New eBike rider has heavy crash less than 20 minutes into his first ride...
Posted by KinnerNevada@reddit | ebikes | View on Reddit | 56 comments
Despite being a serious bike rider for many decades, I neglected to put on a helmet for this first ride, and promptly drove off a concrete curb and flew over the handlebars and did a sweet asphalt face plant as my finishing move.
7 hours later, out I walked from the hospital, with a dozen stitches above my eyebrow, 8 stitches in my knee, a broken pair of glasses, assorted spots of road rash, sore shoulders, a CAT scan (which revealed a pitiutary tumor) and an angry wife.
The bike is fine, but the 14" tires on it (it's a foldable) are a whole different world than my road bike tires.
Let my abject stupidity serve as a lesson to all to be careful out there, wear your helmets, and have a healthy respect for gravity and asphalt.
BangbangKhuntross@reddit
A self appointed serious bike rider falls off after tackling a scary curb, then preaches about wearing a helmet?
Have a spell my guy, perhaps 2 wheels aint for you.
KinnerNevada@reddit (OP)
This is peak reddit commentary.
wiserTyou@reddit
I'm thinking about building one soon and have had limited (to about zero) bike riding for the last 20 years. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little concerned.
NorthReading@reddit
Bike powered is a weird feeling especially from zero to ...go. (newbie)
stormdelta@reddit
Depends a lot on the motor controller too.
Cheaper basic ones are voltage based, making them pretty jerky if you aren't careful, especially on bikes with a throttle.
Nicer FOC-controllers can do direct torque ramping so it's way smoother.
NorthReading@reddit
Thank you for the info ........ mine is midpriced I think.
FOC means nothing to me nor do I think it will mean much for the next 5 yrs
stormdelta@reddit
Fair, it's not that important unless you're looking for something specific, but I like to point it out because I feel like DD (direct drive) hubs have something of an unfair reputation for things that are more the fault of cheap kits than being direct drive hubs.
Short version is, most controllers have a more "fixed" signal that doesn't match up perfectly with the motor position, so they don't have good control over torque output and are less efficient (this is also why a lot of cheap hub conversion kits have such an audible electric whine especially at higher power).
FOC controllers are usually considerably smaller, and know the exact position of the motor giving fine grained control over torque output with greater efficiency. For dd hubs this usually translates to much smoother start/stop and acceleration behavior, much quieter, and somewhat more efficient. I mostly see them in the mid/upper end DIY market, but IIRC there are some upscale dd hub prebuilts with them too.
SYCarina@reddit
The main point is that you were riding on 14" rims, not that it was an ebike. Also, the fact that it was a folder may have been a factor as well. I have owned a Brompton folder (16" rims) for a quarter of a century, which now as a 250W front hub motor. The smaller rims are not at all appropriate for jumping a curb or anything else, and before an upgrade the rear wheel would fold under when coming off the ground. Personally I enjoy the bike but it does not behave the same as a full size bike and definitely needs to avoid things like damaged pavement and curbs. The folders with 14" rims tend to be a bad joke as their geometries do not lend themselves to pedaling; the Brompton looks so funny when unfolded because the small rims are so far apart in order to replicate a full size geometry, something many folders don't do. There is simply a lot of bad design out there, and especially in folding ebikes.
I'm glad to hear that you were not hurt badly, and that you were fortunate to detect a tumor in the early stages. Still, wearing a good helmet is a must for any bike rider on any bike. A quality helmet is a valuable investment, but only if you wear it.
stayintheshadows@reddit
Really buried the lede here. Good luck on the tumor!
cardboardunderwear@reddit
nice work on the word lede. you must have found the mother lode of proper idiom use
KinnerNevada@reddit (OP)
Thanks! And that lede had to be buried here on reddit.
eat-sleep-bike@reddit
Even the 20" wheels on my foldable bike scare me. 14" is insane. Need to hit every uneven bit of pavement squarely or risk getting thrown.
bbshdbbs02@reddit
Gas scooters use tyres of that size or a bit smaller and the riders of those aren’t getting thrown over the bars when they hit a bump
4in10copsbeatwives69@reddit
the day i hit a pothole on 20" tires was the day i put my foldie on craigslist. good god, 14"
Zestyclose_Smile8735@reddit
Gone are the days of being a kid and flying 10ft through the air and land on the road and walking it off
Beautiful_Soup9229@reddit
That was a scary roller coaster ride, good thing they caught the tumor, get well soon op.
Practical-Function-3@reddit
It’s been times where I almost turned incorrectly and flew off the handle bars hitting a curb. I do ride a lt more carefully now.
It is exciting and traffic can be crazy but safety first always and forever lol.
Safety before fun and speeding lol
I don’t want to die on my beautiful ebikes.
I don’t want to get into trouble with my money and dreams lol.
Seventhchild7@reddit
Wow! Lucky!
Xxmeow123@reddit
Yikes! What a painful fall. Were there symptoms to the tumor? Glad they found it. I fell on wet leaves with my road bike in November, helmet on but still knocked out! Balance has been off since and hip still hurts. At least we're being active!!!
stormdelta@reddit
14" is crazy small even for a foldable - 20" is more typical for those.
untacc_@reddit
Seems like one of those “e moped” style folding bikes, see them in Costco all the time
stormdelta@reddit
I don't go to costco, but I don't think I've ever seen a folding bike with tires so small. Even trying to google it all I get are pictures of small children's bikes.
HenkDH@reddit
Unless it is a full face helmet, i don't see how a helmet will help in this case
KinnerNevada@reddit (OP)
The front of even a typical bike helmet would have impacted the ground before my head did, potentially minimizing the impact above my eye.
TheToastedGoblin@reddit
This part. Most helmets ive seen and used have a small visor, or at minimum are thick enough to hit the ground before your face. A cheap helmet saved my brain when i bounced my face off someones car hood a few days ago.
Total_Coffee358@reddit
🖖Thanks for sharing and warning others! I did the same when I was younger riding in the rain over railroad tracks wearing no helmet. It’s a scary lesson. 💡
Sorry-Committee2069@reddit
Considering it revealed a tumor, i'd say it was better for you than you give it credit for.
KinnerNevada@reddit (OP)
No complaints here about that aspect of the event, although not a huge fan of surgery anywhere near my already smallish brain, and/or chemo.
Rominions@reddit
I've had a pituitary growth for 10 years. They aren't all bad.
IceNein@reddit
Super scary man. Best of luck. Hopefully this will have been a fortuitous event.
KinnerNevada@reddit (OP)
Thanks very much.
Sorry-Committee2069@reddit
Better to get it handled when it's tiny than it is when it takes over half your body.
KinnerNevada@reddit (OP)
Yup, that's how I'll recount the story moving forward.
xxthatsnotmexx@reddit
It was a blessing in disguise!
RollingMeteors@reddit
Moral of the story:
¿Wear a helmet? ¡Die from a tumor!
/s
DarkVoid42@reddit
first time a cheap shitty chinese ebike actually came in use for cancer detection.
congrats at documenting the first useful thing a cheap shitbike ever did!!
Ughhhnoooooope@reddit
Something similar-ish happened to my uncle years ago. He was out riding and got hit by a car. Banged up a bit and in some pain, but nothing outwardly crazy going on. Still ended up in an ambulance and taken to the hospital where they did imaging on his chest (not sure why there, I’m guessing that’s where the bulk of the impact was?). Turns out nothing was seriously wrong from the accident, but the imaging just barely caught the edge of something fishy. Doctor recommended more imaging. Turned out he had stage 3 stomach cancer. He had surgery and treatment and has been in remission since. That bike accident saved his life.
Magneto-Rex@reddit
man, sorry to hear about that, hope you have a quick recovery
BoringBob84@reddit
I am sorry that you crashed and I thank you for sharing the cautionary tale. Whenever I am tempted to leave the helmet a home for a short ride, I remember Murphy's Law.
sanjuro_kurosawa@reddit
I'm sorry about this.
One thing I'm very careful about on my motorcycle is my great familiarity with two wheels does not necessarily translate every time I sit a different machine.
I try to be extra careful whenever I get on a new bike.
spacemannspliff@reddit
This. Even bike to bike you find your instincts taking you the wrong places - i.e. "nope, pedals are too low on this one to make a turn like that and now my leg is bleeding"
KinnerNevada@reddit (OP)
Smart, and thank you!
MickyBee73@reddit
Unlucky & Lucky all at the same time. Hope you heal fast, and good luck with the treatment 👍
SingleElderberry8422@reddit
I had a pretty lax attitude about wearing a helmet on paved bike trails until....I mean, c'mon, its a paved nonmotorized only trail, what could go wrong....And then I drove off the shoulder being careless and did a nice launch over my handlebars onto the pavement. Lesson learned. Glad your ok.
Jug5y@reddit
I think there's an issue with people thinking a small foldable or scooter is as capable as a bike - they're so much more dangerous
canezila@reddit
I had a similar experience with a new foldable 14" ebike. I wore a helmet because I know I suck at riding and staying injury free. I crashed twice on that thing! We have a 16" and never crashed. Then I got a bigger bike but it doesn't fold. 20" and a way better motor to lug my fat ass around.
huenix@reddit
I was showing my kid my ebike last night in the cul de sac and forgot a) my helmet and b) to put up the kickstand.
NorthReading@reddit
Thank goodness you survived (somewhat)'
Thank you for the warning and a graphic description of the consequences (hope the scan is ok)
You had a moment of stupidity. One that we all have. Some of us daily.
I've just bought a ebike so I'm reading this subredd closely. I've ridden .3 km on it and 30 yrs on a regular one. I'll keep a helmet on
Blakslab@reddit
I think you may need to work on your dismount :chuckles: I've wiped out more than a few times in my recent years though none as serious as your accident - scraped skin and being covered in mud are my worst injuries. I can't help but ask - 14" tires is that a correctly sized bike for your size?
KinnerNevada@reddit (OP)
No, it's way too small. But that lesson came a bit too late.
theLaLiLuLeLol@reddit
Wow, that sucks but also, you were super lucky!
Glad you're still with us and good luck with your treatment!
KinnerNevada@reddit (OP)
Thanks very much. Appreciate it!
Sanquinoxia@reddit
How fast was your ebike, 30mph?
Mountain_mist35@reddit
Don't ever buy a motorcycle
Psa-lms@reddit
I fell yesterday trying to get off my bike in my driveway. I have mountain bike pedals and couldn’t get my foot off the pedal fast enough. I feel your pain. At least I avoided the hospital. You poor thing! I’m sure your wife is just worried about you. Maybe this finding a pituitary tumor might lead to early treatment? I’m so sorry!
KinnerNevada@reddit (OP)
Thanks, I appreciate it!