Thread: Crash strategy?
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Old 11-18-19, 12:55 PM
  #25  
cyccommute 
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Originally Posted by wphamilton
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.

I've not got any martial arts training but I've got lots and lots of crash training. I stick by what I said with regards to crashing on a bicycle.


Originally Posted by wphamilton
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.
Most people "brace" by stiffening up limbs and probably holding their breath. In other words they tense up which means that any impact is transmitted throughout the body. However, you are describing a stationary impact that you'd expect in a martial arts setting. On a bicycle at speed, there is not opportunity to plant a foot. "Planting a foot" is a good way to get it broken.

Again, I have no martial arts training but a bicycle crash is more analogous to a Judo throwee. The person getting thrown doesn't attempt to stop the fall by planting anything. They are rag dolls.

As to taking the impact on the hip, I try to avoid direct impact to the hip joint if possible. Taking the impact on the larger muscle mass of the buttocks won't result in a broken hip. It will result in bruising but that's relatively easy to heal vs a broken hip joint.

Originally Posted by wphamilton
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.
I've seen lots of people injured by trying to "catch themselves" or attempting to plant a foot or arm. I've been injured that way myself...thankfully not too seriously. After enough times of going down, I've learned to just "go with the flow" but make sure the bike takes the brunt of the impact as much as possible.
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