Just gathering some data

[LabRatt]

I'm still trying to make my case, so help me out if you would:
In all the years (how many) you've been cycling, what's the most serious injury you've had? Also, how many offs?

I'll start. Riding to school for six years I had three spills I can remember. Once I went over the bars, once I skidded in an empty car park, the other time I was side swiped by a coach (it may have been overtaking, I may have been undertaking) and landed on my face. Worst injury was road rash from that one - I've suffered worse playing rugby and just being near a skateboard (rugby broke my nose, skateboard straightened it.)

NOTE: Helmets are irrelevant here, and discussion of them is banned. Please, just for once...

 

[Angelfishsolo]

What case are you trying to make?

 

[NeilEB]

I'm guessing that cycling isn't dangerous?

 

[Twigman]

When I was a kid I fell off daily.
Twice I ended up with the fork parallel to the downtube.
Once I managed to sever the bottom bracket from the seat tube.
The worst injury I had was a fingernail ripped off in the spokes.
Often suffered road rash, particularly on my hands.

As an adult, returning to cycling, I've not had an off yet.

Came off a motorcycle at 110mph and walked away though.

 

[LabRatt]

I'm guessing that cycling isn't dangerous?

Spot on. This is easier to get answers to than "have you died from being hit by a car?"

 

[Angelfishsolo]

On the MTB more times than I can remember. Dislocated my wrist and had several bruises.
On the roads and paths - One slide on ice, one taking a bend too fast and one on wet decking. Pride was worst injury.

 

[NeilEB]

Spot on. This is easier to get answers to than "have you died from being hit by a car?"

Well yes - but most questions are easier to get answers to then that one.

Even "What do women want?".....

 

[wiggydiggy]

I'm still trying to make my case, so help me out if you would:
In all the years (how many) you've been cycling, what's the most serious injury you've had? Also, how many offs?
................

Sure

As a kid/teenager I suffered my worst cycling injury where I hit my head on the underside of a slide I was cycling under, only a few stitches but it shook me up when I looked in the mirror pre-hospital and looked like a wrestler who has 'got colour'. Lots and lots of offs in the course of normal youthful adventuring but thankfully nothing more serious than that.

As a adult, touch wood, I haven't had an injury from accident so far. A couple of offs but nothing hurt other than pride. I did have a collision with a ped who hadn't looked before crossing but luckily neither of us was injured.

In terms of my worst non-cycling accident I impaled myself on a spiky fence, wound around 4 inches deep and an inch wide when I pulled myself off which I did almost immediately. Very lucky not to have injured/impaired myself permanently and I now have a severe dislike of trying to impress girls when drunk

 

[ohnovino]

Been riding for three years. Typically 50-100 miles per week. Never had an off.

Not sure if this is the case your trying to make, but I've thought for a while that this forum exaggerates the dangers of cycling. There seems to be a disproportionate number of negative posts about crashes and near misses - something I'm guilty of as well. I guess that's because if we all posted "nothing bad happened today" on a daily basis then the site would get a bit repetitive!

 

[LabRatt]

Should I stipulate that we differentiate between "dicking about" (I think mountain biking counts as this for my purposes, I'm afraid) and road biking?
So far
dicking about: dislocated wrist, cut head
road cycling: grazes and pride

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Should I stipulate that we differentiate between "dicking about" (I think mountain biking counts as this for my purposes, I'm afraid) and road biking?
So far
dicking about: dislocated wrist, cut head
road cycling: grazes and pride

I take serious offence at MTBing being classed as "dicking about".

 

[LabRatt]

There seems to be a disproportionate number of negative posts about crashes and near misses - something I'm guilty of as well.

That's pretty much my reason for just asking the question. All I can get is anecdotes really, it'd be useful (though not very, as I'm always talking about how evil statistics are. Is? Is, I'm referring to the discipline) to be able to chart accidents vs miles travelled, but I don't think the data could be reliable enough.

 

[pepecat]

Since taking up cycling again about 18 months ago, no offs.
Cycling as a student in Cardiff, no offs
Cycling as a stupid kid / teenager, not as many offs as I should have had... came off once going round a gravelly corner too fast. Landed hard on the top tube a couple of times when i was dicking about mountain biking. Think that's about it really (that I can remember anyway).

Where i should have come off - going down a hill standing up with saddle between my knees and no hands on the handlebars.... god knows how i didn't hit a loose stone and go over.

 

[LabRatt]

I take serious offence at MTBing being classed as "dicking about".

Thought you might, but consider the point I'm trying to make. It wouldn't work if I included it with the road cycling.

 

[gaz]

I take serious offence at MTBing being classed as "dicking about".

It's the internet, why care what people think.