[Roadkill]

Just wanted to relate a recent experience that didn't go well! Might help someone else!

Late last June my Mrs and I were touring Antietam Battlefield with our Wing and luggage trailer.

We had parked the bike in a field while we went of a guided walk.

When we returned, I found that in our absence the bike had fallen. Gosh knows how. It didn't fall on the sidestand side due to the sidestand sinking in - fell on the opposite side.

When we parked the bike on this rough field, we did have to leave in a hurry to catch up with the tour group. The only thing I can think is that maybe when we left it, the bike was parked too close to being vertical and I didn't notice it - maybe the wind took it over.

Anyway.... seemed to be no damage to the bike, and I had seen the videos showing how easy it was to get the bike up if you did it properly, so figured I could do it. Wrong!

I backed up to the bike as you are supposed to, grabbed behind me to hold the bar grip in one and and the seat grab with the other, squatted down ready to use my leg muscles to walk it up.

In about ten seconds I was lying on the ground in serious pain!

I won't go into all the details but after a few minutes I was able to get up, some kind folks came along and lifted the bike, and somehow I was able to ride it home to the Toronto area - about 650km I guess. Painful, but tolerable.

Next day I couldn't get out of bed! I was pretty sure I had just pulled muscles and that time would resolve things.

After four weeks, there was some improvement but still not right. I saw the doc, he sent me for x rays and found a compression fracture of a vertebrae, no wonder it hurt!

They sent me for a bone density scan in case I had osteoporosis but all was ok. I am almost 69, light build - about 150 pounds, and thought I was in decent shape, I exercise every day - or I did - with treadmill, weigh bench and mat.

It has been 13 weeks now, I think things are improving but it is so slow that I don't notice any change from day to day - I can do everything, but still get pain every morning when I get up for an hour or so and during the day if a stand, walk, or lean over too much.

I'm starting phsysio next week and hope they can do something to get me back to normal and that I won't have to just live with this for the duration!

Anyway - just a word of warning - maybe I should have known better at my age!

I still don't know what I did wrong - I'm thinking that in my haste to get the bike up, although I thought I was using my legs not my back, but maybe in reality I was still using my back.

To properly use your legs, Maybe you need to have your bum in contact with the edge of the seat so the lifting force goes from your legs direct to the seat.

Otherwise, the lifting force would have to go from your legs, up your back, then down your arms to the grip/grab handle.

Sorry for the long email - maybe it might help someone else avoid what I have been going through!

I can still ride the bike again now, but I don't think I will experiment any more to lift it solo!

Brian

 

[pidjones]

Wow, sorry this happened to you. I can't imagine what might have happened if you tried to pick it up facing the bike! You are correct that one of the best points of this method is placing the butt in contact with the seat to permit the leg muscles to do the majority of the work while the arms steady and keep the contact point. I'm 59 and in poor physical condition (never liked to exercise as it usually requires running and I have flat feet). I picked mine up last week after changing the rear wheel and did not realize that I had forgotten to put the center stand back up until I had it setting on it. Thought it was a little harder than usual.

You should watch that back closely for any other problems. I hope it gives you no further issues and that you heal up rapidly.

 

[TXREALTOR]

To properly use your legs, Maybe you need to have your bum in contact with the edge of the seat so the lifting force goes from your legs direct to the seat.

Otherwise, the lifting force would have to go from your legs, up your back, then down your arms to the grip/grab handle.

Brian

That would be correct. You had an underlying problem that you didn't know about, and incorrectly lifting just put together the perfect storm for you. My smallish wife of grandma age can upright the Wing, but she has to check, double check, and check again, to make sure she has things just right before doing it. It also sounds like you were on grass and that adds a whole new demention of things that can happen, most of them not good.

Best of luck on healing and try not to let it get you down. Take care and get back out in the spring.

 

[Indianabob]

Brian --

Sorry to hear that it didn't go well for you.

I have to think the field's surface played a huge roll in your problem.

Just this weekend I was remarking to someone how surprisingly easily the Wing can be walked up -- and I'm no Charles Atlas! But that's on clean, level pavement.

Best wishes for your continued recovery.

 

[PoorSSJ]

Sorry to hear about your injury!

I have some issues with my back that would make me afraid to try this myself

 

[Sir Rog]

Wow, sorry about your back problems and hopefully it is only a temporary setback, Brian.

I feel your pain, as I had a similar incident happen to me at nearly the exact same time as you, and I am basically your weight but younger by a few years and exercise every day on a treadmill and elliptical machine. However, I didn't lift with my back to the bike because I had another person help me get the bike upright and didn't feel the need to go through the proper procedure as you did. I didn't feel any pain in my back until the following day and still feel the repercussion 3 months later. Unlike yourself my condition has improved somewhat and I have been able to continue my workouts, but not without discomfort.

Why do I feel like I am at an AAA meeting all of a sudden. :lol:

Anyway, the best of luck to you and your physiotherapy next week, and I hope you and I can compare notes over a coffee at a Timmy's someday.

Roger

 

[gladeeaytur]

Excellent post!
I congratulate you for trying stay in shape. Because you lift, you were probably able to recover faster. A model for the rest of us.
If I understand right the bike fell away from the side stand, which is an indication the bike was parked on an incline. Not a good start for a uni rider lifting scenario. Your muscle pull could have been due to a bad lift if you have never hefted the big girl before, plus she was a bit inverted (your low side was higher than your low side) a great bit of dead lifting, of which I do not believe many of us could dead lift 900+ pounds (or a couple of million kilo somethings).
I think this is an excellent idea I will take to my GWRRA group. If you have never lifted the girl before but you will try if it comes to that if you have to.... Lets do it as a group. 1st if their is a group more than likely somebody in the group has lifted their wing for proper instruction. 2nd if they can't lift it again they have a group that will assist and if this be the case the person whom could not lift it will not be tempted to lift it by themselves and wait for help. And if adrenaline makes them attempt the lift due to embarrassment or no one to assist, the proper lifting technique will have been ingrained so maybe the individual will not suffer an injury due to a bad lift. Practice practice practice
I would say it is more of push the bike up rather than a lift.

 

[quietrider]

Sorry that that happened. Hope you fully recovery. I'm 150lbs @ 64 years old and had to lift mine earlier in the spring. I hope I don't have to life it again if at all possible. I didn't injury myself from the lift but trying to keep the bike from going over when it fell. Pulled muscles etc. in my right arm. Didn't realize how bad it was until I had up righted the bike. Still not able to exend my arm fully.

 

[Roadkill]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all the kind and concerned comments.

I'm not in all that bad shape, just that after 13 weeks I thought all signs of the injury would be a thing of the past - and they are not.

Could obviously be a whole lot worse, and I am optimistic that when I get some physio (never been before) they will be able to assist.

I just wanted to offer a word of caution to older geezers like me - I guess I should heed my wife's advice when she tells me I am no spring chicken any more - but I probably won't!

Going through this has however caused me to be a bit more careful - certainly not planning to give up two wheels just yet though!


Brian



PS - Roger a coffee at Timmie's sounds good! I haven't been to Windsor in a while though!

I retired from CN 12 years ago and for a while was based in Sarnia where I was responsible for freight car and locomotive mtce. & repair operations for Sarnia / Windsor / London - St Thomas / Oakville/
Hamilton / Niagara Falls.

Its more fun being retired!

 

[Roadkill]

Excellent post!
I congratulate you for trying stay in shape. Because you lift, you were probably able to recover faster. A model for the rest of us.
If I understand right the bike fell away from the side stand, which is an indication the bike was parked on an incline. Not a good start for a uni rider lifting scenario. Your muscle pull could have been due to a bad lift if you have never hefted the big girl before, plus she was a bit inverted (your low side was higher than your low side) a great bit of dead lifting, of which I do not believe many of us could dead lift 900+ pounds (or a couple of million kilo somethings).
I think this is an excellent idea I will take to my GWRRA group. If you have never lifted the girl before but you will try if it comes to that if you have to.... Lets do it as a group. 1st if their is a group more than likely somebody in the group has lifted their wing for proper instruction. 2nd if they can't lift it again they have a group that will assist and if this be the case the person whom could not lift it will not be tempted to lift it by themselves and wait for help. And if adrenaline makes them attempt the lift due to embarrassment or no one to assist, the proper lifting technique will have been ingrained so maybe the individual will not suffer an injury due to a bad lift. Practice practice practice
I would say it is more of push the bike up rather than a lift.

Some very good comments.

In hindsight I do think that part of my problems was that I felt so damn stupid having my bike lying there on the ground (first time it had happened) that all I could think of was to get it up as soon as possible before anyone saw it and thought what kind of idiot I was! In reality, my actions removed all doubt as to what an idiot I was!

Pretty stupid really but I guess that's they way us guys are made!

Learning to lift the right way in a practice scenario with someone who knows how would be a great idea.

Right now I still feel pretty fragile - probably without cause - but think I'd be pretty nervous to try it again under any circumstances for a while yet!


I was out for a short breakfast ride with a chum today though and did maybe 50 miles for the first time in 13 weeks and all was great. I wore one of those wide back brace belts - not sure if I needed it at all, but small road bumps didn't seem to really aggravate things so I think I am on the mend!

Cheers ......... Brian.

PS - I do think the bike was on an incline, and the field was pretty rough and overgrown.

Interestingly, when the bike went down the trailer popped off the ball. When I was able to get up off the ground and others had lifted the bike up for me, I put the hitch back on the ball and it seemed to have a lot of slack.

I was able to tighten it up with the adjusting nut on teh trailer hitch and it seemed ok on the trip home, but once we got home, i figured something must have stretched or deformed to cause the slack so I changed the coupler on the trailer anyway. Cheap insurance! It is just a Harbor Freight /Sears box trailer that I made up myself.

Lucky it popped off I guess and didn't damage my bike frame instead. I checked that out and the bike hitch / frame seems fine.

 

[TXREALTOR]

What is not to understand that using the strongest muscle groups along with the strongest bone groups of the body in a leverage move to upright a bike. If Roadkill would have placed his butt in the seat and not been overcome with the moment, he might, might have not been injured.

I think all will agree that more is usually better and to take advantage of any help offered.

This may be a better analogy. Very few will upright a 700, 800, 900 pound bike without knowing more than it does. You used a dead lift, so lets go there. Pick up a 100 pound barbell. Find yourself a 100 pound box that is 3' X 3' X 3', and try to lift it. Much more difficult. You can't position yourself to the optimum point for the lift. Same with a MC, you have to take it like it is and be able to use leverage to your advantage.

Hope that helps a little.

 

[seabear70]

I weigh in at about twice what you do, and a lot of the guys on here are in a similar weight class.

That being said, Here's what I do in detail.

1. Grab the brake. Hold on to that like it's your lifeline, it is.

2. Grab the handle by the seat.

3. Let both arms hang slack.

4. Put but against the seat.

5. Back up.

However, if you are still recovering from the battle of Antietam 3 months along, you have other issues. Either that or you tried to hold the bike away from your body and learned that you are not strong enough to do that. We are not 18 anymore, powerlifting 6 times our weight is not going to happen.

If I may relay a similar situation, I was injured coming off the golden gate bridge this summer. There is a compound curve with a stop sign at the bottom, I wasn't expecting it to be anywhere near as steep as it was. The bike went over, and my girlfriend did not know what to do, as she had never been in any situation where she needed to jump off a vehicle. Anyway, I wound up holding the bike, A full loadout of gear, and my girlfriend off the ground until she understood why I kept screaming, "GET OFF THE BIKE!!!!!!"

My left shoulder is now shot, and I may never be able to reach behind my back with my left hand without wincing ever again.

Basically, I lifted way wrong, but given the other option, She better never give me cause to regret saving her leg.

 

[seabear70]

I may just have never seen a Wing righted by this way. I always just grab the Handle Bar and the Seat Handle and bend down and lift it up like I would doing a Dead Lift.

It was how my brother showed me when I brought my first wing home.

The idea behind the brake is that it holds better than your transmission, especially if your transmission is in neutral and the bike is laying on it.

By backing up, you use your butt and leg muscles rather than your arm and back. And who here is going to claim that wingers don't have the most powerful... Butts... on the planet.:joke:

 

[jasnmar]

In general people can squat more than they can deadlift.

A deadlier requires almost all of the muscle groups in the body. A squat takes out art least the major arm muscles. Using your bum, in this case has the advantage of also romoving your back muscles, as well as your core abdominal muscles.

People who don't regularly keep these muscles in shape are at high risk of injuring them when they do try to use them (I don't mean to point fingers here as I'm probably better described by this statement than many).

There's really 2 strategies at work here. 1: use the strongest muscles 2: take as many moving parts out of the equation as possible.

I encourage people that haven't picked up their bike to try it in as safe a setting as possible. Having to do it for the first time in an emergency situation isn't good.

I won't say that it isn't possible to deadlift the wing, but i will say it isn't as easy aas using your bum. Yes, I have tried both. The deadlift is "more controlled" near the top, the bum method requires much less effort.

 

[ezcruisin]

Here's the easiest way I know to get a downed bike back up.

 

[seabear70]

Here's the easiest way I know to get a downed bike back up.

Damn, I am getting old...

My first thought was...

How is she going to shift in those heels?

 

[revrunt]

Never understood the backing up to the Wing and lifting. You never see a Dead Lifter backing up to the Weight Lifting Bar and Grabbing it behind his back and Dead Lifting. Wrong Technique in my Opinion. And all to often the Many Hands make Light Work is often overlooked!!

Rick, with all due respect, you are going to get more people hurt than you are going to help. I am 5'5", have a bad back, and can lift my wing by myself with the proper technique with no stress to my back or upper body, because there is no weight supported above my pelvis. This is one of the reasons I believe everybody should learn to change their back tire by laying the bike on it's side. You will also get to practice the correct way to pick up the bike. My 150# wife who is 4'11" can also do it. She wanted to learn in case we ever went down and I was injured she would not be stranded with a fallen bike.

Here's a video with the proper (read easy) technique.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8Er4FFEQ8I

Anybody want to practice? Come to my house and we will throw the big girl on her side in the front yard and try it out. :thumbup:

 

[Indianabob]

Hah! When I was 21 and full of piss and vinegar (and maybe some beers) I could not have deadlifted a downed Wing. Again, Charles Atlas I am not!

But at 58, I can "butt walk it upright" with surprisingly little effort -- at least on level, clean pavement. That really seems to be not only the right way but the ONLY way to get the Wing upright, IMHO.

There are a few things I dislike about getting older, so far. One of the big ones is how long it takes for seemingly simple muscle pulls and strains to heal.

"Enjoy every sandwich."
The late Warren Zevon

 

[seabear70]

Rick, with all due respect, you are going to get more people hurt than you are going to help. I am 5'5", have a bad back, and can lift my wing by myself with the proper technique with no stress to my back or upper body, because there is no weight supported above my pelvis. This is one of the reasons I believe everybody should learn to change their back tire by laying the bike on it's side. You will also get to practice the correct way to pick up the bike. My 150# wife who is 4'11" can also do it. She wanted to learn in case we ever went down and I was injured she would not be stranded with a fallen bike.

Here's a video with the proper (read easy) technique.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8Er4FFEQ8I

Anybody want to practice? Come to my house and we will throw the big girl on her side in the front yard and try it out. :thumbup:

The only thing I do different is reach over and hold the brake.

I'm not saying my way is better, in fact it's probably worse in some ways, but it works for me..

 

[jasnmar]

The only thing I do different is reach over and hold the brake.

I'm not saying my way is better, in fact it's probably worse in some ways, but it works for me..

Put it in reverse before lifting, then you don't have to worry with the brake. The other option is to keep a Velcro strap with you that you can wrap around the brake lever, which lets you put your hands wherever they need to be.