[owlie]

Okay, so this might seem like an odd question, but hang with me for a second.

If you have spent any time studying martial arts, you know that there is a “right way to fall” and a “wrong way to fall.” No, you aren’t going to always fall the right way, but knowing the basics will keep you from cracking your skull open or breaking a wrist more often than not. (never been in a fight, but having slipped on the ice more times than I care to recall, I can tell you that the tuck your chin advice is invaluable.)

Is the same true with putting down your bike? Are there things (other than the first line of defense: gear) that will help you come through a crash more smoothly? On the flip side, are there things you should avoid doing?

[SantaCruzRider]

My guess is that you already have the athleticism needed to give you whatever small edge is possible should your skin and bones ever be flung at an immovable object. But IMHO, the most important survival skill is one shared by many fighters, and that’s the complete refusal to surrender.
I have to admit having no MC crash experience, but I have been riding for years. Along the way I’ve learned to never, ever give up on the bike.
Blasting down a mountain road and lock up the rear wheel, don’t even give yourself the luxury of thinking about how to low side — stay on the brake, muscle the bars and ride it to a stop like you’re an action hero.
Find yourself WAY too hot on a cloverleaf on-ramp and drifting toward the wall, that’s no time to be thinking tuck-and-roll — dig deep, roll on slight throttle and lean, lean and lean some more and look through that turn to the exit.
Never give yourself the luxury of crashing.

[eternal05]

There is a “correct” way to crash. It’s hard to have the presence of mind in the moment, especially if crashing is not something you make a habit of (I hope that’s all of us). I’ve had the “good” fortune of crashing a ton on two-wheelers. I do a lot of road (bicycle) racing and mountain biking, and have suffered through quite a few pavement slides and fast decent low-sides (something like this). Knowing what to expect and how to react is key.

All of the popular motorcycle books talk about this to some degree, so I suggest you take a look at the Twist of the Wrist books (by Keith Code), Proficient Motorcycling by Hughes, and any others that look interesting to you.

As SantaCruz suggested, don’t let yourself give in too early to a crash. Just like in skiing/snowboarding/skateboard, you can often save yourself if you really try hard. On the other hand, if you’re REALLY going to crash, you have to accept it and do one major thing: relax. If you hold on to the bike, you will get hurt. If your muscles are tense and flexed, you will not slide easily, and may start to tumble unnecessarily.

Your goal if you go down, especially on a low-side, is just to slide. Sliding, as long as you don’t hit anything (a BIG if), is really quite safe. I don’t know if you ever watch pro racing, but guys crash all the time and, unless it’s a gnarly high-side, they usually slide a few hundred feet, hop up, and get on with their day. When you’re sliding, try to keep yourself sliding by using your legs and elbows (anything that’s padded/armored) to resist tumbling. Keep your head tucked and off the ground so that passing over a rock or pothole doesn’t give you a blow to the noggin. As long as you can keep sliding and get off the road ASAP, you’ll probably be fine. It’s tumbling that breaks bones and causes the serious injuries.

Finally, when you come to a stop, don’t hop up right away. This is VERY important. Especially if you’ve done a bunch of flips or rolls, your inner ear may have been played the fool, and you could be disoriented/dizzy to the point of not accurately judging your speed. If you think you’ve come to a stop in a safe place, wait a second. Make sure you’re stopped, and then SLOWLY get up on your knees, and then your feet. It’s a common “legend,” but it really does happen: I’ve “come to a stop,” tried to stand up, and found myself still moving!

Other than that, it’s all blind luck on the road. There are so many things to hit that you really just have to try to relax your body, watch out for things you can avoid, and hope for the best.

[Matt]

What he said!

[owlie]

Every winter I deny the possiblity that I will fall on the ice. I have yet to have a winter go by where I don’t. The unfortunate thing is that when you fall on the ice, it happens so quickly that you don’t remember the actual fall.

I would imagine that the same occurs in riding, that there may be a time when you lose control of your bike so quickly that there was never even a question of mindset.

However, I agree with Elwood, laundry detergent is cheaper than new duds.

[owlie]

Thanks for the suggestions. And the inner ear thing really is a pain, isn’t it?

I already had my eye on Proficient Motorcycling, and I’ll definitely be sure to check out Twist of the Wrist also.

[Author]

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