Worst Crashes/Accidents/Failures etc on E-bike: Bring pics

cal3thousand

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What's the worst you have gotten into while e-biking and how much pain has the joy of e-biking given you? Let's get a single thread that lists the worst e-bike crashes, accidents, fires and failures.

Things to include (as applicable):


Bodily Damage
Property Damage
Fines totals
What could or could not have been done differently
What you would have done differently
Bike description (Type, Motor, Controller, condition)
Conditions at the time

And of course... Pics!! we all want to see the carnage. :twisted: :wink:
 
Bodily Damage:
$35100 Knee ACL replacement surgery (so far)
 
itchynackers said:
Bodily Damage:
$35100 Knee ACL replacement surgery (so far)


From an accident? What were the circumstances of your injury?
 
This was posted not long ago... synopsis: Video, Jumping dirt track, shorts a double, endo's, almost lost consciousness, separated shoulder, battery pack in backpack hurt hip, couple stitches, was wearing helmet:

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=43000
 
My big crash happened about 2 months into ebiking to work and back 15 miles one way.

Reaching for a drink from a stupid under the Y frame bottle holder, I stuffed the bottle into my forks. So I was leaning way forward when I stopped my front tire. I was traveling less than 15 mph, yet I flew over the bars, crushed a helmet on the sharp edge of the curb, then hit the same curb with my right shoulder.

Two broken collarbones, one seperated shoulder, permanent damage to my rotator cuffs, one crushed helmet. 4 years later, my shoulders finally don't dislocate daily anymore. Medical bills $15,000 Lost income, about $10,000 per year so far so about 40k.

The right shoulder got a titanium plate. I'm still pissed as hell that for $15,000 they couldn't countersink the screws. Now I have screwheads right where a backpack strap goes. My titanium collarbone.JPG

My other big crash left me and the bike unharmed. Riding on the bike lane of a highway frontage road at 6:00 AM, in full dark, I encounter a dude walking on the bike lane wearing a black hat, black coat, black pants, black socks and black shoes. Seeing him in my headlight at the last second, I managed to hit him a glancing blow that sent me over the bars at 27 mph. This time the longer flight was plenty of time to do a proper tuck and roll, and I cleared the curb and landed in dirt. Brushed myself off, and proceeded to chew the idiot in blacks head off. He was also unhurt, not even knocked down as I made the dive for the ditch that saved his ass.

Small crashes when riding dirt are a frequent occurence. A session where I don't crash or nearly crash just means I'm riding at half my potential. The dirt bike has a nice slow top speed so a highside doesn't hurt so much.
 
dogman said:
My big crash happened about 2 months into ebiking to work and back 15 miles one way.

Reaching for a drink from a stupid under the Y frame bottle holder, I stuffed the bottle into my forks. So I was leaning way forward when I stopped my front tire. I was traveling less than 15 mph, yet I flew over the bars, crushed a helmet on the sharp edge of the curb, then hit the same curb with my right shoulder.

Two broken collarbones, one seperated shoulder, permanent damage to my rotator cuffs, one crushed helmet. 4 years later, my shoulders finally don't dislocate daily anymore. Medical bills $15,000 Lost income, about $10,000 per year so far so about 40k.

The right shoulder got a titanium plate. I'm still pissed as hell that for $15,000 they couldn't countersink the screws. Now I have screwheads right where a backpack strap goes.

Thanks for the share! So keeping hydrated is pretty risky for us bikers. I've tried that a couple times and had some speed wobbles. I'm going to make sure to wait for the lights (there's plenty of them here) to get my next sip!
 
Best failure might have been the seatpost that snapped in half. The cause was a seatpost rack supporting a 15 pound pingbattery combined with dirt riding.

Out in the boonies, on a nice rough rocky dirt road about 4 miles from home. Kind of place you want to hang on to the bars with both hands. So riding home with a battery in one hand, bouncing over the rocks steering with the other hand was a challenge. Made even better by having no place to sit. :lol:

Another good fail on the same bike, the latch on the battery box broke off while hitting a very big bump. The pingbattery flew over my shoulder landing in the dirt in my path. Nearly ran over the thing.

Minor fails list, broke a chain one day and carry a chain breaker to fix a chain to this day now. Some good pinch flats, riding rocky trails on a hardtail bike. Had the crank fall off in the boonies once, and wasn't carrying the tool to put it back on. Rode home with one pedal.
 
Bodily Damage : Broken Fibia right above the right ankle, stretched/damaged muscles/tendons around the ankle/foot.
Property Damage: Bent cargo pod supports, some scratches on fork and frame, cracked plastic on brake light, bent up headlight supports. Chain got bent up somehow too, still haven't figured that one out.
Fines totals: 0
What could or could not have been done differently: Not used the too-long fork causing death wobble at speed, or not gone to the race, or stoppped trying to ride it when I knew the death wobble was gonna be a problem.
What you would have done differently: Used a different fork or smaller wheel size, or otherwise prevented the wobble.
Bike description (Type, Motor, Controller, condition): CrazyBike2, custom-built semi-recumbent cargo bike/commuter/racer, at the time front 9c 2807 hubmotor in 26" wheel (is now modified into a rear hub), generic 12FET 40A controller, Vpower "48V20Ah" pack.
Conditions at the time: Not well lit nighttime kart track, Death Race 2011.

More pics are in my CrazyBike2 thread around April 2011:
http://www.endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=391767#p391767

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A recent similar crash but on the left side, did no damage to me but it broke the toptube of the center frame of the bike, whcih appears to have been cracked for some time. Should be about a month back in CrazyBike2's thread; a few pics there. Was caused by a cyclist going the wrong way in my lane, running the red light I was approaching, and me paying too much attention to him and a truck simultaneously approaching from my rear left, and not braking slowly for the red light like I normally would, so when I did brake I did it really hard and caused the wheel to lockup and the bike to skid on the very slick area rigth before the crosswalk.
 
In 2007 I was out for a nice ride to test my first ebike and the motor kept shutting off. Why I did not know. Reached behind seat to see if motor was warm and brushed something. Ohh. I must be dreaming. Nope. Pedaled back 2 miles toward town. Got a ride to town with a non-english speaking landscape worker who took pity on the guy with blood leaking all over. Took a nice ride in an ambulance.

hand_x-ray.jpg

Fortunately insurance covered most of it. This was before I knew that BMSs shut off the battery whenever they feel like it.

This bikes name is FingerEater.
ev_electrodrive.jpg

Fortunately missing the first joint of my ring finger is not very noticeable.

-Warren.
 
No picks, but a few years back I had the front wheel lose traction in a corner, and I smacked the ground. My body tried to roll but my feet were tangled with the bike. I broke my left wrist, a couple ribs, and put a crack on a collarbone. But the worst damage was the sprains. My other wrist, elbow, both shoulders, a knee, and ankle, and a double groin pull. the bones healed fast but the sprains took a very long time. I also left a skin donation on the concrete. And enough blood to make my territory.

I also managed to land on my cell phone. no way to call for help.

Laying there bleeding, a woman came by and asked if I was all right. I said no, and she walked off, phone in hand. In the end, I managed to get myself home. chain was off but the motor worked.

6 weeks later, bones are sort of healed. sprains aren't. I can't turn a wrench to save my life, but I have a spare bike. So like an E-grin addicted idiot, I take it for a ride. and manage to wheelie-flip at a stop, and land on my replacement phone.

We fall down. We get back up again. And again. And again. Its the only way.
 
Holy crap, snipped off a finger tip reaching back to feel a chain drive! Makes me feel less stupid about reaching for a drink while moving.

Are you ok? NO, and she walks off. America for ya. Love the way you were riding again right away. I was riding again two weeks before I got my surgery. I could lean on the bars fine.
 
Sorry no pics. On the 15th was coming back from the beach on a dirt road I have not been on before. The last thing I remember this is a good dirt road I'll have to take it again. The next thing I am waking up in the ER while there taking more blood. Someone found me unconcious in the middle of the road. The bike flipped forward and I did a faceplant. They did 3 CT scans, head, neck, and pelvis. Released me 2.5 hours later to my father who was notified by a sheriff deputy with the guy who found me following with my bike in his truck. 2 days later hospital called to say they wanted another CT of my head as My brain was bleeding. Did that. Dr. said I was better but wants another CT a week later which I am going to do today. Nothing broke. a little subdermal hematoma, bruises. The next dayafter the accident went to where the accident happened. You could see where the bike flipped and the handlebar dug into the ground. A litlle forward where I was due to some blood, and about 20 feet ahead where the bike landed and stopped. I have come to the conclusion that someone clipped me. I have this big bruise on the back of my left thigh. The road was hard packed, no holes, no sand, no tree limbs. For the bike to flip forward would take a big hole, a big tree limb or other obsticle. I later locked the front wheel in a test and the wheel slid making the bike turn side ways and would have thrown me that way. Due to suddennest and the bruise which would be about fender high I am convinced someone tried to past me as I was almost in the center of the road and wham!
Bike damages, thumb throttle broke in two, left brake handle tweaked, both brake handles scraped pretty good. Handlebar turned. The bike is an old Performance steel frame with a front Brushed BD 24 volt motor now running with a 12s 44 volt 30 amp hour LiCo battery pack. I Had a spare throttle the other stuff was repairable.
Haven't received the hospital bills yet, can hardley wait!
 
www.recumbents.com said:
In 2007 I was out for a nice ride to test my first ebike and the motor kept shutting off. Why I did not know. Reached behind seat to see if motor was warm and brushed something. Ohh. I must be dreaming. Nope. Pedaled back 2 miles toward town. Got a ride to town with a non-english speaking landscape worker who took pity on the guy with blood leaking all over. Took a nice ride in an ambulance.

View attachment 1

:shock: that was and still is one of my worst fears after i saw the gixxer forum thread where the guy lost his 2 fingers. chains kinda scare me already since mines kept eating my pant cuffs. :lol: i wonder if a belt will do the same thing.


well mines is not as bad as any of yours but ill share.

i was riding my ebike that i just recently got finished. so i was at a stop sign and was trying to get going through the stop sign from a dead stop so i pedal up to speed and hit the throttle. right as i cross the intersection i hit a patch of gravel and the bike kicks out from under me at 15 mph and i go sliding for a good amount of distance, mind you im tethered to my bike since i have the battery in my backpack. so as i come to a stop, i cant get up since im wrapped up in 12ga wire and signal wire. and as i stand up to to dust myself off and collect myself, the driver that saw the whole thing happen had the nerve to honk at me for the parking spot i was in while the whole block was empty. but the damage to me was a sprained middle finger and road rash on my knee. the damage to my bike was broken pedals and some broken spokes. oh, and pics of my "damage."
1268180299.jpg


and also i crashed my electric standup scooter from the rear wheel locking up from being out of sync:
87ae090e.jpg

road rash on my elbow
8655a158.jpg

i think my battery mount got me here
032c1ac0.jpg

road rash on the lipo
got random cuts and bruises and smashed my lipo

yeah, my injuries are nothing compared to a lot of you guys have here in this thread. :|
 
Patriot4 said:
Sorry no pics. On the 15th was coming back from the beach on a dirt road I have not been on before. The last thing I remember this is a good dirt road I'll have to take it again. The next thing I am waking up in the ER while there taking more blood. Someone found me unconcious in the middle of the road. The bike flipped forward and I did a faceplant. They did 3 CT scans, head, neck, and pelvis. Released me 2.5 hours later to my father who was notified by a sheriff deputy with the guy who found me following with my bike in his truck. 2 days later hospital called to say they wanted another CT of my head as My brain was bleeding. Did that. Dr. said I was better but wants another CT a week later which I am going to do today. Nothing broke. a little subdermal hematoma, bruises. The next dayafter the accident went to where the accident happened. You could see where the bike flipped and the handlebar dug into the ground. A litlle forward where I was due to some blood, and about 20 feet ahead where the bike landed and stopped. I have come to the conclusion that someone clipped me. I have this big bruise on the back of my left thigh. The road was hard packed, no holes, no sand, no tree limbs. For the bike to flip forward would take a big hole, a big tree limb or other obsticle. I later locked the front wheel in a test and the wheel slid making the bike turn side ways and would have thrown me that way. Due to suddennest and the bruise which would be about fender high I am convinced someone tried to past me as I was almost in the center of the road and wham!
Bike damages, thumb throttle broke in two, left brake handle tweaked, both brake handles scraped pretty good. Handlebar turned. The bike is an old Performance steel frame with a front Brushed BD 24 volt motor now running with a 12s 44 volt 30 amp hour LiCo battery pack. I Had a spare throttle the other stuff was repairable.
Haven't received the hospital bills yet, can hardley wait!


Were you wearing a helmet? Anything you would have done differently had you known this accident would happen? (like if you had clairvoyance)
 
jimw1960 said:
I slid out going around a corner on a wet street once. My pants got dirty. It was horrible.

pics or it didn't happen :wink: :p
 
def215 said:
chains kinda scare me already since mines kept eating my pant cuffs. :lol: i wonder if a belt will do the same thing.
Belts can do it too. I highly recommend some of those elastic/velcro straps made just for keeping pants out of chains. ;) I find them at thrift stores every so often, sometimes unopened. Last pair I got was probably 20-30 years old and had never been opened, with it's original LBS pricetag on it, something like $5 or whatever, got htem in a bag of a bunch of stuff for a buck. Easy to make some, too.

Back when CrazyBike2 had chaindrive, and no freewheel on the pedals, I nearly got my leg tangled in the cranks thanks to pant leg being eaten by the chain, and having to stop the bike in the middle of the road once to untangle myself, as I could not continue or i'd've broken my leg. Thankfully no traffic! No pics of that stuff, but I still have the pants around here, saved for turning into shorts someday. :lol:
 
I was riding in the bike lane and then someone turned left in front of me! I didn't expect it because there was a line of cars on my left, I guess there was a gap for the person to drive through. Neither of us saw each other until the last minute. I hit the front part of their car and faceplanted on the windshield and flew off. I don't remember any of this, this is what people have told me. I laid on the ground bleeding and stunned for about 15 minutes, surrounded by a crowd of curious onlookers, until an ambulance came. I broke my nose and a few face-bones in my cheek from the faceplant, got a moderate concussion, and my left index finger was shattered from being between the van and the brake lever.

I broke the van's windshield and their front quarter panel too! :p

DSC00297.jpg

DSC00298.jpg


That's my only crash! I've kept the rubber side down other than that.
 
fizzit said:
I broke my nose and a few face-bones in my cheek from the faceplant, got a moderate concussion,

DSC00297.jpg


You are SOOOO lucky to have been wearing a full-face.

Full-face FTW
 
fizzit said:
I broke the van's windshield and their front quarter panel too! :p

DSC00297.jpg

Really glad you were wearing that helmet!
 
On my first build I rolled on the throttle at a corner, and my front wheel left without me. (front hub/no torque arm)

It must have been hilarious to the pedestrians watching. It was a low speed crash, but I still can't lift my right arm, and the bike was done on the spot. I carried it home in pieces.
 
Adding this just reported crash to the thread:

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=43140&p=631759#p631759

tl;dr 20mph, reaching across body to steer while grabbing cell phone, busted ankle, ithumb :mrgreen: , and some rash, wearing helmet, learned his lesson.
 
nothing serious, just knee bruise
[youtube]cXxbQGp1BIs[/youtube]
bike ok, just +0.5mm benting rim, that I fixed for 10 minutes.
 
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