I was riding my bike along a bike path just outside of Boyne City (a small town on Lake Charlevoix in northern Michigan). The trail ended abruptly and I decided to head down a sidewalk to take me back towards town. In order to do this I had to cross a fairly wide, busy road. When there was a short clear in the traffic I hurried across. When I was almost to the other side of the road I looked down, fully expecting to see a curb-cut allowing easy entry back onto the sidewalk. To my surprise there was none... just a plain curb sticking straight up :eek: . I slammed on the brakes at the same instant that I slammed into the curb. I flew over the handlebars as both the bike and I went flying. Fortunately I landed on the sidewalk, as did the bike. The bike was not too badly damaged, but both my knees were a pretty mangled mess. I ended up riding back for a couple of hours with blood running down to my shoes. I got a few interesting looks!
I was riding my bike along a bike path just outside of Boyne City (a small town on Lake Charlevoix in northern Michigan). The trail ended abruptly and I decided to head down a sidewalk to take me back towards town. In order to do this I had to cross a fairly wide, busy road. When there was a short clear in the traffic I hurried across. When I was almost to the other side of the road I looked down, fully expecting to see a curb-cut allowing easy entry back onto the sidewalk. To my surprise there was none... just a plain curb sticking straight up :eek: . I slammed on the brakes at the same instant that I slammed into the curb. I flew over the handlebars as both the bike and I went flying. Fortunately I landed on the sidewalk, as did the bike. The bike was not too badly damaged, but both my knees were a pretty mangled mess. I ended up riding back for a couple of hours with blood running down to my shoes. I got a few interesting looks!
About two months ago. I managed to get a half bunny hop before hitting the curb though. I snakebit the front tire and bent the steerer tube on my fork, but didn't go down.
Sorry, no. I just jerk on the bars to get the front wheel up onto the curb, then "hop" the rear wheel up onto it. Guess all the mountain biking cross-training has paid off.
Sorry, no. I just jerk on the bars to get the front wheel up onto the curb, then "hop" the rear wheel up onto it. Guess all the mountain biking cross-training has paid off.
Me neither. Fortunately, I was specially trained in the mystic arts of 'looking where I'm going'.🙂
I was riding my bike along a bike path just outside of Boyne City (a small town on Lake Charlevoix in northern Michigan). The trail ended abruptly and I decided to head down a sidewalk to take me back towards town. ...
Ever done anything like this before?
Don't ride on the sidewalk? Its probably been designed for people on foot who can step up and down kerbs!
I have done something similar, I was touring in the UK with fully loaded panniers, cruising along a "cycle path" through a town, not going too quick, as I was trying to read the signs for the right sign out of town. Around a corner and the path ended, dropping me off the kerb onto the road! *bang* blown out tyre and pulled a spoke through the rim. GEE THANKS, YET ANOTHER WELL BUILT BLOODY BIKE PATH.
I was riding my bike along a bike path just outside of Boyne City (a small town on Lake Charlevoix in northern Michigan). The trail ended abruptly and I decided to head down a sidewalk to take me back towards town. In order to do this I had to cross a fairly wide, busy road. When there was a short clear in the traffic I hurried across. When I was almost to the other side of the road I looked down, fully expecting to see a curb-cut allowing easy entry back onto the sidewalk. To my surprise there was none... just a plain curb sticking straight up :eek: . I slammed on the brakes at the same instant that I slammed into the curb. I flew over the handlebars as both the bike and I went flying. Fortunately I landed on the sidewalk, as did the bike. The bike was not too badly damaged, but both my knees were a pretty mangled mess. I ended up riding back for a couple of hours with blood running down to my shoes. I got a few interesting looks!
Ever done anything like this before?
nope as i got these holes in the front of my head... they have lil balls in them and allow me to see into the immediate future... so i see the kerb before i hit it lmfao..:eek:
Ha ha..... Actually I happened to be carefully scanning the traffic in several different directions, since there was a sharp curve just before the intersection. No, I was too busy to look where I was going 😄
Once, riding slowly home on a residential street that had water troughs made of concrete with driveways going across them with a drain pipe in line with the trough I moved right a bit when a car was approaching from behind. The sides of the trough were slippery and my front wheel just slid down to the center of the trough suddenly, right in front of a drain pipe at a driveway. I hit hard and fell forward. When I got up my handlebars had been turned parrallel to my front wheel and my rim was so dented that I hit the brake pads with the wheel release lever open. I had to walk the bike the rest of the way home and buy a new wheel.
Sorry, no. I just jerk on the bars to get the front wheel up onto the curb, then "hop" the rear wheel up onto it. Guess all the mountain biking cross-training has paid off.
I slam on the brakes and hockey stop. Unfortunately, it doesn't work when it begins to drizzle rain on a hot day. Just enough to bring motor oil to the surface of the road and make it slick. I recently slid down the road on the right side of my body. My bike's in the shop and I'm in bandages.🙁 PS I've got to try that hop the curb move some time if I get in a fix. If I can do it with a twin stroller I can do it with a road bike. I agree the sidewalks should be left to pedrestrians though.
I was riding my bike along a bike path just outside of Boyne City (a small town on Lake Charlevoix in northern Michigan). The trail ended abruptly and I decided to head down a sidewalk to take me back towards town. In order to do this I had to cross a fairly wide, busy road. When there was a short clear in the traffic I hurried across. When I was almost to the other side of the road I looked down, fully expecting to see a curb-cut allowing easy entry back onto the sidewalk. To my surprise there was none... just a plain curb sticking straight up :eek: . I slammed on the brakes at the same instant that I slammed into the curb. I flew over the handlebars as both the bike and I went flying. Fortunately I landed on the sidewalk, as did the bike. The bike was not too badly damaged, but both my knees were a pretty mangled mess. I ended up riding back for a couple of hours with blood running down to my shoes. I got a few interesting looks!
Ever done anything like this before?
Back when I was about 9 or so I miss timed a curb hop and did an endo. Back when I was a kid they didn't even have those cut-out ramps in the curbs.
Last summer I was run off the road by a car suddenly going to the right and all those curb hopping skills just cut in and I was safe up on the sidewalk without having to even think about it.
So I guess the endo in my youth was a fair price for the skills learned.
Unfortunately so are those "remembering-to-fasten-your-quick-release-front-wheel" skills.
When I was 14 I had a paper round and the lads always used to do things to each others bikes, one of them undid my front Q/R skewer. I didn't find out until I went to hop up a kerb. Pulled up on my bars and watched my front wheel keep going. Its funy, but I'd always struggled to get my front wheels out when I needed to....
Ouch! I had a similar problem. I was entering a city park and discovered at the last second that there was a six foot piece of curb at the main entrance. Of course it was too late to brake or jump the curb.
Ouch! I had a similar problem. I was entering a city park and discovered at the last second that there was a six foot piece of curb at the main entrance. Of course it was too late to brake or jump the curb.
The man said "It's not about the bike". He's right, it's really about the landing...Ouch!
