Richard Branson has claimed that “body armour is a must” for cyclists, after the billionaire businessman crashed “hard” while cycling in the British Virgin Islands recently, leaving him with a haematoma on his hip and a nasty elbow graze.
Earlier this week, the Virgin Group co-founder – no stranger to a heavy cycling crash – posted on Instagram that he took “quite a big tumble” after hitting a pothole during a ride on Virgin Gorda, “resulting in another hematoma on my hip and a nasty cut elbow, but amazingly nothing broken”.
“I’m counting myself very lucky, and thankful for keeping myself active and healthy. After all, the brave may not live forever but the cautious do not live at all!” the 73-year-old wrote.
> Richard Branson bloodied by cycling crash after hitting pothole and falling “hard”
And then, in a rather unexpected turn of events, an email from Virgin landed in road.cc’s inbox on Tuesday evening, containing an expanded edition of Branson’s reflections on his latest spill, along with “some safety tips for fellow cyclists”.
“A few things I’ve learnt since my cycling accident, thanks to my trainer Kat for the help,” the British business mogul wrote.
“Elbow and hip body armour is a must. Quite a few people over the years have asked me if I had to wear chainmail when I was knighted. Thankfully I didn’t, and cycling armour is a whole lot less clunky!”
He continued: “It turns out I’ve been holding the handlebars wrong when going downhill! I was holding my fingers and thumbs on top of the handle, so when I hit the pothole, I bounced right off.
“Hold your thumb firmly around the handlebar for the best possible grip. I’ve realised that a lot of cyclists (dyspraxic or not) don’t know this, which is why I’m posting about it.
“Anyway, time to get back on the bike. I had a wonderful ride today with a bunch of the team on Necker – accident free!”
Branson’s tips were also accompanied by another Instagram post, in which the 73-year-old, along with personal trainer Kat, can be seen sporting his newly acquired elbow and hip pads, as well as a useful illustration of where he believes he was going wrong with his hand placement on the bars.
> Sir Richard Branson hospitalised after “colossal” bike crash
This week’s surprise edition of ‘cycling safety tips with Richard Branson’ isn’t the first time, however, that the businessman and knight of the realm has responded to a bike crash by offering some clothing advice to his fellow cyclists.
In 2021 he was hospitalised due to another “colossal” crash while taking part in an event on one of the Caribbean islands, after the gears on his bike apparently failed.
Describing the crash, which also brought down fellow cyclist Felix Stellmaszek, Branson said at the time: “We both fell off our bikes and our heads and bodies slammed into the concrete road. There is no question that wearing helmets saved our lives – not the first time that has been the case.”
Branson also advocated strongly for helmets – even suggesting the potential for face-protecting equipment for cyclists – after yet another spill in 2016, which saw the billionaire hit a speed bump during a nighttime training ride in the British Virgin Islands, fracturing his cheek and leaving his bike “completely destroyed” when it flew off the side of a cliff.
“The next thing I knew, I was being hurled over the handlebars and my life was literally flashing before my eyes,” he said.
“I really thought I was going to die. I went flying head-first towards the concrete road, but fortunately my shoulder and cheek took the brunt of the impact, and I was wearing a helmet that saved my life (however, perhaps they should build bike helmets that protect the side of the face too – does anyone know of one?).”
> Why is Dan Walker’s claim that a bike helmet saved his life so controversial?
Of course, Branson isn’t the first well-known figure to promote the use of helmets and other cycling safety gear in the wake of a nasty crash.
In February last year, Channel 5 presenter Dan Walker, somewhat unwittingly, attracted a social media backlash after claiming that a helmet “saved my life” when a motorist veered across into his lane on a busy roundabout in Sheffield, clipping him from behind, and sending him clattering to the ground.
Walker, who was left with a bloodied and bruised face following the collision, claimed on Twitter that a police officer and paramedics who attended the scene told him that he wouldn’t be here now if it weren’t for his helmet, a revelation that prompted Walker to inform his social media followers to “get one on your head” when riding their bikes.
That arguably innocuous comment, made on the same day he suffered a serious crash, prompted some severe criticism from cyclists who felt that Walker’s emphasis on his helmet detracted from the dangerous driving that led to the collision and that, by urging others to wear helmets, he was “doing the heavy lifting for militant drivers” – a backlash the former BBC Breakfast host responded to in an article for the Sunday Times, in which he urged his fellow cyclists: “Don’t be a helmet. Wear a helmet”.
50 thoughts on “Richard Branson claims “body armour is a must” for cyclists after latest crash”
He’s just wearing elbow pads,
He’s just wearing elbow pads, not body armour. Most MTB or BMX riders would have that kit already. As a BMX racer, I’ve got bull body armour plus shin/knee protection.
I spotted that. You’s think a
I spotted that. You’s think a billionaire would spring for some of the latest stuff, like G-Form 3DO pads. It’s a lot comfier than the old hardshell pads.
“some safety tips for fellow
“some safety tips for fellow cyclists”.
Thanks, but I’ll get my tips from people who don’t crash so often.
He continued: “It turns out I’ve been holding the handlebars wrong when going downhill! I was holding my fingers and thumbs on top of the handle, so when I hit the pothole, I bounced right off.
You’ve got to be kidding me. All that money and barely a brain cell.
I’ve been holding the
I’ve been holding the handlebars wrong when going downhill!
True. It’s difficult to think of any way to hold the levers, going downhill or not, other than the one he now claims to have come to him in a revelation.
It’s at about the same level
It’s at about the same level as reminding people to hold the left end of the bar with their left hand, and the right with the right, and not vice versa.
Geoff Ingram wrote:
Well, now I feel stupid
Maybe people (employees) were
Maybe people (employees) were too scared to tell him he was doing it wrong.
Or someone had suggested that there were better ways to (actually) hold the bars, and he ignored them because, as a successful billionaire, he knows better. With a rant thrown in just for fun.
Maybe people (employees) were
Maybe people (employees) were too scared to tell him he was doing it wrong
Maybe his evolutionary lineage branched off before opposing thumbs arrived?
I’m struggling to picture how
I’m struggling to picture how he was holding the bars at all, based on the description.
“Holding” might be a stretch,
“Holding” might be a stretch, as I’m picturing it, “resting” might be a better description, you know, you’ve been riding for several hours and your hands are getting a bit tired, so you place your whole hand on top of the bars, palm or heel, only on a slow, straight, safeish bit, knowing you have very little control, and pretty much no braking force…
I agree that seems to be what
I agree that seems to be what hes describing, but I couldnt help think surely nobody could be that stupid ?
Ive heard Jackie Stewart talk about driving just with your finger tips resting on a steering wheel, but resting your hands on bike handlebars,whilst going down hill, with risk of potholes, does he just lean into corners to steer?? no wonder he keeps falling off.
Struggle no more – the
Struggle no more – the embedded Instagram post above (yeah I know, I usually ignore them too) includes helpful illustrations.
I’m surprised that it’s taken
I’m surprised that it’s taken him this long to find out the problem with not having a firm grasp of your handlebars. He must have access to a lot of smooth tarmac as I’d be worried about losing my grip just whilst pootling around Bristol due to all the potholes.
Body armour is not the answer
Body armour is not the answer, how about learning to ride your bike properly first. Maybe he’ll blame it on Brexit like he normally does.
Not realising that you won’t
Not realising that you won’t have a secure grip if you keep your thumbs on the top of the bars really falls into the “can’t be trusted to sit the right way round on the lavatory” category, doesn’t it?
Rendel Harris wrote:
certainly falls into the category of “shouldn’t be trusted with metal cutlery”
Rendel Harris wrote:
I’m guessing “bottom towards the bottom”? Or should that be “bottom on the top”? So many of my assumptions are being challenged in this thread I better check.
Rendel Harris wrote:
Obviously the correct way is so that you can make use of the little shelf to put your lunch on
I think you are risking an
I think you are risking an ablist assumption there. Bransons post implies he is dispraxic. Dispraxia can also imply a proprioceptive disorder. Some sufferers litterally cannot determine the position of parts of their body in relation to each other and external objects without looking.
https://www.lbtherapies.com/dyspraxia#:~:text=Dyspraxia%20is%20seen%20most%20frequently,in%20and%20around%20the%20joints
What seems obvious to us may not seem obivious to sufferers. (My daughter has the same issue when riding).
I don’t believe so, he states
I don’t believe so, he states that he didn’t know that was how he should hold the bars, not that he had trouble holding the bars that way. I didn’t know he has dyspraxia and apologise if my comment seems ableist, but the fact that he said he didn’t know how to hold the bars properly as lots of non-dyspraxic cyclists don’t (apparently, I’ve never met one) implies ignorance of how to ride properly rather than disability, I would think.
I do sometimes hold the bar
I do sometimes hold the bar like that, thumbs on top…
on my push mower. It helps avoid blisters.
andystow wrote:
My bike has riser bars with bar ends. I’ve occasionally ridden with my hands (including thumbs) resting over the top, but only on long straight flat sections where I can see there’s nothing and nobody near me.
Wouldn’t dream of it if I anticipated having to gear shift or use brakes (you know, like on a MTB downhill route).
Is he going to sue his
Is he going to sue his personal trainer ?!
This is just another of the
This is just another of the non-sensical things we do as cyclists. I wouldn’t dream of riding my motorbike without my protective head to toe gear on, even though on local journeys I’m often going no faster than when I cycle, in lycra, and am a lot more visible, with better brakes and acceleration . And my mesh rash vest I wear underneath my top layer would be fine for cycling in, with hugely improved protection.
It’s not non-sensical at all.
It’s not non-sensical at all.
People tend to weigh the risks of what they do, against the costs/discomfort/impracticallity of protection.
On a bicycle you wear a helmet, just like you wear safety belts in a car, because – despite the chance of something happening might not be huge percentage wise – IF something really bad happens the results can be disastrous.
Likewise, one generally doesn’t wear full body protection on a bike ride, or chainmail gloves while preparing dinner, or safety shoes when going to the toilet in the middle of the night. Because yes, you can fall, cut your finger, or bump your toe on the edge of the bed, but generally that doesn’t happen all too often, and if it does you’ll survive just fine most of the times.
Correct. Treat bike helmets
Correct. Treat bike helmets like car seatbelts. You might never need it. But, if you ever are in a crash, a helmet MIGHT WELL make a huge difference.
Sredlums wrote:
the results can be equally bad if a pedestrian is hit by a car (or a cyclist) yet no one weighs that risk similarly to cycling.
The majority of head injuries in the UK are from car occupants, but we don’t see a campaign to put helmets on car drivers. I think a similar approach is justified –
Motor sport – wear a helmet
sport cycling = helmets,
Regular driving – not required.
Utility cycling =not required
I agree, I didn’t word that
I agree, I didn’t word that very carefully.
With ‘on a bicycle’ I meant road bike, mtb, bmx, gravel etc. I don’t wear a helmet for non-sports cycling, and I certainly don’t belong to the helmet lobby for city cycling.
Bigtwin wrote:
So you’ll wear leathers on your bicycle? Good luck with that.
And I guess you must already wear some form of head protection in the car, as travelling in one carries the risk of head injuries. You’d be a fool not to, surely!
I’ve ridden a motorbike to pop to see friends at low speed in a t-shirt. I can’t say I’d want to go far, and definitely not ride fast, but I don’t consider riding a bicycle at an average of 15-20 mph even remotely like riding a motorbike. But each to their own, I guess.
Perhaps Branson is somewhat accident-prone. He did admit that he was holding the bars incorrectly. But he’s wrong that a firm grip is the answer. It isn’t. Will he apply the same logic if he falls off a rope walk, a bouldering wall, a stepladder, a fairground ride, a surfboard or he slips on ice? (though as an extremely wealthy tax exile he can surely choose to avoid the UK in winter).
And perhaps we should villify all the people who arrive in A&E with ‘self-inflicted’ injuries because they apparently didn’t wear body armour for every imaginable activity or journey. Once the NHS is privatised the company can charge extra for injuries caused by certain types of activities; and use the idea of contributory negligence because you didn’t wear the correct type and number of items of safety clothing to cycle to the shops. And if you think that’s preposterous then you only have to look at countries with private healthcare to see what happens…
Yes. That’s exactly what I
Yes. That’s exactly what I said. Wear leathers on a pushbike. In your case, I’d not bother with the helmet either.
Why do you call a bicycle a
Why do you call a bicycle a ‘pushbike’?
Is it because you are dumb, or because you desperately want to show your disdain for bicycles, even if it maks you look dumb?
Comparing helmets (no proven
Comparing helmets (no proven safety benefit) to seatbelts (clearly proven safety benefit) doesn’t make you look very smart either. You’re Dumb and Dumber…
marmotte27 wrote:
Would argue it should be no **consistently** proven safety benefit.
There is also the arguement that loads of other activities have a much higher risk of head injuries than road cycling where suggesting helmets be used would be regarded as insane…
qwerty360 wrote:
You can have my ladder/stairs/shower helmets when you pry them out of my cold, dead paws
Trees are a dangerous
Trees are a dangerous environment though, people fall out of them, they fall on people…
Whereas our roads are obviously made for motor vehicles so if you use them outside of one without your anti-accidental-collision suit* it’s your own choice to endanger yourself.
* May not prevent, or indeed protect against collisions. This product is designed for making the bits easier to clean up after.
chrisonabike wrote:
Yeah, tree helmets don’t muck around
Learn to read better.
Learn to read better.
I never said anything about the actual protective quality of helmets. For what it’s worth, I am very much in the ‘don’t wear a helmet for normal city cycling’ camp. I also take claims companies like MIPS make with a very big grain of salt. I do think it’s smart to wear one if you use your bike for sports. Not because of any claims, but just because of common sense and own experiences. Even if it doesn’t do all the things brands claim, I’d still rather hit the ground, or a rock or a tree with a helmet between those things and my head than without one.
Anyway, what I did say is that there is the same logic behind the choice to wear a helmet on a bike as there is behind the choice to wear a seatbelt in a car: chances are small, but consequences would be big, inconvieniance is acceptable → yes to protection.
Also, one can not be both dumb and dumber.
Sredlums wrote:
Pretty sure (but happy to be corrected) that marmotte was suggesting that one of you and BigTwin is dumb; the other dumber. Clarifying, not endorsing this message.
Bigtwin wrote:
I don’t, most of the time.
And I don’t need preachy helmet nazis and their pathetic ‘common sense’ telling me what to wear.
Simon E wrote:
The helmet preachers are what really snaps my cranks.
I almost always wear a helmet nowadays (on a bike, anyways), but it just rubs my fur up the wrong way when internet commenters are so eager to cast blame on any helmetless cyclist and pronounce them as “idiots”. I think they get a smug feeling of satisfaction as they can insult riders and berate them with their superior knowledge (“I crashed and the helmet split in half, so it saved my life”).
It’s basically victim blaming, but hiding it within a “cyclists have to take some responsibility for their own safety”.
stonojnr wrote:
Don’t we all? If you think you are turning the bars left to go left and right to go right you are mistaken. That action only holds true manouvreing at low speeds, and even then the turn normally starts with a minor counter steer to get the body off balance, there’s a great clip on U tube of a bike rigged so the bars can only turn one way. Turns out it is impossible to ride in a circle in either direction.
Lower risk than cycling though, unlike walking which apparently carries a higher risk per km than cycling.
Walk 5km to work in a helmet and you will be labelled a paranoid crazy, cycle the same distance without one and you are recklessly putting yourself in danger and a burden on the NHS.
I only wear a lid now on off road rides (obvious reasons), group rides (risk of touching wheels increases risk of falling) and long rides (risk compounded by distance)
I’d make fun of him, but I’ve
I’d make fun of him, but I’ve had some pretty dumb crashes going too fast on gravel. Hoping I’ve finally learned from it.
I’d make fun of him…
I’d make fun of him…
I think we’re only making fun of the idea that you don’t have to bother with grasping all the way round the bar or the shifter until somebody tells you it’s not the right way to do it. I feel I know my usual-suspect fellow mockers well enough to say that even we aren’t revelling in his injuries- we can all see similar things happening to us at the impulse of psycho-drivers deciding to run us down maliciously knowing that it’s only risking a suspended sentence.
I’m making fun of him because
I’m making fun of him because he’s Richard Branson and he hurt himself (without permanent injuries.)
I honestly mean no offence by
I honestly mean no offence by this, andy, but has anyone ever said you look like Michael Palin cosplaying as Bradley Wiggins…?
brooksby wrote:
That one has not come up. Perhaps because over 99% of the people within 1000 miles of me couldn’t tell you who those two are.
Oddly, one time at a bar a stranger said to me, totally unprompted, “dude, you look English as fuck.” I have no detectable British accent.
andystow wrote:
https://www.google.com/search
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=ear+defenders the only thing that you need, you’ll never have to listen to the inane mumblings of this prick again.
1. Glad he is only bruised
1. Glad he is only bruised and scraped up and seriously hurt.
2. helmets prevent catastrophic head injury
3. the overspeculating sour grapes in this comment section should recognize that anyone who chooses to ride a bike for the fun of it in spite of repeatedly falling off is something to be admired, not ridiculed, regardless of the opinions you have about his bank account.
Eben Weiss has covered this
Eben Weiss has covered this in a blog post:
https://bikesnobnyc.com/2024/02/16/get-a-grip/