Spare a thought for those who pick up the pieces

[Rapunzel]

We have a lot of crashes on our Tygerberg trail network. With 6000+ members, a trail network close to 100km and the nature of the sport, accidents happen. Reaching crash victims is difficult and time consuming and there are some points which you may want to ponder when assessing the risk of your next ride.

• Bridges: they are probably the biggest cause of serious injuries. While most are wide and covered in mesh, going over the side happens too often (especially with less experienced riders) and normally results in serious neck injuries.
• Strava chasing: difficult to gauge how many crashes are a result of this but riders definitely take more risks when racing the clock.
• Overestimating your skill set: know your limits and if you want to stretch them, ask for advice from more experienced riders or go on some skills training.
• Who will pick up the pieces: do you ride on your own? Do you have the wilderness search and rescue number (021 937 0300)? do you wear id such as IceID?
• Landowner relations: most land owners cannot understand us - they sit on their stoep with their klippies and coke and wonder when we're going to grow up. They don't like emergency teams flattening fences and cutting their way through gates to rescue mountain bikers.

Your safety is your responsibility, be aware of the risks and manage them suitably and don't think you're invincible.

[Pulse]

Well said

[BaGearA]

Many more people need to hear that ^

['Dale]

The way that Rapunzel writes

 

Crystal clear

Astute

 

Important message

 

SAFETY FIRST ????????????

[Boerklong]

Hear hear

[ZakAttak]

Reminder is good from time to time...

 

Funny how, because we did it once we think we can get it right all the time and take things for granted until we overestimate and end up falling short...

 

Well said Repunzel... thanx

[Slowbee]

topic pinned.

 

a good reminder no matter where or what you ride.

[Tubehunter]

Great post Rapunzel! Here is the conundrum though. All of the above makes so much sense and should be more considered when people go out riding but it flies in the face of the reason we throw our legs over our steeds in the first place. It will be near impossible to fight that nature!

 

We ride our bikes for the freedom we feel, for the rush of going to the edge and feeling the surge of adrenaline, the almost carnal effect of the fight or flight response awakened. Some of us will be open to taking a few risks and this plays out in those moments when we're out on the trails, riding a section and wanting to bust loose of everything else in our lives that seems to own us, telling us to tow the line, not overcommit, be sensible. Riding is the escape which means there will be times when that momentary flight of fancy comes to a shuddering halt against the earth as people push beyond their limits and their skills run out!

 

The demographic with the largest exposure to this needs to be targeted. The only way to add more control to the fun is to ensure that the obvious noobs out on the trial are approached by more seasoned members of the community when they are encountered and give them some pointers right there and then. Imagine what community spirit could be fostered that could lead to more goodwill amongst those using the facilities?

[Sarge]

Good post,

I think a lot of us are guilty of disappearing into the "bush" without telling somebody exactly where we are.

Regards

Sarge

[Bernard Horn]

No harm in walking a difficult section.Keep reminding myself that I have to go to work on Monday.

[TCTG]

Agree. i came off my road bike this weekend. lets say i was lucky.

[Eddy Gordo]

Thanks for the number. Needed it, and has been added to my contacts.

Something that I never do and is an extremely bad habit of me is to take down the emergency numbers at the trail head.

[Mamil]

Thanks for the number.

 

I often ride alone. Someone always knows where i am riding.... the garmin live tracks me and i use my sos. I also am a crrious mix of harm avoidant chicken and adrenaline junkie. Not foolproof but ...

[igg]

I think all my major crashes have happened as a result of fatigue. Concentration goes, technique gets slack, stay seated on sections I should be standing, get tunnel vision to just get from A to B... and then I fall off.

 

I've since switched to doing shorter more intense rides, and doing some rolling at home to get the fitness levels up.

[Rapunzel]

I think all my major crashes have happened as a result of fatigue. Concentration goes, technique gets slack, stay seated on sections I should be standing, get tunnel vision to just get from A to B... and then I fall off.

 

I've since switched to doing shorter more intense rides, and doing some rolling at home to get the fitness levels up.

along with fatigue comes riding at slower speeds which ironically, can cause as many accidents as riding too fast.

['Dale]

along with fatigue comes riding at slower speeds which ironically, can cause as many accidents as riding too fast.

Yeah, most of my unclipping moments save-from-flop-over moments are exclusively on tight left handed switchbacks

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