E-bike Fall

[boppinbob]

I knew it was going to happen at some point and it did. I went over the handle bars going to work the day before yesterday. It was totally my own doing and I wasn't wearing any safety gear. I had just gotten new handle bars with a 5.5 inch rise to combat the wrist fatigue the day before.(I find I don't rest so much weight on my hands and sit straighter on my mtn bike. To hell with watt/hr economy.) Anyway, I didn't have the handlebars wrenched down super tight because I wanted to make it easier to make final adjustments to get "the perfect position". I came off the road to get to a path with the goal of putting some distance from me and a car. I pulled on my front brake lever too hard and my momentum pushed the handle bars out and down...fast. I followed the handle bars out and down. The only damage to me was a raspberry hand and dirt on my bike. Lucky in some respects. I'm 55 and don't heal as fast as when I was 18. Life's a bitch that way.
PS I continued on to work and got there on time.

[amberwolf]

I sympathize. The bicycle that years later became DayGlo Avenger was orignally a Columbia Comfort Bike, and when it arrived in late 2005 I began riding it to work in place of walking. About a month after I got it, the weld on the stem just snapped while riding along, and I was left holding handlebars that no longer connected to my steering.

The results were likely similar to your own crash, though I hit the edge of a planter curb and flipped multiple times in the air before landing on the piont of my right shoulder. Nothing broke, but I felt like it had for the next few days or more, and wasn't very useful at work.

[cal3thousand]

First couple weeks of e-biking when I got my first raspberry. There was a street sweeper on the bike path and like an idiot, I decide to go around him instead of waiting for him to pull over. Went up on a bank and didn't turn back down fast enough. Heavy battery and laptop made my tires slide down the slope sideways.

I always where gloves now.

Glad you are OK, because it could have been worse in traffic.

[John in CR]

Intentionally didn't tighten handlebars....really? Get that video rolling for every ride so we don't feel so left out.

Stay, I mean get, safe.

John

[boppinbob]

Intentionally didn't tighten handlebars....really?

They were tight enough to stay in place under normal circumstances, but not with me doing a handstand on them because of an unexpected tire sliding stop downhill. They are cranked down tight enough now they will still be in place whether or not I go over them.

[boppinbob]

I was left holding handlebars that no longer connected to my steering.

That would have made a great youtube clip. (I know I'm going to get negative karma for thinking that.)

[amberwolf]

Yes it would have. I probably could've gotten a million hits and be rich!

[mauimart]

This is a timely post. I just had my first e-bike fall/crash today. Not a result of loose handle bars but rather a bit of complacency. From the video you see that I take a quick look behind me, then advance the throttle which causes the front wheel to lift off the ground and the rest is history. Oh well at least I had a camera running.

[dogman]

I've had similar experiences with newly installed handlebars that I thought I had tightened up good. Then while riding, they start to wiggling. Taught me to test stuff before going out on real rides.

Re the vid, good power, skinny tire, loose gravel. Part of why my dirt bike has the fattest rear tire that will fit. Laying er down is something to need to practice anyway.

[leffex]

Add me to the list.

Fell om my bike yesterday in a death bend that was going down hill as they do. When I just got to it I was at full speed braking so went down from 30 to about 10mph. Braked out of the bend and down in the grass, leaning it right and then continued with my body hitting right axle in the ground.

I think I missplaced my axle so needs a bit of healing.

Not fun so wear protection

Its more common to have an accident with a bike with an injury than a car so think about it. 40-60 percent is over-arm/axle injuries including head injuries.

Careful out there ES members. Take care of yourselves.

[Kingfish]

Definitely can sympathize with you! Last time I wrecked by my own accord I was cornering downhill and got mired on the inside into gravel and hit the brake too hard – faceplant into the gravel. I looked like I was beaten with an ugly stick for two weeks. That was about 4 or 5 years ago.

The last time I had a “mishap” - meaning I lost control and spilled but did not crash proper - so to speak was on the dirt road heading into the family farm in the forest on July 2nd 2010 when I was run off the road by 3 motocross bikes. That one hurt my pride more than anything cos the evil buggers got away!

Knock wood something worse has not happened. To that – I am thankful.
Happy Turkeygobble, KF

[The fingers]

I've hit two unexpected patches of sand with the same results over the years; lost a big patch of the skin on my big toe each time, because I was wearing only sandals.