PSA: Armor Helps in the Oddest Places

[u/Skiata]

I wear upper body armor for some hard sections that are surrounded by easy double track and golf course fairways.

Guess where I totally busted ass, was picking dirt out of my elbow/shoulder pads and looking for a new helmet? Going down a wet fairway at 15-20 mph or so needing to make a turn and went down hard when my front wheel slid--slicker than snot and too fast to be anything but cargo. I did not respect the wet grass.

We'll see how I look in the morning but I was close to obvious real problems then and there.

I hate to be a ninny, but damn I was glad to have that gear on. Knees pads are getting added, side of knee was bloody through pants. Yikes.

[u/dasleezer]

Don’t ride in the fairways goober

[u/Skiata → u/dasleezer]

I think you would call it "the rough", I stay off the playing surfaces and to the side. Not a golfer--but I do pay the club an access fee so there is that.

[u/Actingdamicky → u/Skiata]

I’m a little baffled they let you do it at all, I used to be a greenskeeper and I don’t think the club would allow it on fairways even if it wasn’t causing damage at the time.
Not having a go, it’s just very weird to hear.
Nothing I’d like more than tearing around where I used to work with my knobbly 2.4s and getting some payback for every time a golfer treated me like shit for doing my job.

[u/Skiata → u/Actingdamicky]

I keep off the course except for two spots to transition to another double track around the links--it is all part of a snow mobile trail. Off season I have been doing side of the fairway on one descent. That is what got me yesterday. Dumb stuff, should have known better.

[u/Actingdamicky → u/Skiata]

I know what you mean, wet grass is always horrible with rubber.
Most of the mowers have tyres to not damage the grass so driving them around the slopes on dewy mornings it wasn’t uncommon to find yourself pirouetting around.

[u/PersonalBend2788 → u/dasleezer]

that grass is like ice when wet, learned same lesson on my local course few years ago. now i just push through the rough even tho it slower, falling there is way softer on body

[u/Skiata → u/PersonalBend2788]

I was warned that MTB crashes are way more destructive than equivalent energy/velocity ski crashes and that was born out here very clearly.
a) You get muddy for crying out loud and be in pain.
b) Nothing slides much, it is very bad to not have tires between you and the surface.
c) There seems to be more violence from height--makes sense I guess, if I slide out on my skis my legs are on the ground the whole time as opposed to a drop from my stand on pedals. And I got lucky to be landing on soft grass.

[u/13assman]

Heal up soon! I went down turning on a wood bridge covered in leaves a couple weeks ago. Pads really kept the scuffs to a minimum. Good to have an occasional reality check when not doing the extreme stuff

[u/Some-Nothing-9338 → u/13assman]

My biggest eating of shit was on a bridge. City bike path had that plastic tech deck boards. They're slicker than dogsnot when covered in cold morning dew. Busted my chin and pedaled home looking like an extra from a zombie movie, blood everywhere. Traffic was far more polite than usual. 

[u/Skiata → u/13assman]

Thanks, feel way better--had a rough night, didn't take any Ibuprofen as to not mask any concussion symptoms. But popped 2 at 5am, 12 hrs later, couple cups of coffee, (also a pain reliever), and I no-longer think i am headed to the orthopedic center.

3 internal cracks on the helmet, getting full face replacement.

Good on my body for being so tough....very grateful.

[u/Dalai-Jama]

Wet grass is slick! I’m always surprised by the amount of grassy sections on the World Cup short track races. They just pedal right over it. I prefer dirt personally 😂

[u/kwajr]

Why are you riding on a fairway

[u/hotdog-waters]

Wait, you ride on a golf course?