I. Mental Preparation:
Nowadays, any sport carries certain risks, and two-wheeled vehicle sports are no exception. Cycling is one of them, and its characteristic is that it relies on a certain speed or the rider's own center-of-gravity adjustment technique to maintain balance, in order to achieve a stable riding posture and ultimately reach the destination. However, during the activity, if this balance is disrupted and the rider fails to adjust it in time, a loss of balance will occur.
Therefore, since it is a sport, accidents may happen. Although protective gear can be used, the level of protection it offers is still relatively limited. What truly plays a decisive role is the rider's quick reaction and self-protection actions. So as long as you participate in cycling, you must always be mentally prepared to deal with unexpected situations. Facing accidents correctly, and keeping a clear and calm mind at the moment of impact, allows you to take timely and appropriate emergency measures. This protects yourself and reduces the pain caused by sports accidents.
II. Abandoning the Bike:
A loss of balance will inevitably lead to an abnormal landing. If you determine that the situation cannot be salvaged, begin your escape. The first part of escaping is to quickly abandon the bike. The benefit of separating from the bike is that you can face the ground alone, rather than landing on a tumbling bike. If you don’t abandon the bike quickly enough, parts of the bike may become entangled with your body, altering your body posture and greatly affecting your self-protection actions upon landing. The method of abandoning the bike is to throw it to either side—use both hands to push the bike left or right, not your feet. If your legs are also involved, it could have a negative effect, causing your body’s spatial posture to change and leading to an unbalanced landing. Even if your legs need to move, the only proper movement is to bring them up and over the bike to avoid being tripped by it. Also, remember: always throw the bike to the sides, not forward or backward.
III. Landing:
Before landing, your body must be relaxed so that your muscles and joints are not tense, remain flexible, and have good shock absorption.
Support refers to the action taken by limbs (hands and feet) to cushion the impact with the ground, temporarily maintaining body posture and preparing for full-body contact with the ground. Or, if there are other objects at the landing point—such as large rocks, branches, or other riders—it is very necessary to perform a support action to avoid them. Support must be “soft support,” meaning the limb joints (elbows, knees, wrists, ankles) should be appropriately bent at a certain angle and close to the body. This way, the impact force can be effectively cushioned. If the limbs are straight, it creates a “hard-on-hard” situation. This incorrect support method can directly cause dislocations or fractures. Therefore, the saying “an unreasonable support action is worse than no support” is widely accepted in sports and is a very reasonable theory of self-protection technique.
Torso Landing: No matter what, you must avoid landing on your front. Landing face-first can have very serious consequences—the face and limbs are the primary areas affected, and the degree of injury is also the greatest. Therefore, before landing, rotate your body to change your posture, land on your shoulder blades, and then follow up with a rolling motion. That is the effective buffering action for landing.
The correct position for shoulder landing is the side-back area of the shoulder joint, near the back. If you land on the front of the shoulder or directly to the side, first, the collarbone may break due to its low load-bearing capacity, and second, the shoulder joint may dislocate. Landing on your back is a good method because the back has thick muscle layers and a natural arch that can effectively absorb impact and protect internal organs. When landing on your back, be sure to bend your neck forward to protect the back of your head. The key is to think “I’m looking at my belly” when landing, so your occipital area doesn’t hit the ground.
Rolling: Rolling can reasonably eliminate the forward inertia force after landing. At this time, keep your body relaxed, cross your arms in front of your chest to protect your torso, and keep your legs together and naturally bent. Keep your head bent forward to avoid further injury during the roll. It’s best to roll sideways so your vision isn’t greatly affected and your head remains well protected. If you start rolling forward or backward, quickly change direction to a side roll. After rolling, get up and leave the scene as soon as possible to avoid being hit by a following vehicle.