I was trying (very hard, with limited success in parts) to read a French bike mag while on hol’s last week, and one of the features was on security.
One of the things they mentioned in passing, referring to a big U-lock, was to say “and remember: don’t put one of these in your rucksack when you’re riding. If you come off you might land on it and you’re likely to hurt yourself (even more then you would by simply coming off)”
I’d never heard anyone give this advice before. It seems very sensible though. Has anyone else ever heard/thought about this?
In my opinion yes. I suppose it depends on how you pack the item but if you look at it like that even a set of keys in your pockets could cause a serious injury if you had a road accident.
Depends on the backpack too and what sort of padding it has etc
I’m with you there. Although even a padded 'sack will only mitigate the damage, won’t it? And what about those hard-backed 'sacks - if you think about it, they could do you even worse damage.I don’t ever need to carry a rucksack on the bike, but I do often have the pockets of my bike jacket bulging with all sorts of odds and ends (phone, keys, tyre pressure gauge, etc, etc - especially when touring) and before reading this article I’d NEVER heard anything to make me think of what damage they could do to me if I came off.Have I missed something, or is this something that people don’t talk about in the UK (but they’re aware of in France)? Test training…Bikesafe…talking to other riders…I’ve never heard this mentioned. Has anyone else?
however, if u tell yourself that carrying stuff on a backpack is too dangerous, then convince yourself keeping stuff in your pocket is a danger, sooner or later you’ll convince yourself riding is just too risky, then it tells me your more worried about crashing than staying upright!
i love my waist bag for this, keeps everything out of my pockets- phone, wallet keys etc, but still easy to get to should the need arise.
i never used to think about it, till i mentioned carrying a battery back from the bike shop in a rucksack, my mate said…‘dont do that…if you have an off you could seriously injure your back’…good point!
if i do use a rucksack i try not to put anything solid in it, if i have to, say for example soem chain lube, big large long can of it, i will wrap it in an old jumper or fleece just so its at least padded a bit. prob doesnt make sod all difrence but it just might.
OK. That’s your view. But maybe if you’d looked at it in a different way, it might have told you that I don’t carry stuff in a rucksack (see post above), which might have suggested that I was raising a general topic that I’d just come across and which I thought that others might also be interested in.
I love getting out on my bike. And I love coming home, happy and healthy, and ready to do it again. They’re not incompatible.
And if you read the rest of the discussion, you might have seen that I didn’t raise the point about things in your pocket. But thanks to the people who did. I might be alone in this, but I find it interesting and it’s given me something to think about. And now I’ve heard the fact that someone was told about a real story where someone was injured unnecessarily because they had keys in their pockets, I’ll probably keep that idea in the back of my mind for future use.
It’s not going to stop me going out on my bike. It’s not going to inconvenience me at all. I’ll just get into the habit of putting my keys somewhere sensible.
Anyone heard of Septimus Walche? He had some interesting thoughts on this topic. On riding pack ponies:- “Ride light and be aware of your own vulnerability, for 'tis Of your own foolhardiness that protrusions do insert their wills upon your loins” (Journeymans travels in the Westcountry. Jones and Wicote) Out of print now but a darned good read, full of common sense and a few unbelievable insights into 17th centuary travel. “It rocks” Wilberforce and Destrie" Ubervagage mit obertrussel" Widerbraun und Brandt. A good read!
Its only common sense really i suppose… a friend of mine ended up in a french hospital with a broken spine whilst we were skiing…
He crested a hill and landed on an instructor who was stopped in the worst (So bad she lost her liscence) place possible…
The reason for the broken spine? - He had his helmet in his back back as he was on a ‘chill out run’ after a racing session!!! (Needless to say we all presented him with the award for most inapropriate use of saftery equipment!)
Back to the point though - Its all about value judgements…
Im sure what Steve was saying, is that you can’t look at everything as ‘oh… this might be dangerous’ , or you’d never turn the key on your bike…
EG: Do you ride with keys in a pocket somewhere? (How do you get in and out of the house if you cant ride with keys btw!? :w00t:)
YES… most of us do as we see dont see it as a big danger…
Good point you’ve raised here though in the first place - I for one wont be riding with a D-Lock/ Big Chain/ Selection of medieval weaponry any time soon!
its definitely a balancing act between practicality and safety…
i always have a change of clothes ready for the office in a backpack
don’t want to think what could happen to my back in a fall if unlucky
also have keys in my trouser pockets…trying to sort my bad habits out but i’m lazy
big and heavy items seem to be obvious, but think about little items. quite often i finish my work, gear up and start setting off back home, then realizing that i’ve left a ballpen in my chest pocket. gives me shivers every time i visualize what harm it could do to me in the event of crash. pierce my heart straigh thru, or a lung.
