OK folks, that is just plain creepy. I check my webstats and see lots of people, many of them repeat vistors, searching out this photo...
road rash
dude, it's just a scrape. While riding my TT bike on a wet downhill, a car forced me to slam on the brakes. I went down and slid on the pavement, the driver laughed and drove off. I documented my injury, what's so fascinating? Does anyone want to see the scars?
Dan,
I remember seeing that pic before somewhere. That certainly doesn`t begin to cover all the scrapes, concussions, and bruises you have experienced.
A question for you. Dr Laukhuf was out riding her bike. She hit the brakes and suddenly was ejected over the front of her bike. Was this from the front brakes grabbing without the back brakes working?
Hope you are doing well.
Dad
Cycling Physics: Braking
The front brake provides 70 to 100 percent of the stopping power of a bicycle. When accelerating, the rider and bike's weight transfers to the back of the bike. The more suddenly you accelerate the more weight transfers backward unloading the front wheel. This is affectionately known as a wheelie. If the power overcomes the available traction the back wheel will spin. The same principle applies when you are braking (though in reverse). It is possible to get 100% of the weight on the front wheel so that the back wheel lifts right off the ground as the bike stops. This kind of reverse wheelie is generally only accomplished by skilled riders. If you goof it up it is an "endo", short for end-over-end.
Expert downhillers will stretch their arms as far forward as possible, position their butt over the rear wheel and place their chest on the saddle for extreme braking or descending. Most leisure cyclist sit tall perched on the saddle using barely a fraction of the "cockpit" area.
My "road rash" photo is a result of power overcoming available traction. On the wet downhill the rear wheel was locked and sliding then when the front wheel let go I had to lay it down.
Posted by: Dan at November 28, 2005 05:40 PMDan
Yes its just pure sadistic pleasure! What else would you think from people that would be reading from a musician's web site! I can remember this sort of crash from when I was a kid but with the crash being on asphalt! After a crash like that, there would be a semi-permanent asphalt coloration to the injured area. This only lasts 5-10 years however.
Later
Tom Mitchell