Thread: Crash strategy?
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Old 11-18-19, 09:36 AM
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wphamilton
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Originally Posted by cyccommute

Like a broken record, don't put your hands out to "catch" yourself. It doesn't work. You won't "break your fall", you'll just break your arm (or leg). Once you are headed for the ground, there is nothing that is going to minimize the impact. Hang on to the handlebars, stay in the pedals and ride the bike down. If you can take the impact on your hip towards the posterior side (fancy way of saying your butt) and on the shoulder, again towards the posterior side.


Finally, when it happens, stay as loose as possible. Become a rag doll. "Bracing for impact" will just transmit the impact throughout the body and allow for more injury. You can still get hurt but when the force isn't transmitted, the injuries are lessened.

Not to be picky, but if you do sign up for some martial arts you'll learn that this bolded part is incorrect. I just don't want people to take this to the bank instead of learning how to do it correctly, if they are so inclined.


It's good advice for the completely untrained person, but with basic fall training you'll learn how to minimize the impact and part of that is "bracing". Not with straight arms or holding your breath of course. If I fall on my right side, ideally I want my left foot planted flat (knee bent and pointing up), my right leg stretched out (knee off the ground), taking impact on the feet, hip (not butt), back side of shoulder, and right hand stretched out sideways. The goal is to transmit the impact from these contact points through the bodies major muscle systems.


I'd say the same thing for hanging onto the bars, and "letting the bike take the impact". It may help a bit, but if I've done either of these things it's because I failed to react, had no technique, and it wound up hurting. A lot.
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