I suppose one of the perils of road cycling is having a close encounter of the unpleasant kind. We all don't wish it to happen - but they inevitably occur. Last Sunday, DB - a strong cyclist who is training for the Aviva 70.3 - had a freak accident while we were cycling down Woodlands.
We were having a good ride till then through the rolling slopes of Mandai and had a good break. Perhaps we were just a little too complacent and comfortable, conserving our energy for RRR. The traffic light changed to red as we were approaching, and we had to brake. But we weren't going very fast. Unfortunately, DB - taking the rear - braked too suddenly and hard and had a flip.
For a few moments our hearts were in our throat as we saw him motionless lying face down. He was bleeding from the brow and nose. He appeared dazed and didn't respond, possibly due to the concussion. We moved DB off the road to the shoulder island and called for an ambulance. By the time the ambulance came, DB was able to talk and respond.
Imagine our relief when we found out later when we got to the hospital that the scan showed no brain damage, and no broken bones. It was fortuitious that DB suffered only a fractured nose, cuts and two chipped teeth.
Unfortunately, that was not the first accident that our cycling group encountered. A few weeks ago, another accident occured when we were negotiating the turn from Old Thomson Road. Two cyclists had to brake suddenly, and one flipped. The good thing was that the rider was fine while the bike had to go to A&E.
What can we learn from these incidents? The main lesson is that our top priority must and always be safe riding. Guidelines for riding safe:
- Never go too fast and never take unnecessary risks.
- Stay alert at all times, especially late in the ride when fatigue sets in.
- Go to bed early when riding early the next morning.
- Don't drink the night before.
- Tell your group if you have difficulties before and during the ride.
- Be alert to the members condition/state of being while riding.
The second lesson is a technical one:
- Get the right helmut in terms of fit and robustness.
- Set the brake calipers a click or two wider.
- Aim for the cassette of the bike infront instead of the wheels.
Get well soon, DB!
2 comments:
Get well soon, DB.
BFG, here is what I know.
Cyclists flipped cos they braked using their front brakes.
Unfortunately, I learn it the HARD way. =(
So always tried to brake using both front and rear brakes.
In this case, you should be falling to the side when you e-brake.
http://trainingstartsnow.blogspot.com/2008/08/cycling-16th-august-2008.html
Something else I learnt from my rides.
Always looks for ways to filter if possible...
On that day, I was braking very hard. But momentum kept my bike rolling and I rubbed wheels for quite a while.
If the rider in front kan cheong and brake when the wheels rubbed, the whole peloton of nearly 20 or more people would have gone down.
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