I get hurt doing the simple, dumb things...like walking into the bed post, or bending over to pick something up and smacking my head on the counter, or raising up and hitting my head on something. One day at work I walked into a motor on the side of the table and hit right on my knee.
Losing focus
On Monday, I rode the trail from the pond at Rockville Hills to the lake. As I have at least a hundred times, I lifted the front wheel to get onto the boardwalk. But this time, I lifted a fraction of a second too early and dropped the front wheel into the front of the boardwalk. OTB big time. A very painful hip sent me home only a mile into the ride and I still can't operate the clutch on my Taco. Not to mention a sore shoulder and knee and a square foot of missing skin. I hope that this hip clears up because I don't want another hip replacement (other hip was a skiing injury, what else?)
This happened because I failed to focus on what I was riding because I've ridden this easy trail at least one hundred times. Ironically, the previous crash was on the main trail down to the parking lot when I got my front wheel into a rut because I had lost focus and lost respect for an easy trail I've ridden at least one hundred times.
The worst injuries are not necessarily on the big dangerous jumps and steeps. In these places we do not lose focus. It's often the easy trail we've ridden many times that lulls us into losing focus. Focus on the trail, not on that young ladies skimpy top! Note that both recent crashes have happened on the easy trails I ride to the good stuff, not rock garden, cave, or the other very technical trails at Rockville Hills.
Keep focus until you're off the bike!
This happened because I failed to focus on what I was riding because I've ridden this easy trail at least one hundred times. Ironically, the previous crash was on the main trail down to the parking lot when I got my front wheel into a rut because I had lost focus and lost respect for an easy trail I've ridden at least one hundred times.
The worst injuries are not necessarily on the big dangerous jumps and steeps. In these places we do not lose focus. It's often the easy trail we've ridden many times that lulls us into losing focus. Focus on the trail, not on that young ladies skimpy top! Note that both recent crashes have happened on the easy trails I ride to the good stuff, not rock garden, cave, or the other very technical trails at Rockville Hills.
Keep focus until you're off the bike!
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I was riding a local paved trail with my late wife several years ago. Ran right into a removable post. Over the bars I went, bruising my ego and cutting my shin.
This explains the Schwinn bike purchase.I get hurt doing the simple, dumb things...like walking into the bed post, or bending over to pick something up and smacking my head on the counter, or raising up and hitting my head on something. One day at work I walked into a motor on the side of the table and hit right on my knee.
The majority of my bad accidents come on trails I have ridden many times due to lack of focus as when riding a new trail.
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Where do you ride that has young ladies in skimpy tops? Thosr are few and far between on trails here. Not to say it doesnt happen, but pretty rare.
Member has removed content due to fundamental disagreement with this site owner's views favoring expanded access for electric mountain bikes (eMtb) on multiuse singletrack in public lands.
Sorry for your OTB and even more for your hip, but to be honest, worth it.Focus on the trail, not on that young ladies skimpy top!
I only try to think on the climbs.
I also notice it when I'm getting tired. Towards the end of a hard ride my lines will start suffering. I'm prone to running a little wide and clipping a tree, or cutting a corner a little too tight and losing the front tire in the leaves. I've learned to back it down a little when I see those things starting to happen.
My last two fall have been within the first 10 minutes of getting on the bike. The first was an easy slow ride up to the trailhead on some single track, I clipped a small root sticking out at a weird angle, the front washed out and before I knew it I was skidding on my Leatt chest protector. The second was a casual ride up some single track and I washed out on a greasy root. Once more saved by the chest protector. Without armour they were both rib cracking falls. In both cases I hit the deck so quickly I cant even remember the fall but I was able to get straight back on the bike and continue on. Lack of concentration was the main factor at play here
I drink two coffees and a 5 hour energy before my rides. When all that kicks in, I can see the frickin matrix!
I crashed pretty hard a couple of weeks ago on a trail segent that Strava shows I've ridden 134 times in the past few years. Someone must have moved some of the rocks. Couldn't have been my fault. 
My worst, after-the-fact-scariest wreck ever in my biking life was on a wide open fire road coming down a hill. It was so "easy" and "open" I stopped paying attention and got mesmerized by the scenery. I looked back over at the road probably going 20mph as I was about 5 ft from a sizeable downed tree across the road. At that point it was nothing but instinct (i.e. zero thought process) but I grabbed two fistfuls of brake and launched myself off the bike, literally, and landed more or less head first. I ended up with a concussion and abrasions but looking back on it could have broken my neck.
Yup, this may be the most common way to crash. Anytime you're on wheels you need to be fully alert.
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