Quote: After realizing my excessive speed while approaching a turn that led to the 24% grade drop off, I hit the brakes too hard and caused speed wobbles in my handlebars. I couldn't get them under control so I decided it would be better to crash in the dirt than to crash on the asphalt on a steeper portion of the decent. I slowed down as much as I could and took a dive on the shoulder ON MY shoulder. I broke my collarbone into 4 pieces, smashed my helmet (which saved my life), and am thankful to be alive. Top speed was 50 mph. Crash speed is estimated around 40 mph.
Ouch. He stopped pretty darned fast for crashing at 40mph.
What is the best option in that scenario? It is hard to put myself in that situation, but I think I would have opted to stay on the pavement, apply the rear brakes, feather the front, sit up a bit, clench my knees on the top tube and clench my cheeks and hope to slow back to a controllable speed. A 24% decent is plenty scary though even without the wobbles.
Yeah, that was pretty insane. But I guess he handled it quite well considering the speed that he was moving at. Reminds of a bicycle incident when I was in high school. One of the students was a fairly fast cyclist and he rammed straight into the vice-principal's car, as he was driving towards the school parking lot that fateful morning. Fortunately, the student didn't get hurt badly but needed stitches. The vice-principle's vehicle did sport a nasty dent but I don't recall who had to pay for that in the end.
