Today went for a ride starting at Shady canyon, first time for me and the kids. We did a little loop, found some fun single track then rode back towards ridge park, turned around at the big climb up to ridge park and rode back to the car - ended up being 12 miles, not bad for the kids Anyways on that last fire road descent to shady canyon my 8 year old was trying to jump those water breaks and literately went face first over the bars... I am so fortunate he was wearing a full face helmet, knee, and elbow pads. He used every one of them and he was going pretty fast at the time. I mean it was really bad, according to him straight to the face and the bike flew over him and then he proceeded to slide like 5-10 feet. He came away with a really bad hip bruise and cut along with some cuts on the back. I am not sure how exactly it happened since I was in front, I think from now on ill go back to riding from behind so I can bark out "slooow down". He has a pretty heavy basically rigid diamonback 24 inch bike and cant really jump it so he mentioned he used the front brake right before the water break (he always uses the front break since it has more stopping power). I am so fortunate he was fine and when I saw him I felt so bad for him. Crazy thing is it didnt shake his confidence too much, he wanted to go tray again but we will save it for another day Anways, cautionary tale here, get a full face on your kids, its worth it and bound to happen. My 12 year old used to crash a lot and does not anymore, but I think I need to find a FF just incase for him, ill head out and look for the best ventilated one I can find. While we were riding I was thinking he doesnt need all these pads, usually we ride oaks or somewhere more exciting, but its always the fire-roads that reach out and bite you
Luke, glad to hear your little guy came away w little boo-boos and nothing serious. Teach him to brake before the water breaks and get behind the seat when he launches. Ray asked me one time how I get down Harding so fast w/o getting bucked, I told him: jina behind the seat, man!
When I started riding again after 20 years, I did the exact same thing shortly thereafter. Went over the bars and broke some stuff. Sorry to hear it. I stopped being so aggressive and started working on my skills, and still am. Riding style is so much faster these days than when I was young. The right skills arent even enough unless you super human. My personal solution. Train and develop high speed riding skills, a stouter fork, a dropper post, and a slacked out HA. Works wonders. The skills part took me a couple of years, a few lessons and dozens of videos. I can't even say I'm an excellent rider, just that I don't go OTB any more (knock on wood).
Glad he is OK, bring back a few memory's, I have had stitches like 7 times in my chin, not sure why but those of us (and sounds like your boy too) have the "Lead with the Chin DNA". Bet he tried to clean one of those bars and squared the rear tire bucking him off the front.
thanks guys for the well wishes- amazingly he is fine today. Yep Rox and Bing, its a skills thing. I told him no more fast fire road water bar jumps until he can go off a curb and last the rear wheel first. Just so he gets how to move his weight back
Good to hear he's doing fine. Working on skill and technique is definitely good but also learning not to be complacent even when you start improving your skillset. That's come back to bite me a couple times over the years when I was least suspecting something on the trail and ended up going over the bars due to something simple I should have caught.