My first fall

[roshelleuop]

I was also VERY surprised that my feet unclipped themselves when I fell this past weekend. It wasn't my first fall, but it was my first "bad" fall. Luckily I was only going about 10 mph, but I went over some railroad tracks that were not perpendicular with the road, so my tire slipped right into the track and threw me over the handlebars. I had nasty roadrash all along my left side and hit my head hard enough that I got to take a fun ambulance ride. One of the first things I asked myself was, "how the heck did I get unclipped?".

It happened so fast and I know for a fact I didn't do anything to get unclipped, so I'm proof that the impact will unclip you when needed. One of my biggest fears was that I'd break both ankles, and it's NOT TRUE!!!

But I will remind everyone - WEAR YOUR HELMET!!!!!!! The impact of the helmet on my head was bad enough, I couldn't even imagine if my head would have hit the cement directly. It saved my brain, skull, and if I was going any faster, it may have even saved my life!!!!

Roshelle from Milwaukee

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I've been reading The Art of Urban Cycling, and one chapter is about the deadliness of cross railroad tracks. It says that the ONLY safe way to cross them is at a total 90 degree angle to the tracks. If you cross them at an oblique angle, the gap next to the metal track WILL suck your tire into it and you will come to a dead stop with your wheel trapped, and you will fly over your bike. It says tracks are one of the worst fall causes, like getting your foot caught in a bear trap.
Be SURE to slow way down and angle your bike so you cross over the tracks exactly perpendicular to them- do NOT cross at an angle! It's even worse when the tracks are wet- wet smooth metal is more slippery than anything except smooth ice.

[xeney]

In my experience it does not have to be a perfect 90-degree angle, so I wouldn't stress yourself into a railroad tracks phobia or anything. (I say that because that is the sort of thing I would do with that information, get so paranoid about hitting at exactly 90 degrees that I became terrified of crossing tracks at all.) You don't want to cross at less than a 45-degree angle or the thing you just described will happen, but you have a fair bit of fudging room between 90 and 45 degrees.

It happened to me once, on light rail tracks. I didn't fall or fly over the handlebars, and in fact I just thought I had a flat. It was easy to get the bike out, but it was really embarrassing.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Well, after reading about it, I personally would never go over RRtracks at a 45 degree angle, especially when wet. I don't think one needs to obsess about calibrating an exact 90 degrees, but way better 85 than 50!
I guess the faster you are going the more likely you will be thrown when your wheel gets caught and you come to a dead halt. I like to take the safer alternative myself.

[massbikebabe]

Falls do not count in my house until you have:

1. Scraped the Sh!t out of some part of your body

2. Had an audience

3. Perserved the integrity of your bike while falling

4. Were able to laugh about yourself

5. Got right back on and rode that bike

karen
glad you are o.k. and able to tell us about your fall

[CorsairMac]

just as a "foot" note:

I was setting up a bike I'm selling ( me? selling a bike?) and I put the platform pedals back on for him. When I test rode the bike, as I was coming to a stop I realized I was twisting my sneakered (or trainered for the UK ladies) foot off the platform pedal. I guess my feet have muscle memory now! lol

[Cassandra_Cain]

just as a "foot" note:

I was setting up a bike I'm selling ( me? selling a bike?) and I put the platform pedals back on for him. When I test rode the bike, as I was coming to a stop I realized I was twisting my sneakered (or trainered for the UK ladies) foot off the platform pedal. I guess my feet have muscle memory now! lol

LOL - damn, wish I would have been at the stoplight next to you to see this. I'm sure more than a few people snickered. Better that than falling though