Came off bike in most plonkerish way

[topographer]

I was going along a pretty normal road doing about 15mph I think and looked over my shoulder for cars a couple of times when I suddenly realised my front wheel was dangerously close to the kerb. I had visions of hitting it and going flying...which was not a nice thought as I was just in t-shirt and jeans and not wearing gloves or anything else. I pulled the wheel away from the kerb, but for reasons that puzzle me, it just started weaving from side to side and I couldn't seem to straighten it. So I applied a bit of brake to slow me down but the second I did, I went over the bars. I'm OK, just have a bruised foot. I didn't brake that hard, so I assume that the front wheel must have been diagonal at the moment I braked, hence the throw off.

I feel embarrassed about it. Can snaking happen on a bike or am I just a useless plonker? I've heard of uncontrollable snaking with cars in certain circumstances and I know it can happen with caravans because I have personal experience of it (when I was a kid the family caravan ended up on its side on the A1). They even sell anti-snaking bars for caravans...but a snaking push bike, surely not? When I tried to get the bike under control it was as if I kept over-compensating and just causing it to go too far the other way and weaving about. I think maybe I panicked and pulled the wheel with too sudden a jerk and maybe that started the erratic movement. Has any one else had this happen? Is it a known thing or am I spaz?

 

[flecc]

I'd say the snaking and braking instability were due to the buildup of detritus near to the kerb. In effect you were on a loose surface dirt track at that point, making for uncertain steering and limited braking adhesion.

Could happen to anyone in that road area close to the kerb, so best to keep away from it as much as possible, both for stability and puncture avoidance, since that's where sharp objects often end up. Motor traffic, rain and road camber direct everything loose that way.
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[Danidl]

Can't answer the spaz question but as to the other. No snaking, particularly if you were sitting in the saddle. Your weight would have precluded it. I am inclined to think it was over reaction. .. when you twisted the handle bars abruptly, you may have forced the rear of the front wheel against thekerb that would have been driving you towards the road etc then panic!! .
Good that the only thing damaged was your dignity!.

I also had a snaking incident .. used all three lanes of the Uk M5 and only stopped when both tyres on the caravan popped off. Always used an anti-anxiety stabilizer since.

 

[Gubbins]

I saw someone look over their right shoulder, veer slightly to the left hitting the kerb and doing a wobbly wobbly until the front wheel tried to mount the kerb throwing him over the bars. Could it be something like that? The fact that you say wheel rather than bars suggests inexperience...

 

[Gubbins]

Strangely I am just reading about an increase in deaths in Holland attributed to ebike use by older people.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/22/older-dutch-cyclists-warned-surge-electric-bike-deaths-police-netherlands

 

[awol]

I'd recommend one of these and you don't need to look over your shoulder anymore.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Satety-Bike-Mirror-Mountain-Bicycle-Rearview-Handlebar-Flexible-Rear-Back-View-/152649878514?var=&hash=item238aa44bf2:m:mS7h6p2N5f2m9bvaNJgIRjg

 

[topographer]

I'd say the snaking and braking instability were due to the buildup of detritus near to the kerb. In effect you were on a loose surface dirt track at that point, making for uncertain steering and limited braking adhesion.

Could happen to anyone in that road area close to the kerb, so best to keep away from it as much as possible, both for stability and puncture avoidance, since that's where sharp objects often end up. Motor traffic, rain and road camber direct everything loose that way.
.

I don't think it was that. I was actually on the tarmac proper but was angling toward the kerb rather than riding in the channel. That being said, I was probably closer to the kerb than many people would be to start with because I am quite car nervy. I've had a rear view mirror on my to buy list for ages but haven't got around to buying it yet.

 

[topographer]

Can't answer the spaz question but as to the other. No snaking, particularly if you were sitting in the saddle. Your weight would have precluded it. I am inclined to think it was over reaction. .. when you twisted the handle bars abruptly, you may have forced the rear of the front wheel against the methane that would have been driving you towards the road etc then panic!! .
Good that the only thing damaged was your dignity!.

I also had a snaking incident .. used all three lanes of the Uk M5 and only stopped when both tyres on the caravan popped off. Always used an anti-anxiety stabilizer since.

Methane? Yes, panic leading to erratic movements maybe.

Re your M5 incident: bloody scary isn't it?

 

[Gubbins]

I don't think it was that. I was actually on the tarmac proper but was angling toward the kerb rather than riding in the channel. That being said, I was probably closer to the kerb than many people would be to start with because I am quite car nervy. I've had a rear view mirror on my to buy list for ages but haven't got around to buying it yet.

If you are thinking of a mirror then be wary of just buying one on line. Some have flat glass which I found not too good and eventually bought a mirrycle bar end one. Not cheap but very good

 

[Danidl]

Methane? Yes, panic leading to erratic movements maybe.

Re your M5 incident: bloody scary isn't it?

.. methane?? Damn that predictive text , I corrected it a moment later , but perhaps relevent. And yes snaking is not fun. .. during those couple of seconds , flashing through my mind, I kid you not, was .. ahh that was what the mechanics lecturer meant by coupled oscillations... It was just very scary for the two children in the back. Fortunately there was little traffic on the M5 at the time and we ended up with the car pointing straight forwards and the caravan at 90 degrees, close to the left lane, and with the back section of the car 4inches lower than before.

 

[flecc]

I've had a rear view mirror on my to buy list for ages but haven't got around to buying it yet.

Yes, a mirror is the answer. Since adopting one many years ago I won't ride without one, they make such a big difference.
.

 

[topographer]

I saw someone look over their right shoulder, veer slightly to the left hitting the kerb and doing a wobbly wobbly until the front wheel tried to mount the kerb throwing him over the bars. Could it be something like that? The fact that you say wheel rather than bars suggests inexperience...

Yes, 'doing the wobbly' is exactly what it was even though I didn't actually hit the kerb. It was started by panic rather than a kerb bounce. I'm trying to convince myself that once your bar/wheel is pulled to one side to a sufficient angle that the dynamics/physics of a wheel on a hard surface will cause it to spring or jerk a bit but I'm not sure I believe it.

 

[flecc]

Yes, 'doing the wobbly' is exactly what it was even though I didn't actually hit the kerb. It was started by panic rather than a kerb bounce. I'm trying to convince myself that once your bar/wheel is pulled to one side to a sufficient angle that the dynamics/physics of a wheel on a hard surface will cause it to spring or jerk a bit but I'm not sure I believe it.

Maybe in that moment of panic you were gripping the bars too tightly? That can cause the steering to be unstable and it's what causes beginner's wobble when they first get on to learn to ride.
Once they learn to relax and let the steering auto-correct minor deviations, the wobble goes.
.

 

[lee-wave]

Yes, a mirror is the answer. Since adopting one many years ago I won't ride without one, they make such a big difference.
.

I followed your advice years ago Flecc and have a mirror on all my bikes...because the cyclist is a bit further to left then the following car driver a quick nod to the right and the cessation of pedalling by the cyclist gives a good indication that you have seen them...I use a quick thumbs up as a 'good to go pass' signal...often receive a quick pip on the horn...goodwill both ways...

 

[tommie]

I'd recommend one of these and you don't need to look over your shoulder anymore.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Satety-Bike-Mirror-Mountain-Bicycle-Rearview-Handlebar-Flexible-Rear-Back-View-/152649878514?var=&hash=item238aa44bf2:m:mS7h6p2N5f2m9bvaNJgIRjg

Received my second one a couple of days ago @ £1.88,
http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/what-do-you-get-for-£1-88-these-days.28931/

This almost happened to me riding on parkland, went to look back and in doing so you slightly straighten up, lift all weight up off the bars and consequently the front wheel will track off on any little imperfection, in this case a tree root. Luckily speed was slow and managed to pull up in time.

 

[Danidl]

Strangely I am just reading about an increase in deaths in Holland attributed to ebike use by older people.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/22/older-dutch-cyclists-warned-surge-electric-bike-deaths-police-netherlands

That is basically a very lazy article. In essence it's saying that 10% of the cyclists killed were on ebikes , a figure in line with the last three years statistics . While it wasn't easy to find the number of active ebikes and ordinary bikes in Holland, the figures over the last few years indicate that 20% to 30% by number not value of sales are now ebikes. So either ebikes are safer than or equivalent in safety to ordinary bikes.
That the majority of deaths on ebikes were from the over sixty population well gosh who would have guessed that the older age group might have fancied a little assistance. its not as if they were a tiny minority either as they are 20% of the population.

 

[topographer]

This almost happened to me riding on parkland, went to look back and in doing so you slightly straighten up, lift all weight up off the bars and consequently the front wheel will track off on any little imperfection, in this case a tree root. Luckily speed was slow and managed to pull up in time.

Did you do the weaving/wobbling/snaking thing?

 

[tommie]

Did you do the weaving/wobbling/snaking thing?

to be precise the front wheel started the `weaving/wobbling/snaking thing`,
if i had more weight on the bars it wouldn`t have happened.

 

[topographer]

I was riding on throttle at the time because I'm nursing my intermittently sore heel. I wasn't pedalling. Not sure if that made a difference. I do feel slightly less comfy when throttling alone; I feel like I'm just perching on a thing that's moving about. When I'm pedelecing I feel more like I'm part of the bike and have a slightly better grip too because my right hand isn't twisted down.

 

[Benjahmin]

Definitely get a mirror, I also use Mirrycle, very good.
It seems that the geometry/head angle of modern hybrid bikes does cause oscillation, but this is when riding with no hands on bars. I'm guessing this isn't what you were doing. It's not a problem in normal riding.
Tension is a problem. Bikes want to stay upright and in a straight line. Tension in the rider radically affects this. Shoulders, neck and arms principally, but torso too has an affect. Years ago, when motorcycling, I was taught to think of the bar grips as little birds. Hold them too tightly and you will kill them, too loosely and they will fly away. Ride with bent elbows, that way, if the wheel kicks on some stone or bump, it will self correct.
Road position is a biggy. I ride between a quarter and halfway to the centre white line. Take possession of the road, own it. Don't allow yourself to be pushed too close to the curb else you've got nowhere to go if some plonker comes too close. Also, as Flecc says, it's where all the crud, drain covers and rough bits are.
Finally, bikes don't 'steer' like what we all intuitively think they do.
If you, almost imperceptively, push the right bar end away from you, the bike will lean to the right. Sounds crazy but it does work.