I hate bikes!

[epoxyboy]

I took part in the Ports Hills MTB enduro on saturday - four timed stages over a mixed cross country/downhill course. My ungrateful XC steed spat me off near the end of the second (downhill) stage, and I sprangled my left shoulder. Grade 1 AC joint dislocation, a broken rib and a smashed bike helmet. The bas***d bike of was uscathed of course. My wife even made some disparaging comment about an old guy like me trying to keep with fearless young men on hard core full suspension downhill bikes. Go figure!



Pete

[The Bigfella]

Ouch.

Time to get a motorbike... they are much safer.

[stevebaby]

Wrong.
Last year, 214 motorcyclists were killed...around 20% of all road deaths.
http://www.carrsq.qut.edu.au/publica..._safety_fs.pdf

In the 2000s so far (2000 to
2005), the range has been from 26 to 46 per year. (cyclists)
http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roa...lists_road.pdf

Cycling is very much safer than motorcycling.

[The Bigfella]

Wrong.
Last year, 214 motorcyclists were killed...around 20% of all road deaths.
http://www.carrsq.qut.edu.au/publica..._safety_fs.pdf

In the 2000s so far (2000 to
2005), the range has been from 26 to 46 per year. (cyclists)
http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roa...lists_road.pdf

Cycling is very much safer than motorcycling.

The $5 Constable is losing it. What a useless set of data that is.

First up, a report comparing motorcycle deaths to cars, then one looking at road deaths of cyclists. At least you used to find relevant data. This thread is about off-road cycling. What's that got to do with roads? What's a supposed comparison that doesn't normalise the data worth... not even 5 cents. How about comparing equal data... injuries per thousand km travelled, for example?

Maybe its time you got yourself a wooden boat... rather than just looking for a way of picking at people's lives? What a sad and sorry existence it must be.

Get out and smell some roses or bicycle seats or whatever it is that will give you some jollies instead of the sads.

[seanz]

Welcome back to the Bilge, Pete. Hope the shoulder heals up real quick.


Nice thread title.

[purri]

The $5 Constable is losing it. What a useless set of data that is.

First up, a report comparing motorcycle deaths to cars, then one looking at road deaths of cyclists. At least you used to find relevant data. This thread is about off-road cycling. What's that got to do with roads? What's a supposed comparison that doesn't normalise the data worth... not even 5 cents. How about comparing equal data... injuries per thousand km travelled, for example?

Maybe its time you got yourself a wooden boat... rather than just looking for a way of picking at people's lives? What a sad and sorry existence it must be.

Get out and smell some roses or bicycle seats or whatever it is that will give you some jollies instead of the sads.

Interesting slag off "big boy". BTW I have no love lost for the PC cyclists of the inner city environs but the stats show that miles travelled show that pedalphiles are more prone to (unreported) injury than motos.

Mind you your craptic reply to an honest thread leaves me with a distinctly poor opinion of what passes for your "honest brokerage" of matters.

Now pissorf.

[The Bigfella]

Interesting slag off "big boy". BTW I have no love lost for the PC cyclists of the inner city environs but the stats show that miles travelled show that pedalphiles are more prone to (unreported) injury than motos.

Mind you your craptic reply to an honest thread leaves me with a distinctly poor opinion of what passes for your "honest brokerage" of matters.

Now pissorf.

Says the second guy here who does nothing but slag off at others. Been milked for bile lately?

[purri]

I note you are slagging off SB on several threads. SOP.

[seanz]

Jesus wept........

[The Bigfella]

Jesus wept........

Its OK... he was just proving my point.... I'll toodle off now.

They give him a pretty hard time over on the blokey shed when he starts spewing crap. Ditto a surfing forum. I wonder if he's ever smiled?

[Paul Pless]

I note you are slagging off SB on several threads. SOP.

SB???

[The Bigfella]

SB???

The $5 Constable. Someone who does nothing but bag other posters. Someone who virtually never posts a positive. Never heard any mention of a boat.... just comes in to prove points. Unfortunately, his detective skills are waning.

[epoxyboy]

Welcome back to the Bilge, Pete. Hope the shoulder heals up real quick.


Nice thread title.

I thought the title would get your attention Sean :-)

Actually the shoulder isnt too bad, but the rib is a pain - I live in fear of sneezing or coughing at the moment, and attempting to get out of bed requires careful planning and gritting of teeth.

Jesus weeps quite quite a down here :-/


Pete

[LeeG]

good bruises?

[Paul Pless]

The $5 Constable. Someone who does nothing but bag other posters. Someone who virtually never posts a positive. Never heard any mention of a boat.... just comes in to prove points. Unfortunately, his detective skills are waning.

Oh come one. Anybody who takes Phillip to task as much as Steve does is alright in my book.

[wharf rat]

Pete, were you riding a hard or soft tail? Hard tails going downhill fast can be mean, evil, things.

Here's hoping for a quick recovery.

[LeeG]

I remember when the racing club did off season winter training in the hills before mtn. bikes became popular. Man that was some hysterical riding. Eye muscles have to get in shape so you can see through the vibration. I forget the bike I rode but I do remember going airborne a few times. Connective tissue isn't the same now. It's like rugby, without shocks and fat tires velocity and deceleration issues are a bit reduced. A bit.

[stevebaby]

Oh come one. Anybody who takes Phillip to task as much as Steve does is alright in my book.

Phillip and I seem to have run out of things to argue about but we remain like two fighting roosters, each waiting for the other to make a move!
Meanwhile, Glen has taken up the slack.

[epoxyboy]

good bruises?

No - at least not yet. My wife doesn't think its fair, as she just has to think about falling off something to get spectacular bruises. All I have to show for my troubles so far are patches of missing hide on my shoulder and elbow.

Pete

[epoxyboy]

The offending bike is a hardtail, and the crash was entirely its fault, and nothing to do with any lack of skill on my part. I think I got bounced off line over a smallish bump and landed a bit crossed up - and the rest is history. The track is pretty narrow, and has about a 4 metre drop down to a firebreak on the right side - I was probably focussing too much on avoiding the edge, and not enough on the track.

I am not as talented as this inidvidual - no where near as fast, and much less air - I think the spot I bailed is about 6.02 on this vid though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7aAHkDbKV4

Pete

[seanz]

You rode that track? Legend.

I'd be hard-pressed to walk it...........

If this madness is to continue, I'd suggest a full suspension XC. A friend has just bought one (Specialized) and seems happy. Might be worth remembering that hard-tails might not be on a course-planner's radar these days..........

[Phillip Allen]

Phillip and I seem to have run out of things to argue about but we remain like two fighting roosters, each waiting for the other to make a move!
Meanwhile, Glen has taken up the slack.

Glen IS the slack

[Paul Pless]

Here's my local trail. Its about two minutes from my front door. There's three alternate loops to it, the first one is 17 miles, the second is 12 miles, and the third is fifteen miles.

[seanz]

I know that's you Paul, I can hear a spoke pop at 1:51.

[Paul Pless]

I know that's you Paul, I can hear a spoke pop at 1:51.

I actually don't ride that trail. I walk it, hike it, and jog it a bit on weekdays. I'd like to start cross country skiing it in the winter. On weekends during the summer its packed with riders. I see lots of injuries: mostly downhill endos and/or tree contact. My wrists haven't been good enough to ride a bike much but I'm in the market for a new full suspension bike and hope to start riding it this year.

[seanz]

Good for you. Wrists? Oury Grips.

[Paul Pless]

Wrists?

Carpal Tunnel. I had the corrective surgery last summer. It took till Christams to get my grip strength back, but it wasa success with no numbing pain anylonger. Riding a bike was hell before the surgery.

[seanz]

That's good, I remember the carpal tunnel issues you had. I still recommend those grips though as they really dampen vibration.

Have fun bike-shopping......

[john welsford]

You could of course try UPHILL mountain bike racing, you get all the fitness benefits with much lower risk!
The scenery looks much the same, that is if you can see it at all through the curtain of sweat in your eyes.

John Welsford

I took part in the Ports Hills MTB enduro on saturday - four timed stages over a mixed cross country/downhill course. My ungrateful XC steed spat me off near the end of the second (downhill) stage, and I sprangled my left shoulder. Grade 1 AC joint dislocation, a broken rib and a smashed bike helmet. The bas***d bike of was uscathed of course. My wife even made some disparaging comment about an old guy like me trying to keep with fearless young men on hard core full suspension downhill bikes. Go figure!



Pete

[The Bigfella]

I actually don't ride that trail. I walk it, hike it, and jog it a bit on weekdays. I'd like to start cross country skiing it in the winter. On weekends during the summer its packed with riders. I see lots of injuries: mostly downhill endos and/or tree contact. My wrists haven't been good enough to ride a bike much but I'm in the market for a new full suspension bike and hope to start riding it this year.

Can we not mention downhill endos again please? I went over the bars on a particularly steep hill on the bike on Cape York.... entirely due to my own stupidity, of course. The speed had got too high, the rear brake wasn't helping and I tried to just feather the front brake. Oops. Its a nasty feeling as it flips.

[wharf rat]

The offending bike is a hardtail, and the crash was entirely its fault, and nothing to do with any lack of skill on my part. I think I got bounced off line over a smallish bump and landed a bit crossed up - and the rest is history. The track is pretty narrow, and has about a 4 metre drop down to a firebreak on the right side - I was probably focussing too much on avoiding the edge, and not enough on the track.

I am not as talented as this inidvidual - no where near as fast, and much less air - I think the spot I bailed is about 6.02 on this vid though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7aAHkDbKV4

Pete

Now that everyone has a dedicated downhill bike (well, almost everyone )--long suspension travel, triple clamp forks, disc brakes and all that, courses are laid out to utilize these features. A trail that caters to lower tech bikes is too slow and undemanding to the hard core downhillers and watchers, unfortunately.

You could of course try UPHILL mountain bike racing, you get all the fitness benefits with much lower risk!
The scenery looks much the same, that is if you can see it at all through the curtain of sweat in your eyes.

John Welsford

Uphill mountain bike racing. Uphill moungtain bike racing? They race bikes UPHILL? I personally learned a long time ago that the only way I was going to get my butt and my bike back up most trails was in the back of a Jeep.