reverborama

I've had three good crashes in the last 15 years and managed to walk (ride, actually) away from each of them with no more than some good scrapes and a couple of broken helmets. One was when a bunch of us were helping a friend move by bike (so towing trailers) and I got tangled up with another fellow. The second was when some kids decided to throw a recycling bin at me. The third was a hit and run when a car decided it could beat me to the corner and do a right turn ahead of me. I was extremely lucky each time. I was going pretty fast in each case and it happened in my head pretty fast as well -- fast enough that I never got an arm out which probably kept me from being injured further. Sorry to hear about your shoulder and finger. Hope you heal up and keep riding.

curbtender

A recycle bin? Some kind of creative reuse there. What was that all about?

reverborama

It was July 3rd several years ago. After an Alley Cat there was a party at a participants house. I headed home from there around 10 or 11PM. It was very dark. I was heading down a residential street at a pretty good clip and really the only thing I could see at all was what my light was illuminating. I was just a few blocks from the party when from nowhere came a big plastic bin that hit me in the head and knocked me over. I jumped up immediately figuring it was a mugging and I heard at least 3 kids running away laughing and one saying, "You got him right in the head!" like it was the greatest thing they'd ever achieved in life. It was so dark I never even saw them. Long story short, a couple of people heard the crash and came out to make sure I was ok. I made my way back to the party, got myself cleaned up, then rode home. Kinda sucked and I have scars on my shoulder and elbow from it but no permanent damage. I'm sure those kids grew up to be outstanding citizens.

leftthread

Crashing sucks. Heal well.

KPREN

My last big crash was hitting a rider that went down in front of me on a perfectly sunny dry day. I held onto the bars as I went over. Drove the shifter through my hand between the thumb and index finger and broke a few bones in my face and broken ribs.
No more twitchy light road bikes. I have a 90 lb big fat e bike with a slack head tube angle and plenty of weight in the rear. I have not gone down since.

Random11

I may be too compulsive a rider, but I got back on the bike the next day. The doctor said it would take 4-6 weeks to heal, but he also gave me a sheet with some exercises to do, and didn't tell me not to ride. My sprained shoulder hurts pretty much constantly, but riding doesn't seem to make it hurt more. I now have a large bruise on my chest, where gravity has apparently taken internal bleeding from the shoulder injury. No pain or injury where the bruise is. Thanks for your good wishes. Given that I crashed, it could have been a lot worse.

thehammerdog

back in the 90's pre suspension crashing was common place.
i smackid my nutz on bars and shoulders into trees alot.
still cannot fully rotate left shoulder after hitting a tree..
a good ride often had 1 good spill.

Random11

That would be reason enough for me to quit riding.

thehammerdog

I did for awhile...then returned. this happened a few times in past 30 years.
​i am back again not as crazy.more careful.
older more careful enjoying it

PeteHski

Interesting theory. Thinking back to my crashes, I'm pretty sure most of them were in the "slow motion" category. But I did have one skiing crash that was WACK! I was skiing along in flat light and didn't notice a sudden 2m step down. So I suddenly dropped 2 m and fell backwards hitting my head. Helmet did a good job and I got away very lightly with a stiff neck. But all my bike crashes I've seen coming, so no element of total surprise. So as you say my brain was primed and fully alert at the moment of impact.