Bike Forums - Going down

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- - Going down (https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=1159494)

Winter, ice ... strange coincidences!

If you think about all the times when you’ve fallen off your bike when commuting (I know, that doesn’t happen often ;-) ...
Do you appear to fall off on one side more than the other?
E.g. I have a tendancy to ‘abandon bike port side’.

was just thinking about this recently cuz I had 2 dirt / mud falls on my MTB. no snow or ice yet. both times to my left. and I am right handed. are you? I think for me, it was just coincidence. need more data aka more falls in more varied situations

I mostly fall on the left side. I think I feel more comfortable falling that way. I always mount the bike from the left, maybe that has something to do with it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rumrunn6 (Post 20648060)

both times to my left. and I am right handed. are you? I think for me, it was just coincidence.

Right handed.
I do have a single pannier on the back, opposite side. But I guess intent / direction may play a big role (= the orientation of the front wheel).

On the other hand, no pun intended, I do try to build in a reflex to fall on the left side by being ready to put my left foot on the ground.

I too, mount & dismount on the left side. there was a moment a cpl yrs ago where I broke thru some thick ice & the bike got erratic so I bailed & let it go down. I stayed upright. a surprising moment for sure. but when I hopped off, I hopped left

Here's some more data points. I've fallen twice. Both to the left. I'm left-handed. Mount/dismount on the left. First time was making a left turn. Second time, the rear tire kicked out on a slick spot while going straight.

One more hitting LEFT (@ 4:47) ...

https://vimeo.com/275167849

Not surprising, since most U.S. roads slope down from the center line outward.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bikewolf (Post 20649400)

One more hitting LEFT (@ 4:47) ...

drop bar mitts :thumb:

When I ride on ice without studs, it hasn’t ever mattered. It’s very random. It’s not like you have a lot of control over which way your tires slip. It’s also a very rapid occurance so you don’t really have time to plan.

As someone who mountain bikes, I try to fall to the uphill side for rather obvious reasons but even that is not certain.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bikewolf (Post 20648511)

On the other hand, no pun intended, I do try to build in a reflex to fall on the left side by being ready to put my left foot on the ground.

Stop that right now! Do not try to “catch yourself” if and when you fall. That is the quickest way to get very injured from only a minor crash. If you are on ice, your foot has no more traction than your bicycle tire and your leg can go off in weird directions that aren’t natural. Popping a hamstring is fairly easy
and probably the least serious injury you can experience. The worst I’ve seen from someone who had to “put a foot down to catch” themselves was a compound fracture of the lower leg...both bones...that took more than 9 months and several surgeries to repair.

Ride the bike down. Keep your hands on the bars and your feet on the pedals. The bike will take the impact and lessen the impact that you take. Anything that you put out to “catch” yourself can be broken and take a long time to heal.

@ cyccommute: Thank you very much for your very kind and smart advice!

I must add that, I do wear studded shoes and go with studded tires. And I’m no superhero: I still take a deep breath when I have to commute early in the morning when ice may be present, as if I have to climb a big snowy mountain. So I ride very carefully and slow especially when turning; sometimes I simply get of my bike and walk. But every year I gather more experience and courage. I do like winter commuting!