I took a tumble on my bike about 12 days ago and ended up in casualty with a 4in long gash down to the bone on my shin. It nipped a bit so the lovely doctor at Stirling infirmary put 10 stitches in to stop my leg falling off. These stitches came out on Thursday easily enough but I still have a fair amount of swelling and I’m on my 3rd course of antibiotics in an attempt to fight off the inevitable infection that comes with shoving your spd into your leg. 🙄

So now, I’ve still got a nippy leg and I reckon the antibiotics are making me feel nauseous, but me and a bunch of my mates are supposed to be going up to Ft William for the SXC race this weekend, (it’s a good mate’s birthday celebration). I’ve ordered a set of 661 veggie shin guards to protect my leg, although to be honest, I don’t even know if I can bend it far enough to pedal yet.

How long would you expect to be off the bike with an injury like mine? I can’t decide if I’m being a girl’s blouse, or sensible by not riding at the moment.

Cheers
B.
😀

you’ll be fine

Forget the antibiotics, you need to start on the cement pills and MTFU.

How long would you expect to be off the bike with an injury like mine?

Straight back on if it didn’t open the stitches/wound up. MTFU.

The shin can take longer to heal as there is less blood circulation there compared to a lot of the other parts of the body.

If the stitches are out you should be fine though, just look after the scar.

I cut my knee on a flint last July, the doctor said I’d be back on the bike in 2 weeks. I couldn’t walk properly for nearly 2 months and certainly couldn’t ride for that period! It did get infected, but even so.

Just do what your body tells you, why not go to the race and do bottles, take photos and stuff, I’ve done that a couple of times and it’s great fun!

You’ll be fine but if your not happy about the swelling then go and see you GP again just to make sure it’s not badly infected. Try taking you antibiotics on when you’ve had something to eat might help the nausea which is very common.

the answer to the question in the title of this thread is almost always yes. yes.

Of course it’s still swollen – you’ve just had the stiches out! It’ll be stiff because you’re hobbling around and it’s still swollen. Go out on your bike tonight (possibly meeting me and Barton at N3) and see what it’s like – if it’s too sore for a light pedal tonight then no racing for you at the weekend my boy 😉

amputate, fix prosthesis on and away you go, problem solved

Listen to your body. I wouldn’t race unless it was really important to you. Pit bitch for your mates instead

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unkIVvjZc9Y

You had a 4-inch gash to the bone less than 2 weeks ago which is infected and you can’t bend your leg fully. I don’t think you really need to ask the question.

But if you really want to push your luck, try a light ride now and see how it feels. Personally I would stay off the bike a bit longer.

You had a 4-inch gash to the bone less than 2 weeks ago which is infected and you can’t bend your leg fully. I don’t think you really need to ask the question.

This… You really need to rest these things to help them heal. Maybe go to enjoy the atmosphere, join the banter and still have a good time?

Agreed that man. Behave Beagy, you the man – you don’t need to man up, EVER! Rest it and just go along and have a good time with a cheeky beer, watching everyone else suffer.

You are worried about a scratched leg? MTFU

^^ genius

Not as bad as yours but i fell off about 3 weeks ago and cut my arm. It was quite a bloody mess but my pal & his wife are medically trained so they offered to ‘stitch me up’ at their house. Call me a wimp but there was no way a ‘pal’ was coming anywhere near me with a needle and thread so we settled on them cleaning the wound and steri stips (It would only have been 2-3 stitches).

Anyhow 2 days later the stri strips couldnt cope and i was sat in casualty being told that it should have been stitched (I have a phobia about needles) but it couldnt now because it was infected. I got the cut cleaned out and sent away with loads of antibiotics. Never stopped me riding and its in just the place where every time i bend my arm the cut opens again. Its healing from the inside out and is finally starting to heal enough to stop opening up.

TBH i must say that in all that the most painfull part was the bloody tetanus jab i got. A cuts just a cut, they dont really hurt do they. If there is swelling and pain i would suggest something else is up because i would be riding the next day if it was just a cut.

Thanks guys, I’ll maybe go for a wee light ride, (when my wife’s not looking), tonight and see how things are progressing. The funniest bit of advice you’ve given though is ‘listen to your body’. I’m sorry, but every time I climb on my bike, my body screams “Get off now and go lie down in a darkened room!”. It’s kind of been like that for the last 17yrs of MTB’ing. 😛

I think the biggest thing is how rotten the antibiotics are making me feel. I’m definitely going to the race, and taking my bike, but I might just spectate and work as my mates collective pit bitch if I’m still feeling poop.

Cheers

B.