So there I was

[Tuloose]

So there I was, lying in the middle of the road, unable to move, trapped by my Silvio as if my body was in a Chinese finger puzzle.
How did I end up in this predicament and is this a first or has it happened to other Cruzers?
I was riding along in the central Oregon Coast Range hills with 2 other friends when we came upon a short section of gravel road.
I slowed down and since I had never had a problem negotiating a bit of gravel on my diamond frame or other recumbent bikes I pedaled onward.
Almost immediately my front wheel slid out, I went down on my left side and the boom rotated to the right 180 degrees, effectively trapping my right leg between the boom and the frame.
I was unable to get up with my left leg trapped underneath the bike. The front wheel was immobilized by the weight of my body holding it down against the road thereby keeping my right leg trapped.
I was in a fair amount of pain but luckily one of my riding partners was close by and came to my rescue.
By grabbing my hands he was able to pull me and my Silvio to an upright position so that I was able to straighten the front wheel, freeing my right leg.
No real harm was done to the bike or to me and I was able to complete the 60 mile ride but I am now real skittish around gravel roads!

 

[Jeremy S]

Well I slipped in some sand

Well I slipped in some sand on my Silvio recently -- I realized as I was about to hit it that it was unusually deep, so I started to veer left to avoid it which is probably why I slid out on my left side. I didn't get trapped though, I was unclipped and on my feet very fast (I don't even remember unclipping). I've also fallen in sand on an upright bike (one of my earliest fall memories) and I've ridden through gravel on the Silvio with no problem.

Like you, no real harm was done to me or the bike (some superficial scrapes on both), like you I went on to finish my 60 mile ride, and like you I am now quite nervous about sand.

Do you think you might have inadvertently changed direction when you slowed down?

Sorry about your experience, keep riding! But maybe avoiding gravel isn't such a bad idea.

 

[MrSteve]

Sorry!

It's all a matter of what you are experienced with.

When I got my Sofrider, I lived at a house at the end of a 1/10 mile long
gravel driveway.
My dog and I used to race each other on the gravel!
Although my tyres are a bit fatter than yours, they are slicks.

Silvios on narrow tyres will be more skittish on loose surfaces, that's for sure.

Whenever you run your high-pressure street tyres on gravel, make sure that
you check your tyres for cuts.
Remember, one of mankind's first tools were sharp stone flakes!
Also, if you must ride in gravel, lower your tyre pressure: it helps.

Glad you're O.K. !

-Steve

 

[hurri47]

Happened on my Django

I went down at zero speed in some sand, and I made the mistake of unclipping my left foot to try to catch myself. My left shin ended up wedged between the chainwheel and the front tire with my body weight preventing any reversing of the accident path. I was alone on a seldom-used trail (a concrete drainage channel). I wound up having to pull my leg about three inches - with two chainwheel teeth still embedded in the non-fleshy part of my shin - before I had enough room to get clear.

There was no more than a trickle of blood (due to the wound location, I imagine), but the dramatic scars are still there two years later. It was no fun watching two strips of my skin peel off as if I were a potato.

Note to future self and any other interested parties: ALWAYS ride a falling recumbent to the ground without trying to prevent the fall with leg or arm. The seat and bars will save you from any real damage. When I do this correctly I get a little scrape. When I do it wrong, I have to go to urgent care.

-Dan

 

[Tuloose]

I hit a patch of slick mud on

I hit a patch of slick mud on a bike path on a Django I had once.
I was going in a straight line too but the bike went out from under me and bruised my butt when I landed hard.

With the accident on the Silvio I didn't even have time to react so I went down with the bike, still clipped in but I think in this case that was the worst alternative but the only one I had other than to play it smart like my friend who got off his bent when he spied the gravel.

 

[ratz]

Your time will come

Eventually will go down it just happens; Riding bikes means falling off. It a matter of when not if.

For me I road the Silvio to the ground when I couldn't wait for the snow to melt this spring and hit a 2 inch patch of ice in the parking lot and the rear wheel washed out; and I laid her down. Remembered to ride it to the ground, minor injuries and a broken brake lever.

The Vendetta got me better; we have this really really sharp/steep lip between our drive and the street.probably 5 inches at 60degrees/ The house is on a hill such that the left side of the driveway is lower than the right by about 4 feet. Normally I unclip and coast into the driveway. I finished a long ride and was tired, as I came into the the driveway at just the right speed (I didn't unclip) the front wheel of the vendetta popped straight up into the air about 6 inches; the bike came back down vertical but the driveway not being level meant I wasn't perpendicular to the ground and I was not going about 2mph that the front wheel washed out; and their I was falling over in my driveway to finish the ride. Of course all the neighbors were outside with drinks socializing. Major damage was inflicted on the riders pride. Minor scuff on the brake lever; again remembered to ride the bike to the ground to minimize injury.

 

[baov]

Wish the Silvio had a bit

Wish the Silvio had a bit more clearance for fatter tires. I'll definitely run the fattest 650b I can fit in there.
Never had the unfortunate event of my v2k freerider slipping with the 2.15" tires I put on it. Yet.

 

[Liam in Ireland]

Remembered to ride the bike to the ground...

Ratz can you give a bit more detail on "r?iding the bike to the ground to minimize injury"? I have lots of practice crashing a DF bike but am interested in what to do if/when it happens on the Silvio.

 

[ratz]

Stay with the bike

Liam,

Riding it to the ground is a term that means staying with the bike. When you crash on a DF you have two choices hang on to the bike and go with it; or kick and through it away from you. On a descent you tend two throw the bike away from yourself and kick you feet out of your clip-ins; that keeps you from tumbling over and over the bike or wrenching a leg. On the flat in a pack you hang on to the bike and ride it to the ground you aren't likely to tumble and the bike will protect you from other riders and well as not taking out others around you. If you feet need to come out of the pedals they will by themselves.

On a recumbent most crashes will be a slide outs; where the rear tire or front tire slips. It's been my experience and the opinion of other that I have compared notes with at rallies that you should ride a recumbent to the ground. Those crashes end better if you stay with your bike and let the ground disengage your feet from the pedals; it's tempting to release your feet and try to get them down; but with them up in the air and leading the way it just ends badly with legs getting torqued as they go from leading the way to trailing unnaturally. Relax the legs; leave your feet on the pedals; rotate as the waste so you don't slam your shoulder into the ground; the side of you leg will likely get road rash; and come down on your side and back either attached to the bike or disenaged. Ever event will be different; so far staying with the bike on the Silvio and Vendetta worked better; versus leaving the bike like I did with the quest.

 

[Liam in Ireland]

Stay with the Bike

Thanks for the post Ratz. Hope I don't get too many opportunities to apply you advice.................