Accidents Happen

During a club ride, a rider was riding in a paceline of 8+ cyclists at 20–22 mph when the rider struck an uncalled pothole and crashed. The rider was unconscious for up to 60 seconds. When they came to, they were slow to answer questions and nearly fell over. Classic signs of head trauma.

Why Injured Riders Can’t Self-Assess

A concussion weakens the brain’s ability to evaluate its own condition. A rider may feel “fine” while having a developing internal bleed. Symptoms can be delayed for hours or days. Allowing an injured rider to continue puts the entire paceline at risk — and may expose the club to legal liability.

Two More Reasons to Stop Riding After a Crash

1. Your bike may be structurally damaged

After the crash, the bike looked fine to everyone present. At home, a barely visible paint crack on the seat stay led to sanding, which revealed a hairline fracture in the carbon fiber beneath. The bike is now with a carbon repair specialist.

A cracked carbon frame can fail without warning under normal riding loads. No crashed bike should be ridden again until inspected by a qualified bike shop.

Hairline fracture revealed after sanding cracked paint.

2. A crashed helmet must be replaced

Helmet foam crushes on impact to absorb energy — once compressed, it cannot protect at the same level again, even if it looks intact. A rider whose helmet hit the ground is unprotected for the remainder of the ride.

Concussion Warning Signs

• Look for any of these after a head impact:

• Loss of consciousness (any duration)

• Confusion, fogginess, or any slow responses

• Memory gaps — before or after crash

• Dizziness or loss of balance

• Nausea or vomiting

• Headache or pressure in the head

• Sensitivity to light or noise

Call 911 immediately if you see any of the following:

• Repeated vomiting, or they just can’t keep their eyes open.

• Seizures, or their words start slurring.

• Pupils look funky, or their vision’s off.

• Tingling, weakness, or numbness in their arms or legs.

• Blood or clear fluid coming out of their nose or ears.

(For more details, check out: cprcare.com/blog/first-aid-for-concussion)

Proposed Club Policy:

Injured Rider Protocol

This policy applies when a rider:

• Has been knocked out. Even just for a moment.

• Helmet’s cracked, dented, or just doesn’t look right.

• Showing any signs of concussion

• Any injury that makes it risky to keep riding (listen to your gut!)

The club will:

1. Stop the rider from continuing the club ride. This is final.

2. Arrange transport to an Emergency Room (not Urgent Care — Urgent Care lacks CT scanners and ER-qualified staff).

3. Offer ambulance first, then Uber/ rideshare or SAG vehicle. Offer to reimburse the Uber/rideshare cost if the ambulance is refused.

4. If the rider refuses all transport, one club member stays with them — not riding — until help arrives.

5. The helmet must not be reused. The bike must not be ridden until a bike shop has inspected it.

The Board’s Next Steps

1. The club is working to perfect and adopt the policy wording.

2. Will be briefing ride leaders before major events.

3. Considering a laminated quick-

reference card for ride leaders.