Is there such a thing as crashing safely?

We bike for a variety of reasons, the thrill, the challenge, the mobility, as an alternative to gas, etc.. But no matter what drew you into biking we all face the same threat of a crash. This reality goes with the territory. Different terrains create varying obstacles, the city demands the agility to traverse the urban jungle: cars, pedestrians, street vendors, amongst others, while the mountain is another story all together. The chaos of the city and stillness of the mountain demand strength and control from the rider, but regardless of how good you are, you are bound to fall. As the sages say, an ounce of protection is worth more than a pound of cure. So how do we prevent bad falls and terrible crashes?

We all have to wear safety gear: helmet, body armor, shin, knee, and elbow guards, etc. We all have to know the terrain. We have to know the limitations of our bikes, and of course our own strength.

Yet despite all of these, we fall, and we fall badly. Lets swap war stories, and perhaps we can prevent terrible crashes from happening again.


1. Wear a helmet, padded bike gloves and sturdy bike shoes. No flipflops.
2. Keep your eyes peeled for rocks, trees and other objects on the trail. Or cars, pedestrians, and vendors if you're in the city.
3. Stay focused on your landing area as you come off your bike.
4. Protect your head and face with your hands and arms. Get into a 'tuck' position ' your chin tucked down against your chest and your arms bent at the elbows and ready to help absorb the shock when you land.
5. Try to land on your side instead of your chest or back. As you hit the ground, try to stay as loose as possible. If you're tense or stiff, it's easier to get hurt.
6. If there are riders behind you, get off the trail to avoid being hit.

This from a girl who went trailing on semi-sneakers, no gloves, then removed her sneakers and pedaled barefoot. Hehe.

Dika punta Subic?

7. When in a downhill trail, always stand-up on your bike to have more control. I learned that on my first days of mountain biking, got me a big scar to prove it. Hehe.

the only way to avoid crashing is to get better on riding. as you get better your reflexes sa in-coming accidents become almost an instinct. more riding time equips you with the experience of riding in different condition.
know your limit, and do not think you can handle everything in your path. study the terrains and attack it in a pace that you can manage. also, check the bike your using. inspect everthing first before you ride. brake pads, brake cables, spongyness ng hydros, tires- use the right tire for the right condition.

minsan if you overlook yung mga simple things na ganito, no matter how skilled you are, a simple slip of a mud tire on a dry track will lead to a painfull situation.

pero minsan talaga, there's nothing you can do if there's little green man on the middle of track..... all you can do is, get off the bike and walk pass the green man very carefully...... hehehe

yun din ang secret ni totong kung bakit malakas sya umahom. tinutulak sya ng little green friend nya.

hmmmm.....

I crash a lot, even during my motorcycle days.
Crashing sucks. It hurts the body and sometimes, even the wallet.
It can happen in an instant, in a blink of an eye, when you least expect it.
One thing I learned from crashing is to "Dress for the crash".
Wear your lid, gloves... and if necessary, elbow, knee pads and chest protection.

Some crashes are unavoidable like when I dabbed my foot on a f*&^%$g rut covered with grass. But I agree with Yayee, you have to dress for the crash when you know will be riding aggressively on a specific trail. Like Yayee, pag mag Ro-roxas iyan sigurado may dalang pads iyan dahil titirahin niya yung drop.

Recovery is another issue. Sabi ni Randal you have to learn to ride better kaso pag naaksidente ka nang matindi, parang back to zero. When I broke my leg, parang pati balance ko apektado dahil mas mahina yung isa. Hirap akong angatin yung likod. Nung yung wrist ko naman ang nadale, hirap humila ng handlebar hanggang ngayon. Kaya tuloy pag nag D-DH ako, iwas ako sa mga jump, hanggang sagasa na lang ako.

Anyways, agree rin ako kay patrick, iwasan niyong tumukod pag sumemplang.

how to crash properly
close your eyes...let gravity do the job....just go with the flow..hehehe

msakit sumemplang lalo na pag nabalian:
ang tagal ng recovery...tapos yung takot mo andun padin..
ang hirap pa pag injured..ndi makapag trabaho ng ayos..tapus parang depressed ka kasi di mo magawa yung mga dating gnagawa..
ang daming na mi miss na activities.



natakot narin ako mag trail ...kung mag trail man ako ulit doble ingat nalang talaga..

mag xc nalang ako..do you xc?

how to crash safely:

dont.

i'm not as athletic as most riders are. i just wing it most of the time. i've endured alot of crashes and bumps. wala nama major thankfully. the worst i've had so far was that nung nag-endo ako sa roxas. more memorable ones are when i crashed on a bunnyhop first time on a rigid fork and wider bars, some pedal snaps on the shin, going over on mikes barracuda. baliktad kasi yung preno e. yung drop dun sa may science building nung bagong buu yung grenade ko (thank you macky). hehehe. marami pa. what's important is learning something after crashing. keep yourself in check.

crashing is a humbling experience.

don't be afraid. don't be a fool either. works on multiple levels.