Well, I for one can definitely vouch for the fact that solid objects in your pockets, backpacks and bum-bags (Sorry Smiled, HIP-SACK’s! ) can do a lot of damage!
It has been almost 6 weeks since my crash, and I can still feel the bruising on my hip bone!
I had my Abus Granite disc lock in my “hipsack” when I came off the bike at 25mph!
Here’s the damage after one week!..
So, it’s up to the individual what they carry in pockets etc… But, personally, I now carry the disk lock in my underseat tray, and only small stuff in my hip-sack! Lesson learned the hard way!
I don’t wanna state the obvious but can you clever lot tell me what 1pc and 2pc leather suits don’t have??? places to store ****… why?? The obvious answer and the topic…
If you do come off and you go sliding down or spinning the last thing you want is to have anything to impact with your body.
As someone that came off with a backpack and a lunch box… I can vouch that it hurts like Hell, my first impact was right on my back… and I sure as Hell felt that box even though it was small flat and I also had a pair of trousers under it… didn’t make a difference if I had cotton wool all over, the fact was that when I fell I couldn’t land straight, it was at an angle, my ass on floor my back not, and the impact was on my bum and lunch box leaving my lower back free to wiggle and feel the impact more.
I hope you understand what I am saying, lading on your full back leaves a bigger area of impact which means it is evenly spread, what I had was 2 impact areas not too big and leaving my lower back open between them to, the shock from both my ass and my backpack could meet right in the middle hitting each other and causing my lower spine to break. Most of the time the shock will travel through your body, if it doesn’t meet anything to stop it and cause an explosion you will get away with no injury, if it does stop anywhere the chance is it will break whatever is at that location. It is the same with your bike frame or forks… sometimes your bike will survive much harder crashes because the shock will go through and mot break or crack anything.
Remember any impact causes a shockwave effect, so you just gotta hope the effect doesn’t stop anywhere fatal… can end up with internal bleeding which is probably the worst and you won’t even realise, you’ll get up but you might die in a few minutes without knowing anything.
Anyone knowing more correct me if I am wrong… I took this on previous experience and basic physics. Might be talking porkies by all I know:)
on the bikesafe they say not to have anything in your pockets at all.
showed examples of housekeys punching through into the groin area and also a bike that came off wearing his security chain over his shoulder ala hells angels. the chain crushed his ribs which punctured his lung.
Someone on this topic the other day said they knew someone that laid in a field for 2 hours with a broken leg unable to call for help because his phone was in his undertray (the bike had gone down the road), despite that rare event occurring i try hard not to have anything in my pockets at all. My resolve was seriously tested last week when my phone slipped down the tiniest gap between the undertray and rear casing resulting in scaped knuckles and hours of frustration before finally retrieving it.
Not trying to be funny or anything, but even being overweight is a hazard. Guy at work with a serious beer-gut had a nasty a couple of years ago and went over the bars; his internal injuries were largely due to lack of muscle tone to hold the soft tissue and organs together in sudden deceleration and impact. He was in hospital for about 4 months after that. Apparently this is fairly common in vehicle accidents.
thank you, at least someone got where i was coming from!!!
To be honest, its pretty obvious carrying anything hard in your pockets, or back pack is going to hurt if you land on it, but everythings about balance.
If you want to buy a top box because your afraid of coming off and having indents of your yale keys all over ya, fair enough, but as has already been mentioned, if im lying at side of the road with my bike no where near me, id rather be able to reach into my pocket for my phone…
As mentioned briefly above I do find it slightly amusing the efforts people will put into their bike and safety compared to their own bodies. I have come off about 6-7 times (being a courier it was part of the job!) and never been injured apart from scrapes and bruises. Apart from good luck I believe my sports and very active lifestyle has saved my ass many a time. I have many a time listened to somebody talking about how they got a new full titanium system blah blah blah and saved 3 kgs but yet they are a fat !! go and lose 5 kgs in the gym and save some money. I ahve been known to ride in jeans and been lectured by some fat geezer who smokes ??
not saying dont bother with safety but people should look after their bodies from the inside as well !
Yeah. Ok. Fine. I’ll forget it. Next time I come across what I think is an interesting idea to do with riding, I’ll not bother to mention it. Especially not on a riding forum, perish the thought. Or is it that ideas are officially allowed to be worthy of debate on here only if the person posting the idea rides a sports bike?
I tend to avoid carrying a back pack and only carry a mobile in an internal pocket… altough after reading this I am starting to think about the cracked ribs i’d have in case of an off!
not sure why to spend £75 for a Kriega anymore!! :w00t:
PS. BB very interesting topic you raised and alot of food for thought…
It’s a good thread both on the subject and the way the responses highlight the differing views we all have.It’s highlighted issues that whilst are a concern for some are not for others.
I always put my money, wallet, phone and anything small in a plastic bag and everything goes under the seat:) Sneaky and John can vouch on that:):) they picked me and the bike from some Finchingfield bushes but all my stuff was nicely packed under my seat:)
You need to get rid of that chip on your shoulder.
I’ve crashed (on my sportsbike) wearing a rucksack and not wearing a rucksack. I’ve crashed with bits and pieces in my pocket but never with anything resting against a vital part of my body (kidneys, testicles, liver, testicles, testicles, hip, testicles. Always check your testicles). I’ve crashed a fair bit in my few years. It’s not made any difference buy maybe I kid myself by saying, well, it’s a kriega rucksack, it’s designed with safety in mind.
Steve is right, commen sense prevail. You take a risk riding a bike/scooter. You can choose to take further risks.
I carry a rucksack occassionaly to hold my laptop because I want to fill up and pay whilst risking only my dirty undercrackers being stolen when I am at the till. If I don’t have to wear it, I don’t. But sometimes it’s necessary.
An instructor told me that, in certain circumstances, backpacks can also stop you rolling as you leave the bike during an accident. Rolling expends the propulsion energy quickly making the journey much shorter – rather than shooting along like a bullet, perhaps into on-coming traffic.
I know of someone who went hedge-surfing with a backpack on. Hurt himself a bit but the ambulance people said they thought the backpack saved him some serious damage to his back, as it was full of dirty clothes he was taking home for his mum to wash!
So it does depend a good deal on what’s IN the backback.
That said, I’d rather bungee my stuff to my luggage rack than wear a backpack. I find it uncomfortable riding for any kind of distance with a backpack on (though I did go up to the Bulldog a couple of years ago as a pillion with the whole weekend’s stuff on my back. Not comfortable at all).
) can do a lot of damage!
