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Originally posted by Hovmod
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Thanks for all the well wishing.
Today I awoke with high fever and a throat infection.
I am adding budding fever to the causes of the crash.
I was following my buddy, but not super close. Two seconds, maybe more.
However, I was in the roundabout, and that caused me to spread my attention somewhat.
When my buddy suddenly braked, this was unexpected. I had already processed his position and direction and so on, so when he stopped suddenly, I was unprepared.
However, my front wheel locked up.
While I take full blame for this crash, I do not agree that my position relative my buddy and my attention to my surroundings were the only factors.
I wasn't trying to panic brake at all, and locking the wheel was unintended and unexpected.
Explanations for this could include:
-Tyres, which, although good looking and with good treads, were three years old. Not three seasons of hard riding, but three years eats rubber. I should have prioritized rubber.
Tire age has very little to do with the installation date.
Tires begin to age right after they leave the factory.
It is possible that your tires were in dealer stock for two years before you got them.
The manufacturing date (which is marked on the sidewall) is most important, but even though the bike has (apparently) spent most of its time parked, how/where the tire and bike have been stored can make a significant difference to tread hardening, with outdoor storage in open sunlight probably being the top of the list.
-Just a couple of kilometers earlier, we were on a road with brand new asphalt, which may (or indeed may not) have altered the traction of the tyres somewhat. I thought about this while riding on the new road, and slowed down there, but did not think about it at the time of the crash.
-There has been more accidents at this spot. It is not a genius piece of city planning... When I picked up my pieces, I found pieces from other vehicles as well. It is possible that the road was more slippery because of spills from recent previous accidents.
-Unfamiliarity with the bike. Clearly. I have not ridden very much on it at all, and this was the first ride in months.
-Rusty technique. I have not ridden much this season at all.
Either of those things makes you a less safe rider, but together they can become problematic, and very often do, for many riders.
All of us have to adjust to riding after a winter of down time, and even longer off the road means the skill level drops a bit more.
This is the main reason so many riders go down in Spring.
It is also the reason I hate and love my first ride of the season: I know I do not have the sharpness that was there last Fall, but the temptation is there.....
...and it is SO easy to go too far, too soon.
-Speed. I wasn't going stupid fast, but a little slower and I might not have crashed. I do not expect to learn from this. Fixing the two points above will fix this.
That is just, plain, bad.
Notwithstanding your comments below, which do not appear to have a lot of weight, if you have stopped yourself from learning, you are in great danger, and no matter that you got your licence in 1985, you really need to adjust your thinking, because EVERY incident should give a lesson, and it should be accepted.
-Attention and mental acuity. This is where my feeble excuse of the budding fever comes in, and also that I did NOT expect the pedestrian that caused my buddy to stop. I had navigated the roundabout to the point where just when he stopped, I was ready to accelerate.
All these factors, and probably more worked together so when I braked, my wheel slid away.
Lessons learned?
Hm. More space, sure. I always try to give myself sufficient space, and I try to look for options. This happened fast, but maybe I could have avoided it by letting one more car go through the roundabout.
Most of all I'm very happy with how my safety gear kept me from further injuries, and that I (just) did not pose a threat to anyone else.
I hope this doesn't read as a list of bad excuses. I was at fault. I'm just not ready to blame it all on one cause.
Today I awoke with high fever and a throat infection.
I am adding budding fever to the causes of the crash.
I was following my buddy, but not super close. Two seconds, maybe more.
However, I was in the roundabout, and that caused me to spread my attention somewhat.
When my buddy suddenly braked, this was unexpected. I had already processed his position and direction and so on, so when he stopped suddenly, I was unprepared.
However, my front wheel locked up.
While I take full blame for this crash, I do not agree that my position relative my buddy and my attention to my surroundings were the only factors.
I wasn't trying to panic brake at all, and locking the wheel was unintended and unexpected.
Explanations for this could include:
-Tyres, which, although good looking and with good treads, were three years old. Not three seasons of hard riding, but three years eats rubber. I should have prioritized rubber.
Tire age has very little to do with the installation date.
Tires begin to age right after they leave the factory.
It is possible that your tires were in dealer stock for two years before you got them.
The manufacturing date (which is marked on the sidewall) is most important, but even though the bike has (apparently) spent most of its time parked, how/where the tire and bike have been stored can make a significant difference to tread hardening, with outdoor storage in open sunlight probably being the top of the list.
-Just a couple of kilometers earlier, we were on a road with brand new asphalt, which may (or indeed may not) have altered the traction of the tyres somewhat. I thought about this while riding on the new road, and slowed down there, but did not think about it at the time of the crash.
-There has been more accidents at this spot. It is not a genius piece of city planning... When I picked up my pieces, I found pieces from other vehicles as well. It is possible that the road was more slippery because of spills from recent previous accidents.
-Unfamiliarity with the bike. Clearly. I have not ridden very much on it at all, and this was the first ride in months.
-Rusty technique. I have not ridden much this season at all.
Either of those things makes you a less safe rider, but together they can become problematic, and very often do, for many riders.
All of us have to adjust to riding after a winter of down time, and even longer off the road means the skill level drops a bit more.
This is the main reason so many riders go down in Spring.
It is also the reason I hate and love my first ride of the season: I know I do not have the sharpness that was there last Fall, but the temptation is there.....
...and it is SO easy to go too far, too soon.-Speed. I wasn't going stupid fast, but a little slower and I might not have crashed. I do not expect to learn from this. Fixing the two points above will fix this.
That is just, plain, bad.
Notwithstanding your comments below, which do not appear to have a lot of weight, if you have stopped yourself from learning, you are in great danger, and no matter that you got your licence in 1985, you really need to adjust your thinking, because EVERY incident should give a lesson, and it should be accepted.
-Attention and mental acuity. This is where my feeble excuse of the budding fever comes in, and also that I did NOT expect the pedestrian that caused my buddy to stop. I had navigated the roundabout to the point where just when he stopped, I was ready to accelerate.
All these factors, and probably more worked together so when I braked, my wheel slid away.
Lessons learned?
Hm. More space, sure. I always try to give myself sufficient space, and I try to look for options. This happened fast, but maybe I could have avoided it by letting one more car go through the roundabout.
Most of all I'm very happy with how my safety gear kept me from further injuries, and that I (just) did not pose a threat to anyone else.
I hope this doesn't read as a list of bad excuses. I was at fault. I'm just not ready to blame it all on one cause.
Get well, soon.
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