There’s a great post at Bike Radar about how to survive a bike crash, since we will all have one eventually. Before the safety dogs go nuts, think about this: How many people do you know who have never ever ever been in a car accident? How many people do you know who have never ever ever fallen down walking or running? I’m thirty and have been car-free for four years. And I’ve been in exactly five car accidents, one o of which I caused and one of which (not the one I caused) totaled my car. Sure, I know people who have been in fewer accidents, but I know people who have been in more, also, even people younger than I am.
I don’t know if everyone is going to crash on their bike, though. There are people who ride way more than I do who haven’t crashed as adults. Last winter, I went down on some ice on January (just a bruise and scratch in the paint of my downtube and a lot of thankfulness that there were no cars and that only one person saw me) and infamously went down in April (from which my hands are still busted up). I know Mr. Zack had a (literally) scrape with the wall on the Jones Falls Trail switchback at Stieff, but he didn’t go down — just got rock-wall-rash on his arm. Certainly, there are veritable bike heroes in Baltimore like Barry, who have been in some crashes. But in a cases like this, I chalk it up to just plain high mileage. I don’t know anyone who rides their bike more than folks like Barry and Greater Brown Bear. In other cases, I’m sure, crashes get caused by people riding drunk, on dark streets sans lights, by not paying attention, easily-prevented equipment failure, etc.
Sometimes, as happened to me (with my little 8 mile commute) and as happens with high-mileage folks (certainly not including myself in that category), cars and infrastructure might eventually get you. But will it get all of us, as cars are getting more used to seeing us and when the infrastructure for cycling in Baltimore gets better every single day?
I wouldn’t want to tell someone whose interested in cycling but afraid to take the plunge, “Dude, you’ll crash one day. A pot hole, car door, ice, gravel, drunk guy — it’s gonna happen.” But I wouldn’t want to outright lie, either.
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12.11.09 at 12:48 pm
Liam
Haven’t had any close calls in Baltimore that I can think of yet. There was this driver : http://www.flickr.com/photos/lpq/3332054010/ but that wasn’t really a close call.
12.11.09 at 1:00 pm
Johnny
I remember that — shizzle, that was bold of her, to try and take your picture. What the hell would she have done with it? Put it on IDriveLikeADoucheForums.net or something?
12.11.09 at 1:17 pm
dukiebiddle
I guess the most realistic thing to say to a noob is that the overwhelming majority of falls don’t cause significant injuries, and compare it to playing intramural soccer. In my first year back on a bicycle I had three wipeouts, but only one broken bone, and it was a really small bone, so it only kinda counted.
12.11.09 at 2:13 pm
Kali Durga
As you said, it’s possible to fall down while walking or running, without any sort of vehicles involved. It’s also possible to slice your finger off while preparing dinner. Having accidents and getting hurt is part of life, so I say go ahead and tell that newbie that it might happen. Or, it might not.
As for myself, I’m disappointed that the scar is already fading from the three stitches I got after a bicycle/wasp run-in on the C&O Canal back in May. I was hoping to carry that battle scar for a much longer time
12.11.09 at 2:17 pm
dukiebiddle
3 stitches from a wasp. Wow, that’s a big stinger.
12.11.09 at 2:52 pm
Johnny
Two of my worst injuries (read: permanently broken toes) were from walking — once in my apt in Boston in 2003 and once walking down Charles St. this May when that crazy lady ran over my foot. I still walk, though. More than I ride these days.
Cycling’s not so scary. I never personally knew (KNOCKS WOOD) anyone killed on a bike, but I’ve known and been related to multiple people killed in/by cars.
12.11.09 at 2:59 pm
Kali Durga
dukiebiddle: Actually, the three stitches were courtesy of the rock that took a bite out of my elbow after the wasp threw me and my bike down on the towpath.
Johnny: Permanently broken toes? Makes my feet hurt to think of that.
12.11.09 at 4:08 pm
Johnny
Dang, having hiked the C&O a lot, I can’t imagine falling on it. That semi-packed stone looks like it would take chunks out.
One I broke walking into a wall in my apt — shattered baby toe. The big toe I got hurt this spring is bad though. Will likely require some extraction (the bone broke off inside my joint) in the not-to-distant future and probably some metal to fuse the joint one of these days. Crazy woman. And her insurance company played so many games (i.e., not even paying my medical bills) that I had to get a lawyer. But, on the bright side, er, it’s a cool story.
12.11.09 at 6:21 pm
Rantwick
I agree with the others who say we can focus on the kind of injuries you’re most likely to experience, which are most often very minor.
For myself I’ve taken maybe 3 spills over the last 5-6 years of every day bike commuting and those have left me only slightly bruised, if at all, and a little embarrased.
12.12.09 at 11:04 pm
Cycling safety
Crashing is the fun part ! I spent last summer as push bike messenger in London and with the traffic certainly learnt the art of falling off !! I wrote a post on safety lessons and riding skills which you may be interested in:
http://100milebike.com/2009/12/17-cycling-safety-tips-to-keep-you-alive-as-a-london-push-bike-messenger/
Keep Cycling – Luke Bream
12.15.09 at 2:19 pm
rb2rider
My crash this summer was caused by pure stupidity, and I am stuck with the scar to prove it. I was coming up on 500 miles for the summer, so I guess it goes to show that if I ride enough, I will definitely make a bad decision along the way.
My road rash pic here:
http://1000mile.wordpress.com/2009/08/23/week-seven-half-way-the-hard-way/
12.28.09 at 1:09 am
The human car
I was checking who was referring to my my site and this site hit #3 and I discovered this article. So thanks again for the mention. And to the other blogers I’ll put a reference on Baltimore Spokes soon, nice stuff. I’ll note that I average around 6,000 miles a year on my bike starting around 2002. Greater Brown is in the 10,000 mile range this year and then there is NoRacer http://bimactive.com/ba/journal/post/10783/28952 who is probably going to hit 15,000 miles this year.
Not to poo-poo this article but I am a firm believer that cycling is safer then driving a car for the experienced rider and safe riding is more important then safe crashing. Studies have shown that bike club members have more millage and fewer accidents then bike commuters which I’ll assert that club members share safe riding practices. And a recent study shows veteran bike messengers have the best safety record yet, which I attribute to they look at the whole street as a potential place to ride and are not limited to the side of the road. Additionally they know a few skills such as the quick stop and the quick turn which can really get you out of some tight spots.
Anyway I wrote an article for One Less Car that has some links on how to ride safe: Cycling is safe – a point of view http://onelesscar.org/page.php?id=293
01.02.10 at 1:48 pm
Johnny
I was going to say that commuting in traffic and touring on quieter roads are different beasts, but — damn! — I had no idea that messengers have the best safety record. When I think about it, it makes perfect sense. Perhaps what gets a lot of commuters is being distracted by trying to get to work/home? Who can tell?
I think we might need a distinction between a “fall” and a “crash”/”accident.” I do think falling of some sort will eventually happen, even just not unclipping at a stoplight or hitting a patch of ice at 1mph (been there). Accidents/crashes (involving injury to property or body) don’t seem so inescapable to me.