Your last crash and what did you learn from it?

[simpsc]

Every time I crash I learn (the hard way) a new lesson. With that said I thought it would be a good idea to start a thread so folks could share thier own experiences and let others know the following.

1. How and why they crashed

2. The result of the crash

3. What they learned from the crash (or what not to do again)

Perhaps with this thread we can all learn lessons from each other without having to learn them on our own, the hard way. I will start.

My last crash was on a long step up with a lot of very deep, hard, sun baked ruts located just after the landing zone. During my practice laps I did noticed them and made a mental note not to get into them. Unfortunatly, when I decided to hit the step up, the ruts completely slipped my mind and I drove right through them at a pretty good pace. I cross rutted and was thrown into the air and onto the ground, landing flat on my back. Sort of reminded me of flipping a pancake in the pan.

The doctor thought I had a broken back or a cracked Pelvis but luckily the X-rays proved him to be wrong. Turned out to be just a torn muscle and some deep bruising. It was however, enough to keep me off my bike for about a month.

With this crash I learned quite a few things.

(1)I will never ride without lower back protection again.

(2)I will be more discrimenting about what tracks I ride and if the track is in this bad of shape, I may just pass.

(3)If I am not 100% sure what my landing zone is like I will not be hitting a jump wide open in fourth gear. When approaching a jump I will make sure I am thinking about what is waiting on me when I land.

(4) I think because I was going so fast I panicked a bit and allowed myself to hop out of the rut. After giving it some thought, I believe that if I would have committed to the rut instead of allowing myself to hop out of it I may have been able to ride it out.

[zao]

I don't think you can learn from it if you don't remember it. At least that's the boat I'm in.

[68b_body]

Crashed on a small 25' tabletop front tire hit a rut and jerked my bars to the left

I'm pretty sure I fractured some ribs and verterbres. Partially paralyzed for a few days. Hurt to breath. From my coxis to the mddle of my back my whole right side was black.

What I learned. Crashing hurts!

[manson3161]

stupid hurts... I have learned from my crashes and the close calls

[fivepointnine]

I have learned that if I have doubts about the jump...any doubts at all...dont jump it, it has worked so far.

last crash wasnt even really a crash, I was climbing out of a ravine from a dead stop and popped my clutch and slid out, no biggie, just embarrasing

[fizicks]

1. cased a triple

2. Broken ankle - tibia

3. Go faster next time

[earthmx]

dont ride over my head

[honcrf150]

I learned not to jump sketchy jumps that are made by people who do not know how to make jumps.

[N7SLC]

I learned that cactus is painful and takes a long time to get out of your arm

after high-siding in Moab...

[k2rider]

I didn't actually learn anything that I didn't already know. I violated one of my own cardinal rules when I hit a drop off without knowing exactly what was on the other side.

I'll be paying for my mistake by missing 95% of this entire desert season.

[NVDESERTPETE]

Intact side knobs on the front are important!

[magna87]

I think I need to ride like I'm 50 and not 17. the last one hurt bad ....if the young guns can't .wait too bad.. 45yrs of dirt riding and crashing is part of the game ....ride smart....?

[rider152]

you know it must of been a good one.. I didn't learn anything because I can't remember anything after it .. haa haa

[ron_m]

Interesting thread topic. I'd have to say that I learned to concentrate more on the particular jump that I crashed on--and not hit it at break neck speed again.

[unclewho]

I learnt, Dont hit slimy mosssy logs that are diagonal to the trail head on.

[joethunder]

I learned I should have zigged, instead of zagged.

[06crf_er]

I learned not to overjump a table and land in the face of the next one. When you do that, you hurt your ankles and end up in a wheelchair.

[trailrider95]

i learned,that parts can be expensive, that the saying when in doubt throttle out isnt always true,an 3rd gear pinned wheelies hurt..

i was wheelying through these whoops hit a rock i didnt see an well Iwas WFO,it WAS pretty cool until i hit the ground,bent the lever into a weird shape(if you care to see how weird its under this title-result of a crash)

[tmowers17]

Forgive me everyone for i have sinned...i hit a third gear jump...fifth gear pinned ?

[akfreerider]

look where you wanna go stupid!!