- This topic has 5 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 8 months ago by Elias.
Be safe out there and stop crashing. kthnxbai.
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August 31, 2009 at 4:49 pm #3378megaspazParticipant
seeing 3 crash threads in one day is kinda disturbing. even more-so when one of the reactions was getting up with a smile. As someone who’s crashed on the street and on the track, I can tell you, crashing sucks. There’s nothing really funny about crashing whether or not you walk away unscathed, take a helo trip to the hospital, or just plain don’t make it. We’ve had double digit FATALITIES for this month alone in the bay area (13). Reading about these “RIP” threads in another forum i go to is down right depressing and rather shocking. That’s about 1 death every 3 days. I definately do not want to start seeing RIP threads here. Be safe out there, and when in doubt, STFD!
Motorcycle
http://esteybomberger.com/blog/category/motorcycle-accidents/
http://esteybomberger.com/blog/category/motorcycle-accidents/page/2/August 31, 2009 at 5:31 pm #22098ranetteParticipantCan’t echo that strongly enough. Pretty much every other forum I contribute to or read has had at least one RIP thread, one was a moderator. Definitely do not want to see that here,
August 31, 2009 at 5:32 pm #22097WeaponZeroParticipantThere’s an old rule my dad taught me that applies to both riding and driving. No matter how good YOU are, you’re not good enough to compensate for how BAD everyone else around you is.
And I add, or how much of an asshole everyone else is. Those of you who read the story of my very first crash due to kids on the side of the road throwing rocks at me will know this.
August 31, 2009 at 6:40 pm #22100eonParticipantAgree we do not want to see RIP threads here. As one of those who fell off this weekend I can attest to the fact it sucks. I certainly have not been smiling this weekend.
BUT, I think it’s important to learn from the mistakes we and others make. I read the Face Plant section over advrider.com a lot and while it is often sobering there are many good lessons to be learned there. I found it painful to post about my fall here but I felt I had to. I learned not to underestimate how slippy roads can be after a dry spell and some light rain. I learned not to assume that because the ground was soaking wet it had been raining heavily and that the crap would have been washed away. I learned to take the advice of pulling over for an hour seriously. I was taking it slow and careful when I fell. I had only just started to lean for the corner when the front slid out. Two hours afterward it was blue skies and perfect riding conditions for the rest of the weekend. If only I had waited.
On the plus side I learned how well gear can protect you. I honestly feel my fall was no more severe than falling off your kitchen chair but upon closer inspection of my gear I can tell it was fast enough to do some serious damage. The palm of my right glove and the pinky finger show signs of wear. And there is some nice scraping along the outside of both my boots. I could easily have broken a bone in my ankle if not for proper boots. I cannot emphasize enough how important good boots are. There are plenty of fragile bones in your ankle (as Elias found out) so please protect them.
August 31, 2009 at 7:01 pm #22101MunchParticipantI agree on the RIP posts and other sum such. Personally I stay away from them. Does it suck that yet another brother or sister has fallen..yes. Do I want to read about it, no. We had 2 wrecks this past week end here. One left critically injured the other one dead. One was a solo crash into a light pole the other is investigation pending.
Fact of the matter is YES WE ALL KNOW THE RISKS.
No need to constantly read about others misfortunes. I am very serious every time I head out. The rides are very enjoyable and even though I have plenty of mental capacity to relax and let my mind think of other things, never do I let my guard down.
As for the smiling part. I can understand the idea behind that. It is a mix of emotions, like the first time I fell off a horse or got thrown by a bull. First reaction is a sideways glance like that of a confused puppy….”That just happen?” then next comes the minds quick systems check…. ok everything feels like it’s here, some hurt some don’t…. then the “Hey I lived through it!” touch down spike feeling quickly ensues. It’s not a sign of dismissing the severity of the situation or what it could have been but rather a grin of happiness that it wasn’t.
To all our brothers and sisters on this board ( and yes I feel that y’all truly are) stay ever vigilant on what you are doing. Never let the negative stories of what you read effect you in such a way that it determines what you do, but keep it as a reminder of what COULD happen, not that it is a pre determined destiny.
Should I fall and survive would I get back on? YES that’s absolute for me. I come from a back ground of strong determination and a sense of the now commercialized “Cowboy up!”. As long as I have the functioning appendages to safely operate the machine and the mental capacity to comprehend the things around me I will be back in the saddle.August 31, 2009 at 8:45 pm #22102EliasParticipantDidn’t mean to give you the impression that I take crashing lightly. Don’t take my reaction toward my own crash and assume it is how I handle every crash. I take crashes very seriously, obsessing about why that rider went down, how to avoid it myself, etc…would it have been ‘less-so’ disturbing if I came out of the crash cursing and yelling about how bad this sucks and how much it’s going to cost to repair my bike? Nah, no pity parties for me, I learned a long time ago that things like this are usually blessings in disguise…that’s why I am pleased with my crash: no permanent damage, and it will force me to work on my bike (which is something I wouldn’t have otherwise done, but wanted to do…i just know my habits).
On another note, this thread is a good reminder to all riders to never let your game down. Stay safe everyone, and don’t outride your personal limits. Feeling mentally uncomfortable is a red flag, pull over or turn around.
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