No one knows how many mountain bikers crash each year, but everyone expects the number to increase as more people and Bike trails are added.
The vast majority of injuries are minor, typically scrapes and cuts that can be treated in the field; a small number require stitches,
With mountain bikers, it’s not when you’re going to go down; it’s how many times you’re going to go down.
Mountain bike riders can take a few precautions to improve the chances that their injuries will be minor when they go down.
There is no shortage of videos of mountain bike crashes worldwide, with many riders having the appropriate safety equipment to escape serious injury, while others were not that fortunate.
However, some of the most spectacular mountain bike crashes have been staged for television shows and movies, using stunt riders.
In real life, mountain bike crashes can be exceptionally dangerous, causing serious injury to the riders and spectators.
Riders have been impaled on handlebars and pedals and have severe leg injuries from riders behind them who cannot stop before running over them.
While all the different disciplines of mountain biking have their dangers, downhill, trials, and dirt jumps invite the most potential for mountain bike crashes.
With the number of riders on trails today, along with the proliferation of extreme sport riding, it is no longer a matter of whether a rider will be involved in mountain bike crashes; it is a matter of when.
Regardless of the experience or expertise of the rider, a crash can be caused by another careless or inexperienced rider.
Due to the potential consequences of inevitable mountain bike crashes, riders are advised to take advantage of the many safety accessories available.
One of the first body parts to hit the ground in mountain bike crashes are the hands, whose fingers and wrists often suffer the most from even the slightest accidents.
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Mountain biking gloves, available in full-finger or half-finger designs, can ease the pain on the hands from a death-grip on the handlebars. However, full-finger gloves can help keep the skin where it belongs in the event of an accident.
The primary piece of safety equipment is a helmet, and in many mountain bike crashes where riders were using this protection, other bones may have been broken but their heads stayed in one piece.
A good quality helmet can prevent serious, often life-threatening injuries more than any other piece of safety equipment.
A helmet can prevent serious head injuries, and today’s styles and designs make them more comfortable to wear.
Anti-skid clothing can also help fallen riders maintain their skin or reduce the burn marks often associated with mountain bike crashes.
Comfortably padded shorts and shirts absorb a lot of the skin burns from falling at higher speeds.
Eye protection is also important as the debris, and the wind can cause the eyes to tear, blurring the vision that can lead to mountain bike crashes when the rider fails to negotiate a curve or other obstruction.
How You Can Avoid Mountain Bike Crashes
Approximately 85% of mountain bikers will suffer a crash or be injured during their bike rides. What is the most common cause of a mountain bike crash? Small obstacles, unbalanced weight distribution, and speeding up can all lead to an accident—fortunately, many ways to prevent a mountain bike crash or injury.
Below are some tips to avoid an accident or injury while mountain biking. You may have an accident, but you’ll be glad you did.
85% of mountain bikers get injured
While the exact mechanism of injury varies, the most common injury is a forward fall over the handlebars, causing trauma to the head, torso, and upper extremities. The cause of this injury may be due to trail surface irregularities, mechanical failure, or loss of control. While the injury rate for men is approximately eighty percent, women are more likely to sustain head injuries. Minor injuries often have no consequence, although fatal injuries are not uncommon.
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Uneven weight distribution
Mountain biking crashes are often caused by uneven weight distribution. The best way to reduce your risk of falling is to keep your weight on your pedals. This will reduce the likelihood of suffering an “endo” crash. Getting as low as possible will lower your center of gravity, which can help you balance yourself more successfully. Uneven weight distribution can lead to a crash, especially during steep descents. To minimize the risk of this type of crash, get low and lean forward to reduce your weight behind the saddle.
Small obstacles
If you’ve ever seen a mountain bike crash on a mountain trail, you probably noticed the many small obstacles on the trail. While the majority of these obstacles are easily surmounted and easy to ignore, you may accidentally ride over them or hit them, resulting in a crash. To avoid this situation, you should always look ahead to your bike. Also, scan the trail sideways and peripherally for small obstacles.
Speeding up
Mountain bike crashes are often a result of riding without enough speed and commitment. Riding with better people can help you build up your skills, and you can even ride with them without brain stoppage. But practice is often overlooked in the bike world. If you want to be a better rider, don’t just learn how to speed up. Learn the tricks of the pros and learn to slow down yourself. This video explains how to speed up and slow down while riding.
Showing off
While it may not seem like a serious thing to do, mountain bike crashes are a part of the sport. It’s common for cyclists to crash on the trails they’re riding, but showing off mountain bike crashes is a way to show off bad behavior. You may laugh more than you’d like when you see people’s crashes. In this video, four Argentine downhill mountain bikers end up in a heap off the trail after a ride that was supposed to involve a jump.
Sadly, they missed the turn and took a flying leap into a massive bush. The crash left them smashed and wondering how they ended up there on earth.
Lack of protection
It’s no secret that a mountain bike’s lack of protective gear is a significant cause of injury. The most common type of crash is an over-the-bars crash. This is usually caused by a sudden shift in weight, such as a jump that goes wrong or a nose-heavy drop. In either case, the rider is thrown over the bars. Fortunately, there are many options for reducing the severity of these types of injuries.
