wrists (I have broken a wrist).
   
   Not sure how one can otherwise overcome the reflex to put ones arm out, though. Maybe there is some training that can be done...
   
   Bobrail
4. • CommentAuthortracker1972
   • CommentTimeApr 10th 2008

    
   Might be a bit extreme to go looking for it but I have started going to some marshal arts classes (we do T'ai Chi in the school I teach in and loved it).
   I am hoping, i.e. not yet tested, that learning how to fall properly there might train out the temptation to break wrists/collar bone/dislocate shoulder by sticking limbs out in an unhelpful way.
   I have broken a wrist and dislocated a shoulder and don't want to either repeat them or get a hat-trick!
   Tracker.
5. • CommentAuthorPilau
   • CommentTimeApr 22nd 2008

    
   I know it's a long time after the original post, but I couldn't resist! I go with Chainline's Mountain biking solution. Falling off twice as an adult!!! Jeez!! That's average for a ride for me!! Yeah, I know it's different on a road bike, but that highlights Chainline's answer.
   
   A bit obvious, but not all freeriders/dirt jumpers do it: always wear a helmet, I always have so never felt what it feels like to bang your head on a fall. Had a pal who's life was damned near ruined when he hit a tree without a helmet - spent 3 weeks in a coma and had to give up his career because his memory was shot and simply couldn't do it. :-( I face planted once. Climbed a hill, knackered and slowing to recover on the flat at the top I took my eye off the ball and a puddle turned out to be a 9 inch deep vertical pot hole. Had only enough reaction time to tuck my head enough to make my helmet take the impact. Still had all limbs attached to the bike!!! :-D
   
   Always wear gloves! Even fingerless are better than nowt. If you go arse over tip and get some reaction time gloves on the deck save you picking gravel out of your raw palms for the next week.
   
   On a mountain bike - bar ends - they help with altering your position on the bike to open your chest up and effectively lengthen the bike to improve pedalling efficiency, but in a fall you can sometimes deliberately keep your hand on the grips and let the bar end take the impact - saved my skin several times.
   
   Again on an MTB if you're clipless, and see a tricky bit coming take a foot out in case you need to plant it.
   
   Practice on a soft grassy hill, get the bike to slide out from underneath you and step off the bike or learn to roll - it's a bit contrived but it helped me in my early days.
   
   On the subject of practice - pretending you're practicing falling is good for preventing hurt pride when you fall silly in front of someone. To make it effective get back on, cycle ten yards and deliberately fall off again!!! ;-)
   
   Lastly - always remove your brain before riding. Thinking about obstacles and tricky surfaces causes you fall off!!
   
   Pilau
6. • CommentAuthorwombatK
   • CommentTimeApr 27th 2008

    
   Bobrail's comment on tuck and roll seems to be the best advice. Judo practitioners learn to do this, but I missed those lesson's when a young fellow !
   
   My wrist fracture occurred on my right wrist - which was gripping the brakes to the max. I think the impact with the fallen rider slammed the handlebars pretty hard into my wrist between thumb and first finger, prior to me going over the handlebars. So I suspect that impact did the damage - as I fell to my left - rolling onto my left shoulder and back. I was on a road bike with standard drop-down handlebars, and damage to the left side of them indicated that I hadn't stuck my left hand out during the fall.
   
   I felt very fortunate to have not broken a shoulder or collar bone, and managed to ride another 30 km with the broken wrist !
   
   Maybe I'd not have broken my wrist if I'd realised the crash was inevitable and loosened my grip on the brakes prior to impact - or at least disengaged my thumb from its grip on the handlebars, whilst keeping my arm tucked in and avoiding any temptation to try to break the fall.
   
   I'm not quite sure, however, how you might train yourself to do this ! Unsuccessful attempts could put you off the bike for a while.
7. • CommentAuthorPilau
   • CommentTimeApr 28th 2008

    
   Funny I should start thinking about all this - fell off twice yesterday:
   
   1 - full-on head plant down some steps - good job I had a helmet on!!
   
   2 - handy hint here - if you can go over the handlebars into a river, that softens the landing !!! :-D Glad no-one saw it !
   
   Despite all that I think I'm nursing a cracked rib - so perhaps hurting yourself is unavoidable - sometime it's going to happen :-)
   
   Pilau

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