Worst chrashes you've had or seen first hand

[craig1985]

Desending down a mountain and I came to a hairpin at around 60km/h and I didn't know it was a sharp hair pin (never been down it before) and I braked suddenly and my back wheel locked up and I got thrown off. I only ripped some skin off, no broken bones or damage to my bike. I was up on my feet two seconds later angry at myself for crashing.

The worst I have seen (end of last year) would be a training circuit (any cyclist can use it) and we had Robbie McEwen there that day (I live on the Gold Coast as he does in the off-season) that day and in his group they had a sprint to the finish (it is not a "race", just a "training ride") and at about 65km/h, McEwen was past this guy who as he was about to get out of the saddle, his pedal came out of his cleat and he went straight down. He broke his collarbone, some ribbs and there was rumour he broke his pelvis, but from what I have heard he didn't.

 

[silver rocket]

Was working outside all day during a freakish summer day where it was -8 C and snowing, and I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. I got hypothermic, and was riding the 35km home at dusk. To try and warm up I was essentially time trialling home, and while racing through an empty parking lot, managed to slam into a foot-high speed bump at 40km/h. Since my hands were on the hoods the impact broke both of my elbows (ends of radii bones snapped) and sprained both wrists. After that impact stopped all forward motion of my bike, I was tossed over the bars, landing on my right side. THAT impact tore my rotator cuff, broke my collarbone, tore knee ligaments, and bruised my hip. Then the bike landed on me and the chain ring cut my back. The funny thing was, to keep warm I had stuffed my clothes with dry grass (we resort to such things in Canada), so when I hobbled into a store with my arms stuck out like a robot, blood on my face, and grass falling out of my clothes, the clerk tried to call the cops.

I can't believe this is my first post.

 

[BroDeal]

Was working outside all day during a freakish summer day where it was -8 C and snowing, and I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. I got hypothermic, and was riding the 35km home at dusk. To try and warm up I was essentially time trialling home, and while racing through an empty parking lot, managed to slam into a foot-high speed bump at 40km/h. Since my hands were on the hoods the impact broke both of my elbows (ends of radii bones snapped) and sprained both wrists. After that impact stopped all forward motion of my bike, I was tossed over the bars, landing on my right side. THAT impact tore my rotator cuff, broke my collarbone, tore knee ligaments, and bruised my hip. Then the bike landed on me and the chain ring cut my back. The funny thing was, to keep warm I had stuffed my clothes with dry grass (we resort to such things in Canada), so when I hobbled into a store with my arms stuck out like a robot, blood on my face, and grass falling out of my clothes, the clerk tried to call the cops.

Ding. Ding. We have a winner.

 

[St. Elia]

That is funny!!!

My crash: I over cooked a corner as I was late for a group ride and slid on some gravel just as a car was approaching, the car ran over by bike but missed me. Frame was bent but got up and road with the group for 150KM ripped shorts and jersey, ahh to be young and stupid!!

Worst I saw: was in a Crit when the guy just ahead of me rolled his tubular off the front on the corner just before the finish, wiped out most of the pack. Being an opportunistic ******* I went for glory.

Worst crash I didn't see: My club was hit from behind by a car which killed one member and put a bunch in the hospital, some seriously injured. I didn't make it to the ride that day which was unusual for me. I stopped road riding for a while after that.

 

[rvesper]

I was in only my 3rd road race ever and coming down a fast, slightly downhill stretch I wanted to move out of the pack to follow a group that was moving forward to attack the upcoming hill. We were clipping along at about 30 mph. I looked over my shoulder to make sure I wasn't going to cut anyone off and when I looked back up the guy in front of me had hit his brakes for no apparent reason and I looked just in time to see him drop into my front wheel.

I bounced down the road for quite a while and got run over by a couple of other riders. Ended up breaking my clavicle, scapula and 5 ribs and puncturing my lung. I was in the hospital for 3 days and had to have 2 surgeries to repair the damage.

I still get flashbacks when I'm riding in a squirrelly group. That's why I don't race crits anymore. I'd be too dangerous to those around me.

 

[rvesper]

My club was hit from behind by a car which killed one member and put a bunch in the hospital, some seriously injured. I didn't make it to the ride that day which was unusual for me. I stopped road riding for a while after that.

I am terribly sorry for your loss. I can't even imagine.

I will keep you in my thoughts on the ride of silence tonight.

 

[sh3rp4]

not a winner but

first race back after my son was born. sitting in the back of the group and someone got squirrely on a small downhill. suddenly the clatter of bikes hitting the pavement. i ended up hitting a downed teammate and face planted into the pavement. didn't think anything major happened but 6 months laster i was having a cervical fusion because a blown out disk was pushing bone chips into the nerve that goes down my arm.

fast forward to the EXACT same race the next year... sitting in the front to stay out of trouble when the guy in the lead makes a last second dodge around a ant in the road (or whatever) and ..... face plant. random facial scars and my bottom teeth cut my lip which then dragged across the pavement shredding the flap. 8 stitches on the inside of my lip to try to hold it all together.

hate that race. not doing it next year.

 

[St. Elia]

I am terribly sorry for your loss. I can't even imagine.

I will keep you in my thoughts on the ride of silence tonight.

Thanks your your thoughts, but it was quite a while ago but I still think about it from time to time. The person that died in the crash was a some what famous artist and it was a great loss. It really turned me off road riding for a while. The driver was only charged with reckless driving, unbelievable!

 

[indurain666]

Myself:

Twice as a junior and elite:

1. TTing at 45-47 kph, head down in the aerobars too busy to realize there was an open manhole in front of me. Landed head first, broke my shoulder (i.e. clavicle, humerus, rotator cuff and some other ligament) minor concussion, lost a lot of skin from face and back.

2. Training, at 30-35 kph, fork broke, hit the asphalt face first, no broken bones or teeth, but I looked like a monster afterwards.


3. Training,Coming down the mountain at 75-80 kph. Kid comes out of nowhere chasing a soccer ball (aka football ) and hit me or I hit him, luckily for me I only lost a looot of skin, kid was in pretty bad shape with a concussion, broken arm, shoulder, etc. horrible accident.

Worst I didn't see: A masters got hit and dragged by a trailer for like 20 kms. Trailer driver never knew that he hit anything till he stopped for a break and saw it.

 

[giuzepa]

Wildlife Crash

I ride the climb to our ski area fairly regularly. I've always bombed back down the hill without even thinking about the wildlife.

I rode the climb one beautiful April afternoon. It was exceptionally warm and about 1:30 in the afternoon when I started the descent. Deer are no longer nocturnal here due to more golf courses being built in the foothills. The lush green grass is to hard for them to pass up in the daylight.

The descent was going great and I felt unusually fit for the time of year. On the last small pitch before the end of the descent, a mule deer ran out in front of me with no place for me to go but directly into the side of the deer. I went over the bars and just tucked my head to try to roll and avoid at least some of the impending injuries.

My estimated speed was 40 mph so needless to say, I got banged up pretty good. I separated my shoulder, suffered a large hole in my elbow that needed stitches and a variety of road rash. I was wearing cycling gloves so my hands were ok except for my fingertips. I still remember it was my fingertips that were killing me with pain over any other injury while I was getting cleaned up, x-rayed, and stitched up.

Watch out for the wildlife....especially on the descents!

 

[quadsRme]

Did he win it THAT year? Because I think he won it once. Our LBS owners were managers of the Slim fast team back then.

No, he walked across the finish line with about 4 of the riders screaming at him. One of the McCormicks was berating him about always being a jerk of a rider.

He did win once, I believe it was the year prior to this accident.

 

[elapid]

I ride the climb to our ski area fairly regularly. I've always bombed back down the hill without even thinking about the wildlife.

I rode the climb one beautiful April afternoon. It was exceptionally warm and about 1:30 in the afternoon when I started the descent. Deer are no longer nocturnal here due to more golf courses being built in the foothills. The lush green grass is to hard for them to pass up in the daylight.

The descent was going great and I felt unusually fit for the time of year. On the last small pitch before the end of the descent, a mule deer ran out in front of me with no place for me to go but directly into the side of the deer. I went over the bars and just tucked my head to try to roll and avoid at least some of the impending injuries.

My estimated speed was 40 mph so needless to say, I got banged up pretty good. I separated my shoulder, suffered a large hole in my elbow that needed stitches and a variety of road rash. I was wearing cycling gloves so my hands were ok except for my fingertips. I still remember it was my fingertips that were killing me with pain over any other injury while I was getting cleaned up, x-rayed, and stitched up.

Watch out for the wildlife....especially on the descents!

What happened to the deer? They always struck me (sorry, no pun intended) as fragile things that drop dead at the drop of a hat.

 

[craig1985]

Was working outside all day during a freakish summer day where it was -8 C and snowing, and I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. I got hypothermic, and was riding the 35km home at dusk. To try and warm up I was essentially time trialling home, and while racing through an empty parking lot, managed to slam into a foot-high speed bump at 40km/h. Since my hands were on the hoods the impact broke both of my elbows (ends of radii bones snapped) and sprained both wrists. After that impact stopped all forward motion of my bike, I was tossed over the bars, landing on my right side. THAT impact tore my rotator cuff, broke my collarbone, tore knee ligaments, and bruised my hip. Then the bike landed on me and the chain ring cut my back. The funny thing was, to keep warm I had stuffed my clothes with dry grass (we resort to such things in Canada), so when I hobbled into a store with my arms stuck out like a robot, blood on my face, and grass falling out of my clothes, the clerk tried to call the cops.

I can't believe this is my first post.

That is brutal.

One I have heard about is a guy desending at about 80km/h and having carbon handlebars and stem (I'm not sure if he had hit something) but they cracked and broke whilst he was desending and no prizes for guessing, the crash was not pretty.

 

[giuzepa]

Funny but that is typically the first question people asked after I told the story. The deer wasn't there when I got up so I don't know it's fate. I expect it had some sore ribs at the least.
In reality, they aren't fragile at all. They are really tough and can take a lot of trauma and keep going. I'm sure the deer was fine and certainly faired better than I did.

 

[Jarvis]

Stem snapped. Smashed face into road and in doing so smashed glasses into face. Result: Out cold on the road, ambulance, 3 hours in A&E with a plastic surgeon pulling pieces of glass out of my face. 43 stiches around my and an overnight in hospital. Otherwise I came out of that pretty lightly :thumb: