Concept Five: Look Out Below! (Body Concepts Kick Off Ride Part 2)

It’s not just a warning about what is on the ground, sometimes it’s who’s on the ground. We (Body Concepts racing team) were practicing continuous pacelines while travelling through Lincoln. We approached a T-intersection with a stop sign. There was no traffic so we rode through the right hand turn. I was towards the front and as I came out of the turn I hear a bike slide and scrape against the ground behind me. As I look back I see a rider on the ground. The rider behind her isn’t able to stop or turn in time and ends up running over her legs. I quickly stop and get off my bike, setting it on the sidewalk next to the road. I run back to the accident as fast as I can in my cycling shoes. Other riders that were closer are already there asking if she is okay.

Good focus is key in helping prevent mishaps and injury.
Image of Rob Dunlap photo credit: Body Concepts Inc.

Rob (BC team leader) was very fast to organize the group and directs someone to watch for traffic. Another rider and I head towards the stop sign to make sure no one drives around without seeing that there are riders on the ground. (This safety measure was also discussed in Folsom High Cycling Ride Leaders training.) Rob looked like he had been through something like this before as he assessed the situation, checked out the riders for injuries and sorted things out.

After everyone was cleared from the road I talked to one of the riders who had blood coming from some road rash on his face.  As I was talking to him I was asking if he took any hits to his head while looking at his helmet for damage.  Everyone was okay and we all looked at our bikes to make sure everything was still in working order. Rob fixed a rider's front tire and we resumed the ride with even the injured stoically picking themselves up and finishing the ride. I am sure that it could have been a lot worse and that I will be a witness -crossing fingers, knock on wood, rubbing lucky rabbit’s foot- but hopefully not a participant, in future crashes.

When out riding here are a few things to look out for:

·    Obvious hazards such as potholes stand out but sometimes the deliberate texturing/grooving of asphalt can grab a tire unexpectedly. This also applies for the border edge between asphalt and sidewalk.

·    Various flora cast-offs like sticks and branches are obvious but also watch out for those nasty tree seed balls or hard little round “fruits” that can roll out from under your tire.

·    Road debris is always an issue: gravel, nails, staples can be a real pain and cause flat tires but glass is one of the worst as it can slash a tire and make it impossible to repair on the road.

·    Other riders. Sometimes you may be riding with someone less experienced/more reckless or someone who is usually a steady rider can be distracted (stung by a bee or something) and they can swerve into you. Always expect that someone on the road is actively trying to kill you by surprise (think Cato in the Pink Panther) and you can cut down your accidents.

·    Super Secret Hidden Hazards. Until you get some experience you may not realize that some of your greatest enemies emerge from such harmless looking things as a stripe of paint on the ground. Paint on the road creates a smooth, slick surface especially when wet. Another hidden hazard can be the smooth metal of some pothole covers. There are other types of metal on the road (drainage grates, construction plates, etc.)

·    Fauna (or what some riders may refer to a “potential road pizza”) like quail, squirrels, rabbits, turkeys, coyotes and even snakes (we have rattlers in our area and I’ve almost run over a few). Critters can dodge out of nowhere and if they don’t outright take you out physically then the shock of their sudden, darting appearance can spook you into a crash. Sometimes speeding up is the only way I have avoided certain mayhem.

·    Cars. All you need to remember is that cars are metal dragons and you look like a nice, juicy, two-wheeled prince(ss). More on that tomorrow….

So, remember to keep your eyes scanning the road. Even if you are riding at a leisure pace you do not have the luxury of complacency. Plan for what could happen, be ready to react and most importantly, Look Out Below! And look out tomorrow for Part 3 of our Body Concepts ride blog.