Fight Club? No Way! Macho Cycling Draws Blood
Wheel Life column - 20 November, 1999
by Todd Litman and Suzanne Kort - Victoria Transport Policy Institute

Here's our advice to any macho young bucks inspired by the movie "Fight Club" to make a hobby of brawling.

Don't bother.

Reckless cycling is a far better way to suffer injuries. Cyclists have many ways to lose skin, bleed and break bones.

A popular strategy is to wipe out on a curve. Simply take a corner too fast and you'll enjoy the delightful feeling of your bicycle slipping from beneath you.

It's particularly easy this time of year when roads are wet. The pavement itself is slippery, and metal surfaces such as utility hole covers, wet leaves, black ice and other smooth surfaces are particularly slick. These are ideal conditions for sliding on down the road.

You can also crash while going straight simply by slamming on the brakes too hard. Here is why: when you apply brakes your body's inertia continues while your bike tries to slow down beneath. As a result, your weight shifts forward onto the front wheel, leaving less force to hold the rear wheel down.

Hard braking can cause a crash in two different ways. Lock up the rear wheel and you skid and lose control, which is particularly easy on slippery surfaces. Locking up the front wheel can cause you to fly over the handlebars (called "taking a header," as in landing on your head), a particularly dramatic cycling maneuver.

Other good ways to crash include getting your wheel caught in a crack in the roadway, hitting a pothole or rock, or encountering a car that makes a turn right into the space you intended to occupy.

High speed crashes are exciting. One moment you're flying along, upright and in control, the next you're tangled with your bicycle, skidding along the ground, adrenaline rushing through your body. It's a helpless feeling as you tumble along and then - OUCH!

Then there is the terrible moment when you realize what has happened and start to assess the damage: Am I bleeding? Any broken bones? Are my clothes torn? Did I lose any body parts? How's my bike?!

Next you have to deal with all sorts of annoying problems. Get out the traffic. Stop the bleeding. Get to a doctor to have the gravel cleaned from under your skin, stitches, bones set, and other possible injuries checked. You also have to figure out a way to get your battered bicycle home.

The Fight Club guys wear lacerations and bruises as a badge of honour, but in the real world most of us feel pretty foolish dripping blood or covered with bandages. Of course, people treat you nice when you walk around with stitches or crutches, but the novelty wears off real quick.

You don't need a Fight Club or a barroom brawl to get an injury that leaves visible damage, just ride fast and careless. On the other hand, if you value your health and comfort, slow down, wear a good helmet and cycling gloves (now you know why they have padded leather palms), wear colourful clothing, and ride cautiously.