Just gathering some data

[John90]

As a youth: broken arm from clipping the rear wheel of the bike in front.

As a mature rider: two offs in the last four years, both from hitting pot holes. One resulted in a cut forehead that needed glueing. Otherwise no damage to me or bike.

I had more injures (more frequent and more serious) from playing football.

 

[Stephenite]

Been cycling on and off for 35ish years. Worst injury is road-rash that has left a scar.

 

[the snail]

When I was little I remember riding my bike into a lamppost, when I used to ride to school, one day I set off from home and went straight into a parked car, and one I fell off in the centre of Bristol. I don't remember any injuries though. As an adult the worst injuries have been from catching my shin with the pedal, and I've cut my hand twice now trying to manhandle my bike onto trains

 

[LabRatt]

Broken right Humerus
Posterior dislocation of right shoulder
Removal of two front teeth through the upper lip
20+ Stitches to upper lip
Broken Nose
Facial abrasions
Broken fingers
Road rash, cuts and bruising to all extremities
Severe bruising to the back and abdomen

Ouch! I missed this when I posted that this exercise was helping. Was that all one crash?
Still, the point I'm trying to make is both that accidents are rare and that when they do happen they're usually not of the "death or vegetable" variety.

To my mind cycling isn't dangerous, suddenly stopping cycling when you're hit by a car is the dangerous bit.

"It's not the fall that kills you, it's the sudden stop at the end" - where did I hear that?

 

[LabRatt]

When I was little I remember riding my bike into a lamppost, when I used to ride to school, one day I set off from home and went straight into a parked car, and one I fell off in the centre of Bristol. I don't remember any injuries though. As an adult the worst injuries have been from catching my shin with the pedal, and I've cut my hand twice now trying to manhandle my bike onto trains

I've walked into lamp posts, showing that walking is at least as dangerous as cycling.
I did once ride into the back of a parked car. I just missed but caught the pedal on the back bumper hard enough to bend the crank arm - no idea how my foot wasn't on it at the time.

 

[2Loose]

Grazed shoulder and cut finger after rolling off the bike at speed after locking up on a dusty downhill section of road.
Forward somersault resulting in badly bruised ankle and grazed palms after having a ped walk out on me during a 16% descent. I missed her.

 

[Saluki]

When I was a kid I fell off my bike regularly while learning. Dad didn't believe in stabilsers.
Once I could ride, I rode all the time.

Fell off when turning round to see where my friends were and went straight into a parked car. (damaged pride and a couple of wee bruises)

Fell off when my cousin Simon, riding alongside me decided to shove a stick into my front wheel (broken nose and wrist - Simon got 2 missing teeth and bit his tongue after I thumped him one)

When a bit older, doing the stupid thing of whipping up the inside of a lane of traffic, the audi at the front turned left with no indication and I tried to turn with him but got hit. I was totally unharmed. Audi had large scratches.

Knocked off my bike by 2 kids mucking about on a trials bike. No reg plate or anything even remotely legal. I heard them behind me and a car following (who picked me up) said that they were going along and it looked like they deliberately swerved into me. (Broken elbow)

Lastly. I was cycling along, training for a triathlon when my ex husband was passengering in his mates car. Drove past me really close and slapped me on the backside. He was doing about 40mph +. That really hurt and I fell off. Mostly winded. Had a bruse like nothing on earth. Down to mid thigh and up to the middle of my back. Hence him being an ex.

I used to cycle everywhere, from when I was allowed out on the road alone in about 1972 aged 8 (we lived in a very quiet area and there were about 5 cars in the village) until 2000 when I tore my achilles when running and the ex sold the bike, although he denies this so 5 memorable tumbles in nearly 30 years is not so bad. Don't remember having any 'just fell off's though.

 

[TVC]

<br />Ouch! I missed this when I posted that this exercise was helping. Was that all one crash?<br />Still, the point I'm trying to make is both that accidents are rare and  that when they do happen they're usually not of the &quot;death or vegetable&quot;  variety.<br /><br /><br /><br />&quot;It's not the fall that kills you, it's the sudden stop at the end&quot; - where did I hear that?<br />

<br /><br /><br />

That was all from one crash. Was it a death/vegtable collision. Yes it was, I went over the top of the car and landed on my head. When assessing my compensation claim, my lawyers determined from previous similar circumstances, 40% resulted in perminent injury or death.

 

[LabRatt]

<br /><br /><br />

That was all from one crash. Was it a death/vegtable collision. Yes it was, I went over the top of the car and landed on my head. When assessing my compensation claim, my lawyers determined from previous similar circumstances, 40% resulted in perminent injury or death.

Wow. I won't say you got lucky, 'cos how lucky is being hit by a car, but that's nasty and I'm glad you made it through

 

[fossyant]

Sorry to hear about that. Sounds like a variation on what seems to be the most common serious cycling injury, which Gaz is currently mending from.
Did it put you off?

No didn't put me off. Rode home, and was in bike next day, then off for Xmas. Was a bit nervous at junction for a bit, as one of my weekend rides over Christmas something similar happened.

Worse bit is having a long wait for an operation, and the stress that caused in proving it was needed as its a sports injury of sorts. It's taken 2.5 years and an op to start to know I have permanent nerve damage. My solicitor is now going to see if they can get me private pain management paid by the third party, as I will have another long wait to get to the NHS pain clinic.

Still riding, but the pain does now affect my climbing.

 

[gaz]

This isn't really that useful without knowing the distances that people have cycled.

I've cycled nearly 25,000miles and had only had one serious injury. Not that dangerous is it.
Most people won't cycle anywhere near that distance in their lifespan.

 

[fimm]

Have done short-distance cycling to get from A to B for most of my life. Recently took up more serious cycling. No injuries (but I'm female so didn't go in for "dicking about" as a child (apologies for the broad generalisation, but you know what I mean)). Two falls due to wet man-hole covers, and a handfull of clipless moments. I think I've lost more skin recently due to falls while running!

 

[GrasB]

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 guess I have an off every 6-9 months or so, most of them are hitting rabbits or other smallish mammals & are minor at low speed by the time I hit the critters. The worst off I've had was being hit at a pinch point by a car, broken or fractures arm, ribs & leg, most of the damage being done when I fell on my side onto the corner of the kerb stones.

 

[TVC]

Wow. I won't say you got lucky, 'cos how lucky is being hit by a car, but that's nasty and I'm glad you made it through

Just a bit of life that's all, I can't say lucky or not, it is what happened.

Though, if I hadn't survived, I wouldn't have posted the story so you would have been unaware it happened. I guess asking if people are involved in potentially fatal accidents means you will get a self selecting group of responses. those who haven't won't bother posting, neither will those who died.