Crashes and Bails - HELP! Are there any techniques to lessen the severity of a crash?

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Crashes and Bails - HELP! Are there any techniques to lessen the severity of a crash?
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flag lindseyb333
Posted: Oct 17, 2013 at 15:22 Quote
We've seen the crashes at the Red Bull Rampage and we've seen some of the guys walk away nearly unscathed. Some of it is luck and some of it knowing where we went wrong, but is there any technique to lessen the severity of a crash or bail?

I ask because in the last two months I've had two major crashes. The first one involved trying to slow down and going over a roller (pretty sure I had too much front brake) and flipped over the handlebars into a tree at high speed. I tore a muscle in my left shoulder and broke my lumbar 2,3, and 4 transverse processes (left side, non-displaced) and had a huge hematoma on my back and left hip.

Six weeks later I got back on my bike and after two days at it, I overshot a tabletop. When I landed my weight was too far to one side which resulted in slamming down onto my left shoulder. I broke my left clavicle and scapula, didn't hurt too bad because I had so much adrenaline going. The pain started to set in on my mile and a half hike out of the trail.

The other reason I ask is because I am an IMBA downhill mountain bike instructor, bike patroller, and EMT. So if there are any techniques I can learn to help myself and others, I want to learn them.
flag SaltyBK
Posted: Oct 18, 2013 at 19:19 Quote
shoetroller433 wrote:
We've seen the crashes at the Red Bull Rampage and we've seen some of the guys walk away nearly unscathed. Some of it is luck and some of it knowing where we went wrong, but is there any technique to lessen the severity of a crash or bail?

I ask because in the last two months I've had two major crashes. The first one involved trying to slow down and going over a roller (pretty sure I had too much front brake) and flipped over the handlebars into a tree at high speed. I tore a muscle in my left shoulder and broke my lumbar 2,3, and 4 transverse processes (left side, non-displaced) and had a huge hematoma on my back and left hip.

Six weeks later I got back on my bike and after two days at it, I overshot a tabletop. When I landed my weight was too far to one side which resulted in slamming down onto my left shoulder. I broke my left clavicle and scapula, didn't hurt too bad because I had so much adrenaline going. The pain started to set in on my mile and a half hike out of the trail.

The other reason I ask is because I am an IMBA downhill mountain bike instructor, bike patroller, and EMT. So if there are any techniques I can learn to help myself and others, I want to learn them.

I rarely crash because I'm often a big pussy and don't go out of my comfort zone. But, I'm pretty interested in techniques for not dying when I crash.
flag marxthekittah
Posted: Oct 18, 2013 at 20:01 Quote
My friend says tuck into the roll, don't try to catch yourself with your arms in the fall. Try and roll out of it. That's all I got. People have natural programming that will tell them what to do. Best way to learn. Be a kid, crash repeatedly.
flag lindseyb333
Posted: Oct 18, 2013 at 21:08 Quote
Thanks, that sounds sensible, if I had done that last time I probably wouldn't have a screwed up shoulder. I seem to go over the bars a lot so that should help, now i've got all winter to practice that when snowboarding
flag octanejake
FL
Posted: Oct 19, 2013 at 12:09 Quote
If you're going over the bars a lot you may want to consider adjusting body positioning on the bike and getting further back behind it.
The idea of tuck-n-roll is to prolong impact; abrupt stopping increases the force impulse increasing the strain put on any body part that is attempting to cause the body to stop, how crumple zones of cars work. If you go over the bars try to get your hands out in front of you but don't catch yourself so much as absorb some impact and directing your head away from a hard impact.
Side note; if you're going to crash, injuring your arms and shoulders is better than your head, always try to protect your head and neck, even if you have a helmet.
flag Cmontjumper
O+
Posted: Oct 23, 2013 at 17:17 Quote
i don't have much advice for airborne crashes, but a lot of times on DH trails i just hop off the bike when i know its going to go wrong. say you get kicked weird off a root and your starting to spin sideways, i'd just jump up trail. a little different when your back end gets kicked up and you start going over the bars, but still i just leap and try and find a good landing while you are midair haha.

a lot of times, if you just stick with the bike midair, you will end up riding it out. try to keep your body loose in the air too, so you can correct yourself. try doing a little bar tweak, it'll force your body to be loose.

I'm in a somewhat similar place as you though. broke my colar bone and scapula july 7th, just got the okay from the bone doctor to start doing my normal things today, but because i also received bleeding on both sides of my brain, I'm still out til May for DH riding..
flag Ghostt
Posted: Oct 25, 2013 at 12:58 Quote
I have a background in martial arts, particularly judo, which teach you how to fall properly. I've found it helpful and have walked away from stuff that has left my friends amazed...

I put it down to being able to stay relaxed and directing the fall. I usually end up tucking and rolling onto my side/back where my pack takes the brunt of the impact.

Put it this way. Have you ever fallen over when pissed? Doesn't really hurt, compared to falling when sober. That's cause when you're pissed, reactions are slow.and you hit the ground before you realise what is happening. A friend.of mine blew out his ankle stepping off a kerb, he mistimed it and as he said he tensed up and took the full impact on his ankle
flag toad321
O+
Posted: Oct 28, 2013 at 10:57 Quote
The more you crash the better you get at not hurting yourself, I usually fall like a penguin (arms tucked in) and try to land on my side then roll, most of the time I know in about to crash and try find a nice soft spot of grass to jump onto
flag kent
Posted: Oct 29, 2013 at 19:02 Quote
Experience haha instincts kick in.

Things I feel would help.
Flexibility, be healthy drink milk strong bones and last but not least- sheer luck

I crash regularly and seem to come away just bruised. I'm 240-250 lbs and not in great shape but I must have strong bones. I drink a couple L's milk a day tho
flag slidways
Posted: Nov 11, 2013 at 4:57 Quote
Been flexible and quick to react will help but the best thing is....you guessed it.
Training

Train for injury prevention.

Lots of pro riders do this, you need to strengthen And stabilise your bodies joints. More muscle will help give you some cushion but strengthening certain areas that reduce the chance of dislocations and hyper extensions etc. basically make you more crash worth.
flag slidways
Posted: Nov 11, 2013 at 5:01 Quote
kent wrote:
Experience haha instincts kick in.

Things I feel would help.
Flexibility, be healthy drink milk strong bones and last but not least- sheer luck

I crash regularly and seem to come away just bruised. I'm 240-250 lbs and not in great shape but I must have strong bones. I drink a couple L's milk a day tho

There are studies that suggest milk could be questionable. Milk may create an acidic environment, to fix this the body will draw nutrients, one of which is calcium from the bones.
flag kent
Posted: Nov 11, 2013 at 9:02 Quote
I heard that in the last few years but I figure it's been "good for you" forever and everyone I know who drinks lots of milk have had very few or zero broken bones my friends who drink very little milk have a huge list of broken bones.
Luck? Maybe coincidence ? Maybe? But I had a hard time understanding how for 50 or 100 years milk was so good for you and now it's suddenly the opposite of all those years of research.
flag marxthekittah
Posted: Nov 11, 2013 at 9:17 Quote
I think it is also marketing. I don't drink any milk, seeing as I am lactose intolerant, but do eat yogurt and cheese, and don't break bones.
flag slidways
Posted: Nov 11, 2013 at 20:43 Quote
kent wrote:
I heard that in the last few years but I figure it's been "good for you" forever and everyone I know who drinks lots of milk have had very few or zero broken bones my friends who drink very little milk have a huge list of broken bones.
Luck? Maybe coincidence ? Maybe? But I had a hard time understanding how for 50 or 100 years milk was so good for you and now it's suddenly the opposite of all those years of research.

Science caught up that's why.
Google it there are plenty if studies if you want to have a proper look.
This is not to say milk is bad but it needs to be considered in account with the rest of the diet.

I'm not saying dont drink milk I still do. But have a read its pretty interesting,
flag BongColdbood
Posted: Jan 31, 2014 at 3:25 Quote
TNFking wrote:
My friend says tuck into the roll, don't try to catch yourself with your arms in the fall. Try and roll out of it. That's all I got. People have natural programming that will tell them what to do. Best way to learn. Be a kid, crash repeatedly.
I am a big fan of the "Tuck & Roll" technique. Has allowed for me to walk away every time. Knock on wood!
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