[Closed] Crashes and the ageing process

Better to not risk stuff and be able to ride the next day IMHO. If I think I'm going to do myself some harm trying something I leave it alone, got a family to support and I'm sure my employer won't look lightly on regular sports injuries!

It is noticeable how much longer it takes to heal though, I'm nearly 40 and notice all the scratches and bruises taking more than a week to go away now....

Not sure I can fully answer your question but I've noticed the same trend myself.

The one thing I have had to concede is that I get tired a lot quicker than I used to and tiredness is probably the biggest factor in most crashes/near misses (IME). I still like to think I can ride as hard as ever, but tend to tone it down a bit as the legs start to get heavy.

Feel exactly the same.
I used to actually enjoy some crashes, bit of bruising makes you feel alive 🙂 Now, it's a pain (literally)
Definitely take less chances than I did 10 years ago. I have no other solution!

Invest in some lightweight protective gear? Ride more within your limits?

Well just knowing I'm not alone is a help 🙂

I'm going to have a good hard think about why I ride and what it is that makes me want to ride down stuff that I know will hurt me sooner or later. Maybe I'll find some answers there.

Take up road riding?

I ride with a guy who's well over twice my age - he's showing no sign of slowing down, i think so anyway because i can't keep up with him!

Lace up those 5:10s and get to Antur Stiniog 😀

zilog6128 - Member
Take up road riding?

He's old, not senile.

I'm 45 and have had a couple of offs recently that resulted in time off bike. I'm currentlyy unable to ride due to a fractured radial head which has restricted more than just riding.
However, a big part of what I like to ride is techy, rocky and challenging myself. A lot is luck as to how or what you land on. You can easily have a nasty crash just by clipping a pedal on an innocent trail.
So, as soon as I'm healed I'm off to tackle the drop-off that fractured my arm. Not as daft as it sounds as I've done it many times before so I need do to nail again so it doesn't become a confidence issue.

I'm self employed so that runs through my mind whenever I come up to a jump. It's made me more cautious but I still get tons of enjoyment out of riding without pushing myself to be daft. I wear knee and elbow pads too... As a programmer I can't afford to have broken things connected to my arms!

Ride without any protective gear at all? That might change your mindset more.

Edit: and take a camera instead (preferably an expensive one!)

similar here, rapidly approaching 48. This was part of my decision process earlier in the year when I went from a short travel hardtail and a fuss susser to a more do it all hardtail. I reckoned I might ride a bit slower than I would on the 5 and hence crash less. Don't rally think it's made much difference yet 🙂

I'm fifty eight and I still like to get out,I'm never gonna set the world on fire but I enjoy it .I suspect that I'm not doing anything as technical as you and I do find myself dithering a bit when others are pushing on. I have recently bought a santa cruz blur and it has really lifted my riding and I'm doing stuff I would have previously gibbed at , only a matter of time before it goes tits up..............

Just turned 50 here, and off MTB with a herniated disc in my back, probably for about six months! Have seriously considered whether I should try to pick it up again or just buy a set of lawn bowls 🙁

Have decided I'd really miss the fresh air, camaraderie, and challenge of MTB, so will definitely aim to get back on the bike. Anyway, as the Physio said to me - you're better off keeping up a sport of some kind or you'll be more likely to get back/knee/etc. problems because of weight gain and inactivity.

However, I have to accept I will probably never get back to the same level of fitness I was when I stopped, and will also probably tone down the technicality of what I ride in the future, and leave the races for the younger set.

MiL once complained about me sitting their injuried. I said

I'll stop moving when I'm dead.

I find it's still fun and quality time in the fresh air, even though I can't do what the big boys do.

Would it help to go for more distance, less descent?

On STW people keep talking about learning jumping etc. I just want to enjoy my singletrack, future-proof myself and keep going out there as long as possible.

Villages are full of old characters who used to be really into their rugby but are now lardy, can hardly move due to bad injuries.

**** that.

hora, How do you 'future proof' yourself?

[i]hora, How do you 'future proof' yourself?[/i]

behave as if you have dementia from an early age?

I used to own a shop, one old boy in his 90's used to come in every day, round trip of 20 miles on his bike, liked a fag, liked his ale, they found him dead in a hedge row next to his bike. Natural cause, just dropped deaddoing something he enjoyed. I've always aspired to ride for as long as I can like he did. Don't hold back, live life to the full it's too short not to.

or for longer term future proofing...elongate you're head, enlarge your eyes, wizen your arms and say "phone home'

I've only recently turned 30 but have noticed that I take longer to recover from crashes than I used to.

I came off at Cannock last week (yes, I know riding a trail centre I deserve everything that I get) and removed a fair chunk of skin from my right knee in a very silly crash. Its taking ages to heal and is only now not restricting walking / pedalling although it still hurts like hell to kneel on it.

Had a big OTB crash earlier in the year and the bruises took ages to go.

I'll ride for as long as I can / still enjoy it.

[i]they found him dead in a hedge row next to his bike. Natural cause..[/i]

That's the way to go 🙂

I crashed and broke my arm two weeks ago turning on some fire road!

If I'd been doing something stupid then I'd considder slowing down a bit, but I wasn't! The only 'safe' option is a road bike.

My wife keeps waiting for me to grow up but she has been waiting a while now with little progress despite getting my pension next year. Just ride what you want, you will self censor anything beyond your ability just like you always did without realising it. Of course this will go wrong sometimes but don't give up, just recalibrate.I was never that good BITD but I keep getting out and riding and don't feel I am getting massively worse. The problem I have is stamina seems to be more of an issue. I could never beat my mates up hills but I could keep going longer, sadly that is no longer the case but I just tailor rides to what I know will be doable. Ride till you drop which if statistics are to be believed will be 3 years later than most of the general public.

Don't hold back, live life to the full it's too short not to

That's pretty much my philosophy. But sitting on a couch waiting for my injuries to heal isn't really living life to the full. I think I've basically got two choices: learn to enjoy riding within my limits rather than always pushing them, or accept that I'm going to be spending an ever increasing amount of time off the bike recovering.

The only 'safe' option is a road bike.

Don't know if its just round these parts, but although my MTB buddies are always suffering from a graze/bruise/gash here and there, the incidence of really serious injury is much more among my road biking friends - usually from a pile-up in the peloton, or an argument with a two ton lump of steel and glass!

Roverpig...how many of your crashes are by pushing yourelf beyond your limits or how many are just complacency or badluck? mine are the latter.

Put some proper mudguards on your bike - you'll instantly ride like a grandad

Probably one of the older guys riding at 64 and I have re-evaluated my riding as of late. It takes a hell of a time to recover from injuries and it's no joke not being able to ride.
Tend to leave the real techy stuff alone now as I find myself thinking a bit too much as you approach those type of trails obstacles!
It also takes about half an hour to fully warm up when I start riding; still I've told my other half to have me put down if I start looking at road bikes.

Wwaswas:

Oil/joint supplements
Listen to your body. Got a cold Chill instead.
Dont ride with a hangover.
If you dont feel comfortable riding a technical bit. Walk it. No one else will wipe your ass, soap that hard to reach armpit or pay your mortgage.

Etc.

In addition somedays I feel good so I ride. Other days I feel stressed so I ride slow and daydream.

I went to a long travel hardtail from a full susser to try and slow down a bit, after taking out a wrist earlier this year, which stopped biking for longer that I'd like.

Trouble is, modern hardtails are nice'n'slack and I think I'm actually faster now.. but definitely more stable.

I found that with wider bars I'm alot more stable. (Touch wood) I've not crashed since I did my rotor cuff c2yrs ago. Could it be that I'm a tallish/big bloke and the extra leverage etc really suits me? I was on 685's. Went to 711, not a massive difference and I'm [b][u]NOT[/u][/b] in anyshape or form a wheels of the ground/gnarly rider.

Could be the same ^^^ I just feel alot more stable on the bike.

So I've gone two years without a fall and I had two in one weekend this weekend.
Zero injuries and rapid deceleration. Weird.

I'm 46 and also managed a fractured radial head like Mojo5pro. I did mine at the end of April. Had a total of 12 weeks off the bike and still have restricted range in my elbow joint. Have been told it could take up to 12 months to get as near to normal as is possible 😯

Am riding again and rebuilding my shot fitness, but still not 100% comfortable as the elbow aches like hell in the rough stuff! But, that said, I'm determined to get back to where I was, especially as the crash that caused it was a silly front wheel wash out on an "easy" trail!

Raced those motorcycle things up to re-discovering mountain biking.
Had a BIG off on the racer resulting in a badly dislocated shoulder which was agony and took months before it was anything like comfortable. I wasnt happy about this but a doctor mate just turned around one day and put it in a nutshell...

"youre 46 years old" ....

Id been racing over 20 years but never really thought about the age related healing issue - Hello STW.....

Loving this. In similar situation. I always back off if unsure. A week off the bike would drive me insane. I just enjoy riding and smirk at the youngsters, end in tears, that will

[b]ALL[/b] of this ^ rings so true it's scary 😆

In the last two years I've had two silly crashes on my mountain bike that left me in A & E. Neither were on difficult terrain nor was I "going silly". The other weekend I had another moment were I mysteriously ended up on the floor, but at least that time the nurses were spared.

As for road riding, that gave me a broken collarbone and 3 months off riding. In the last 11 months I've had 4 months of not riding due to injury. Not good.

On a serious note, I have considered building some more muscle. My cycling fitness is OK, but I've not got a lot of muscle protecting those bones and joints. Maybe middle age is atrophying my muscles and that's why falls hurt more.

I remember being of my bike for month with broken bones and ligament injuries in my 20's and 30's. S**t happens.

You just have to accept that you're going to crash sometimes and sometimes it could keep you off the bike for some time. I don't think it's especially an age thing. In fact, as I've less to prove I think I take less stupid risks. I still take stupid risks - usually in the moment - but that's what makes riding in the woods so much fun.

I know guys still riding and falling off in their 70's. Their spirit inspires me. Check this out...70 and still going over the bars

Same here,
40 Now, probably riding harder than I have ever done, Saturday I had 2 OTB Crashes to add to the one I had the previous weekend....

3 times in 7 days 😳

Neck and Back still ache like a b$tard, will probably need to see a Chiropractor / Physio to put it right again as I have ongoing issues with my Back.

It did occur to me that I am back Self employed now as I hooked a tree branch with my elbow on a fast trail, and that could have been really nasty and very expensive.
Luckily it only bruised badly rather than punctured.

I don't know what the answer is........ I`m hoping that's my quota for the time being

@hora - think you jinxed it

Just coming out of a massive crash at Cwn Carn about 3 months ago, still haven't learnt my lesson. Though yes recover time now is a b**ch.

However, have signed up for a jump skills class with Jedi later this year and building ramps in the backyard. 40 is the new 16 (in my mind)

I think you learn pretty fast what you are and are not capable of, that which you are not you figure out how to overcome it.. skills class, practice or just leave it alone.

I'm 42 but had lots of proper injuries in my first 5 years of MTB. I haven't had a proper off now for many years. I don't push my skill limits any more but I still have a great time riding within them. You get to a point in your life where you have nothing to prove to anybody including yourself, you're just out there to have a good time.
It's MTB nirvana.

I think you learn pretty fast what you are and are not capable of

I don't push my skill limits any more but I still have a great time riding within them

My experience is that my worse crashes have occurred within my capabilities and comfort zone. I don't know whether (a) I'm a worse rider or (b) I'm a faster rider. Something's changed and I do sometimes wonder whether my new(ish) bike is allowing me to go faster than perhaps I should 😐

they found him dead in a hedge row next to his bike. Natural cause..

That's the way to go

Well maybe not a hedge row, but certainly on a nice bit of singletrack would suit me.

Also in my sixties and self employed, still going over the bars, but having survived the Lake District and the Peaks this year came off heavily in some local woods and it has really slowed me down, well it did for a week or so, but suspect it will not stop me trying difficult stuff again. I have been lucky to heal fairly quickly from minor bumps, but generally avoid anything I am not sure of.

In darker moments there have been thoughts of road bikes, but for now I think it is just a case of carefully choosing where I ride. A recent day ride in the Chilterns reassured me that that you can still have plenty of fun 'off road' without putting yourself too much at risk.

I've just turned 60 and ride like the biggest nancy of all time but don't care (much). Had a few big offs in last few years, mainly bad luck.... but we all get lucky/have near misses as well, so occasionally it's gonna go wrong.
I've come to terms with enjoying 'my riding' which is tamer than all my riding mates, but I still get a buzz and I'm pretty fit for an old un 😀

I still want to enjoy 'my' riding for a few years yet, so if in doubt I get off and walk - and take the stick that comes my way.

I won't see 50 again and for me it's more important to be able to ride regularly at any level. Keith Bontrager summed it up for me:

[i]"From the saddle, my view is that not much has really changed as I've grown older. I know I'm going slower, but not much slower. I still get off on cleaning the technical sections or doing big climbs, or riding flowing sections of trail fast. The thing I think about often is avoiding 'game-enders', big crashes that break me irreparably, a head injury to push my already scrambled-from-multiple-concussions brain over the edge, or smashing anything that would be so slow to heal it would effectively be the end. It doesn't keep me from riding technical sections, but sometimes I'll pass now too. Being sensible. Living to ride another day and all. That's critical. As I get older I find that it's far easier to stay fit than to get fit. Coming back from long periods off the bike is tough so it’s best not to have to."[/i]

The possibility of a game-ending crash is what really scares me.

rocketman - Member
I won't see 50 again and for me it's more important to be able to ride regularly at any level. Keith Bontrager summed it up for me:

"From the saddle, my view is that not much has really changed as I've grown older. I know I'm going slower, but not much slower. I still get off on cleaning the technical sections or doing big climbs, or riding flowing sections of trail fast. The thing I think about often is avoiding 'game-enders', big crashes that break me irreparably, a head injury to push my already scrambled-from-multiple-concussions brain over the edge, or smashing anything that would be so slow to heal it would effectively be the end. It doesn't keep me from riding technical sections, but sometimes I'll pass now too. Being sensible. Living to ride another day and all. That's critical. As I get older I find that it's far easier to stay fit than to get fit. Coming back from long periods off the bike is tough so it’s best not to have to."

The possibility of a game-ending crash is what really scares me.

They say there's no fool like an old fool........

when I came home and told my wife I had fallen badly riding in the woods there was no sympathy - just "How old are you?" 🙂

As I get older I find that it's far easier to stay fit than to get fit

This is key for me. I really hate losing the fitness that I've worked so hard to gain. In fact, I'm coming to the conclusion that I just don't enjoy high speed descents enough to make them worth the risk any more. I still enjoy a challenging technical descent, but I'd rather learn the skills to be able to get down slower and in more control, which is often more tricky than just letting go of the brakes and trusting to luck.

I concussed myself on Saturday, first thing the OH said when I phoned her from A&E was "is the bike ok?" 🙂

3 days off the bike (so far) is driving me round the bend but as I can't bend to tie my laces without pain yet I'd better be sensible

Yep, the losing fitness is a pain.
I've been off bike 4 weeks now. Prior to that was as fit as I'd been for ages as the good weather meant I'd been out most evenings for a good couple months.Reckon It'll be another month or so before back on bike ....and then the nights'll drawing in 🙁

53 and the fittest and fastest I've ever been. Had more than my share of injuries in the past, but it's just xc stuff on a more or less race hardtail now, get the speed buzz on singltrack and trails but nothing realy steep and technical and the wheels stay mostly on the ground.

Already well documented on here but here's a brief update . 2 crushed vertebrae in my spine in 2008 aged 53 , diagnosed with osteoporosis and told by a specialist to stop riding off road too much jarring on my back and take up jogging on hard surfaces instead ! 🙄 Thought well I may as well dig a hole and jump in it . My GP said keep riding but be SENSIBLE ! So in 2010 I did a season in Whistler full 5 months ! Since then I've been riding in Colorado and in September am off to Sedona and Moab .Mind if you see how I mince along on a bike . On a serious note my wife has had a broken wrist and tibia in the last few years the latter resulting in a new knee ! Having seen how that affected her physically and mentally and she hasn't even got Osteoporosis is very sobering . 2 years after diagnosis my bone density has improved massively despite medical advice .
Sometimes give myself a hard time about chickening out of harder stuff and because I came home from Whistler uninjured wondered if I should have pushed myself more ! 🙄 Still in the book of excuses not riding stuff mine is better than wrong tyres bike etc !

I'm coming up to 70 and have had a couple of painful off's in the past couple of years.

Decided to stop trying to keep up with my son and his mates and slow down.
Seems to be working.
Trouble is its difficult to find riding partners of a similar age and ability.

Trouble is its difficult to find riding partners of a similar age and ability.

@ gordy2 - Looking at those posting above if you organised an 'Oldfart' ride there may be plenty of takers - I'd come along if it was within reasonable distance.

this is a good thread.

I crashed in March and am just now back on bike- be it very sedately. bad head injuries have made me realise how any riding is enjoyable, so am much carefuller now.

My Grandad was 93 when we took his bike off him. He slipped on a doorstep delivering a xmas card and had brain bleed. so head injuries can get us at any age, I am 39.

Come on gent, yes it is hard to get back from sometimes not so sever injuries once past 40. We have to keep trying though after all whats the alternative? Crown Green bowling (oldmens marbles). Take all the advice you can on recovery, don't rush things, pay as much as you can afford for physio etc, remember its about just doing it not what you could do.
I should point out that I'm not riding for the next few weeks because I have finally had the gamma nail taken out of my femur. I shattered it on the 14th March 12. Its been a fun period (not at times) but I learned that what the surgeon said (it is unlikely you will ride a bike again) was bollocks, if you work hard keep it sensible, listen to those that can really help (choose em yourself) and rely on your real friends things can go your way. Just sat on the turbo, can feel the wounds stretching so did not peddle but its only days away. Am now celebrating this small victory with a pint of Pure North cider.

I love being out in the hills on my bike and I don't really care if I'm slow, its about being there for me. Sorry to be boring.

PS get an MTB tandem, your wife can be really helpful with your getting out there recovery and can be a suprisingly strong pedaler and also very encouraging with the technical stuff when they can't see whats coming up.

54 and 14 day young.

Same here - hate the being off the bike because of illness or incidents because recovery time takes longer with age.
I however am somehow fitter than I was in my late thirties and even early forties but am quite cautious on the really technical stuff. So my answer to your question op is to take things a tiny bit easier to ensure longer times on the bike doing what you love best.

The horrid bit is trying to regain fitness that used to take weeks but now takes months.

Tandems are brilliant and such good fun when fitness is low or you're feeling your age 🙂

I'm coming up to 63 and have just started to ride those bermy things, and those big lumps of dirt they put in the middle of trails that make you take off!

I have two things to add...

1. I had a couple of problems in my late 40s that lead to me seeing a chiropractor. I expressed a worry to him that my obsession with cycling might be bad for my health. He told me not to worry, as the problems I might get from regular exercise were preferable to those I might get from no exercise.

2. I broke my collar bone in three bits when I was 55. I was back riding in 6 weeks with no surgical intervention.

Bottom line....it's a lottery!!!

Loving the young riders with the earlier D.O.B's.

I stopped to talk to a walker powering up the hill towards me recently. During the conversation he said he was 81. Wow. Simply wow. Im 39 and I reckon I have 15yrs left in me off road compared.

This touches a nerve... Broken hand (front wheel washout) torn hamstring (kitesurfing) torn Achilles' tendon (cricket...) and broken ankle (err... Late at night) all in the last 2 years. At 43 I started worrying, then I slipped into a rut on my Meta last weekend at speed and went flying and.... Few grazes, otherwise nothing, woohoo! Now entered for my first multi-day stage race and gonna need some serious training but can't wait. Then I read that some of you are proving that we've got decades of mtb-ing left in us. Made my day.

The problem with risky active sports is you don't see the attrition rate of the "retired". Those folk who pushed the boundaries and are no longer able to do it. Those who got it wrong aren't visible.

I first noticed this in my 40s on offroad motorbikes - so many of my friends had acquired injuries that either prevented them physically or mentally enjoying the sport that it was hard to put a group together for a ride.

It's all about probabilities and consequences.

Your reactions get slower, and the consequences get greater, which make the probability of an injury greater, and your recovery time is longer. A millisecond hero moment isn't worth risking a month off the bike.

These days I'd rate caution above skills.

41 and having surgery on broken hand/wrist tomorrow. Scaphoid snapped and displaced, cracked tibia/ulna plus minor fractures in hand.

I think I might give up on low travel hardtails now and get something a bit plusher.

Following on from uphilla's comments what's the feeling about an oldfarts ride?

I live near Otley and would organise one in the area.

diagnosed with osteoporosis and told by a specialist to stop riding off road too much jarring on my back and take up jogging on hard surfaces instead !

Jarring on the tibia initiates the greatest increases in overall body bone density, hence the running on hard surfaces advice. Cycling typically reduces bone density via a few mechanisms but heavy offroad riding will still generate enough tibial load to positively effect density.

Epicyclo same with Rugby players. Old characters/brash amateur player/drinkers become overweight/cant get about much shells of themselves.

On the bone thing- I've broken my left wrist three times in my youth. Its now very thick/powerful and I've fallen on it loads mire and not even sprained it!

When I was young free and employed I hooned about like a loon.
With age & wisdom, wife & kids, own business & a need to be uninjured to earn, I just changed my style of riding.
I enjoy the getting there more than the arrival (oooh Matron!).

Great to see young gready weirdys flying past, all spinning legs and eager anticipation to get to the next bit, I just pootle along and arrive in my own time and usually the bike and I get there in one piece. 😀

Lots of good posts and advice.

Also worth bearing in mind that better bike set up will help. Suspension, suspension tuning, better rubber, riding set up etc. I raced motorcycles on track and offroad and I know how important good bike setup is. Get it sorted for your riding weight and style.

Just had my RP23 serviced and PUSH'd for this very reason. Swapped out my MK II for Rubber Queens and went tubeless.

Better bike and set up can be more forgiving.

Skills courses to back this up are a great idea too.

Now fast singletrack riding and jumps/drops training sound like a good idea for me.

I feel I've 'got away' with one today...

Did a loop of Llandegla with a couple of friends and (due in part to all the riding I've been doing recently, and maybe due to showing off a little...) found I was hitting things pretty fast.

Next think I know there's a large tree stump occupying my landing area following a jump and I'm chewing gravel. Two swollen knees and a few cuts and bruises, but otherwise ok. Got back on and finished the ride.

Haven't crashed for a while, but this shook me up as I was moving fairly quickly and it could have been a lot worse.

Knee and elbow pads would have spared me completely, but I can't get along with them.

Problem is now that I want to go back tomorrow to get that section right...

This also strikes a chord with me. About to turn 44 and finding injuries are now worse than I would expect and take much much longer than expected to recover.

3 separate incidents of broken ribs in an embarrassingly short 8 months with 2 of those incidents resulting in shoulder injuries - one rotator cuff and one AC joint on different shoulders - thankfully no broken bones other than the ribs, though. None of these were from pushing too hard on 'technical' bits....

I've started to consider [u]why[/u] I ride and have come to the conclusion that pushing myself aerobically to improve fitness is as significant as pushing myself technically. Thus, I've recognised that as I get fitter (especially with a lighter and more capable hard-tail coming into the mix), I push harder in terms of speed which I think is why I'm coming off more on the non-technical bits. I'm simply carrying too much speed for my level of skill.

So, at the risk of a flaming, I've just ordered a road bike to do the aerobic side of my habit so that I don't need to do it quite so much on the MTB - in the hopes that I can slow the MTB riding down a bit and enjoy it more without feeling I need to push it all the time to build fitness quite so much. In other words, enjoy the technical aspect of MTB riding without feeling I need to be pushing to the max in-between the fun technical bits.

No idea if it will work but figured it was worth a try. Still not comfortable with the whole lycra thing, though - still resisting.... 🙄

Stu