The fear of crashing is there but we can’t let override our pleasure in cycling. @mblume writes of this and underplays his riding the Haute Route. That ride alone should be a long article about abiding Rule V.
Yours in Cycling, Gianni
As a transplanted American living in Europe for 12 years, I have had the great fortune of upgrading my cycling routes from the flattish, potholed, roadkill -filled, tire- puncturing, debris -strewn, pick-up truck infested cycling routes of St. Louis, Missouri to the secure, scenic, smooth as glass roads sitting at the base of the Swiss Alps, as a resident of Zurich, Switzerland.
In my first nine years in the land of Cancellara, I was much more drawn to mountain biking and racing, which probably spoke as much to my post-St. Louis, traumatic road riding recovery period as to the quality of the local singletrack. As a caterpillar undergoes a pupal metamorphosis into a butterfly, I began the transition to a road cyclist. At first the signs of the transformation were slight as I rode my Cippolini/ Gotti era Saeco-Cannondale team replica aluminum frame with Spinergies no more than once a week. Then I began to feel embarrassed about wearing a mountain bike-specific kit while on the road bike, on full display to the perfectly attired, affluent, Swiss chapter of the Velominati. I really began to feel the transformation was inevitable when I began to pay strict attention to my diet and weight. One more agent of change during my transformation to a road cyclist must also be given its proper, but tainted due: the rise of the Pharmstrong dynasty and the increased media attention paid to my countryman and cycling.
Eventually, I upgraded my ride to one signed by Ernesto Colnago. I started riding in road specific gear. I developed PR goals on all the local small Alps and generally began to live the life of an apprentice Velominati. One key item that hindered my transformation to a true amateur Velominati: the fear of crashing. As a youth, I had several bike crashes on the pavement which resulted in losing several teeth and raising my parents’ insurance premiums. In my entire career of road racing in St. Louis (2 races), I had narrowly avoided crashes that sent friends to hospitals and ruined their bikes. So despite my apparent transformation to a road cyclist, I mainly trained in isolation. For the most part I abstained from road bike races except for the occasional Alpine cyclosportive. This strategy allowed me to not be exposed to the quick, jerky reactions and the cacophony of the peloton and the resultant tense shooting fear of crashing that careened around my head like a never ending game of pinball.
Ultimately, a conversation with my Dad changed this. He had just retired and at a toast following an excellent celebratory meal, reflected on his life to that point, “Do not get to my age, look back,and have regrets about not pursuing your passions.” From that moment on I began to pursue more fully my passion of road cycling and racing. Luckily to date, I have been crash free. Although I have witnessed some nasty crashes very near to me in road races that still give me nightmares. I still think the sound of carbon and flesh hitting the pavement is one of the sickest sounds on the planet.
During 2011, I trained more seriously than ever: alpine training camps in Arizona and France, reading and studying the Rules as well as discussing them with mates, with all the seriousness of the debt ceiling debates in the US Congress. All of this devotion was in preparation for the chance to try to have a stage race experience like the Pros.
The race objective was the Haute Route, which covers a seven-stage, 720 kilometer course from Geneva to Nice. The race featured 15 Alpine cols with four mountain-top stage finishes, as well as a 12km mountain time trial on the fearsome Col du Granon. I expected many moments of pain and elation as I tried to drag my 40 year old body over the 17,000 meters of total ascent.
On stage 2, in a packed and nervous peloton at the start of the stage before the Col des Saisies, a bottle was dropped in the group ahead of me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the bottle coming my direction through the air, like a punted football at a fairly high speed. The bottle ended up under my front wheel at an angle that caused me to go skidding along the pavement. I had finally realized the nightmare crash scenario complete with the nasty sounds and pain resulting in road rash. Bruising and blood were resplendent on my entire left side and much more importantly, my pristine Scott Addict steed showed certain minor scars from the battle with the French road.
I am pleased to report that years of training topped off by this past year of paying reverence to Rule V overrode any worries about pain. My main goal was to get back in the race as soon as possible after a mandatory trip to the race ambulance. I finished the stage and the rest of the week’s racing. I have a new respect for the Pros and the level of mental focus required to compete and win Grand Tours and the demands of consecutive days of racing. Crashing is just one part of a wildly complex set of challenges and threats that the Pros and Velominati must live with and overcome.
For all you Velominati out there, find your passion and pursue it.
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I usually only think about crashing while descending. I have this slight idea that the fork will just explode, so I end up not braking to avoid stress on the fork. Completely unfounded I'm sure.
Glad we're talking about this subject. Crashing and getting hit by a car are my two cycle daemons.
I once crashed turning into my street on a wet day when my rear wheel locked up. It was a good lesson to learn about the reality of cycling.
Bunch riding is another hot spot for crashes. I often don't ride in groups if they don't signal.
A study of cycle crash characteristics found that most accidents occurred at intersections. I'll try to find the link.
Here's the link
http://www.monash.edu.au/miri/research/reports/muarc251.pdf
The study was conducted during 2000-2004 by Monash University and sponsored by the Amy Gillett Foundation. The study was based on real crashes in Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. You can read the results for yourself, but of note are the following gems:
-Most crashes occurred when the bike and car were adjacent to each other, and were at intersections
-Most crashes occurred during u-turns and entering or leaving parking
-92% of crashes occurred on a straight roads
-98% of crashes occurred on sealed roads
-Most crashes occurred Monday to Friday
-Most crashes occurred during 2pm to 6pm and 6am to 10am.
-80% of crashes involved male bike riders - love this one!
According to the study the rate of riders killed or seriously injured (taken to hospital) remained steady over the period at around 27% (wow!).
@mblume
Fantastic article. The Haute Route looks stunning, a real pinnacle of amateur sportives. It would be awesome to get a Velominati Squad entered.
Touching wood, or is it formica and typing with fingers crossed, I can say that I've suffered no worse a crash than @doubleR's topple. Being shallow I am able to occupy my mind with thoughts of how wonderful I look or imagining myself setting the the fastest ITT of the day rather than thoughts of picking out gravel and ruined V-Kit.
Great article @mblume, although I think it's important to never completely lose that fear. All of my worst crashes (there have been a few...) have been due, in part, to complacency.
Most recently I was commuting home from a shocking day at work and experienced a nasty Rule 64 situation in wet, dark conditions. I ended up in the accident and emergency department with a concussion, having my chin glued back together. Six weeks later everything is still not completely back to normal.
I'm back on the bike now, but with a couple of new scars as a reminder to always repect the road.
great one mblume:
100% spot on assessment of the riding in the midwest. Its hard, and the racers are no push overs. I race in St Louis quite often, and they are hard core. Crashes occur and they seem to relish in them. For me, crashing was all about my beloved steed, the equipement, the goods, the ride. I hated to think about the hoops getting tacoed, popping a fork, Merckx help me...trash a frame.
But it amazes me how each time I crash my bike tends to be fairly resiliant comparing to the crash itself....it would logically follow that a 16lb bike laced with carbon, spokes, and thin tubes would crimp, but it doesn't, yet.
I suppose it may, I have been lucky so far
@mblume: how do the euro guys rate amateur category racers like yourself as compared to our system...cat 5 to cat 1 to PRO?
@all: Thank for the kind words. Many asked about more information on the Haute Route. All I can say is that it is a very tough mental slog, that for 2012 is expected to be substantially more difficult. If you do not like to climb this is not a race for you. The race is top shelf in terms of organization, scenery, and it covers many of the hallowed routes of the TDF. Please see this video shot by the organizing committee that appeared on Eurosport here in Europe. Haute Route Video
@scaler911: I 100% agree that the first 3-4 days of showers and sleeping after road rash are way worse than the pain of the crash. There is something cathartic to witnessing how the body oozes, cracks and scabs itself back to health during the midst of stage race. For me the best part of the healing process was on the bike- as this was the only time I had no pain.
@souleur: In general the overall racing level of road and especially mtb amateurs in Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Germany and France is high relative to what I have encountered in the USA. I cannot speak to the road racing categories outside of Switzerland, but here there is not this huge emphasis on categories as there is the USA. Here they prefer you to show up and ride and let the race sort out the categories. That being said, at some of the larger cyclosportives, such as L'Etape du Tour, certain riders are really below Cat 5s and are in way over their heads.
mblume - EXCELLENT article. and quite timely, a great way to go into a new year, ready to pursue our passions.
happy new year everyone. i wish you all many many many happy and safe kilometers out on the roads.
@mblume- well done! As a fellow converted mountain biker (although, I have to admit I still race XC MTB more than road events) I have learned through many wrecks that the fear of falling (or more likely the tension that fear causes) results in more accidents than most other causes. When I finally learned to relax and make the bike do what I wanted, when I wanted, I rode faster and safer. You are a study in the V riding the Haute!
@ChrisO
Your third paragraph re: not concentrating is spot on. That as been the cause of most wrecks I have witnessed and the guys who pay attention can usually find a way through the carnage.