CanoeU92

Went on an organized rode with my girlfriend this weekend, and at one point four miles in, she came to a sudden stop and was not able to unclip fast enough... falling over and into me (while I was still moving). I ate pavement too. The good news is that I was able to finish my ride with minimal discomfort (another 34 miles post "crash"). The bad news is that I have at least one cracked rib and a front tire that needed to be trued post fall. At least I have a valid excuse for not riding today.

berner

Stuff happens. In the interest of safety, I try to be predictable and now you can see why. Now you both have experience to bring into play for your subsequent rides.

FBinNY 

Broke my rib in a 1/4mph fall a bit over a month ago. It's no fun, and for a few weeks I could honestly say "it only hurts when I laugh".

It'll pass and you'll be fine soon enough, though you might have to be careful which side you sleep on for a while.

BlazingPedals

Now you need a new bike! You can come up with some rationalization later.

canklecat

Youch! I fell and busted up some ribs back in February. Took weeks to completely heal. I kept riding, every other day, but it wasn't comfortable. I just knew I'd end up with pneumonia from inactivity if I didn't ride. So I switched to my upright comfort hybrid for a few weeks until I could handle the more efficient bike again.

Worst part was rolling over in bed or trying to sit up. That was much more painful than riding the upright bike. Helps if you have a headboard to grab. And some extra pillows to prop yourself in the one comfortable position while sleeping. I'd tuck a long pillow between my knees, another in the small of my back, etc. Helps.

Wileyrat

I bruised some ribs in a mountain bike crash last summer.

I found for my first couple of weeks, I needed to pay attention to not getting my heart rate up to much. If I started breathing hard, it caused my ribs to become unhappy in a hurry.

AlmostTrick

Well, that's unfortunate. Take it easy and heal up quick.

Paul Barnard

Sneezing, coughing and laughing won't feel the same for a while

jefnvk

Remember to breathe deep a couple times an hour, as your therapist/doctor should tell you. You're not going to want to, but you need to. I piled a MTB into a tree at around 25MPH, while I didn't break any ribs I bruised about four of them. Didn't heed that advice, and wound up back in the hospital a week later with a nasty respiratory infection.

Tony_G

Never mind your ribs. Post pictures. Of your girlfriend.

Boydsta

Its all part of the fun. back on the bike

55murray

Sounds like this was an unlucky one - next time, you might be at full speed, do something really stupid, wipe out all over the place and get up without a scratch.

You never know...

Maelochs

Nah ... I speak from experience here ... the real hazard is the girlfriend.

cyccommute 

First, let me get this out of the way: Poor baby!

Now, suck it up, ya wuss! Yea, stuff hurts. Life sometimes sucks. Stuff happens. Quit whining!

I've crashed into cars, been run over by a pedestrian (yes, really), crashed and burned after jumping a water check with about 4 feet of air, crashed on ice more times than I can remember, broken ribs on the first day of a mountain bike tour when I tripped over a rock and still had to climb up and over two 11,000 foot passes and sleep two nights on the ground...that's uncomfortable!...as well as about a thousand more that are spectacular but minor. But I just keep riding.

Crashes...and the scars that go with them...are just badges of honor. Think of scars as tattoos with better stories.

And who doesn't love a good oozy scab to pick?

Maybe "group rides" in races are where large pileups happen but you seldom see them on social or even charity rides. People simply aren't that tightly packed.

As for damaged ankles from being unable to unclip, I've never heard of anyone having that problem. On the other hand, people putting out their feet to "catch themselves" with platform pedals can result in very bad breaks. As a rule, I ride my bike down when it goes over and keep everything inside the vehicle. Hips, thighs and shoulders can take a bit more abuse without breaking then legs and arms can.

TimothyH

It's suddenly very cold in here.


-Tim-

Maelochs

My error ,.... cyccommute is the Real danger ...

rumrunn6

just googled tailgater karma ... ;-) get well soon

cyccommute 

Never taken anyone else down with me. Oh, wait, there was that one time



But when someone yells "Snake!", I'd expect the person in front to come to a stop to take pictures. It's not everyday that we see 6 foot long black snakes.

BlazingPedals

Good advice. This would be a good opportunity to practice your belly breathing.

Brooke1687

Last year on a pre dawn ride I clothes lined myself on a low hanging vine on a section of sidewalk the city has neglected to clear. I actually didn't even come off my bike and was totally fine. It just seriously looked like I tried to hang myself which was real awkward for a few days. They cleared the sidewalk after several complaints and now I mosty avoid the sidewalks. I didn't even consider that a major accident. My first and only major accident was a few weeks ago. I don't even know what the hell happened but I ended up eating the sidewalk and skidding a couple of feet. Unfortunately my hand was under me and my fingers were pointing in weird directions when I got up. The cast comes off soon so im scrolling through pages looking for tips on getting back in the saddle.

BKE

That's why the N+1 rule. If you had succumbed before this there'd be no excuse .

BKE

Thanks for the pic. I thought the guy living out back by my outbuilding/garage was "just" a black snake but his markings have kept me wondering. I feel better now!

Runner13.1

Broke my collar bone into three pieces on Father's Day. I was training for Ironman Ohio on my Cervelo P3. Hit some deep gravel. Never stood a chance. Had to ride 20 miles home with a broken collar bone. That wasn't a lot of fun.

Sangetsu

Clipless pedals are no less safe than clips and straps. I suffered a few falls from not unclipping correctly, but people fall off bicycles, just like they fall off horses, ladders, stairs, or high-healed shoes. It's been years since I last fell while trying to unclip my foot from a pedal, but I have managed to fall over my dog a few times, slip on my daughter's toys, and take a tumble down my stairs. You are more likely to break your wrist when you fail to unclip, when you catch yourself at the end of a fall (I know this from experience). I have never seen or heard of someone hurting their ankle from failing unclip their foot.

As for group rides, they are a blast. You "Lone Wolf McQuaid" types don't know what you are missing riding all by your lonesomes. Riding in a group eats up the miles quickly, you can make friends (I met a wonderful young lady who became my girlfriend on a group ride), and if you are a competitive rider, you will not get a better workout, or improve your fitness better when riding with a fast group.

Riding bicycles is an inherently dangerous activity. I have ridden in an ambulance two times in my life, both as the result of bike accidents (both times I was hit by cars). I have broken my collarbone, cracked a shoulder, cut open my leg on a chainring, and cut open my shoulder when crashing in a fast sprint. But I still ride.

Staying at home and sitting on the sofa is more dangerous than broken bones, road rash, and a few stitches now and then.

f4rrest

I'm pretty sure my calcaneus fractured when a car struck my heel from the side, and the pedals didn't release quickly enough.

But I still ride clipless.