Any tips on falling properly?

[MikeTheCreator]

Hello everyone. I have really been enjoying my new 18xl. I was wondering if you guys have any tips pointers or advice on how one should fall off properly if the time ever occurs.  Thank you so much in advance for any help!

[Meserias]

try to remain on your EUC until last second, do not jump from it unless you feel that you keep up the speed with your feet.
improve your attention before and next to you, always watch the road ahead, and try to predict any issue....also, avoid riding at night.

I have over 2200Km with only 2 falls at walking speed both until 200Km ...

 

[Daley1]

Wear Armour!

[DjPanJan]

Key is good wristguard you need slide to lower impact energy. Elbow guard no need to be with slide pads. Knee guard is important you always hit you knee.Always try fall to face not spin not try roling etc. Go frontal to ground move you head up try fall like cat do. Frontal falls is best for recorvery belive me.

I not seriously(damaged long healing) fall until i go 940Km on my V10F and i focus my eyes on beautiful blonde girl/woman in WW Golf i watch her ,smile on her she smile on me like romantic movie nice time i enjoyed my life  and blink smash shock. Im on asphalt i thinking about f****ng her nicely  and i lost all my focus . And i stupid man ride over/hit  curb(on picture) 

Speed was 14.5 Kmh not so many .Because i not know i go fall just pure shock. 

I fell on the left side of my body bumped 3 ribs I bumped my left shoulder and left hip pretty ugly. I had to get a bigger X-ray to the county town, fortunately nothing was broken or pinched.
It happened 22.12.2019 and still 23.01.2020 I can not raise the shoulder more than 50% due to severe pain. I couldn't laugh or cough because of my rib pain. And hips heal for 4 weeks so I limped.

Other crashes both types low speed and high speed 20-30 km / h were total "fun" because I knew I was going to the ground and I expected it. Even though a cyclist hit me without consequences. My elbow wrist protectors have always been enough and my knees use the ENDURA singletrack elbows and knees. ENNUI slide gloves and MTB helmet.

So I understand that it only works when you fall forward. The fall on my side was disastrous for my body. So I bought now. Leat3D lite set of protectors, chest, spine, shoulders, kidneys, liver and impact shorts with coccyx and hip protection. In addition, a biker sweatshirt and jeans with pads.
Full face MET parachute helmet.

Use look at the way not at the blondes.

[Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/6Sp9nWZ.jpg)

Now imagine what a woman said to me when I got home and opened the door and saw me.

She: What the hell happened to you?

Me: ... er .... er ... i .... ... you ....... But you know ........ I saw the blonde in the car ... and. ...

She: And .... What? (dramatic look) You stared again where you should not look!

She: ........(end dramatic look) I know you this is KARMA as*hole!

Edited February 1, 2020 by DjPanJan
fuse

[Intertracer]

tldr; Don't let the pedals hit you.

It depends, a couple of experiences I had at slower speeds:

When confronted with a bad curbstone in the dark at ~15km/h, a high jump off the pedals left me with a short jog, wheel bumping and almost freezing in place.

When slipped on ice sideways - quite the opposite: squatting and keeping tight grip of the wheel did the trick.

Both cases without consequences whatsoever (wheel already had scratches so new ones are indistinguishable).

 

[Unventor]

Well I just saw this thread pop up. So we see these questions surface from time to time. So here is my 2 cents.... 

If you search you find my cash stories som with scarry pictures some with major but still very luck in the situation injuries. 

Not matter how much you plan, something new happens. Some prefer to slide others to tumble...some can run it off. It all depends on your flexibility and reaction speeds.... but.... 

Some crashes (IMHO most) on EUC have a very different mechanic than a MC crashes. MC crashes tend to happen at higher speeds and in my view (I can be wrong) often ends with sliding due to the kigher speeds, compared to a EUC cutout/balance failure. The EUC crash can come in an instant and act similar to hitti g a wall straight on. That is also why I have review the speeds I ride. 

I can only say I am very happy that I ride with lvl2 3d0 prote tion in a mc suit otherwise. Y shoulder would have been toast. I hit a curb with a pedal hard on trying a avoid a skateboarder doing S in his and my lane. I estimate I hit curb with 25kmh resulting it a hard twisting and forward tumble motion with my shoulder landing full force on the curb with me upside down. 

It is often forgotten in tips here that shoulder/collar bones are at risk in a faceplant. 

I tend to tumble if I can, this is due to my youth days... playing volleyball we trained tumbling to be fast up ready from a smash pickup. But I am not young anymore.🙄

Just remember you get speed blind very fast and easy. But with speed increases braking and the forces a lot, plus the radius you need to be aware if becomes so much more bigger. That is why if stresses me to ride faster than 30kmh. 

I hope this it useful to you. 

Note: I am very grateful that I had my accidents. As it thought me to respect what I am doing and the forces I am controlling. 

I rather ride slower at reach my distinction and be able to ride home again. Plus faster means less distance. Going fast and ending up in major rehab isn't worth it. IMHO. 

[null]

Things happen so fast you dont necessarily have time to react.. but some points: Large bumps in the road can bounce you off the pedals, if you land wrong and fall. Doing a bit of off-road and also getting to know the sensation without panic is probably useful.

If you see a large hole you won't be able to avoid, or the wheel is letting you go (overlean) you could crouch to make the fall lower. This also helps for an over leaned motor (crouching takes weight from the wheel for a moment)

Anyhow, not a crash scientist, just some conclusions after minor falls and 5000km.

Edited January 23, 2020 by null

[Marty Backe]

I'm afraid it's impossible to plan for a fall. I personally know a lot great riders, and many of them have broken stuff from falls. Many haven't too.

It's just bad luck sometimes. Due to the nature of how and where we ride there are infinite possibilities on how we can fall. I've never bought the statements made by some, that you can do "this and that" to fall properly. Because when it happens, it's near instantaneous and there's no time to prepare how you're going to hit the ground.

The best you can do is gear up to provide the best insurance against a fall.

[Marty Backe]

4 hours ago, DjPanJan said:

Key is good wristguard you need slide to lower impact energy. Elbow guard no need to be with slide pads. Knee guard is important you always hit you knee.Always try fall to face not spin not try roling etc. Go frontal to ground move you head up try fall like cat do. Frontal falls is best for recorvery belive me.

I not seriously(damaged long healing) fall until i go 940Km on my V10F and i focus my eyes on beautiful blonde girl/woman in WW Golf i watch her ,smile on her she smile on me like romantic movie nice time i enjoyed my life  and blink smash shock. Im on asphalt i thinking about f****ng her nicely  and i lost all my focus . And i stupid man ride over/hit  curb(on picture) 

Speed was 14.5 Kmh not so many .Because i not know i go fall just pure shock. 

I fell on the left side of my body bumped 3 ribs I bumped my left shoulder and left hip pretty ugly. I had to get a bigger X-ray to the county town, fortunately nothing was broken or pinched.
It happened 22.12.2019 and still 23.01.2020 I can not raise the shoulder more than 50% due to severe pain. I couldn't laugh or cough because of my rib pain. And hips heal for 4 weeks so I limped.

Other crashes both types low speed and high speed 20-30 km / h were total "fun" because I knew I was going to the ground and I expected it. Even though a cyclist hit me without consequences. My elbow wrist protectors have always been enough and my knees use the ENDURA singletrack elbows and knees. ENNUI slide gloves and MTB helmet.

So I understand that it only works when you fall forward. The fall on my side was disastrous for my body. So I bought now. Leat3D lite set of protectors, chest, spine, shoulders, kidneys, liver and impact shorts with coccyx and hip protection. In addition, a biker sweatshirt and jeans with pads.
Full face MET parachute helmet.

Use look at the way not at the blondes.

[null]

Yoga should be good, it trains balance to avoid a fall, as well as core strength and flexibility to lessen the damage in case of one.

[Lefteris]

From my personal experience since i ride these contraptions from Sept. 2015, when you are about to fall, don't open wide like you are gonna give a big hug to the pavement, just try to curl up your legs and cover your face with your hands in a defensive-like position, while trying to make a tumble.

A proper tumble will save you each time you fall down, maybe some martial arts practice only for falling down properly when with speed is needed. You can ask for a martial arts instructor if you can specificaly attent a lesson or two on how to fall properly, and wish you remember the instructions when "that" time comes :-O  

[RockyTop]

I crash quite often. I always have because I am always pushing the limits, and not just on EUCs.

Wear wrist guards with plastic palms. not gloves. If you do have time to do anything before you hit the ground you will probably put your arms out to stop your fall, jabbing your meaty hands into the asphalt. Your hands don’t slide and because your arms are straight you brake something. This is not the right thing to do but unless you have years of training, that’s what you will do. The wrist guards will slide, letting you slow and position yourself without the bone braking jolt of energy. 
 

These videos should help

 

 

 

[Unventor]

I just saw this.... 

See post below... That is how my shoulder looked like after my curb accident... This is the cover my pedal clipped at 25kmh. There was no way for me to keep control or react. The curb is like just as high as KS18L pedals. So a level pedal just barely touch. But I were braking and correcting then counter correcting so I hit it just traight on on the corner. 

Wheels stopped tumbling less than 1m from the concrete pillar. (about 20m away). 

Thi gs like this hard to prepare for and predict. 

[Darrell Wesh]

9 hours ago, RockyTop said:

Wear wrist guards with plastic palms. not gloves. If you do have time to do anything before you hit the ground you will probably put your arms out to stop your fall, jabbing your meaty hands into the asphalt. Your hands don’t slide and because your arms are straight you brake something. This is not the right thing to do but unless you have years of training, that’s what you will do. The wrist guards will slide, letting you slow and position yourself without the bone braking jolt of energy. 

Wrist guards over gloves depends on how fast you’re going. Wrist guards were designed for low speeds, like skaters falling near vertically from a trick. Gloves with d30 or Poron or Knox glove scaphoid system padding are excellent.

IMO wrist guards are too slippery and cause your arms to slide forward at an alarming speed predisposing you to shoulder dislocations. Numerous people wearing wrist guards and crashing on EUC’s have suffered shoulder dislocations so they aren’t infallible; you may save your wrist but you will pay elsewhere. It’s a lot easier to teach yourself to not fully extend the arms in a fall to save your wrist then it is to stop your arms from shooting forward from the slippery palms of wrist guards. 

[Darrell Wesh]

For the OP, you cannot fall properly. Don’t buy into the BS dudes saying take martial arts courses or whatever to learn how to fall. You have to plan to fall to fall properly. Every parkour roll from a high drop is planned. Crashing on an EUC is most always unplanned. I’ve slid and I’ve rolled, no telling how i will end up lol.
 

I focus on my core work (the back muscles are important to keep your head up from slamming the ground) in order to react quickly and save my head. 

[Lefteris]

8 hours ago, Darrell Wesh said:

For the OP, you cannot fall properly. Don’t buy into the BS dudes saying take martial arts courses or whatever to learn how to fall. You have to plan to fall to fall properly. Every parkour roll from a high drop is planned. Crashing on an EUC is most always unplanned. I’ve slid and I’ve rolled, no telling how i will end up lol.
 

I focus on my core work (the back muscles are important to keep your head up from slamming the ground) in order to react quickly and save my head. 

I'm the one that talks bs..  

You focus on core work, probably muscle building, but how can anyone test a fall, how can someone check if he can do a roll to minimize damage and speed with proper control? If you can emulate these conditions with any kind of exercise please, teach me senpai  

[winterwheel]

When you ride around in the snow your reflexes come in to play a lot; this morning for example, four or five times the wheel bounced in an odd way and my arms flailed in just the right way that I could correct the wheel in carry on. There is no planning, it's just automatic. This happens in summer too when you hit something unexpected, guys 'catch themselves' all the time without planning a thin. Reflexes are a thing, useful reflexes are a thing. I agree there is no time to plan falls.

[Jonesq]

Falling properly comes down to two things: 1) tuck and 2) roll.

Tuck means to tuck your head into your chest and shoulder. Your chin should be touching the inside of your shoulder and chest. If your chin is touching your right shoulder, you roll over your left shoulder. If your chin is touching your left shoulder you roll over your right shoulder.

Rolling allows you to reduce your speed while minimizing hard contact.

Here's a good tutorial of how to roll from a Krav Maga studio. The technique they use is similar to the rolls used in Aikido and Judo. It's easy to learn and anyone can do it.
 

 

[Lefteris]

thank you for the video

[Unventor]

That is all well in theory. In an actual crash so many things are going on that isn't ideal. 

My shoulder crash. I tried but never had the time. I think I had been braking from 35ish kmh to 25ish kmh and emergency maneuvering too in a S style first right then left then short correcting back again and clipped the curb. At this point I were is so hard maneuvers outside what I normally do that I had not the skills needed to perform them. 

When I landed on my back/butt accident it was during training emergency braking. Wheel slide sideway on gravel on top of asphalt. Similar to aqua planning. My movement vector was different to wheel direction when it gained traction, causing a massive wobble that I were fitting to get under control and braking at the same time. All fine until I hit the only rock from a contrete pillar at a size of a folded fist. Instant snake bit puncture and load t foot hold. The sideway slide startet at top speed of V8, 30kmh. 

All I managed to do was tug head to chest to avoid. Hard impact with head/neck on ground. 

I think it is good to debate these cases and the skill of falling. Sometimes you might be able to pick an option that seems better sometimes not. But as long you analyse situation you might get towards the option you choose. Staying cool headed and you might pull it off. Going into panic is same as major crash will happen. 

[Jengajuice]

Rolling is good in some situations, but you have to be in control to properly roll. The rolls I've done have all been after an unplanned dismount and I'm stumbling, too leaned to recover. I have time to mentally plan and enough footing to control entry into the roll.  Trying to roll as a reflex sound like a bad idea.

Not locking your arms strait is probably the best reflex to develop. And keep your elbows out.

Best advice I can give though is staying engaged in your ride, mentally and physically. The sooner you recognize your unicycle ride is headed toward a RUD (Rapid Unexpected Dismount), the sooner you can start planning your escape.

 

[meepmeepmayer]

Watch religiously where you are going so you don't fall in the first place. Pretty much any crash is due to an unexpected obstacle.

And if you crash, do not try to catch the wheel or stop it or anything. This is how harmless falls or run-offs can lead to injuries (we had a case where trying to catch the wheel - on soft grass - led to a nasty knee injury from just a harmless walking speed run-off). Take care of yourself and completely ignore the wheel and let the wheel crash by itself.

[Jonesq]

1 minute ago, Unventor said:

That is all well in theory. In an actual crash so many things are going on that isn't ideal. 

My shoulder crash. I tried but never had the time. I think I had been braking from 35ish kmh to 25ish kmh and emergency maneuvering too in a S style first right then left then short correcting back again and clipped the curb. At this point I were is so hard maneuvers outside what I normally do that I had not the skills needed to perform them. 

When I landed on my back/butt accident it was during training emergency braking. Wheel slide sideway on gravel on top of asphalt. Similar to aqua planning. My movement vector was different to wheel direction when it gained traction, causing a massive wobble that I were fitting to get under control and braking at the same time. All fine until I hit the only rock from a contrete pillar at a size of a folded fist. Instant snake bit puncture and load t foot hold. The sideway slide startet at top speed of V8, 30kmh. 

All I managed to do was tug head to chest to avoid. Hard impact with head/neck on ground. 

I think it is good to debate these cases and the skill of falling. Sometimes you might be able to pick an option that seems better sometimes not. But as long you analyse situation you might get towards the option you choose. Staying cool headed and you might pull it off. Going into panic is same as major crash will happen. 

Good point. Rolling from your knees, or from a standstill and when prepared is way easier than rolling at speed unexpectedly.

However, these techniques work. Practice is what will ultimately instill the muscle memory you need so that you can execute these moves instinctively.

If you can just learn to tuck your head instinctively and allow yourself to roll across your shoulder, that's like 90% of the movement. The whole purpose of rolling is to protect your head and to dissipate the momentum you have with as little force as possible. When you have to execute a roll under stress it likely won't be as smooth as the ones you practice.

Being good at anything requires practice. Falling is no exception. If you spend time practicing how to fall, you will get better at falling properly. The videos are simply guidance as to how you should be practicing. Here's another video that shows how to fall backwards and to the sides. They all use the same principle of protecting your head by tucking it and then rolling over your shoulder.
 

 

[Unventor]

Hehe like I said earlier at age 22-25 I were pretty fast to catch smashes in valley all on the floor. Now at age nearly 50, with rheumatic diagnoses (3 different types) in  shoulders, lower spine, back, hips, knees and ancles, I simply can't react as fast nor do I have the flexibility needed. But riding EUC have saved my quality of life as I am much better now than before I started with EUCs.

In fact the rheumatic special department at region hospital had never seen so big improvement in such short time span. The sweet part of this is how many times I have been ask to ride indoors to show how it works. A lot of norses have seen this now 😉😊

Edited January 24, 2020 by Unventor

[Rywokast]

yea.. dont do it... you cant plan for a fall lol it will happen in the blink of an eye dont care how good you are you will likely will be on your ass before you even know what happened... the only way to fall properly is gear up so when you do fall you wont get hurt (as bad).. youre not gonna do a ninja roll or think ok i should land here and put my arms this way, you will be on the ground instantly and if youre lucky have time for what is instinctual to kick in aka hands in front taking most of it and tucking your head in.. this is why its always recommended to have wrist guards at a bare minimum, your hands WILL take a lot of damage and if youre lucky, all of it.. so protect them first. it comes down to your natural athletic ability, flexibility, reflexes and age.. there are things you can do to improve them of course, but unless you literally have the wobbles for like ten seconds and are thinking of bailing in which case you could prepare.. you will just likely nail a pothole or hit a pedal and be on the ground so fast that you wont even be able to comprehend what happened until youve already bitten the pavement lol