thatwomanagain
Reged: 30/07/2006
Posts: 2335
Loc: Hugh Porter country...
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Has this ever happened to anyone else out there?? Over the past year or so I've had more spills than in the previous 10 years put together. Don't know why, and luckily I haven't broken any bones...yet.
Last week I came off on some grit, on Saturday I came off and I don't know why, just seemed to forget to twist my feet out of the cleats. I've got new lumps on top of old haematomas, chunks out of knees, and a bottle-cage shaped bruise on my shin.
Then on the way home a blonde bimbo in a 4x4 came speeding past, gabbing into her mobile, and I couldn't help but imagine how painful it woud have been if she'd hit me...
Felt so pissed off with it today that I gave it a rest and went for a blissful walk in the Shropshire hills instead - no traffic, no spills, just total peace except the calling of ravens and the chomping of sheep on the hillside... 
So what's gone wrong with the cycling??? 
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If you want something done, ask a busy penguin...
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bigoldsideofham
Reged: 23/12/2007
Posts: 2286
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Do you practice your handling skills when the roads are quiet or challenging? How are your core muscles and how is your balance off of the bike?
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Dazzricles
Reged: 24/08/2008
Posts: 621
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Assuming theres nothing gone wrong with ya balance id say its just a bit of bad luck...usualy comes in packs of 3 (allegedly)
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bfergie
Reged: 19/04/2008
Posts: 3653
Loc: Sticks ,Scotlandshire
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Sorry to hear that TWA. As your confidence gets more dented are you starting to snatch the brakes more than before, that could be a factor. Have you been using different tyres than before, if none of the above it could just be a bad run of luck on the wet roads this year, grit gets washed onto the road also. Something else that happens with crashes at speed, people get a point fixation when cornering, they stare at the curb, rock, tree or whatever rather than look to where you should be going, if you do this you WILL go streight on and land where you're looking! Keep looking round the corners and the bike will follow.
Oh also bad head colds, ear infections can effect balance!
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I now accept PAYPAL!!!!
Edited by bfergie (21/09/2008 23:02)
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cway
Reged: 02/09/2008
Posts: 17
Loc: Crook, County Durham
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Quote:
Do you practice your handling skills when the roads are quiet or challenging? How are your core muscles and how is your balance off of the bike?
I might sound a bit stupid, but how can I practice my handling skills
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shimanoshaun
Reged: 25/02/2007
Posts: 213
Loc: jersey
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TWA have you tried these http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl...l%3Den%26sa%3DG only jesting    has to nothin more than a run of bad luck, just like picking up a run of punctures
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Miles means smiles
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bigoldsideofham
Reged: 23/12/2007
Posts: 2286
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Love the stabalisers.
Handling skills can be practiced like anything else. Descend or riding on clearer roads checking your looking the right place and have chosen the right line and have lowered your centre of gravity and shifted your weight to you outside pedal and correct breaking. Do this on every corner(even when you dont need to) and it becomes so second nature you WILL be doing it when you come to that corner with the tree half way round and will be able to relax and get round. Learn about limit points in corners watch out for 'micro climates' etc , lear early hazard recognition. Practice small bunny hops over road holes when you dont need to and it will be automatism when you do. Practice riding with no hands and steering with your torso and hips only. etc etc etc.....
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cway
Reged: 02/09/2008
Posts: 17
Loc: Crook, County Durham
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Thanks
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notguiltyyourhonour
Reged: 27/04/2008
Posts: 297
Loc: Bristol
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A bit of trail/offroad riding is also great for bike handling. Riding offroad on your roadbike can feel like it's destroying it but the bike is nearly always up to a bit of throwing around and it's great fun too!
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wuverley
Reged: 16/05/2008
Posts: 4042
Loc: Man of Kent
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Confidence is an odd thing, when I started riding again this year I found going downhill at speed quite frightening, I was never great at it, but there was one hill I used to spin out at 36odd mph. I found it difficult to let myself do 25 mph at first, but after getting some miles in, my confidence has returned and hills I am familiar with can now be descended at reasonable speed.
Its the same as riding one or no handed, I'm now happy riding one handed, which I found a bit difficult at first, and can ride no handed for shrt bits, but its all a bit odd when it used to be second nature for me to practice winning salutes (obviously on deserted country lanes) before.
All I can suggest is keep at it, I'm sure your confidence will return after a few weeks of incident free riding.
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Invicta
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goblin
Reged: 31/03/2007
Posts: 1387
Loc: down yur me anzum
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From what I can gather twa, you have been riding for some time, so it shouldn't really be handling skills, more likely, as suggested, a run of bad luck which has knocked your confidence. The grit incident has happened to all of us at some time, the forgetting to twist out of your cleats is down to age I'm afraid 
If you are having balance problems it might be worth a quick visit to the docs to get your ears checked over.
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thatwomanagain
Reged: 30/07/2006
Posts: 2335
Loc: Hugh Porter country...
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Hi guys, thanks for all the advice. I guess it's just a combination of being naturally clumsy and the ageing process - it takes at least two minutes for messages to travel from the brain to the feet these days!!
But I think I ought to master the art of staying upright at speeds of 0 - 13mph before I start on the advanced stuff like bunny-hops and 'look no hands'!!
This annoying run of spills seems to have coincided with the advent of a lighter- weight aluminium bike. I'm more used to riding steel-framed cart horses, and can go substantial distances for day after day on a touring bike with no problem whatsoever.
So I guess I'd better give carbon a miss...
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If you want something done, ask a busy penguin...
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daveno7
Reged: 04/03/2007
Posts: 651
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keep smiling twa - the aluminium can be conquered!
daveno7
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scm
Reged: 24/06/2006
Posts: 1735
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Not many have mastered the art of staying upright at speeds of 0mph, so cut yourself a little slack there, twa!
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El_Cid
Reged: 02/08/2007
Posts: 1499
Loc: Ilkley, Yorks
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Stick at it twa, the confidence will come back. I know it sounds boring , but focus on the task at hand. If it sometimes goes a bit pear shaped, go through it in your mind and think how you would do it again.
Make sure the basics are right - Distribution of weight on the bike, saddle height, stem length, that the correct leg is up when cornering, braking (or non-braking) is right etc.
Enjoy it! Your confidence will return.
Kelly used to practice falling off on purpose during the winter, so that he would be confident of falling safely in any circumstance. But that seems to be taking it to extremes.
But we all tumble at one time or another unfortunately, its in the nature of the game.
Our little group of social inadequates meet at 6.30am every morning. One morning last year I was dashing out of the house a little late. I leapt bleary eyed onto my bike and fell straight off the other side. That sobered me up.
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"TODAY, WE RIDE"
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Sly
Reged: 07/02/2008
Posts: 732
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Quote:
I leapt bleary eyed onto my bike and fell straight off the other side
Are you sure you aren't confusing real life with a comedy western?
Falling off on purpose would seem quite dedicated. I once had some flyjumpers (those springey things you strap your legs into) and I can remember trying to fall over intentionally to get some practice. I just couldn't do it.
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dang
Reged: 16/06/2006
Posts: 952
Loc: twixt 7 & ?
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Quote:
Kelly used to practice falling off on purpose during the winter, so that he would be confident of falling safely in any circumstance. But that seems to be taking it to extremes.
e up.
When I was coaching at the local school we often had "falling off" sessions on the playing field. Good source of amusement and confidence building.
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tvrbird
Reged: 21/06/2008
Posts: 1135
Loc: slumped over the keyboard
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Quote:
A bit of trail/offroad riding is also great for bike handling. Riding offroad on your roadbike can feel like it's destroying it but the bike is nearly always up to a bit of throwing around and it's great fun too!
Totally agree - the landings are [usually] a bit softer too if it all goes horribly wrong. Trying to ride as slowly as possible on grass is another good handling skill/confidence builder. You will fall over, but you learn about where to put your weight - and not to stick your hands out - in a virtually painless way.
When I was teaching horse riding, I used to always tell the kids that you need to look where you want to go. If you look at the ground that's where you'll end up. I have a fatal attraction to potholes and damaged road edges, can't stop looking at them, so that's where I end up. The head is pretty heavy, and so massively affects your balance. I bet you can't take your eyes off patches of gravel now, can you TWA? And just like horses, bikes sense your fear. When you tense up your back and shoulders you instantly become less able to deal with lumps, bumps and changes of direction. I have to really tell myself to relax my arms and shoulders on fast descents - then they act as shock absorbers rather than....er, can't think of an analogy, but you know what I mean.
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What doesn't kill us makes us stronger - Friedrich Nietzsche (German Hill Climb Champion and sub-19 man)
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bfergie
Reged: 19/04/2008
Posts: 3653
Loc: Sticks ,Scotlandshire
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That's what I said about point fixation...so off road is a softer landing usually is it Tiv...we shall see, I better find you some spongy granite!!!
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I now accept PAYPAL!!!!
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tvrbird
Reged: 21/06/2008
Posts: 1135
Loc: slumped over the keyboard
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Well even you have to admit that heather/mud/grass/cowpats are softer than tarmac.
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What doesn't kill us makes us stronger - Friedrich Nietzsche (German Hill Climb Champion and sub-19 man)
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