When I started biking at the age of 13, crashes were part of almost every ride. With each year, they became less frequent and at some point they became a rarity. I don't count slips and "stumbles" as falls - I'm talking about the ones that bring you back down to earth.

But before that happens, I happily ride races, tours and enjoy myself on downhill trails or pump tracks - sometimes better and faster, sometimes unsafe and slower - depending on how I feel. I'm generally a cautious rider and avoid hitting the ground. But that doesn't rule out falls. I stay crash-free for months and feel great on the bike. But at some point, a recurring thought comes up: "When was the last time I really hit the ground?" When this thought comes, it doesn't matter how long it's been since the last crash - an uneasy feeling remains.

The countdown to the bang

I quickly put such thoughts out of my mind, but the uneasy feeling has settled into my subconscious like a countdown and suddenly this countdown starts: Three, two, one and bam - the weaver flies through the air and doesn't really know a bit why.

I remember a ride in the south of France where I was quite motivated and headed for a trail. I was on a roll when I entered the first bend and came out with an adrenaline rush. Straight into the next natural berm, which had no grooves, stones or roots in it. "Yeehaw, that's awesome"! I couldn't finish cheering as I flew through the air. My rollover was so accelerated that my head, or rather my helmet, just grazed the ground, I continued to rotate and then somehow crashed onto the sandy ground.

Once I had collected myself again and, apart from a broken handlebar on the bike, I only had abrasions and bruises, the search for the cause began. But somehow there was nothing that could have caused me to fall, and yet I had the crash of the year.

The why

As I mentioned before, I'm a cautious rider. Even when I ride enduro races and expose myself to an even higher risk of crashing, I rarely crash, and especially rarely crash hard. But even if your focus is on your own actions and the route and all your senses are sharpened, THE crash cannot be avoided - it will come, unannounced. For example, when you have already passed the key section and are aiming for the next bend. Zack, there's a free flight into the botany.
Perhaps such departures should be seen as a warning or protection against worse consequences. Maybe it's my guardian angel who is simply fed up with constantly watching my back and therefore slows me down - maybe.

Maybe it has nothing to do with such things. The falls are only due to my failure and so far I've just been lucky that I haven't hurt myself more than "just".
Whether the reason for the crashes was personal failure or the patron saint of mountain bikers (do they even exist?) doesn't really matter. The crashes always have an effect - I ride slower and more carefully afterwards - until the next crash. I'm sure of that, but I do my best to make sure it lasts a long time and then it stays with bruises and scratches.