Solo riders word of caution

brizi2003

Active member
Nov 20, 2018
236
147
Whickham, Newcastle upon Tyne
Nearly forgot my gift from the hospital. Don’t think I will be framing these x rays.
Looking at the fixed leg I’m sure they went down diy centre for the bits

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View attachment 14787
Accidents like that can so easily happen when off-road. I tend to back off a bit when riding alone but I know that doesn't guarantee my safety. Some of the suggested tracking solutions have given me food for thought - I use a phone app (Life360) at the minute that allows my location to be tracked but it needs a phone/internet connection (it seems most do). Interesting looking at your x-rays, that the break occurred just where your replacement hip ends in the bone. I've read before that your bones can bend/twist quite some way before breaking unless they are held rigid say by: stiff motorcycle boots - leg break instead of ankle damage, wrist guards - arm break instead of wrist damage, or in your case a hip implant may have contributed to the break location? Only a thought. Hope you get well soon and take it easy when you return.
 

RobertD

Member
Jan 21, 2019
21
24
Weston-super-Mare
I use the 'Tractive' pet animal tracker. It gives live updates in real time. You can set a virtual fence around it and when it leaves that fence you get a message on your phone. When concealed on your bike acts as a bike alarm system!
Robert
 

Stumpy

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Staff member
Patreon
Jun 17, 2018
644
622
Essex, UK
I ride alone 99% of the time and following my heart attack (not related to riding) last year I bought myself an apple watch for the heart monitoring functions. However, it also has "fall detection" which I thought was a bit of a gimmick but in an OTB incident a couple of weeks back it went off. Fortunately, I was OK and managed to stop the watch calling my loved ones and the emergency services but good to know if the situation had been different someone may have been alerted. I've also invested in the ANGI device others have mentioned (stuck on my POC helmet) - for £40 I thought it was a no brainer.
 

Ted

Member
Apr 23, 2019
56
84
California
I mostly ride alone in areas that do not have cell phone reception. For 8 years I used a Spot device to send "I'm OK" messages to my wife. We never had a real good plan for when I am not OK and sometimes messages would not arrive. Recently, I switched to a Garmin Inreach Mini. This device uses the Iridium satellites to send messages two-way. No messages have gotten lost yet ( a continuing problem on the Spot). We have tested the two-way texting and it works great. Our system is that I send a start/finish message when I start/finish. Then I send an OK message every hour on the hour. Each message has GPS coordinates attached. With the Garmin my wife can text me if she has an issue or she is too worried about me. Both the Spot and the Garmin can send out SOS messages to rescue personnel if needed. This system has worked for us.
 

R120

Moderator
Subscriber
Apr 13, 2018
7,819
9,190
Surrey
I ride alone 99% of the time and following my heart attack (not related to riding) last year I bought myself an apple watch for the heart monitoring functions. However, it also has "fall detection" which I thought was a bit of a gimmick but in an OTB incident a couple of weeks back it went off. Fortunately, I was OK and managed to stop the watch calling my loved ones and the emergency services but good to know if the situation had been different someone may have been alerted. I've also invested in the ANGI device others have mentioned (stuck on my POC helmet) - for £40 I thought it was a no brainer.
I have just bought one today pretty much as a result of this thread!
 

Good luck with the recovery! I ride alone quite often and I carry a Spot3 tracker - I always tell someone where I am going but often add other trails to my plans. I send an OK message to my wife when I start and the spot plots my location every 5 mins. If I was unconscious then they would have my last location - although it may be some hours before anyone realizes it's an emergency! But at least they will know my location. The only thing around Santa Barbara I am concerned about is Mountain Lions! They attack from behind so not much time to activate Spot rescue!
 

notfub

Member
Apr 20, 2019
20
33
South Wales
Does the live tracking only work when your paired phone has an internet connection?
I also have a Wahoo Elemnt & it often drops Bluetooth connection to the phone mid ride, and the livetrack stops tracking. I only notice when the wahoo announces is "paired to phone" several minutes later. The concept is great though.

EDITED to add : Just checked my ELEMNT app and it had been set to wifi only, looks like it's user error on my part.:rolleyes:

To the OP, all the best for a speedy recovery (y)
 
Last edited:

G-Bru

Active member
Jan 8, 2019
103
76
United Kingdom
Wow! Glad you’re ok Nick and on the road to recovery! I ride the same trails as you, also alone, and broke my wrist on Freeride Heaven trying to avoid a felled tree about 2 months ago. Managed to use the fire roads to get back home. Spent that Saturday evening in Frimley Park hospital with the wife and 5 year old....
You’re local to me, so drop me PM once recovered and ready to ride again.
G.
 

nickw1965

Active member
Patreon
Sep 26, 2018
92
116
Aldershot,Hampshire
Wow! Glad you’re ok Nick and on the road to recovery! I ride the same trails as you, also alone, and broke my wrist on Freeride Heaven trying to avoid a felled tree about 2 months ago. Managed to use the fire roads to get back home. Spent that Saturday evening in Frimley Park hospital with the wife and 5 year old....
You’re local to me, so drop me PM once recovered and ready to ride again.
G.
I will do mate.May be some time though.Have first physio this
Friday at Farnham hospital, so see what they say
 

steviedsolve

Member
Patreon
Jun 13, 2018
38
53
Wolverhampton
It’s been a while since I posted on the forum as members may remember I had a right hip replacement on April 10th this year.Following on from other members advice and my physio’s I didn’t get back in the saddle until 20th May, riding my local common each morning at 7am.
Felt like a new man with no aches and pains anymore after my morning ride.On Friday 24th woke up to a lovely sunny morning so headed out at 7 over Caesars camp my local ride.I have been riding these trails for 30 years.After a quick run through the woods I did my first drop into a large valley bowl.My last memory was hitting the back brake then all went black.I opened my eyes to find myself half way down the bank with bike on my legs.After my head cleared I went to stand only to find my right leg hanging to the side,snapped right femur.
As my situation sunk in my breathing worsened.4 broken ribs and collapsed lung.
I looked around my bike and couldn’t see my phone so searched around.My lifesaver was it was under me.
So let’s cut to the chase.I made a few calls and managed to guide my hysterical eldest daughter to find me hidden away within the woods.It wasn’t until 11:30 after 2 ambulances,2 fire engines that I was stretchered from the woods to Frimley park hospital.By this time drugged up to the max.
On Monday 27th my leg was plated and my chest cavity drained re inflating my lung.Finally discharged on Friday 31st.
Please don’t read this post thinking I’m looking for sympathy, because I ain’t.I was so bloody lucky to get out of this still breathing.I rode solo with only my mobile and good luck on my side.My family didn’t know my route.
The funniest part of this was I had an appointment to be discharged on that Friday of my crash after my hip op.And before you ask good news bike all in one piece.

RIDE SAFE FOLKS

Get well soon Nick. You're a tough cookie by the sound of it. I dislocated my shoulder last year and was riding alone. Fortunately, it was a trail centre so loads of good Samaritans around to help. As I'm also a back country ski tourer, I spend a lot of time thinking about and trying to mitigate for this type of scenario.
My answer is only to ride alone on fairly busy trails or do the route share and hourly check in method with a loved one if possible.
When I say loved one, make sure it's reciprocated. My wife didn't answer when I did my shoulder in but she was at the hospital by the time the I came around after the morphine.
 

nickw1965

Active member
Patreon
Sep 26, 2018
92
116
Aldershot,Hampshire
One thing to keep in mind is whichever device you choose, how is it activated.I had my mobile mounted on my handlebars and it was by extreme luck that it ended up under me.A watch would remain on your wrist,anything mounted to bike could easily be smashed.Other option is in backpack, but same applies is it automatically activated.Or do you need to hit s.o.s button
 

OldBean

E*POWAH Elite
Patreon
Apr 28, 2018
602
528
East anglia
Wow. Thanks for sharing....like most on here I ride alone and usually call in to wife during ride BUT recently have become blasé
And dont bother ....
After this will be calling regularly and also buy a tracker/independent of phone system.
Get well soon and keep riding
(Wonder if some toe-rag bike hater sabotaged the trail?)

ROB. This is a good subject for a review ...location systems etc
 

estoril

Active member
Patreon
Sep 28, 2018
75
73
UK
Regarding ANGI - useless for tracking, no idea on alerting but for finding out where someone is if they don't check in (not all offs would trigger the alert) my son just started a ride and I got the notification via email, took a look at the map....so where is he?
Annotation 2019-06-12 133825.png
 

nickw1965

Active member
Patreon
Sep 26, 2018
92
116
Aldershot,Hampshire
Wow. Thanks for sharing....like most on here I ride alone and usually call in to wife during ride BUT recently have become blasé
And dont bother ....
After this will be calling regularly and also buy a tracker/independent of phone system.
Get well soon and keep riding
(Wonder if some toe-rag bike hater sabotaged the trail?)

ROB. This is a good subject for a review ...location systems etc

You would hope no one would be sick enough to block the trail.Who knows,I won’t be going back anytime soon to check ?
 

R120

Moderator
Subscriber
Apr 13, 2018
7,819
9,190
Surrey
Round me in Reigate some of the bridleways have had logs deliberately put across them by some of the locals who get pissed off with kids on dirt bikes using them at nighttime.
 

tedturbine

Active member
May 8, 2019
133
98
Worthing
Many years ago I once broke a finger and crashed as someone had deliberately put a branch across a singletrack at handlebar height. Taught me a lesson about being able to stop in the distance you can see ahead.
 

R120

Moderator
Subscriber
Apr 13, 2018
7,819
9,190
Surrey
No but I believe there are android watches that offer the same functionality
 

craig landau

Active member
Dec 19, 2018
135
106
brisbane australia
thanks for sharing, i wish you a fast recovery, i often go out by myself for a quick blast , no phone ect , i will pack a phone and maybe a flair now . tracks here during a working day are often like ghost towns , something u think will never happen .
 

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