Biking accident

[Cuda1447]

Monday morning I went out for a nice bike ride. Great exercise. I throw on some music and cruise. I have a mountain bike, so hitting bumps and what not never really concerned me.

So I'm a few miles from home and I go up the sidewalk and hit a small bump. My front tire goes into the air, no biggie. Catching a little air is fun. But then I feel like I'm floating... and now I'm in the air much longer than I should have been, but my angle is changing. Before I know it I come crashing down into the pavement and roll to a stop.

My freaking front tire flew off the bike!!! I don't know how or why this happened. I wasn't able to get it back on either. So I carried my bike and my tire a few miles home. Wrist hurts a good bit now too.

I'm stunned I didn't break my phone in the crash. I'm certain I landed right on it.



WTF? Why does my tire fly off my bike.

 

[PottedMeat]

do you mean front wheel?

if you have quick release wheels and didn't secure them that can happen

 

[Dirigible]

I dunno. Tire underinflation? Tire overinflation? Bead not seated right?


I run tubeless and when I have my pressure too low it burps air sometimes. Got knocked to the side on a road bike once and it rolled my tire off the rim.

 

[WilliamM2]

Simple, the nut's on the axle were loose. Lack of maintenance.

 

[Kaido]

A few years ago, I bought a used road bike that needed some love. Picked it up in Manhattan. Rode like crazy through the streets for the day, dodging busses and pedestrians, was a total blast. Took it home, decide for one more joyride before I started tweaking her...chain broke at 22 MPH downhill.

Few times in my life have I been that scared D:

 

[Joe1987]

Heh, took my Stromer out for the first ride today, goddamn it's fun, I feel like superman riding it.

 

[Dirigible]

Heh, took my Stromer out for the first ride today, goddamn it's fun, I feel like superman riding it.

Lol, nice!

 

[SociallyChallenged]

do you mean front wheel?

if you have quick release wheels and didn't secure them that can happen

Almost always the case. If it's not quick release, then you have not one any maintenance on your bike in a long time (i.e. front wheel hub screws are hard to loosen). Or, if you did do maintenance on your bike, you may not have tightened the front wheel screw enough. That's pretty much the sole cause.

 

[Dirigible]

Simple, the nut's on the axle were loose. Lack of maintenance.

OP: did the wheel come off the bike or the tire come off the wheel?

 

[Ns1]

Do you have quick release wheels? Cuz that would explain it.

 

[Joe1987]

Lol, nice!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKqiTnMvEsA

OP, did your tire come off the rim or did the wheel come off? Sounds like the wheel came off.

 

[KK]

if his bike maintenance is like his plumbing ability, then I can see it happening.

 

[brianmanahan]

had to be loose on the front tire assembly

do you have one of those quick release tires?

 

[Clinkster]

FYI, I had a similar experience on a bike with a quick release. The difference being I flew over the handlebars and hit the cement face first. I was knocked unconscious for ten minutes, had 4+ fractures in my nose, had several bent front teeth and could barely move my jaw for weeks. My nose had started bleeding profusely on the ambulance ride to the hospital, and I had scabs all over the lower portion of my face. Later found out my helmet was cracked in half, absorbing the blow to the top part of my skull.

Braces and orthodontics saved my teeth and really strong ointment/antibiotics helped the scabs. I coped with a broken nose for 10 years before getting it fixed (a few months ago).

In short, never use quick releases.

 

[Carson Dyle]

I'm stunned I didn't break my phone in the crash. I'm certain I landed right on it.

That would have been tragic. Count your lucky stars that you were only physically injured.

 

[highland145]

Insurance $$...Your wife is going for it.

 

[SunnyD]

I came for the bikini accident. I left disappoint.

 

[Jeeebus]

I dunno. Tire underinflation? Tire overinflation? Bead not seated right?

more importantly... was the tire inflated to sidewall?

 

[GasX]

more importantly... was the tire inflated to sidewall?

well played, sir...

I have had my rear wheel pop off a few times - not fun! A front wheel is just scary as you could REALLY get hurt that way.

 

[Cuda1447]

OP: did the wheel come off the bike or the tire come off the wheel?

wheel came off the bike, sorry for the confusion.

For what its worth, I bought the bike used, so I have no idea about the maintenance on it. I was under the impression it was good.... but that was before I took a nice spill.

 

[Cuda1447]

if his bike maintenance is like his plumbing ability, then I can see it happening.

Haha! Come on man... it's been years since that happened. I've gotten a lot better.

 

[Cuda1447]

Do you have quick release wheels? Cuz that would explain it.

Yep, that may have been it. I'll look at it later.

 

[rh71]

this happened to me too yesterday on my lawnmower, except that there was no catching air or falling on my phone... the handle simply came off because the NUTS WERE LOOSE!

 

[Cuda1447]

this happened to me too yesterday on my lawnmower, except that there was no catching air or falling on my phone... the handle simply came off because the NUTS WERE LOOSE!

So you fell onto the lawn mower?

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Maintenance? This is a simple issue of previous owner not tightening the quick release enough and the OP not checking the tightness before riding.
Rookie mistake. The rear has a quick release as well so I'd check it too. Make sure when you tighten them the wheels are in straight.