cycling Injury Survey

[tyred]

I had one very close call and very scary incident with a pickup truck which came around a blind bend far too fast on a minor single track road and swerved and lost control and hit the hedge in the process (my fault apparently for just being there. I should pay for the damage to his tonka toy - get stuffed and learn how to drive) before Christmas but no unscheduled dismounts in several years. I've just jinxed myself now....

 

[KnackeredBike]

I have a lot less accidents than I used to because I have learnt to slow down around corners.

Still I have the occasional reacquaintance with the tarmac from time to time. The one that does worry me is if I misjudge bollards with mini-KB in tow in the trailer. The trailer is attached to the rear QR skewer with a strap around the rear fork. I am assuming that catastrophic deceleration will probably just snap the plastic connector but I am happy to be proved wrong

 

[booze and cake]

I went 7 years of cycling 1000's of miles around London with no offs, but then had 2 in a year. Both crashes were into pedestrians, one drinking Kestral Super I hit while filtering, and the other stepping out while not looking at anything other than their phone. 1 resulted in neck injury for me that took 9+ weeks to recover, and the other a wrist injury, again to me, that was more like 12 weeks to recover. Amazingly both peds were unharmed, I was especially amazed the guy on the phone was'nt badly hurt as he was only small and I'm 85kg and impact speed was 21mph, I slammed head on into him, bending him in half and throwing him about 20 feet down the road, I honestly thought I'd killed him but he got up and was not apologetic, and was more worried about his phone, a response so shocking I wanted to kill him there and then as punishment.

 

[RoubaixCube]

My last tumble was within the last half mile of a FNRttC ride.

 

[AndyCh]

Twice in the last 12 months I think. Once going slowly on a mildly moist bend in Greenwich (probably bus/car muck on the road) and the nike just slid away from under me. Not going quickly, but a bit of blood and a very bruised hip. Was back on the bike the next day though.

Second one was a pedestrian steeping out on the Victoria Embankment superhighway. Tried to swerve, caught him with a glancing blow and off I came, landing on my right shoulder, which is still a bit sore some months later. Shoulders are buggers to heal. He was a bit apologetic, but the best he could do is ask if he could buy me a beer. He was South African.

 

[mattobrien]

Twice this year after around six years of unscathed road riding. Ironically I had said to Mrs O that it was only a matter of time until I had an off and within two weeks I had.

First one was at around 12mph on a cold morning. It got colder as the day progressed and I hit some unseen ice on the road. Upright one moment and bouncing my head in the road the next.

Second one was when a car decided to stop in the middle of the road and ask directions just round a corner. It forced me to the edge of the road which was pot holes and muddy, meaning when trying to rejoin the less rubbish road I hit a small ridge in the road and mud, losing the front wheel and sliding along the road for a bit. The car didn't bother to see if I was alright. And that was half way through 100 miles in the Peak District. Got patched up and carried on. Annoying the front right shifter snapped, so I need to get that fixed, seeing as it is hydraulic I am looking at £400/£500 to fix.

 

[palinurus]

Twice. Hit from behind by unidentified vehicle then, only a couple of months later, a Ford Fiesta pulled out just as I was passing a junction and I hit it. New driver.

That's pretty unusual though, ask pretty much any other year and I would've answered the other way.

 

[Jimidh]

I've not had a fall from my road bike but I've had a few falls off the MTB which is pretty inevitable if you push it.

Luckily only had scrapes and bruises - voted yes as strictly they are injuries but nothing that's kept me off my bike for more than a few days.

 

[Eribiste]

Fell off on a turn, at low speed, for no reason I can deduce, and performed a neat Bennett's fracture of the basal metacarpal on the right thumb.

 

[HLaB]

Negative, touchwood

 

[srw]

So, thinking aloud.

Let's say that the average amount of rides for those 3.6M riders is twice a month. So they make a total of 86M trips per year. So the chances of a recordable injury - one that the police or NHS see - on a single ride is 0.022%. So if you ride every day, your chances of injury in a year would be 7%.

There is an interesting exercise that could be done with this population, but this isn't it. You'd first of all need to generate a random sample of members and then ask the whole sample the same question. As it is - "Cycing injury survey" - you're going to attract a disproportionate number of people with injuries, who reckon the thread is a survey about injuries they've suffered.

For what it's worth, I reckon your one-in-fourteen estimate isn't that bad.