I had a little off a few weeks back that resulted in a nice deep gash on my hip. The good folk at A&E patched me up and all went well, but it still took 3 weeks before it stopped weeping gunk enough to risk a gentle ride and I was forced to confront the fact that, as I head towards 50 injuries take noticeably longer to heal than they used to.
The question is whether I should modify my riding to allow for this. My first thought was "hell no, just MTFU and get back on the trails". But, no matter how much I may want to tough it out, the fact is that, if it's going to take increasingly longer for each injury to heal, I could end up spending more time recovering than riding. Worse than that, each crash dents my motivation to ride and each spell off the bike means a loss of hard won fitness.
I'm not about to hang up my Five Tens and retire to the tow paths (even if we had any), but I am wondering whether some changes might be in order.
I know the stock response will be a skills course, but I'm not so sure. I've been on one, it was great, but as my skills improved I just rode faster and looked for harder stuff to test myself on, which resulted in bigger crashes. I think what is really needed is a change of mindset.
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.
