What to do after having a cycling crash and how to regain your confidence

What to do if you have a crash

Statistics show that cycling in the UK is becoming safer every year, with accident figures showing a steady decline since 2015. However, despite technological advances in protective gear like helmets, reflectors and lights, cycling accidents can be serious and cause permanent damage such as broken bones, scarring and phycological trauma.

We have written this article to guide you through the steps to recovery should you have a bicycle crash. We will take you through each step of what you should do if you have an accident on the road and how to regain your confidence when you are ready to get back on the saddle.

What to do immediately after the accident

The first thing to do is to get yourself somewhere safe and out of harm’s way. If you fall on the road, do not stay for longer than necessary as vehicles may not see you, putting you at risk of further injury.

Once you have gotten yourself to a safe place and off of the road, it is important to take stock of your injuries. If you have hit your head, you should go to your nearest hospital to check for a concussion – no matter if you were wearing a crash helmet or not.

Contact a friend or family member so that they know what happened and can assist you if necessary. Even if you are physically fine, it can be emotionally calming to speak with someone about the accident.

If you feel confused or too injured to keep riding, consider calling a friend or family member to come and collect you. If your injuries are severe do not hesitate to call an ambulance to the scene.

If you fell due to a road defect such as a pothole, take plenty of photographs of the area from different angles and make a note of the location – you can do this by sending your location to someone from your smartphone.

Make sure to also take photos of yourself, your injuries and damaged possessions such as clothing, bicycle or other equipment.

If there were any witnesses, ask them for their contact details as these can be useful should you wish to seek compensation later on.

If your accident was caused by another road user such as a car, ask the driver for their contact and insurance details. If the driver sped away from the scene, you may still be able to seek compensation even if you do not have their number plate or details.

Finally, make sure to call the police. Logging the incident will assist any future compensation claims you wish to make. This is a good idea to do even if there was no other party directly at fault.

Leaving the scene of the accident

Now that you’ve taken stock of your injuries, contacted the relevant parties and gathered evidence (if necessary), what do you do next?

If you are physically well enough to keep riding your bicycle and are happy to do so, you should inspect all the components of your bicycle for damage before setting off again, to ensure that it is road-worthy and will not put you at risk of having another accident.

Frame and handlebars

Begin by checking the handlebars and frame for cracks or dents. This is particularly important for components made of carbon fibre as the slightest impact could write off your bike. What may look like a small crack on initial inspection can become larger and cause the bike to break apart when extra pressure is added when you sit on it (adding weight) or when you ride over bumps in the road, sending vibrations up the frame.

Check that your handlebars are still pointing in the right direction. Also, ensure that the brake levers and gear shifters are still in a position that is easily reached while in the riding position.

Wheels

Next, inspect your wheels. Check to see if they are bent out of shape by holding the wheel off the ground and spinning it, keeping an eye on how it passes through the frame. Also, check to see if any of the spokes have broken or become disconnected.

Brakes

If you are riding a bicycle equipped with disk brakes and these have been bent, it would have become apparent in the past step as the wheel would not have been able to spin freely.

If you are using rim brakes, ensure that they open and close properly. Also, check to see if they have been knocked out of alignment. If you have a multi-tool with you, a wonky brake calliper can be corrected by simply loosening the bolt at the top, manually spinning it until there are no parts in contact with the wheel, and then carefully tightening the bolt back up.

Derailleur and gears

Finally, take a look at your rear derailleur and check to see if it is working as it should. If it doesn’t look damaged by the impact, try riding slowly and shifting through all the gears. If it is shifting smoothly and you are satisfied that all of the other components are in working order, you can resume your ride.

Once you arrive home safely, it would be wise to give your bike another inspection and ensure that any problems are fixed. This can also be a good opportunity to check components for wear and tear, such as your chain, brake pads and tyres.

It is recommended to give your bicycle a maintenance check after each ride, cleaning components like the chain and cassette, and adding lubricant. This will make your riding experience feel smoother and extend the life of your components.

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