How to crash when riding DH

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How to crash when riding DH
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flag jamesrusby
Posted: Oct 11, 2012 at 12:42 Quote
It seems like an odd forum title I know, but it is something that everybody needs to know because no matter how good or how well you think you ride...everyone crashes. Sometimes it's down to external factors like the weather or loosing focus, but this thread will hopefully highlight how to crash when you do.

Anyone can post as long as it doesn't go off topic too much, open to opinions and a bit of banter.
flag jamesrusby
Posted: Oct 11, 2012 at 12:44 Quote
I'll just start by stating the obvious, when you find yourself 'going' make sure you try to aim for a safe place to land. Doesn't always happen that way but if you can help it then it will save you being off the bike for a few months. Keep your limbs to your body, the arms are always flapping around but you want them close to your body really. If you end up going over the bars then try to look where you're going at least, and again keep your arms and legs bent to absorb some impact.
flag querhoch
Posted: Oct 12, 2012 at 2:01 Quote
losing focus isnt an external factor. it cant be any more interal in fact.

the best way to crash is towards the ground and at speed. if youre lucky you wont break anything important.
flag bigburd
Posted: Oct 12, 2012 at 2:27 Quote
Due to old shoulder injurys when I crash I have to think as much as I do when I ride .
When i'm going over the bars I now have to deliberately throw my self into an exadurated front flip to protect my left shoulder , one more big impact and it will be ruined for a loooong time , I have got it down to quite a fine art now , only a matter of time though before I do ruin my shoulder I suppose but i'll put it off for as long as I can.
flag jamesrusby
Posted: Oct 12, 2012 at 8:53 Quote
Same with me, not nice being 17 and with shoulder troubles...
flag querhoch
Posted: Oct 12, 2012 at 9:12 Quote
thats the price you pay though. every rider I know, be they a DHr, BMXr, roadie, dirt jumper, whatever, has problems with thier joints. my knees are goosed and I have to crack my neck every hour or it gets stiff. in fact, i can crack every single joint in my body. back pain is on its way too. tell it i said hi. it'll remember me.
flag bigbigbike
Posted: Oct 19, 2012 at 20:56 Quote
I'd say as an important piece if you're heading over the bars spot your landing and tuck into a roll. Better to hit the ground rolling than to hit flat out and stick where you land. I also found that almost turtling in on myself and keeping my arms tucked close but hands in front of me I can usually hit the ground with my hands first and kind of spring it into a summersault. It's not graceful but it keeps me on my bike and I usually can get back up and get back on.
flag EKahn
Posted: Oct 19, 2012 at 21:54 Quote
Also if your wearing any protection try to land on it your wearing it so use it!
flag thereisnospoon
Posted: Oct 20, 2012 at 17:23 Quote
it's natural instinct to throw your hands out in front of you when crashing, but try to tuck your arms in and let your body armour take as much of the force as possible. shoulders and wrists have a tendency to dislocate or break when you hit hands first with your elbows locked.
was given that advice by a dude I met on the lift at Whistler on my first trip there several years ago, and I'm pretty sure it saved me from a shattered shoulder that same trip.
flag bigbigbike
Posted: Oct 20, 2012 at 19:37 Quote
thereisnospoon wrote:
it's natural instinct to throw your hands out in front of you when crashing, but try to tuck your arms in and let your body armour take as much of the force as possible. shoulders and wrists have a tendency to dislocate or break when you hit hands first with your elbows locked.
was given that advice by a dude I met on the lift at Whistler on my first trip there several years ago, and I'm pretty sure it saved me from a shattered shoulder that same trip.

Another important tip that's hard to learn is to relax before you hit the ground. You need to be accustomed to crashing before you can use this tip. When you hit the ground tense you are more likely to shock your body, and transfer the energy into a force that can injure you. If you relax your body naturally releases the energy a little better and you bend, flex and deflect a lot of the incoming forces. Relaxing before you hit the ground lets you walk away from impacts that would usually leave you fairly busted up. Be Loose if you know you are going down and just anticipate and relax before the impact.
flag lonelyplanetrider
Posted: Oct 21, 2012 at 4:40 Quote
You won't know how to safely crash unless you practice it repetitively in a controlled environment. I don't mean for you to go out and deliberately crash your bike. Get a padded mat out, or look for a grassy area and practice rolling and tumbling properly. Careful not to break your collarbone though. Myself, and most of my friends who studied some kind of martial art with fall breaking exercises can roll off a crash instinctively, and it's saved my hide more times than I can count out on the trails, or on a DH track. Just a suggestion.
flag dominiclee
Posted: Oct 22, 2012 at 13:21 Quote
I'de say there is no safe way to crash.

I once broke a rib, dislocated my shoulder, chiped a bone in my hip and burst i vesul in my arm, then put my shoulder back in myself and still had a three hour ride back to the car.
That was two and half years ago, since then i have pulled three disc in my lower back (lifetime of pain) and poped my other shoulder in and out, smashed a seat into three pecies while taking out a smalll tree with my body.

The crash can not be stoped, made nicer, easyer or smoother.

Just don't do stupid shit, me pulling thee discs was doing stupid shit, 7 foot drop 12 foot gap, crosswind, landing on wet grass, with xc rims and tyres. I was not drunk. But that's why we do what we do right? That buzz of hitting a gap at 20, 30 mph leaving the ground with a big ass smile on your face.
You will crash, you will get up and do it again. Just use protection Wink
flag jamesrusby
Posted: Oct 22, 2012 at 14:15 Quote
I would say that if you're crashing that much then you're doing something wrong mate, or just shit luck.
flag inked-up-metalhead
Posted: Oct 22, 2012 at 14:46 Quote
see, when i crash, i kinda just go limp and flop to the ground haha. ive never seriously damaged much, just dislocated one shoulder 6 or 7 times, and got an arse load of scars from it. that is one thing though, dont tense up, thats when you break stuff. muscle is the best form of body armour (yeah, im huge, its slightly different for me), but also locking them up is gonna hurt more.
flag its-sam
Posted: Oct 22, 2012 at 14:58 Quote
I crashed and done this
photo
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