Oops I Did it Again (and I don't mean the song)

[DeniseGoldberg]

Dar -
Ouch! I'm glad you are OK, although definitely somewhat bruised. Keep remembering that your bike wants you to ride!

On the helmet front, what do you mean when you say you didn't hit it directly? It's my understanding that if your helmet hit the ground at all that it should be replaced.

--- Denise

[Irulan]

you don't say what brand of clips you are using. If they are spd's, check the tension screw, loosen it maybe and lube the fittings. I keep mine set fairly loose. It's a little allen screw, and you can adjust them so loose that your clips will practically fall out of the pedals.

As for the helmet, personally I wouldn't worry about the little thumps that occur from tipovers, but that's just me.

Irulan

[mtbdarby]

Denise,
As you can see from my face, that took the brunt of the fall, not my helmet, lol. I'm very good at protecting my bike, it's my body I'm getting worried about. My leg is full of welts and bruises. I've been told I should have taken this up in my late 20's because after about 35 you don't bounce any more. And I turn 38 next week Trust me, I don't bounce, lol.

I think the helmets going anyway. As soon as I can find a small one with a ratchet system so it doesn't move around.

[Irulan]

Heh, I didnt' start until I was over 35, don't let the nay sayers get you down.
Consider pads for your legs and forearms while you deal with the learning curve. My arms looked like yours a lot until I went to skills camp.

Irulan

[Irulan]

msot helmets in the $45+ range have adjustable head cradle systems, look for velcro peices that you can move around inside the helmet that go around the back of the head. Your LBS should be fitting it to you, anyway.... what's up with having a too big helmet?

irulan

[mtbdarby]

I honestly don't know what brand pedals I have - they were given to me by one of the club members. I have Sidi shoes with SPD's. I did order some Ritchie pedals though - I'm waiting for them to come in.

I have a small melon and a small helmet. Seemed to fit until it got really hot around here. The heat/sweat seems to be making it move around so I've been tieing a bandana around my head underneath and that was working. I just forgot it that morning. It's a Giro helmet but no ratcheting system.

[madisongrrl]

hey dar,

That is awesome that you got back on your bike after the fall!

If your helmet/head hit the ground, you should get a new helmet. If you crash and hit your helmet, throw it in the trash because it is done. $75 dollars for a helmet is cheaper than a lifetime of brain damage.

For some reason my Giro helmet doesn't sit on my head the right way. I have two other bell helmets that fit me like a glove. So look at many different brands and have them measure your head.

I'm not sure about your pedals though. It might be a case of that you still need more time to develop that muscle memory to unclip in a split second. Have someone else who is experienced clip into your bike and get their opinion.

[bikerchick68]

OOOOOUCH! Yikes woman... you're waaay tougher than me if you climbed back on!!! This is exactly why I gave up mtn biking... I'm too big a WUSS! LOL...

glad you're doing OK other than those scrapes, which gotta hurt like heck! I have a friend who had a road crash 2 weeks ago while drafting at 25mph... broke his fork, broke his shifter into 2 pieces, snapped the handlebars in half, and his helmet ALSO split in two when he landed... he continued the skid down the road with it strapped on and flapping wildly around...

all that being said, a helmet is REAL cheap health insurance! If you have any doubts, replace it...

I don't know a ton about the pedal system you have but when my Speedplays get difficult I spray White Lightening on them... a dry lube that is really effective for me... but then, I'm not putting my foot down in dirt at all... so not sure what lube to use for mtn biking...

hope you recover and feel much better SOON!

[singletrackmind]

Blood! Cool! Bravo you, getting back on and riding it out!
Next ride I hope you get to stay upright. Of course you will, with your new smaller rachety helmet.

New cleats??? My hubby replaced his cleats (the part on the shoe) 3 years ago for his SPD pedals. Turns out Shimano had 2 designs and while the LBS assured him that the newer would work fine with the 4 year old pedal a ride on Chutes and Ladders proved that they were WRONG! He couldn't unclip for anything at the rim of an incline and crashed to the bottom. He had them loose as they'd go after that and it was still very difficult to clip out. If you have newer spd pedals though that's prolly not the case. Check for rocks/sticks wedged in there? That's only happened to me once but it was heck to get the shoe out of the pedal.