First fall?

endemoniada · 13th May 2007, 8:53pm

I came off my bike up at the Carron Valley Trails on Saturday.

It was a spectacular fall, right over the handlebars and landed rather softly on my face!

I got back on pretty quickly, after much giggling, and just got on with it.

What was your best/worst fall??

Fren · 13th May 2007, 9:02pm

cant mind my first fall, but a really bad one was me being a stupid arse, when i was around 13 years old.... big massive long hill, free-wheeling down, feet were off the pedals and resting with em scuffing the ground a bit, doing around 25-30mph im guessing (which isnt exactly slow on a bike).

my right foot caught the tarmac a bit too much, moved backward and got pulled right under the back wheel, twisted my ankle, and promptly had me diving off the bike tumbling down the remainder of the hill. Thankfully i was wearing a helmet at the time, because if i wasn't, im pretty sure i would have had some kinda dodgy concussion anyway.

never had so many cuts/bruises/grazes at the same time, ever in my life

m0nkeymafia · 13th May 2007, 9:33pm

I've only really had 2 bad falls, both on roller blades. The first was after clearing a set of stairs I found myself in front of a car and went over the bonnet. Luckily just cuts and bruises. The latest and worst was at Bay 66 3 weeks ago when I fell on the street course and broke my ankle.

Lovewookie · 21st May 2007, 10:23am

fallen off a fair bit.

last fall was where I dislocated my shoulder up in Mugdock woods.

Slid off an off camber section of singletrack, didn't have time to stick my foot out so went down like a sack of shit onto my shoulder. heard a pop, sat up, then felt it pop back in again (with gentle persuasion). Gently rode back to the van and drove home changing gear right handed.

4 weeks off the bike, 8 weeks away from mountainbiking.

sucked ass big time.

Fren · 21st May 2007, 10:43am

man that sucks

i really should start wearing a helmet again when im out down-hilling. Had a couple of close calls and i'm a bit of a daredevil/speed freak when im out cycling now. I take way too many risks...

martin@tbm · 21st May 2007, 11:32am

Quote:

Originally Posted by endemoniada

I came off my bike up at the Carron Valley Trails on Saturday.

I was up there a couple of weeks ago, only my second visit, first was about a year ago, much better than I'd remembered. Where'd you come off?

My first proper fall was at Ae last year. Completely messed up a downhill drop-off, the bike landed on the front wheel and pitched me off over the handlebars. Winded myself for a few minutes and a few scars to add to the collection. Also think I must've cracked some ribs cause I was in quite a lot of pain for a few weeks.

Second was a couple of months ago at the Firetower trail at Lochgilphead. Completely unexpected I was just bombing along a reasonably smooth bit of singletrack and the front tyre just washed out and I went flying off to the side rolling into the undergrowth. Didn't hurt myself that time, just some nice scars up the back of my leg where the pedal caught me. I now have a new front tyre which is much grippier!

Narrowly avoided another over the handlebar incident and Laggan last weekend. Was on the black run coming down a rocky staircase and the front wheel just dug in and stopped at the bottom. I somehow managed to gracefully dismount by vaulting over the handlebars as the bike was nearly vertical, and run away before it could scud me on the back of the head, nice.

It seems I'm getting better at falling off, completely self taught too

endemoniada · 21st May 2007, 1:02pm

You'd have to ask Lovewookie where I fell off, I have no clue. Er, going down a big hill with boulders, lol.. Apparently, it was amusing, Our next plan is some practice falls,

Just been out for an hour there, got some practice handling some much easier descents and of course building up my stamina for uphills.

Lovewookie · 21st May 2007, 3:51pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by endemoniada

You'd have to ask Lovewookie where I fell off, I have no clue. Er, going down a big hill with boulders, lol.. Apparently, it was amusing, Our next plan is some practice falls,

Just been out for an hour there, got some practice handling some much easier descents and of course building up my stamina for uphills.

it was the penultimate section, the bit with the fork that lets you either go round the big berm and do another lap, or turns you up the hill to finish on the jumpy bit.

you kinda stopped dead, in front of a rock, went over the bars and landed flat on your face. I think about 2/10 for style and 10/10 for laughs.

martin@tbm · 22nd May 2007, 12:09pm

Yep, I know where you are. You've got to laugh, so long as there's no serious damage!

Did you have a go at Kelpie's Staircase, the steep rocky bit near the top end?

amytiger · 22nd May 2007, 12:24pm

My best falls have involved being strapped to a mountainboard- once I managed to tip myself forward and ended up rolling down the hill clumping myself on the back of the head with the board at every roll. It's a good thing I was wearing a helmet, or I suspect I'd have very little brain left to work with.

The next best fall involved going straight into a tree. It was funny more than painful. I'm still rubbish, but suicidal enthusiasm seems the way to go

Bobzilla · 22nd May 2007, 12:40pm

Not entirely sure when my first fall was but the first major fall I remember was when I was about 9. Borrowed my brothers mini-bmx to jump off a ramp we'd built at the local swing park. The ramp consisted of 3 bricks and a plank so it wasn't exactly sturdy. I rode off up to the top off the wee hill we were using as a run up and set off. THe ramp was built at the bottom of the stairs for the chute which a 'friend' was sitting on to make sure the ramp was OK to ride over each time. When I got to about 2m away from it he kicked the thing but it was to late for me to stop. Up I went in the air, the bike went sideways and so did I. Landed on my side and grazed most of the skin off any part that wasnt covered and ruined my favourite jeans int eh process. Still got a scar on my left hand from that.

The funniest though was about 10 years ago. I went for a cycle out to the windmill testbeds out on the eaglesham moors one sunny day. My bike had no rear brake and only 3 of the 21 gears actually worked so to be honest its a miracle I made it to the top of the hill. After pissing about for an hour waiting for everyone to catch up we decided to race back to Eaglesham and the first one to buy something from the Spar didnt have to pay for any booze that night. Barry and Andy shot off on their grand and a half Cannondales with their shiney helmets and cycling shirts almost blinding me. I was a bit wary at first as I'd only ever rode down forrestry rodes with body armour, helmet and a fully working bike before. Coming off at highspeed on to gloryfied rubble without them seriously gaves me the shits. Anyway they shot off into the distance and it took me a bit of getting used to using my outside foot to slow down the bike going into the corner enough to slide round it. After a short while though my lack of brakes had me catching up and powering past them and pretty soon I was on to tarmaced roads and was away. I managed to cycle down that hill in record time and beat them to the Spar. Jumped in and bought a bottle of juie and started to cycle back out to meet them on the road. I must have been doing about 4 miles an hour when I finally found them and somehow managed to dump my front end into the only pothole on the road causing me to fly over the handlebars. Never split a drop of juice mind and not one cut! All that way and a stupid pothole at low speed managed to knock me from my bike

endemoniada · 4th July 2007, 8:17am

Second fall.......on brand new hoochie coochie bike

Last night out riding for about 2 hours, trying out new stuff, lots of singletrack, mud, good climbs, fast downhills ........ I go and hit a kerb on way back to car.
Comedy - over handlebars, landed on concrete with my elbow/forearm thinking "shit".

However, after lots of brufen, I have woken up today with only the odd twinge and some slight bruises on my knees.

Back out for more today, lol

Brookie · 4th July 2007, 8:33am

christ i have had that many falls. The first i remeber i was about 7 and got papped on the devils horse. He bucked in the barn and i went flying forward landed on my face and when tearing along the floor on my cheek. This resulted in a wonderful trip to the hospital, stiches and lots of painkillers. Left with only a tiny scar thankfully. But still to this day i always have one cheek redder that the other due to the blood vessles being damaged.

Laugh is he became my favourite horse.

i have had too many falls to choose from so that one will do for just now.

Elspeth · 4th July 2007, 9:29am

My first falkl ended in a wee trip for neck x-rays. He was the devil pony. He was also my second fall then I refused to ride him again!

Eve Bulloch · 4th July 2007, 10:02am

I had a bad fall that knocked me out, apparently my big fat Clydesdale type horse even rolled on me. I was ok, but badly bruised and flattened.