May 30, 2022
The wreck
what happened and lessons learned
My FB live, announcing the wreck:
https://www.facebook.com/1109842221/videos/501496315109442/
Ok, so lots of people have been asking about the crash and how it happened, so here are the deets and lessons learned.
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The blue circle is where I crashed. it just so happens that I only had 2.5 more miles of dirt road that day. All the rest would have been on paved roads where my bike is happiest. I’d climbed a few thousand feet and when I finally reached a couple of downhill stretches the little kid in me came out and I just let off the brakes and cruised down the hill.
I was going 27mph when I saw the curve and realized I was in trouble -coming into the curve very hot (especially for my current level of experience riding off road). As I went into the turn both front and rear wheels lost traction and I began sliding off the crowned road. The front tire then hit soft dirt or sand and pulled the bike down.
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According to my Garmin, I was still going 23-25 mph when I crashed. With my running shoes on, I can hit about 15 mph, so if I'd bailed off the bike I still would have needed to roll in order to protect myself from injury.
Lessons learned:
* Practice riding in these conditions will help keep a level head so you can use your training instead of panicking.
** I forgot to keep the bike low and keep myself more upright. That would have helped retain traction.
** I didn't think to put my foot down to help stabilize the bike. I was clipped in and stayed clipped. Kick the foot out - not only will it help stabilize the bike but it'll make it easier to bail from the bike if necessary.
** The tension on the clips was adjusted too high, making it more difficult to unclip in a pinch. Adjust the tension to make it easier to unclip.
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We met Dave in Silver City, he brought our supply box...that we don't need now with our change in plans to go to Cortez CO and cycle the Great Parks Ride.
2 years ago