Rowan

The obvious answer is to look where you are going, and be prepared with the brakes. OTB hitting a wall is really only your fault.

As to falling, yes, I guess practice is what counts. If you have been involved in any form of contact sport in the past, falling to reduce injury potential does come more naturally. The important thing to avoid broken hands, wrists and/or arms is to not put them to break your fall. Rolling with arms and head tucked in seems like simple advice, but it's difficult to remember in a split second unless you have practiced to overcome the natural urge to put arms out. And landing on shoulders with a direct hit can result in shattered collar bones or dislocated joints (as me about the latter).

I remember when I was a kid, consigned to my room for some misdemeanour, I would take running jumps at my bed and practice those sorts of landing. Later, as a field hockey goalkeeper, I had to make an art form of sprawling from a running start.


So the idea of a mattress on the ground isn't so silly afterall. Try a trampoline maybe -- take leap at it from a low balcony or something, or just bounce and get used to how your body lands. Maybe with snow season coming up, try it in snow (check there are not logs or boulders underneath). Try something at a local gym -- they have mats for gymnastics and on-floor exercises.

Next best bet might be at a swimming pool, practising similar sort of movement. A summer bit of fun with a long piece of plastic with a hose and detergent down a hill also can teach you a bit about body and arm position.

Oh, and if you are going to make a habit of this while riding your bike, wear a bike helmet.

Machka 

This.

brianmcg123

Kapusta

There are things you can do to make it less likely to go over the bars, but you need to do them BEFORE you hit the wall.

But if you know you are about to hit a wall, the better strategy is the not hit the wall.

calyco

Cartwheel, backflip then jumpkick off the wall. Remember to land properly

Worknomore

I prefer otb by hitting giant concrete landscaping planters. You fly over the bars then get to land in nice flowers. (disclaimer): do not do this with the parks&rec maintenance workers present.

rydabent

Unless you are a mountain biker or a racer, consider a long wheel base recumbent. You wont go over the handle bars, and arrive at the wall feet first.

Rowan

No, you just fall on your side, break a wrist, or maybe a hip, or maybe a tailbone. Don't believe me on the last one? I will put you in touch with an American bent rider who fell off on a slippery road at PBP2007.

indyfabz

The OP reads like Cathartic Fart's fist fight thread that was quickly locked. One of the keys to successful trolling is to not come off as obvious.

I-Like-To-Bike

Try the P&R or LCF lists, for some truly hightone trolling of the "critical thinking" variety.

Milton Keynes

Seeing as how there are no followup posts from the OP, and that was the only post they've ever made to the forum, I'm going to have to go with trolling.

InOmaha

I've found the key to good falling is having video of it to either post or save for when you're discussing scars later.

02Giant 

Practice, practice, practice. Keep doing it until you get it right.

rydabent

There is always the exception, but the fact remains, not flying over the handle bars, and crashing feet first instead of head first is a better deal.

CliffordK

Can one buy front wheels in bulk? By the case? Forks?

prq9218

tuck and roll

I-Like-To-Bike

Do you wear Styrofoam protective gear around your feet to protect them in case of such feet crashing incidents? If not, why not?

Would not such equipment offer some degree of additional safety, no matter how insignificant? Seems like only an idiot would do without wearing such additional protection if he considers foot crashing a better deal than not crashing at all.

Rowan

You can't dismiss it as an exception. If the thread wasn't a troll, the simple fact of the matter is that going over the handlebars like that is an exception, too, given the cumulative distances that diamond-frame riders travel each year.

How many times did you go over the handlebars (and I am very specific about over the handlebars, not to the side) when you were riding those horribly uncomfortable diamond-frame bikes you didn't know how to adjust and equip properly?

beicster 

In my younger days when I rode offroad mostly, I never really felt like my bike was own until I went over the bars. These days, I don't typically ride in a way that would put me over the bars.

rydabent

Are you suggesting that crashing head first is better than feet first********************

I-Like-To-Bike

I'm suggesting that it only makes good sense of the type that you frequently post, that cyclists who plan to crash feet first into static objects and are also obsessed with the protective properties of Styrofoam would wrap their feet in Styrofoam, just in case. And frequently nag everybody else to do so too.

700

Unicycle = no handlebars to go over.

wphamilton

Are we going over a low wall or splatting up against one?

BlazingPedals

Is the troll convention in town?


Beer helps. It doesn't prevent you from going OTB but having a few afterward will make you feel better.

Jiggle