This cyclist was planning on descending Los Gatos Road in Temecula, California to reach speeds of up to 60+mph. The particular road has a maximum grade of 24%, it is super steep.
After deciding he could not recover the bike from the wobble, the cyclist moved to the shoulder of the road in order to minimize the impact of the crash. He fell on his shoulder and sustained a broken collar bone.
This crash could have been much worse if he had not worn a helmet. For those afraid of steep descents, make sure to climb the hill first and inspect the road for imperfections. It is always better to be safe and get to know a road before giving it your all.
Comment on this card if you have any tips for new cyclists who may be descending down steep hills!
BikeSnob
3 years ago50,000+ Views
Cyclist Crashes at 60mph
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10 comments
View more commentsBikeSnob
@matthewchiarava It sounds like that helmet saved your life. Front tire punctures can be brutal while cornering. Sounds like a hell of a fall, I'm glad you're still with us. Don't let this deter you from getting back on your saddle!
framness
I've Skied 60 Mph But My Max Bike Spee Is About 42 Mph. Can't I
framness
imaginE That, I. July 4 I HIt The Blacktop At 22 I
flyboy1969
Your article is NOT correct. as you state "road cyclists tend to put more weight on the back in an attempt to get aerodynamic while riding downhill." This is not the case. Cyclists both road and mountain shift their weight backwards in order to increase the braking ability of the front brake. Braking hard without your weight backwards can easily cause a rider at speed to flip over the handlebars. Judging from the video there clearly is a speed wobble issue; this however is NOT specific to simply unweighting the front wheel. More technical information on speed wobbles can be found here: http://sheldonbrown.com/brandt/shimmy.html
BikeSnob
@flyboy1969 You are right, I wasn't aware of what actually causes speed wobble. I am aware of Sheldon Brown and how knowledgable he is, but I don't think his explanation gives a definitive answer in this circumstance. "usually occurs at a predictable speed when riding no-hands" but the rider was clearly holding the handlebars in this video. So, the explanation is "Shimmy that concerns riders the most occurs with hands firmly on the bars and it is rider generated by muscular effect whose natural response is the same as the shimmy frequency"? What does that mean exactly? The rider grips the bars too tightly and shivers?