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Ok, so if you do take a fall off the bike....what is the best way to orientate your body?

Tuck & Roll or Relax & Flail like the Grand Prix riders do?

When I was a dirt rider I'd Tuck & Roll....worked fantastic for me! Even on the road I had a prang & did the same thing, result was NO injury, so I'm for the T&R technique.

This leaves me to wonder why Formula one riders don't do it.

Just watch them....check out how their legs bounce around, I don't like the look of it at all....so who knows the story?

in a T&R posture, you are more likely to break bones and cause yourself injury as you have to tense your muscles to get into that compact position - arching your back also exposes your spine to injury.

Racers slide and tumble when they crash because it is the safest thing to do - When you are sliding along the ground, you are much less likely to break any bones as your limbs aren't bouncing off the road like they would be if you tried to tumble; they do tumble when they get off the track surface and into the grass/gravel trap areas as those surfaces are softer on the body and also more resilient to allowing the rider to slide - too much stuff to 'catch onto' and toss the rider around.

Racers generally slide on their back if they can as they have a fairly large and resilient spine protector there to make sure that they can still walk after a crash.

The slide technique works best on the track, as the rider generally has more protection (full leathers, hard armor) and fewer obstuctions to bounce off of (no lampposts, mailboxes, curbs, oncoming semis, etc....) and it also has the benefit of getting the rider off the track quickly and out of the way of the other riders behind him.

Will it work as well on the street? I'm not really sure and I'm not about to go out and test for myself which technique is better for you. You've obviously had some good luck with the T&R technique Al, but I personally would try to relax my body to minimize any impact trauma.

Sounds Logical to me Owen!

I also don't plan on testing which theory is best!

I'll second what Owen said. I remember reading an interview with a few racers aobut this subject. The general concensous was and it was a fairly recent way of thinking at the time: Don't roll at any cost. They had stats to prove that if you start rolling you are more likely to break something. I never seemed to have the option in the past. I would just get airborne, and crash into whatever came my way while I was still in denial

I've done both and I can't say that I care for either one very much . . .
Regards, Jon

Wizzard wrote:I've done both and I can't say that I care for either one very much . . .
Regards, Jon

Ditto Wizz! I had a high speed dismount on a highway where I rolled (and rolled, and rolled) for about 100 ft. Sprained an ankle, gouged a hole in my kneecap, but no broken bones. A few years later I had an encounter with a red light runner and a patch of oil. My bike and I did the sliding trick all the way through the intersection and a litle ways beyond. Got a huge patch of road rash from butt to shoulders.

I think the road rash was the most painful of the two. The effects certainly lasted longer. But, I wouldn't recommend either one

I usually roll when I eat dirt, too. Pavement is pretty hard, though.... sliding down the road might be less painful that rolling down it.... I dunno. Most times when I hit the pavement, I spent very little time on tarmac on my way into the weeds in the ditch.

Alot depends on your speed at time of impact with the ground, too. Going down at 50-60 is a whole different situation than going down at 170. At the speeds racers are doing in many get-offs, if they rolled the centrifugal force would throw their arms and legs out, slamming them against the ground repeatedly. Tends to break stuff.

And I don't care what anyone says or what stats they throw at me, there is a HUGE crazy donkey luck factor.... good or bad.... in any crash.

Mintbread wrote:

BuzZz wrote:
And I don't care what anyone says or what stats they throw at me, there is a HUGE crazy donkey luck factor.... good or bad.... in any crash.

Aint that the truth. It hurts my brain to think about how I have ended up after the odd accident.
I T-boned a car going rather fast and flew a fair way over the car and beyond. No damage to any of my riding gear. It makes no sense, damn it!
I have ruined more clothing falling over after a few drinks.

Wow! I wouldn't be complaining if I were you. That WAS LUCKY!

I would like to think I would have the choice - but truth is, in that instant that you become disconnected form the bike, do you really have much impetus on the outcome?

I think I would prefer the slide technique if possible, the kit I wear seems more resistant to abrasion that to impact - but I hope not to have to find this out...

Trust me... you get a lot less banged up if you relax and let inertia and friction do their thing. When I rode dirt bikes I learned to relax as the ground flew up to meet me (I guess it didn't like my attempts at flying). When I broke my arm flying off a cliff this summer (long story), I relaxed as I realized that I was about to "go splat" on the pavement below. If I had tried to catch myself or I had tensed up and tried to roll... I would have had more than a broken arm and a slight concussion. BTW... my shoei RF900 saved my melon from "going splat" as well. It didn't fair so well... but it did what it was designed for. I will gladly put another Shoei on my head...