Watching the "SON" Go Down!

[lemondsteel]

I posted a few weeks back to the post about riding with your son and about how GREAT it make you feel when your son finally can out sprint, out pace and leave you gasping for air. IT's just GREAT!

Well...... yesterday it happened....... my "SON" went down hard! We have occasionally talked about how and when he would take his first "clean your shorts out spill" while riding. So..........we're tooling along on a route we often ride and our speed is about 25mph with a good head wind coming in at about a 45 degree angle to my front left. So we've got this great tuck your head and burn ride going, he's off to my right riding on the edge of the road and I hear the two magic words before every crash "oh sh*t"... I look to my right and he's off the road going down a small shoulder and up against the corn lining the road. Eyes look like half-dollars! I yell "ride it out" and about the time he looks at me the front wheel finds a hole in the soft dirt........ he is now passing me head first like a guided missle. Great head and shoulder plant but he tucks and rolls perfectly! This all takes place in an instant. I get stopped and turn around and the first thing WE ALL think of is "god I hope the bikes alright". Felt guilty but that was my first thought and I found out it was his too. He's getting up and starts laughing like a hyena and I start laughing too. His first comment was "well, I'm glad that's over and wouldn't it make a great clip on Funniest Home Videos". He's Ok, he's just experienced a cyclists dreaded moment, his bike is Ok and we are riding off laughing. He was lucky and I hope all of you out there riding with sons and daughters has the safe outcome we did! GREAT BUT SCARY MOMENT FOR A FATHER!

[Bruce K]

Glad to hear he survived this one.

My fist one was on a club ride with my son in front of me (he was #2 and I was #3 in line). We were going about 21 mph when he somehow clipped the rear wheel of the lead rider.

The next thing I know I am hard on the brakes watching him roll down the middle of the road in front of my front tire as I try not to run him over and go down as well. There are car tires squealing behind us and the sound of a body or two hitting the dirt as a couple of the riders behind us went onto the shoulder and lawn beyond to avoid the mayhem.

Ambulance and police car came as a pedestrian called it in immediately.

He had a fair amount of road rash and the bike survived with minor cosmetic damage to tape and derailleurs.

But that moment of looking down at him tumbling along the road is one I will never forget.

On the other hand, the hours spent together pedaling are some of my most memorable as time together.

BK

[slowgoing]

Glad he's OK.

The ability to tuck and roll is critical. I think I'm going to put my son through gymnastics and/or judo training before I take him biking. He needs to get familiar with that flying through the air feeling, although even that won't completely eliminate injuries. A few years ago, I went down speedskating at over 20mph, did a perfect tuck and roll, but the force on asphault at that speed was still enough to disclocate my shoulder.

[Fixed]

bro years ago I was coaching some inner city kids sprinting and I'm having them go one at a time well my son rams in the back of the rider that started before him ,he hit him at about 25 mph , my son broke his helmet the other boy started crying . the look on my son face he was so sorry.. he now keeps his head up when he sprints .
I crash way more than him when we go mt. biking ..he makes me go first .
cheers

[Mud]

He is a great mountainbiker but has only ridden sporadically as school, working two jobs, finance (now wife) kept him busy. A year before he was married we took him to Moab with us (November 2002) and rode with Dreamride as we usually do.

For the first two days I kicked his butt on every climb. Every dog has his day, but finally he got his legs and adjusted to the altitude. Lois and I watched he and the guide riding a trail where we were easing off 1 and 2 foot leges and he and the guide are flying off 4 foot stuff and riding down the sides of slickrock walls. You know that crazy feeling you get below the waist when you know something could really hurt. :bike:

But it was all good. He probably has not ridden more than twice since then on the Mtb but we will always have the memory. :D