Flipped by a Vendetta

[pedlpadl]

I was practicing riding with one hand in the local parking lot last night. Everything was going great and I was getting pretty confident.

Then I got a little too confident. I still tend to get leaned in to the turn on left hand turns. So I was going faster, steering with my right hand and turning left. My mind wandered for a second and I started falling into the turn. Normally that's not a problem, but in this case I was close to a curb to my left. So I put my feet down and hit the brakes. Usually when I do that, I end up standing straight up with the back wheel off the ground. In this case I was only holding on with my right hand, and ended up twisting to the right and got flipped over onto my back. Landed on my lower back and my head bounced off the asphalt. It all happened in about half a second.

My helmet probably saved a trip to the emergency room with a cracked skull. Needless to say, my back is pretty sore today.

Lessons learned:
Give yourself plenty of room with no obstacles when practicing.
Stay focused.
Don't EVER forget to wear your helmet.

 

[1happyreader]

OUCH !!! you really earned that EXPERIENCE.
Glad you are intact.
have you tried the snowmobile leans on turns ?
later,,,,, bye

 

[SamP]

In emergency, almost never a good idea to put an appendage (foot, leg, hand, arm) out, it's a good way to break bones. If bike falls you'll probably get scraped up and bike might get bent, but better than breaking.

I've had front wheel slide out due to unexpected sand going at 30+ mph resulting in bent chainrings and unpleasant scrapes.

 

[Cruzbike Chris]

 

[pedlpadl]

In emergency, almost never a good idea to put an appendage (foot, leg, hand, arm) out, it's a good way to break bones.

You're right. I wasn't going super fast, but fast enough that I didn't want to go into that curb. I just have to be more careful until I have this bike figured out.

 

[pedlpadl]

The bike had a soft spot to land - on me - and it's unscathed.

 

[ratz]

Mark glad to here you are ok.

I always think bah I don't need a helmet on a recumbent; then I put it on cause the slow speed stuff is what always gets you. I still remember coming into the driveway too slow; front tire popped straight up into the air; and 1.5 mph the bike simply rotated to the right in the air and wipe me and my head straight at the group. No damage other than to my pride as ALL the neighbors were out in there yards with adult beverages as I did it. The helmet allow me to go over and join them for refreshments versus getting stitches.

In emergency, almost never a good idea to put an appendage (foot, leg, hand, arm) out, it's a good way to break bones. If bike falls you'll probably get scraped up and bike might get bent, but better than breaking.

I've had front wheel slide out due to unexpected sand going at 30+ mph resulting in bent chainrings and unpleasant scrapes.

That was me with un-mark cheap seal fresh pea gravel; all cosmetic damage to my body; can't say it was a conceous choice.

 

[Lief]

A) glad you are ok
B) The physics of your crash seem unusual and hard to visualize but that's ok
C) I can't think of a case (other than practice/playing) where you would really want to turn riding one-handed anyway. I suppose it happens? maybe that's a good reason to familiarize yourself with the feel of it - but I dunno, maybe not.

and...Cruzbike Cris, is that Larry up there in the full body cast?

 

[DavidCH]

Some of us start with a steering dampener that's attached to the handlebars and frame and it's elasticity reduces the amount of twist of the handlebar.

So far I haven't fallen off the V but I did fall off a Cruzbike conversion kit I bolted onto a mountain bike.

I freaked out with a great big 4x4 coming at speed from behind. I hadn't quite got my legs at the time and I ended up in the ditch. Helmets sure work and always wear one.

 

[marshall2389]

I always think bah I don't need a helmet on a recumbent.

A few months back I was going about 30 mph and a motorist drove in front of me. I hit the brakes and got down to 15-20 before striking the side. He was moving from my left to right. My feet went with him to the right giving me a bit of rotation as the rest of me went over his car. I landed tailbone first with head pointed down the highway causing a whip like effect of my upper body. My back and head struck the pavement and continued with some backwards somersaults. I wasn't wearing a helmet. Luckily, I had long hair knotted in a bun. The bun took the impact. So either were a foam helmet or grow a lot of hair. A helmet seems the better option.

 

[Emeljay]

Not a V story, but gotta tell it here because 'Just tell it to me straight Doc is my bike OK' type story.
I was doing a century ride in 1984 going up the big Thompson in Colorado when going down hill on a turn at too high a speed for a me my front tire slid out from under me and I went skidding. I jumped up and recovered my bike but my handlebars were turned around and needed to be straightened. Could not find all my tools as they were spread out all over the road and probably down the hill side. Be hind my group of riders was the Larimer County search and rescue truck which was med support for the ride, and they had stopped seeing me go down. 3 of them approached me and one asked are you OK, but I heard is your bike OK. I said NO, I need a 6 mm Allen! Do you have one? One of the 3 turned back to the truck while the other 2 approached me and again asked if I was OK. The other returned with a jug of water and while the other 2 held me he poured the contents of the jug on me. I froze as it felt like I was now on fire, as I later learned the jug was water and betadine. I said 'I'm hurt, ain't i?

Fast forward to March 2015 as proud owner of Cruzbike Quest for 2 months and while riding to work one early morning I turned suddenly to take a different road and down I went! I instantly flashed back to 1984 and thought that I ought to get some betadine!

 

[pedlpadl]

I can't think of a case (other than practice/playing) where you would really want to turn riding one-handed anyway.

Good point. I wouldn't do it out in the wild. Well, not after what happened to me. This was just practice/play.

 

[ReklinedRider]

Good point. I wouldn't do it out in the wild. Well, not after what happened to me. This was just practice/play.

A few weeks back i was doing figures of 8 in a nearby parking lot and like you, I decided to do a few one handed. No mishaps, but it was very surprising to me that when steering left handed I had no problems at all when turning in either direction, it was easy as pie. But when steering with my right hand it took all my concentration not to crash, had to really work at leaning out, was wobbly wobbly and had to grab the bars w the left also and do the brake/put the foot down move (the pedlpadl maneuver? )several times. And, I'm freakin right handed!
I wonder if there's some weird cross-dominant body mechanics involved or if there's no significance at all save me being a klutz in need of more practice. Probably the latter!

 

[1happyreader]

But when steering with my right hand it took all my concentration not to crash, had to really work at leaning out, ...................And, I'm freakin right handed!

Do you notice any wobble when you signal your turns or grab the left side bottle ??

 

[ReklinedRider]

Do you notice any wobble when you signal your turns or grab the left side bottle ??

no prb with signaling but i have to be very careful getting the left side bottle out.

 

[Robert O]

A few weeks back i was doing figures of 8 in a nearby parking lot and like you, I decided to do a few one handed. No mishaps, but it was very surprising to me that when steering left handed I had no problems at all when turning in either direction, it was easy as pie. But when steering with my right hand it took all my concentration not to crash, had to really work at leaning out, was wobbly wobbly and had to grab the bars w the left also and do the brake/put the foot down move (the pedlpadl maneuver? )several times. And, I'm freakin right handed!
I wonder if there's some weird cross-dominant body mechanics involved or if there's no significance at all save me being a klutz in need of more practice. Probably the latter!

I used to have something similar going on with my DF bike; a lot easier to keep the bike steady while riding with my left on the bar than my right. I am not left-handed, either.

 

[ratz]

A lot of time the 1 handed thing and no hands for that matter is all about core trunk strength; that's where the balance comes from. One handed is always harder each spring going from the trainer to the open road. After 20+ rides core strength comes around and my balance gets a world of better. So i guess that proof we should do our situps and crunks; but man I hate them.

 

[JOSEPHWEISSERT]

A lot of time the 1 handed thing and no hands for that matter is all about core trunk strength; that's where the balance comes from. One handed is always harder each spring going from the trainer to the open road. After 20+ rides core strength comes around and my balance gets a world of better. So i guess that proof we should do our situps and crunks; but man I hate them.

Try a slosh pipe for core strength.

 

[marshall2389]

A lot of time the 1 handed thing and no hands for that matter is all about core trunk strength; that's where the balance comes from. One handed is always harder each spring going from the trainer to the open road. After 20+ rides core strength comes around and my balance gets a world of better. So i guess that proof we should do our situps and crunks; but man I hate them.

Move somewhere with a warm enough winter for no off-season

 

[Bikenutjay]

A lot of time the 1 handed thing and no hands for that matter is all about core trunk strength; that's where the balance comes from. One handed is always harder each spring going from the trainer to the open road. After 20+ rides core strength comes around and my balance gets a world of better. So i guess that proof we should do our situps and crunks; but man I hate them.

Rats,
You know Florida is open you can move here like I did nice weather and year long riding. Also we could ride together and be buds and then you can get me that new shram shifters that you have and lend me wheels for a year or two.
Just kidding about the wheels. Lol