Did mine last week at Dalby. How long is it before i can ride my bike in anger again? I’m also concerned that once done, i could keep reteating the injury as my shoulder will now be that much weaker, anyone experienced this?

🙁

depends on the type of break and how it is supported. 4 – 8 wks off the bike and after 3-4 months its as strong as ever

Its split along its length a bit as well, rather than just straight through. Although your “strong as ever” comment has cheered my up a bit 🙂

Very common injury for cyclists. I did mine around 3 years ago and needed an op to pin it back together. Seem to recall i was back riding within a couple of months and have no issues with it now except for the big scar. I also dislocated my elbow at the same time which was far worse so the pain in my shoulder was none existent compared to my elbow which was sticking out of my forearm!!!

I did when i was a lot younger it takes a while to heal and sleeping’s a PITA. I remember even when it was “healed” it still felt sketchy/sore for a while. Bad luck fella, plenty of rest and take it easy when you do get back on it.

AIUI most breaks are stronger once healed due to the extra bone mass where it knits together

In no particular order
Nose
Ribs (several)
Coccyx
Neck
Little Finger
Toes

Collar bone is on the to do list

Mine took about 6-8 weeks. My mate has just done his for the second time – nearly a compound fracture apparently. he’s been told to give up downhilling 🙁

Collar Bone twice (About 8wks)
Leg two bones
pelvice two places ribs 6 of them
Voice box
arm four places
jaw two places

Collar Bone
Scaphoid (same time as collar bone, but different arm – made wiping my arse difficult)
Radius (different time to the above)
Nose
4 fingers, right hand (on numerous occasions)
3 fingers, left hand
Only have two knuckles on right hand, and my little finger sticks out to the side.
Ribs (several)

They are all that I remember. I’m sure there were plenty more.

I have broken 3 collar bones as well as 13 ribs, obviously not all at the same time [2 punctured lungs but this is a bone breaking competition, right?]The main healing problem I had was that they didn’t heal straight and I now have the shoulders of a pencil. No rucksack will stay on without a chest strap and I cant use a shoulder/messenger bag without strapping it across my chest. I can still ride my bike though!

What kind of break was it? I was fortunate enough to have private medical insurance through my work so was referred to a shoulder specialist following the accident (which was bike related of course ;o)) He said that most NHS consultants won’t advocate surgery unless it’s a particularly bad break, but actually the current thinking is that even for relatively benign breaks, pinning the bones back together is beneficial. When the collar bone breaks, it ends up overlapping as the muscles at either end force the two parts inwards. When the bone heals, it knits around the overlap and the subsequent join is as strong as before. However, this healing effectively shortens the bone and pulls the shoulder forward slightly. In the short term this doesn’t present a problem but in later life it can lead to back problems as it throws your posture out. For this reason, pinning it back with surgery does have significant benefits.
I was off the bike for 10 weeks in total but I was using my arm again after about 8 weeks. Sleeping on that side can now be a little painful and the metal work is still in; there’s very little point in removing it unless there is need to as it’s just more surgery.

Broke mine just before Christmas and am getting pins and plates put in next week.
Over the first few months the consultant seemed to think that it would heal naturally, but it hasn’t and then I was put on the waiting list for an operation.
3 more months of recovery minimum after the Op before I can ride full tilt again.
So I would go along with what geetee said and if the bones have overlapped a bit get it pinned.
But over time it will be as stong as ever and will require another resounding thud to the ground to break it again.

Broke my collarbone in a Motorbike crash bout 3 years ago, managed to get 12 weeks off work tho which is nice.I took my time to allow my break to heal as the consultant kept telling me that if it didnt heal properly they would have to put a pin in it which i didnt want.Ive a feeling they were trying to scare me enough to stop me going out and using it again too early. The worst problems I had, were that I could hardly lift my arm after 12 weeks.I had to have 2 steroid injections and some physio and it was Ok after that.Three years later and my shoulder is still clunking and clicking into place, the break is a stronger as ever tho with no pain.

I was 10 weeks off the bike with mine as it set at an awkward angle, I broke the collar bone on the other side previously and was back to normal after 6 weeks.

Bust mine a few years back on the way to work. Was back in work by lunchtime (better than being bored silly at home).
Back on the bike after 11 days (gentle commuting only, not dropping off of ledges like I did when I bust it)

Off road riding after 4 weeks.

Mine was a nice clean break though, and have had no problems since.

I have a nice slanty/lumpy right shoulder now though, which occasionally lets my Hydrapak strap slip off….nice!

Get well soon!

Are some of the postees on here skydiving without chutes or something… some of the lists of injuries have me cringing.. are all these ‘lists’ created from the D/H fraternity ?
Hope Blackflags broken collar bone injury heals quickly.
Ive no broken bones but have been told to stay off my bike for 3 months by the hospital… and my kind of riding is hardly dangerous.. on Cannock Chase.

Even with a fairly bad collar bone break it’ll heal well and be as good as new if you treat it right.

The crucial stage is from day one to around ten to fourteen days. During the later part of this period you’ll get what’s known as a ‘fibrous union’. After that it’s just a hardening off process.

So, for the first couple of weeks do very little, rest and give it a chance. After that, assuming no complications, you can start turbo sessions. Pretty soon after, around the three week mark, that you can go for gentle rides (think, roadie towpath style). But, if you fall of and land on it you’ll **** it good so be careful.

By six weeks you’ll be back riding normal – but be careful, make it progressive. After two months, it’s fixed, and it’ll never break in the same place again.

All the above assumes that you are normal healthy sort of geezer.

There are those that say that you aren’t a proper cyclist until you’ve broken a collar bone.

SB 🙂
BTW……
I ain’t no doctor
ain’t no doctors son

I was back on the bike commuting in two weeks (more comfortable than the bus), albeit with the sling round my neck, and riding Beinn A’ghlo at 8 weeks.

Make sure you get physio afterwards to build up local muscle control, which will be non-existent, and only then start to build up strength.

got a surgical steel one now after broke it in 2 places,it fell on the floor in the hospital after the body armour came off,i then passed out,did it racing motorcycle enduros,prob 3-6 weeks if your healthy,quicker if you got it plated and pinned