Hey Ben, hope you heal up fast! Riding with you here in Boulder has always been a pleasure and privilege; you're a local legend, a fantastic ambassador of the sport, a great youtuber and journalist, and just an all around good bloke
My best crash ever. (UK, riding on left side of road). Went into a 90° right turn a little too quickly, drifted to edge of road where I slid sideways across a damp man hole cover. This sent me into the kerb, and I was thrown off the bike and over a hedge, landing on my knees in a pub garden, right between two tables of very startled lunchtime drinkers. Apart from my pride, the only injury was grass burns to my knees.
"...a case of me being a dumb dumb" Ben, you're awesome and no one else could have taken tumbles like you have over the years and STILL COME BACK for more! Heal up, get well and can't wait to see you back out on the bike! 🙌
Hang in there, Ben. I'm 59 years old, have had two back surgeries, a broken elbow, dislocated elbow, separated shoulder, and several concussions, all from bike wrecks but I'm still riding. You just need to get back up one more time than you fall down.
Ben. Heal up fast. I have learned so much from this channel and am grateful that you are sharing your knowledge and wisdom from your years of riding. Take care.
Well at least you’re in good spirits! I’m recovering from a broken pelvis myself. Hope we both make a speedy and smooth recovery. ❤️🩹 Thanks for sharing your stories.
Geez, Ben. That sucks! I hope you heal fast (harder at your/my age) and are back on 2 wheels ASAP. Getting back riding after a big crash is one thing. Rebuilding lost fitness is a whole 'nother deal though. I'm sure they'll both be a video in due course. Live long and ride your bike.
Definitely theraputic to talk about all the injuries you've been through. Makes it feel like you'll be fine yet again and this is just another bad luck. Heal up!
Hi Ben, sorry to hear about your crash. You may well have broken as many bones as I have (5 clavicles among a myriad of others). When I visited with my Orthopedic Doc after the last clavicle fracture, he suggested that, at my age, I should stop falling down as I hadn't broken my neck yet and I wasn't a parapalegic. He was a competitive cyclist and a team mate of mine on Sport Systems in ABQ. I turned 81 this year and I'm contemplating this Cyclocross season. Tove has suggested that I register at the local races rather than signing up beforehand since a look at the course might disuade me from risking a crash. I am riding a gravel race this Saturday but I'm doing the 23 miler on my Domane+ instead of the 60 miler on my regular gravel/CX bike. This acceptance of caution due to advancing age has become a challenge. The reality is that a serious crash could have consequences well beyond those I suffered as a younger me. Shiny side up! Cheers, Jerry Shere
Thanks for talking about bike injuries Ben! It's not easy - they're quite traumatic and can darken the thing that brings us all so much happiness. I had lucked out and not had more than road rashes riding off-and-on for 30 years and then last year I broke my wrist and leg (tibial plateau) within 3 months of each other. Bikes are fast enough. Crashes are inevitable. I hope more bright designers start asking how we can make bikes safer.
Man, get well soon! Also recovering over here, went down a steep gravel road with over 40kph, was just feeling perfect. Pretty wide corner coming up, tried to brake for 8 seconds straight, wasn't happening. Ran out of road, tried to take the corner, lost the front wheel a did brake with the left side of my body, topping it off with a roll over, smashing my right side for good measure. Had to ride 4 more Ks to get to civilization. The nurse in the ER (they do get a LOT of bike accidents over there and pretty much have seen everything) just was quiet for a moment and then said: "...you look WILD man..." :D Sounds like all fun`n`games, and I do know and accept that sometimes the bear get's you, part off life, but I would be lying if I said the accident isn't haunting me a bit. Was good to see your video, Remindes me that we are not alone in the harder times. All the best mate!
Oh, Ben ... That sucks😯 Hope you're out of pain now and you'll be fine! My few crashes are incomparable with yours, but still hope to stay clear🙏 Keep up your spirit as you always do🤜
Hoping for a smooth and speedy recovery! Your videos showed me some of the greatest events here in Colorado that have now become yearly staples for my race calendar, all while enjoying the ride. Hope to see you again at one next season!
Hi Ben, wishing you a swift and full recovery. Gosh what an episode and thanks for sharing. This is a important topic; I’m not a ortho doc, but if you ever want to talk about brain, neurovascular, cardiovascular matters then worth a chat/future episode - wishing you the very best
I’ve been riding bikes of some sort since I was 18. I’m 70 now. I had never broken a bone until I was 54. My kids were racing BMX so I decided to give it a try. I loved it! What I didn’t love was the broken ribs, fractured wrist, clavicle twice, femur, dislocated shoulder and a concussion. After 11 years of racing I gave it up after the fractured femur and subsequent pulmonary embolism after surgery. I decided to ride my road bike only. Lower crash risk, right? Well, four years ago I was hit from behind by a pickup truck resulting in an open lower leg fracture. After 3 surgeries and 17 months I was able to walk without a cane or crutches. I threw my leg over my new bike for the first time and rode 11 miles. It felt like a hundred!😂 To say the least I am much more aware of traffic now. This happened in the middle of nowhere. I got my first helicopter ride!😂. Oh. Just in case you’re using a trash bag to cover your cast in the shower, Amazon has a really nice cast cover! I used it for over a year!
76 years old, both hips, rib, concussion,pulmonary embolism x2, and neck ( excited the ER but no neuro problems),all separate. I am quick to tell other riders I have never taken anyone down.
Holy shut, Ben, so sorry for you. Your voice is still rough from the crash and perhaps the recovery treatment. However, it's fantastic you're still in high good spirit with a great smile and laughing of your anecdotes crashing. I appreciate you so much for sharing your thoughts and learnings from crashing. Most importantly, how to potentially prevent them. I wish you a speedy recovery and highest motivation to overcome this situation
Heal Fast Ben! I love your content and your constant upbeat spirit and will continue to follow your adventures online and around Colorado wherever our paths cross.
Hi Ben, so sorry about your injuries, Wishing you complete recovery. Good news is you still have your wits about you and are already focusing on the future. Healing can be frustratingly slow for old timers like us. Just be patient. Hang in there. Best, G.
Heal up! You’ve done some great interviews over the years. Please, add some of those back into the mix during your “downtime”. And thanks for the content!
I feel like our tendency to push our heart rates as high as they are capable of going leads to some weird looking crashes because we are operating with a handful of braincells from the effort.
Fused and plated big toe-broken pelvis-various broken ribs-broken hand-broken wrist-AC separation-hyper extented neck x?-3 or 4 concussions-all while leaving skin in the game (or on the road). All over a 40yr riding on or off road. I’ve found it imperative to have some 1st aid skills to tend to crashed riding budies or assess the seriousness of injury and response. Riding has helped me endure a couple health issues however does introduce health issues due to crashes. 71yrs old and continuing to ride somewhat spirited hard group rides but better able now to assess/avert risk, with exception to a kamikaze deer. Heal well Ben. Looking forward to more revue content.
Get well soon Ben! I really appreciate your videos and advice. Good lessons to be drawn from this video especially on the things that we can control as riders like being mindful, in touch with our environment, checking our equipment and especially not taking excessive and stupid risks like racing downhill for no reason at all. I’m taking my disc brake bike to the shop right now in fact after hearing your comment on your experience going downhill because I heard some very strange squealing noises the other day coming down a mountain and haven’t paid attention since then because I ride on flats now. Thanks for sharing your experiences.!
Situation awareness is always a challenge…have to constantly remind myself to be attentive to the bike, the road, my body, my riding group. Stay safe out there!
Heal quickly, Ben! I hadn’t thought of the Valley of the Sun wreck in years. With Keller’s broken elbow and my broken finger that drive home was legendary!
I crashed 2x in the same week when my front wheel washed out once on wet pavement and once on gravel. Tore my rotator cuff on the second crash and broke 3 ribs but didn’t need a hardware store to put my bone back together. I was really depressed not being able to ride till I healed but now I don’t feel so bad after seeing that x ray. Heal fast Ben.
You're in real good spirits after what happened to you. I wasn't expecting to see you all banged up like that. Even more surprising was how you recounted all the other times things didn't go that well. This definitely isn’t a typical video about a gravel ride or the latest cycling gear. Wishing you a quick recovery-hope you feel better soon!
Hi Ben - hope you heal quickly and fully, and looking forward to seeing what you talk about in the meantime! I’ve had three crashes in my life, but was lucky to walk away from all of them: 1) When I was small, my dad raised my handlebars too much, and they came out of the fork when I was riding down a hill - that was my first “no/hands” moment, but luckily I crashed into a grass slope. (2) and (3) were just this year; losing balance looking behind me to celebrate with friends no-handed, and cycling into a bollard adjusting a route on my bike computer - both in the “idiot” category 🤦. I’m now trying to err on the “not falling off” side of fun.
Great to see that you’re on the road to recovery, Ben. ‘Be present’ is great advice; there’s a world of difference between the undoubted mental detox we can have from enjoying the moment when we’re on the bike and being so caught up with thinking about (for example) what’s on the agenda for today at work that we make a real mess of things. I managed to turn across the route of a city tram doing the latter. Thankfully the tram driver was very ‘present’ and I got away with snapped handlebars🤦🏼
Hey Ben, sorry to hear about the crash, sucks that you will be off the bike outside for a while, I dislocated my shoulder in early June and was riding on the trainer indoors on Zwift in a week or so, I needed that to keep me sane! Where there is a will, there is a way! Wishing you a speedy recovery. Hang in there Bro and keep the content coming!
Yikes! Sorry to hear, hoping for speedy recovery. I can empathize! I've broken a 8 bones, I have a titanium Rod/Pins in my hip, multiple shoulder separations, hyper extended knees, compressed back, broken ribs, bruised ribs, 4 concussions I know of, MCL sprains....oh and a broken nose that required septoplasty later in life. This across racing Motocross/Supercross, Skateboarding, Mountain biking, Gravel Biking, Road Biking.
Heal well and quickly. I was very attentive to your comment on the condition of your bike after your mishap. It might be good for your viewers if you mentioned wheel and tire conditions and rule out burping as a possible issue. You deliver this video with so much good humour. A wonderful ambassador for our sport!!
Wow , great insight on safety, hopefully you heal up fast and are back riding soon but you are already helping others enjoy cycling to the fullest possible extent, safety first
Ben, thanks for sharing your falls and missteps for our entertainment and learning. I started racing around `90 and have my own list of misteps, but I now feel better about how much shorter my list is😀. I'm glad to see you're still with us and on your road to recovery and eventually enjoying the road again. I have changed the way I ride now that I'm in my 50s, but I have no plans to stop riding. For me, the benefits have and will probably continue to be far more numerous than the drawbacks and risks of cycling.
Great list Ben - don’t forget to add in about keeping your phone in your pocket. Thought you might have saved the iPhone that got tacoed in my HED jet wheel after it slid out of your pocket going down south St.Vrain canyon years ago. Thankfully no crashes on that day. Cheers, Eric
Sorry to hear about your recent injuries! I had the same humerus break and it was pretty painful. Hopefully you’re through the worst of all that and on the mend!
I still love road riding, but it feels much more dangerous these last few years. I moved from Boulder 20 years ago and miss all the bike paths. I don't crash much , but it seems that you do. I think your appraisal of inattention being a important factor is spot on. Take care of yourself. Think about your family, they deserve an intact you in the years to come.
Hope you heal up quick *again* Seems like we all have too many crash stories. 🤕 I also misjudged a log but at the end of a CX race. Got 5th and a separated shoulder.
Heal well, very sorry to hear about your latest injuries. It seems like as a product tester and journalist, your job involving constantly swapping bikes and hardware is a risk factor in itself, over and above the level of risk that a regular consumer bears. Ultimately you have found plenty of ways in which bits of bike equipment can go wrong.
Ouch. I hope you heal quickly. That is a nasty one. I've gotta say, hearing that list of crashes was terrifying. And I've had more than my share over the years. Two put me in the hospital via ambulance and one waking up to emergency crew so it's not new to me. (In fact this weekend I'm (re)doing a gravel event I crashed out of last year with a concussion and type 3 AC joint separation. Hopefully it ends differently ;-) ) Happy healing and creative thinking for the next few months of videos.
All the best for your recovery! Two weeks ago I did a beautiful forward somesault after track standing at the traffic lights and taking off hard.... snapping the chain on the 2nd pedal stroke. Bruised ribs, bent rear derailleur hanger, and scuffed tops of the lever hoods. Will take fork off though and have a good look for ring of death etc. when my anger has subsided towards that bike.....grrrrr
hey that's me behind you in the alleyway of the North Boulder Park Crit for the infamous Mavic Arsus scandal crash :) Don't forget over the backside of turn 3 at the Boulder Indoor Velodrome!
idea for a vid while your recovering: maybe a live stream Q&A? you have a deep well of knowledge gained over devaded in the great sport of biking and it would be great to get some of your insights with some questions from the biking community. Good luck in your recovery
Despite your many crashes, cycling is a great sport, especially for adults. If you don't race, and have very ordinary metal bikes and most of all, are very vigilant when it comes to riding in traffic and others around you, cycling is a very safe sport. I haven't crashed more than twice in over 40 years, and never in a high speed situation (I usually avert 1-3 crashes every year, just by slowing down, avoiding sketchy situations and paying attention). The fitness and enjoyment the non-competitive rider gets from cycling largely outweighs any risk of injury due to accident.
At age 69, and after having a couple serious crashes, I have become much more cautious IOT avoid a crash that might impact my mobility in the next decade or two. I've moved much of my training indoors now, using Zwift. It is more efficient, easier to maintain power levels during workouts, and is safe. I miss getting out in nature more, but seeing so many of my buddies getting hit by cars or having serious crashes, I figure the odds of it happening to me during outdoor cycling will eventually catch up to me.
Similar age and I've been having the same thoughts. Past 2 months have sucked so much, over-use injury (6 weeks) followed by crash (1 week) followed by illness (2 weeks) and then cracked carbon spokes on some insanely expensive wheels. Just leaves you thinking 'what the hell am I doing!'. And then you go out for an early spring ride with the sun shining (down here in Cape Town) and you're like, oh ya, this is it. Please cycling gods, stop testing me though.
Ah, damn. Besides the pain and hassle, you had some good form. I was looking forward to chasing your wheel in Gering on Sunday (M60+). Heal up brother.
Broke my collar bone at age 60 learning to ride mountain bikes here in Grand Junction a few years back. I can tell you this, you're going to lose a lot of muscle mass being older. Be prepared to spend a few years getting it back lifting weights..... I was back on my road bike within a few months riding easy, so that was a life saver. My left shoulder is fully healed now, but it pops a lot when I lift my arm over my head. I am glad to say I'm back out riding all my bikes and dread the day when I'm no longer able to ride, it truly is the most fun you can have outdoors (almost). Look forward to some creativity the next few months on your channel, break out of the gravel bike stuff and give something new a try.
Get well soon Ben. Being a retired medical professional, that is an ugly break. Future problems, sigh, maybe most likely. Take care and again.. get well soon.
get well, hope you've got some vids banked. Your equipment failure(s) reminded me of one of my many crashes when a handlebar I had been gifted by the Specialized rep snapped during an XC race. I relayed my concerns, hoping to save others a similar fate, to which he replied"yeah we've been having trouble with those" Gee thanks
Hey Ben, hope you heal up fast! Riding with you here in Boulder has always been a pleasure and privilege; you're a local legend, a fantastic ambassador of the sport, a great youtuber and journalist, and just an all around good bloke
My best crash ever. (UK, riding on left side of road). Went into a 90° right turn a little too quickly, drifted to edge of road where I slid sideways across a damp man hole cover. This sent me into the kerb, and I was thrown off the bike and over a hedge, landing on my knees in a pub garden, right between two tables of very startled lunchtime drinkers. Apart from my pride, the only injury was grass burns to my knees.
Hope they bought you a pint
I know exactly what your talking about regarding manhole covers. If you brake on a wet one, you can end up anywhere. Hope you are ok.
"...a case of me being a dumb dumb"
Ben, you're awesome and no one else could have taken tumbles like you have over the years and STILL COME BACK for more! Heal up, get well and can't wait to see you back out on the bike! 🙌
You're the best, pretty banged up and you're still making jokes, have a big smile and even got a video out for us. Wishing you a speedy recovery.
The one positive to all of it - you are still able to share it with all of us. Hoping for your speedy recovery.
Hang in there, Ben. I'm 59 years old, have had two back surgeries, a broken elbow, dislocated elbow, separated shoulder, and several concussions, all from bike wrecks but I'm still riding. You just need to get back up one more time than you fall down.
Ben. Heal up fast. I have learned so much from this channel and am grateful that you are sharing your knowledge and wisdom from your years of riding. Take care.
Heal up Ben! The world needs you.
I'm astounded. I'm so very sorry. Will pray for your complete and speedy recovery.
Well at least you’re in good spirits!
I’m recovering from a broken pelvis myself. Hope we both make a speedy and smooth recovery. ❤️🩹 Thanks for sharing your stories.
Geez, Ben. That sucks! I hope you heal fast (harder at your/my age) and are back on 2 wheels ASAP.
Getting back riding after a big crash is one thing. Rebuilding lost fitness is a whole 'nother deal though. I'm sure they'll both be a video in due course.
Live long and ride your bike.
Definitely theraputic to talk about all the injuries you've been through. Makes it feel like you'll be fine yet again and this is just another bad luck. Heal up!
Hi Ben, sorry to hear about your crash. You may well have broken as many bones as I have (5 clavicles among a myriad of others). When I visited with my Orthopedic Doc after the last clavicle fracture, he suggested that, at my age, I should stop falling down as I hadn't broken my neck yet and I wasn't a parapalegic. He was a competitive cyclist and a team mate of mine on Sport Systems in ABQ. I turned 81 this year and I'm contemplating this Cyclocross season. Tove has suggested that I register at the local races rather than signing up beforehand since a look at the course might disuade me from risking a crash. I am riding a gravel race this Saturday but I'm doing the 23 miler on my Domane+ instead of the 60 miler on my regular gravel/CX bike. This acceptance of caution due to advancing age has become a challenge. The reality is that a serious crash could have consequences well beyond those I suffered as a younger me. Shiny side up! Cheers, Jerry Shere
Thanks for talking about bike injuries Ben! It's not easy - they're quite traumatic and can darken the thing that brings us all so much happiness. I had lucked out and not had more than road rashes riding off-and-on for 30 years and then last year I broke my wrist and leg (tibial plateau) within 3 months of each other. Bikes are fast enough. Crashes are inevitable. I hope more bright designers start asking how we can make bikes safer.
OMG so so sorry. Sending healing vibes ⚕
Three type of riders, those who will fall, those have fallen and those who will fall again.
...gravity (almost) always wins...
Man, get well soon! Also recovering over here, went down a steep gravel road with over 40kph, was just feeling perfect. Pretty wide corner coming up, tried to brake for 8 seconds straight, wasn't happening. Ran out of road, tried to take the corner, lost the front wheel a did brake with the left side of my body, topping it off with a roll over, smashing my right side for good measure. Had to ride 4 more Ks to get to civilization. The nurse in the ER (they do get a LOT of bike accidents over there and pretty much have seen everything) just was quiet for a moment and then said: "...you look WILD man..." :D Sounds like all fun`n`games, and I do know and accept that sometimes the bear get's you, part off life, but I would be lying if I said the accident isn't haunting me a bit. Was good to see your video, Remindes me that we are not alone in the harder times. All the best mate!
Wishing you well, Ben!
Oh, Ben ... That sucks😯
Hope you're out of pain now and you'll be fine! My few crashes are incomparable with yours, but still hope to stay clear🙏
Keep up your spirit as you always do🤜
Praying for your quick recovery Ben! 🙏🙏🙏
Hoping for a smooth and speedy recovery! Your videos showed me some of the greatest events here in Colorado that have now become yearly staples for my race calendar, all while enjoying the ride. Hope to see you again at one next season!
Hi Ben, wishing you a swift and full recovery. Gosh what an episode and thanks for sharing. This is a important topic; I’m not a ortho doc, but if you ever want to talk about brain, neurovascular, cardiovascular matters then worth a chat/future episode - wishing you the very best
I’ve been riding bikes of some sort since I was 18. I’m 70 now. I had never broken a bone until I was 54. My kids were racing BMX so I decided to give it a try. I loved it! What I didn’t love was the broken ribs, fractured wrist, clavicle twice, femur, dislocated shoulder and a concussion. After 11 years of racing I gave it up after the fractured femur and subsequent pulmonary embolism after surgery. I decided to ride my road bike only. Lower crash risk, right? Well, four years ago I was hit from behind by a pickup truck resulting in an open lower leg fracture. After 3 surgeries and 17 months I was able to walk without a cane or crutches. I threw my leg over my new bike for the first time and rode 11 miles. It felt like a hundred!😂 To say the least I am much more aware of traffic now. This happened in the middle of nowhere. I got my first helicopter ride!😂. Oh. Just in case you’re using a trash bag to cover your cast in the shower, Amazon has a really nice cast cover! I used it for over a year!
Did the driver stop?
76 years old, both hips, rib, concussion,pulmonary embolism x2, and neck ( excited the ER but no neuro problems),all separate. I am quick to tell other riders I have never taken anyone down.
Hey dude good recovery from Germany ❤ Take care of you and Thanx for your nice content !
Sorry about the crash, glad you're alive, and thanks for the helpful tips and examples of what to avoid!
Holy shut, Ben, so sorry for you.
Your voice is still rough from the crash and perhaps the recovery treatment. However, it's fantastic you're still in high good spirit with a great smile and laughing of your anecdotes crashing.
I appreciate you so much for sharing your thoughts and learnings from crashing. Most importantly, how to potentially prevent them.
I wish you a speedy recovery and highest motivation to overcome this situation
Sorry for you Ben. Get well soon!
my god. Sorry to hear, Ben. Heal quickly and well. Cheers.
Sorry about your crash. I hope you heal well.
Heal Fast Ben! I love your content and your constant upbeat spirit and will continue to follow your adventures online and around Colorado wherever our paths cross.
Wishing you a speedy recovery, Ben!
Hi Ben, so sorry about your injuries, Wishing you complete recovery. Good news is you still have your wits about you and are already focusing on the future. Healing can be frustratingly slow for old timers like us. Just be patient. Hang in there. Best, G.
Heal up! You’ve done some great interviews over the years. Please, add some of those back into the mix during your “downtime”. And thanks for the content!
Glad you are alright! Thank you for sharing the realities of doing anything a lot! Accidents will happen!
I feel like our tendency to push our heart rates as high as they are capable of going leads to some weird looking crashes because we are operating with a handful of braincells from the effort.
that is.. very well put😅
Funny you say that; I crashed here right at the end of a 20min threshold effort, so could well have been a bit dizzy.
Fused and plated big toe-broken pelvis-various broken ribs-broken hand-broken wrist-AC separation-hyper extented neck x?-3 or 4 concussions-all while leaving skin in the game (or on the road). All over a 40yr riding on or off road.
I’ve found it imperative to have some 1st aid skills to tend to crashed riding budies or assess the seriousness of injury and response.
Riding has helped me endure a couple health issues however does introduce health issues due to crashes.
71yrs old and continuing to ride somewhat spirited hard group rides but better able now to assess/avert risk, with exception to a kamikaze deer.
Heal well Ben. Looking forward to more revue content.
My BEST wishes for your speedy recovery, Ben...and keeping the shiny side up, in the future !
Wishing you a speedy recovery Ben! Love your channel and all the bike knowledge and experience you share.
Always bringin' the sunshine and good vibes -- all the best, Ben! 🌞
Ben you are my favorite cycling youtube content creator! I wish you all the best in your recovery 🙏 You are an inspiration to many of us.
Get well soon Ben! I really appreciate your videos and advice. Good lessons to be drawn from this video especially on the things that we can control as riders like being mindful, in touch with our environment, checking our equipment and especially not taking excessive and stupid risks like racing downhill for no reason at all. I’m taking my disc brake bike to the shop right now in fact after hearing your comment on your experience going downhill because I heard some very strange squealing noises the other day coming down a mountain and haven’t paid attention since then because I ride on flats now. Thanks for sharing your experiences.!
Situation awareness is always a challenge…have to constantly remind myself to be attentive to the bike, the road, my body, my riding group. Stay safe out there!
Heal quickly, Ben!
I hadn’t thought of the Valley of the Sun wreck in years. With Keller’s broken elbow and my broken finger that drive home was legendary!
I crashed 2x in the same week when my front wheel washed out once on wet pavement and once on gravel. Tore my rotator cuff on the second crash and broke 3 ribs but didn’t need a hardware store to put my bone back together. I was really depressed not being able to ride till I healed but now I don’t feel so bad after seeing that x ray. Heal fast Ben.
You're in real good spirits after what happened to you. I wasn't expecting to see you all banged up like that. Even more surprising was how you recounted all the other times things didn't go that well. This definitely isn’t a typical video about a gravel ride or the latest cycling gear. Wishing you a quick recovery-hope you feel better soon!
Wish you a fast recovery Ben!
Hi Ben - hope you heal quickly and fully, and looking forward to seeing what you talk about in the meantime!
I’ve had three crashes in my life, but was lucky to walk away from all of them:
1) When I was small, my dad raised my handlebars too much, and they came out of the fork when I was riding down a hill - that was my first “no/hands” moment, but luckily I crashed into a grass slope.
(2) and (3) were just this year; losing balance looking behind me to celebrate with friends no-handed, and cycling into a bollard adjusting a route on my bike computer - both in the “idiot” category 🤦.
I’m now trying to err on the “not falling off” side of fun.
Great to see that you’re on the road to recovery, Ben. ‘Be present’ is great advice; there’s a world of difference between the undoubted mental detox we can have from enjoying the moment when we’re on the bike and being so caught up with thinking about (for example) what’s on the agenda for today at work that we make a real mess of things. I managed to turn across the route of a city tram doing the latter. Thankfully the tram driver was very ‘present’ and I got away with snapped handlebars🤦🏼
Hey Ben, sorry to hear about the crash, sucks that you will be off the bike outside for a while, I dislocated my shoulder in early June and was riding on the trainer indoors on Zwift in a week or so, I needed that to keep me sane! Where there is a will, there is a way! Wishing you a speedy recovery. Hang in there Bro and keep the content coming!
Yikes! Sorry to hear, hoping for speedy recovery. I can empathize! I've broken a 8 bones, I have a titanium Rod/Pins in my hip, multiple shoulder separations, hyper extended knees, compressed back, broken ribs, bruised ribs, 4 concussions I know of, MCL sprains....oh and a broken nose that required septoplasty later in life. This across racing Motocross/Supercross, Skateboarding, Mountain biking, Gravel Biking, Road Biking.
Heal well and quickly. I was very attentive to your comment on the condition of your bike after your mishap. It might be good for your viewers if you mentioned wheel and tire conditions and rule out burping as a possible issue. You deliver this video with so much good humour. A wonderful ambassador for our sport!!
Best wishes for your a speedy recovery!! I always look forward to your insights and opinions. Take care of yourself!!
Wow , great insight on safety, hopefully you heal up fast and are back riding soon but you are already helping others enjoy cycling to the fullest possible extent, safety first
Ben, thanks for sharing your falls and missteps for our entertainment and learning. I started racing around `90 and have my own list of misteps, but I now feel better about how much shorter my list is😀. I'm glad to see you're still with us and on your road to recovery and eventually enjoying the road again. I have changed the way I ride now that I'm in my 50s, but I have no plans to stop riding. For me, the benefits have and will probably continue to be far more numerous than the drawbacks and risks of cycling.
I hope you feel better my friend.
Great list Ben - don’t forget to add in about keeping your phone in your pocket. Thought you might have saved the iPhone that got tacoed in my HED jet wheel after it slid out of your pocket going down south St.Vrain canyon years ago. Thankfully no crashes on that day. Cheers, Eric
Sorry to hear about it, hope you heal quickly!
Sorry to hear about your recent injuries! I had the same humerus break and it was pretty painful. Hopefully you’re through the worst of all that and on the mend!
Injuries suck. No bueno! Heal up fast Ben!
I still love road riding, but it feels much more dangerous these last few years. I moved from Boulder 20 years ago and miss all the bike paths.
I don't crash much , but it seems that you do. I think your appraisal of inattention being a important factor is spot on. Take care of yourself. Think about your family, they deserve an intact you in the years to come.
Thanks for sharing. Speedy recovery!
Hope you heal up quick *again*
Seems like we all have too many crash stories. 🤕 I also misjudged a log but at the end of a CX race. Got 5th and a separated shoulder.
That was funny, here's some of my greatest hits.😂
Get well soon big guy.
sorry to hear about your injury. get well soon sir.
So sorry to hear about this crash! Try and keep yourself intact.
Heal well, very sorry to hear about your latest injuries. It seems like as a product tester and journalist, your job involving constantly swapping bikes and hardware is a risk factor in itself, over and above the level of risk that a regular consumer bears. Ultimately you have found plenty of ways in which bits of bike equipment can go wrong.
Ouch. I hope you heal quickly. That is a nasty one.
I've gotta say, hearing that list of crashes was terrifying. And I've had more than my share over the years. Two put me in the hospital via ambulance and one waking up to emergency crew so it's not new to me. (In fact this weekend I'm (re)doing a gravel event I crashed out of last year with a concussion and type 3 AC joint separation. Hopefully it ends differently ;-) ) Happy healing and creative thinking for the next few months of videos.
WTF wow sorry to see you got busted up. Best wishes to a speedy full recovery.
Get better soon! Please take it easy with recovery - it takes TIME to heal.
Wish you a speedy recovery, glad you're ok, could've been a lot worse.
All the best for your recovery! Two weeks ago I did a beautiful forward somesault after track standing at the traffic lights and taking off hard.... snapping the chain on the 2nd pedal stroke. Bruised ribs, bent rear derailleur hanger, and scuffed tops of the lever hoods. Will take fork off though and have a good look for ring of death etc. when my anger has subsided towards that bike.....grrrrr
Oh man, sorry to hear it.
Get well soon! Follow your PT and hopefully you'll be back on the bike in no time.
hey that's me behind you in the alleyway of the North Boulder Park Crit for the infamous Mavic Arsus scandal crash :) Don't forget over the backside of turn 3 at the Boulder Indoor Velodrome!
That corner at the top of linden has a lot of grit! I've had some close calls there.
Hey Ben, sorry to see to injured :(! Hope you recover fast!
Heal up Ben - sorry to see you took the spill of consequence.
Ouch. Get well soon, only good rides from now on 💪🏼
idea for a vid while your recovering: maybe a live stream Q&A? you have a deep well of knowledge gained over devaded in the great sport of biking and it would be great to get some of your insights with some questions from the biking community. Good luck in your recovery
Get Well Soon Ben!
Despite your many crashes, cycling is a great sport, especially for adults. If you don't race, and have very ordinary metal bikes and most of all, are very vigilant when it comes to riding in traffic and others around you, cycling is a very safe sport. I haven't crashed more than twice in over 40 years, and never in a high speed situation (I usually avert 1-3 crashes every year, just by slowing down, avoiding sketchy situations and paying attention). The fitness and enjoyment the non-competitive rider gets from cycling largely outweighs any risk of injury due to accident.
Ouch, get well soon Ben 🤙🏻
Hopefully you will recover quickly. Take care
At age 69, and after having a couple serious crashes, I have become much more cautious IOT avoid a crash that might impact my mobility in the next decade or two. I've moved much of my training indoors now, using Zwift. It is more efficient, easier to maintain power levels during workouts, and is safe. I miss getting out in nature more, but seeing so many of my buddies getting hit by cars or having serious crashes, I figure the odds of it happening to me during outdoor cycling will eventually catch up to me.
I just leisure ride but for fitness and I already don't think I'll bike in my 60s
Speedy recovery 👍🏻🇺🇸
Ten weeks post broken humerus into four and dislocation.Reverse hill sachs. Same operation too. I feel your pain. Good luck.
Twinsies. Ooph!
Healing thoughts, Ben!
Similar age and I've been having the same thoughts. Past 2 months have sucked so much, over-use injury (6 weeks) followed by crash (1 week) followed by illness (2 weeks) and then cracked carbon spokes on some insanely expensive wheels. Just leaves you thinking 'what the hell am I doing!'. And then you go out for an early spring ride with the sun shining (down here in Cape Town) and you're like, oh ya, this is it. Please cycling gods, stop testing me though.
Sorry to ear that! Can't wait for your next off bike content!
Hope you heal quickly buddy, that’s a bummer.
Wow. Nasty Ben, get well soon.
Ah, damn. Besides the pain and hassle, you had some good form. I was looking forward to chasing your wheel in Gering on Sunday (M60+). Heal up brother.
take care young man
Broke my collar bone at age 60 learning to ride mountain bikes here in Grand Junction a few years back. I can tell you this, you're going to lose a lot of muscle mass being older. Be prepared to spend a few years getting it back lifting weights..... I was back on my road bike within a few months riding easy, so that was a life saver. My left shoulder is fully healed now, but it pops a lot when I lift my arm over my head. I am glad to say I'm back out riding all my bikes and dread the day when I'm no longer able to ride, it truly is the most fun you can have outdoors (almost). Look forward to some creativity the next few months on your channel, break out of the gravel bike stuff and give something new a try.
Get well Ben❤
Yikes. Be careful. Hope you heal up well.
Heal up quickly! All the best!
Praying for you! Go get 'em... when you can!
Get well soon Ben. Being a retired medical professional, that is an ugly break. Future problems, sigh, maybe most likely. Take care and again.. get well soon.
get well, hope you've got some vids banked. Your equipment failure(s) reminded me of one of my many crashes when a handlebar I had been gifted by the Specialized rep snapped during an XC race. I relayed my concerns, hoping to save others a similar fate, to which he replied"yeah we've been having trouble with those" Gee thanks
😮
Goddamn, dude. I hope you recover quickly!