Serious injury crash in Arlington July 28

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  • July 28, 2021 at 8:36 pm #922369
    Steve O
    Participant

    From ArlNow (link)

    [h=1]

    BREAKING: Police Investigating Serious Bike Crash Near Yorktown HS[/h]
    (Updated at 2:20 p.m.) A bicyclist has suffered potentially life-threatening injuries after a crash 2-3 blocks from Yorktown High School.
    The crash happened around 1 p.m. on the 2700 block of N. George Mason Drive, just south of Yorktown Blvd. Initial reports suggest the front wheel of the bike somehow came off and the cyclist flipped over the handlebars, suffering a possible head injury.
    The detached wheel could be seen next to the bike, which appeared to have a motor that powered it. A pool of blood was nearby, in the middle of the bike lane.
    The cyclist was rushed to a local trauma center for treatment. So far there are no reports of any vehicles being involved in the crash.
    “ACFD arrived on the scene of a single-bicycle crash in the 2700 block of N. George Mason Drive,” Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage said. “The bicyclist was transported to an area hospital in critical condition. Police were dispatched to the area and remain on scene investigating the crash.”

    It looks like the fork broke in half. There’s a small gas-powered engine driving a belt. Seems like a jury rigged motorcycle more than a bicycle.

    July 28, 2021 at 9:16 pm #1114516
    zsionakides
    Participant

    Looks like a mish mash of different parts on that bike. Wouldn’t surprise me if some of those were already fatigued and not able to take the forces of what looks like a homebrew moped.

    July 29, 2021 at 11:48 pm #1114520
    EasyRider
    Participant

    I hope the rider recovers!

    Looks like an older budget road bike with an OEM carbon fork. I’ll don’t ride carbon, but I’ll take this as a reminder to check each of my forks before I ride them again. One doesn’t need to strap a gasoline motor to a bicycle to get a fork failure.

    August 1, 2021 at 5:05 pm #1114531
    Starduster
    Participant

    On a robust old cruiser with the traditional slack geometry, that mod was dangerous enough. On a much lighter road bike, almost suicidal. There are also homemade e-bike conversions out there equally, um, daring. :(

    August 20, 2021 at 9:04 pm #1114609
    baiskeli
    Participant

    The cyclist survived and posted about it on Nextdoor:

    https://nextdoor.com/p/-wjq7Z5dqwbB?utm_source=share&extras=NzU4MDgwNA%3D%3D

    August 30, 2021 at 3:51 pm #1114645
    Starduster
    Participant

    I can’t open this on any browser. What did said cyclist say?

    August 30, 2021 at 5:04 pm #1114642
    ginacico
    Participant

    @Starduster 211262 wrote:

    What did said cyclist say?

    “I am lucky to survive this crazy crisis during my life. Moral of the story, never ride a 2-stroke gas engine mounted onto a road frame that has a carbon fork, especially if it is an old bicycle that has ridden over rough terrain. Don’t ride a carbon fork in general and stay away from the C&O Canal a Towpath unless you’ve got a gravel bike. Motorized bicycles need to be confiscated more, they are very uncommon and mopeds aren’t that safe either since minors tend to ride on them too. I am a 25 year old man who just made a nearly deadly mistake of building this for fun, now I regret being so bold.”

    August 31, 2021 at 1:34 am #1114649
    dbehrend
    Participant

    ArlNow posted another article:

    https://www.arlnow.com/2021/08/30/man-survived-serious-bike-crash-in-yorktown-last-month/

    September 1, 2021 at 6:53 pm #1114655
    lordofthemark
    Participant

    Don’t ride a carbon fork in general and stay away from the C&O Canal a Towpath unless you’ve got a gravel bike.

    I’ve ridden the towpath on a regular hybrid bike – should I not do that? (or do they just mean don’t ride a conventional drop bar road bike?)

    I also own an aluminum frame drop bar road bike that has a carbon fork. Haven’t ridden it on the towpath, and don’t intend to, but ride it on our local streets regularly.

    Am I doing something wrong? (Well aside from the things I already know I’m doing wrong, I mean, whatever)

    September 2, 2021 at 4:10 pm #1114657
    trailrunner
    Participant

    Why use a 2 stroke engine when you can use a jet?

    [video=youtube_share;Oa3uYIe75iI]https://youtu.be/Oa3uYIe75iI[/video]

    September 3, 2021 at 4:16 pm #1114666
    bentbike33
    Participant

    @lordofthemark 211278 wrote:

    Don’t ride a carbon fork in general and stay away from the C&O Canal a Towpath unless you’ve got a gravel bike.

    I’ve ridden the towpath on a regular hybrid bike – should I not do that? (or do they just mean don’t ride a conventional drop bar road bike?)

    I also own an aluminum frame drop bar road bike that has a carbon fork. Haven’t ridden it on the towpath, and don’t intend to, but ride it on our local streets regularly.

    Am I doing something wrong? (Well aside from the things I already know I’m doing wrong, I mean, whatever)

    If you do all of these things without benefit of a 2-stroke motor bolted to your bikes, I think you should be fine, especially as I know you are not a Clydesdale.

    September 3, 2021 at 5:48 pm #1114667
    Steve O
    Participant

    Don’t ride a carbon fork in general and stay away from the C&O Canal a Towpath unless you’ve got a gravel bike.

    I rode from DC to Pittsburgh on the C&O and the GAP on my Fuji touring bike with 25mm road tires. All good. Fun, too.

    September 9, 2021 at 1:26 pm #1114683
    huskerdont
    Participant

    @Steve O 211290 wrote:

    I rode from DC to Pittsburgh on the C&O and the GAP on my Fuji touring bike with 25mm road tires. All good. Fun, too.

    25s, that’s mental for that distance. I mean, can be done, sure, but doesn’t seem worth the hassle dodging all the rocks and muck when 33s will go right over and through them.

    September 9, 2021 at 2:11 pm #1114684
    mstone
    Participant

    @huskerdont 211313 wrote:

    25s, that’s mental for that distance. I mean, can be done, sure, but doesn’t seem worth the hassle dodging all the rocks and muck when 33s will go right over and through them.

    I think the same about 33s vs 38s :D If I had clearance for 48s I’d probably feel the same way about them.

    September 9, 2021 at 2:35 pm #1114685
    huskerdont
    Participant

    @mstone 211314 wrote:

    I think the same about 33s vs 38s :D If I had clearance for 48s I’d probably feel the same way about them.

    Then you’d have a mountain bike.

    I do find the 33s a bit squirrely in loose gravel, such as the brief downhill on the towpath just south of the beltway. I generally find that if I hold on loosely to the bars in those situations (allow a little play, but not too much), its usually okay.

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