I had my first crash last weekend going over some wet railroad tracks. I’ve been over them plenty of time wet or dry but I just hit them wrong and my front wheel slipped out and I landed on my left side. The bike is fine but I limped away with lots of scrapes and bruises. A shoulder contusion, sore hip, road rash, and scuffed left shifter was the result of the crash. It was my first road bike accident in 3 or so years of riding.
Now that I’m starting to feel a little better I’m giving some thought to my next ride after recovering and how it might go. I know falls and crashes happen in cycling but for any of you that have had one how did your first outing go? Was there any nerves or anxiety? Did you lose any confidence being on 2 wheels? Thanks for any advice!
Some nervousness / uncertainty is very common. You basically have temporarily lost your mojo. Just accept it that it may take a few rides, or even weeks, to feel as comfortable as you did pre-crash.
A shorter version of this is when you see a pro rider crash on a descent in the Tour (or any race). They get going again and become very tentative the rest of the descent….often missing other turns completely or coming to a complete stop in them.
It happens and we’ve all been there. Don’t sweat it and just focus on enjoying the ride…you’ll be back to normal in no time.
In a similar situation, I found comfort in knowing exactly why I had crashed, and that I’d not be making the same mistake again :).
Ouch… I know what that’s like. I crashed on railway tracks at 50 kmh. Hurt like hell but I jumped back on the bike to finish the ride, It was 100kms and I still had 10km to go. Got back on and back to full pace. When I stopped, I couldn’t walk. Barely able to stand. Yep… fractured pelvis in addition to the usual grazes.
Getting back after the injury was fine. No fitness loss as I was able to ride the trainer… couldn’t stand… but trainer was no issue… go figure.
Confidence returned quickly but I am now much more cautious when approaching railway tracks.
I wouldn’t worry too much about getting back on the bike if I were you. Guess what? You’ll crash again. It will hurt!!! Comes with the sport unfortunately.
Those railroad tracks always sniper you one day.
I usually try to pay extra attention to good technique after a crash. Make sure you take the railroad tracks at the right angle. Make sure you weigh the outside foot in the corner. Break early, and get off the brakes when cornering, etc.