[Closed] Given I've just been informed my mtb days are pretty much over...

Not great news but I'd wait to see how strong you can make it and see what you can ride...

You should definitely be asking about other's experiences of recuperation / alternatives to fusing after similar experiences. Infinitely more positive then flogging your stock because of depreciation. Chin up dude.

What Dick says.

Consultant told me 3 years ago not to run more than 5k after knee surgery.

I ran 40 mile ultra last weekend, No pain at all in said knee.

Defo don't rule out mtb for good. I rode with a guy at uni a few times that had one arm. (plus about 6" of the stump on the other) Yes the bike was heavily modded (front brake and both gears on one side, used left arm stump to control a body harness brake lever for the rear wheel - all his own creation).

He was bloody rapid. Uphill he was quick but on the descents he was insane - easily as fast as the fastest guy I was out with!

I'd imagine something like a broken/weak wrist could be adapted for reasonably easily - even if it takes a few weeks CAD and a 3d printer!

EDIT: Also - I don't know the story behind the accident but definitely worth claiming for Loss of amenity, can't remember the exact numbers but I remember this guy had paid for all the modifications and a fair bit of specialist kit from the compensation, pretty sure it was into the many many thousands of pounds.

Bad news there bud.

You could keep the yeti surely. Even if it only lets you get onto rough forestry tracks that you couldn't ride on a road bike.

Sell one keep the other for a year and go from there. Then wear a wrist guard and see how it goes. Ive been able to ride a bit of cross and off road despite the wrist. Can trade scans 😉 . Do the physio and then some more. Add strength. It will get better.

Surgeons are famously pessimistic about recovery. Probably because they know what butchers they are and are secretly amazed that the patients recover at all 🙂 Obviously I don't know what you did to your wrist (and it sounds horrible) but it probably wasn't as bad as what Froome did when he rode into that wall at full pelt and he's back on the bike already. OK, he wasn't on an NHS waiting list for physio, but you get my point.

Yeah I'll admit I'm feeling pretty down at the moment. I dont think I could bare to sell the yeti tbh..i think it'll just need to be used instead of the gravel bike (which is now broken as a result of said crash) from now on. Probably alot more comfy as well.

Wrist is a really bad dislocation/break. Chap said hed never seen anything similar in all his year's as a surgeon. Feel free to tell me tales of other miraculous recoveries from injury however ! I could do with some positive vibes.

but it probably wasn’t as bad as what Froome did when he rode into that wall at full pelt and he’s back on the bike already.

My thoughts exactly when i pointed out froome had been close to death and is back on bike in 4 months! Unfortunately he pointed out my injury, whilst less serious, is far harder to fix! Whilst frooms leg snapped in half, my wrist dislocated in 4 places and broke in many many more apparently!

Never say die. I thought I was never going to ride again after nearly sawing off my thumb at work. Two years later and I was riding again.

According to the doctors, after my injuries, I shouldn't be able to use my left thumb, load my spine or elevate my right arm. I still ride my bikes and go rock climbing but I do it carefully, take precautions/use strapping support and stop when it hurts.

Doctors want to wrap you in cotton wool but only you know how your body feels and what you are comfortable doing. See how you heal up before making hard decisions about the things that you love doing.

doctors always give the worst case scenerio. Mine told me not to go mtbing as it's dangerous after a break.
Can't be too hard on him as he did a great job at plating my shoulder up.

When I did my wrist in (operation, pins etc.) I found that riding a downhill bike on downhill tracks was far less painful than a 5" full suss XC bike. 8" forks and rear suspension made everything a lot smoother and less bumpy on my wrist.

I'd keep which ever has the longest travel and smoothest forks.

I did my hand and wrist in multiple places, broken, fractured and pinned, both hand and wrist... Recovery is 100%, never given me a moments trouble and was pretty mashed up.

I'd say keep the yeti at least!
Was in a not too dissimilar position 3 years ago, broke both wrists and arms but the left wrist was a proper mess, 1st surgury the surgeon basically said he was going in to save my fingers, my wrist would be fused and that was that. Fortunately I was then moved to a hand and wrist specialist and several surgeries and 8 months with a completely immobilised left wrist later I could start riding again. The movement is much reduced, I have to wear a brace to protect it, but I can ride almost as well as before. As I'm an MTB guide in the alps then I think day in day out riding of alpine trails counts as mountainbiking, not just riding along a forestry road! Injuries differ, the standard of care I received in France may or may not be better than what you have available, the road back might take a lot longer than you think and even when you're back, it might be painful and frustrating, but I've seen folks riding with some pretty messed up bodies. If you still want to ride, you'll find a way and for me, having a bike I really love sitting there waiting to be ridden again is a big help.
I wrote up everything I found from a lot (LOT) of research into how to recover from wrist dislocations and breaks from a MTB perspective, it mostly focuses on the scaphoid as that was my, and most peoples, problem bone in the injury but a lot of the stuff I found carries over, it's all here: http://www.chamonixbikeblog.com/2018/scaphoid-stories/ hopefully it's useful to you.
Good luck.

Healing vibes OP.

So annoying when it's someone else's fault, I know from my own less serious experiences.

Mate of mine was hit by a car, broke most his ribs, both shoulders, plates in spine, open wounds, head injury (you name it!) this was only last year and thought he'd never ride again; police said he shouldn't have survived...

Long story short, he's already done more miles than me this year! Then again, I am a lazy sod!!

There was something in last months mag about a lad with a weak wrist/hand who did a placement with Hope and he designed a brake lever with 2 blades so his strong hand could operate both front and back brakes so he could still ride.

“When I did my wrist in (operation, pins etc.) I found that riding a downhill bike on downhill tracks was far less painful than a 5″ full suss XC bike.”

Indeed. Big forks run soft, riser bar and ride from your feet/hips. Avoid super long reach bikes that demand you lean on the front in turns. Prove him wrong!

If Ton can still ride after all the stuff he’s had done, so can you.

I'm really sorry to hear that.

Don't give up hope yet. I was told in 2009 I won't be able to ride again, my wrist will never been strong enough, I might need a joint (or two) fused and worst of all "We're going to ask a specialist *something* to speak to your about an adapted vehicle and some things for your home.

I won't lie, it hurt like hell, the physio was a sadist, it took 9 months to get to the point I could sit on a bike and hold my weight on the bars, it was another 6 months before I dared to ride anything 'proper' but 14 months after the accident I was riding Whistler Bike Park.

You know the old saying, "If all you have is a hammer, then everything looks like a nail"? That applies to Surgeons too. They can't help it - Solution=Surgery. If you're not in too much pain and it's healed, don't have it fused. If you are don't be afraid to get a second opinion - I spend a relatively tiny amount of money to speak to a fancy Consultant at my local Spire hospital, he didn't tell me anything I didn't know in regards to my injury, but he did tell me lots about different options. For me it was "well, if you want to ride, ride, the pain will stop you if you can't do it".

Ultimately I got another decade as I was, the pain has been bad and getting worse the last 2 years or so, so I asked the GP, she sent me for X-Rays, spoken to another Surgeon, I need some metal work removed as it's causing issues and my carpel tunnel done (metal work has caused it) bosch, 4-6 weeks recovery and I'm good as gold again. 10 years of healing gives them a lot meat to worth with.

Surgeon said that my wrist looked like a paper bag full of broken biscuits on the xray!

I had an external fixator on for a while.

It's a right manky shape now but I'm back riding normally. Took a few years to get it all sorted but got there in the end.

Keep your favourite bike so that you have something to get out on when you are ready.

I'd wait and see, a fella near me rides the same 25ft jumps etc with a stump wedged into a bar end and the bars, I reckon with some adaptation you could make a brace to ride the mtb.

Some decisions dont need to be made until they are made for you.

So in otherwords, dont sell.

See what you can ride in a few months time and go from there.

I twisted my left leg almost 180 degrees riding motorcycle enduro - told that riding a bicycle would be out of the question. Turns out that was incorrect, Ive been riding road and moutain bikes ever since with no problems. Just took a few months to get over it and a few weeks of riding to get back up to speed.

My gymnastic coach smashed the head off her humerus and was told she'd never be able to handstand again....

Thanks for all the encouraging words folks, it's made me feel better.

Just stuck the tt bike on the turbo and am going to try it out tonight to see if I can train pain free. Any ideas on best way to keep the cast as cold as possible as I believe the main risk is sweaty cast and itching. I have a big fan, and will be outside. Was thinking an ice pack over the cast but that may just be a ridiculous idea.

Stick at the physio. I shattered my wrist at the Foxhunt last year and got a pile of titanium in it.

While I've not done much bumpy stuff this year it's getting stronger all the time and I'm pretty sure next year I'll be back on the MTB properly. If you don't use it you'll never get it strong enough.

Oh, and buy a wrist support/splint - they are cheap and make a huge difference.

OH mate. Thats gutting, BUT take it as a challenge to prove him wrong. Mate of mine shattered his wrist, proper mess and now rides with a wrist splint which limits the movement and flexing of it. Took him a while to get use to it but he's flying now.

Defo call on the positive insights shared already.

FWIW I was hospitalised with a collapsed lung age 10. Doctors said I would never play football again - an especially big blow as that was probably the most important thing to me at that time. ‘Twas a load of pessimistic twaddle given I played Sat/Sun leagues into my 20s.

Healing vibes bro.

Given I’ve just been informed my mtb days are pretty much over…

C'mon......that's a bit melodramatic aint it?, i know folk with one arm who ride mtb offroad (pretty bloody well actually) - I can't stand up unaided and when i do manage i have a few seconds vertical before i fall down or manage to hold onto something for support due to no muscle control or leg strength (secondary progressive ms) and i still ride my mtb, albeit now with a throttle equipped bafang motor on my cove hummer as my legs don't work at all for peddling or walking, admittingly i seem to spend most of the time wrestling with my useless limbs on the ground after falling off on the tiniest of roots/wet leaves/mud/puddles, yesterday i spent an hour and a half lying on the ground in my local woods till a dog walker came along to help me back onto the bike and when i set off the back wheel spun on roots and spat me off again, so i was helped back on and 2nd time lucky i managed to get all the way down the hill and out the woods to a flat road.
I used to have a scott e-genius with a bosch motor that was brill to ride due to plus tyres and decent suspension but i had to sell that as i couldn't get any way to convert the bosch motor to throttle power so i converted my old cove hummer with a bafang motor, not nearly as good as the bosch but at least i can get out the house.

There's always a way to carry on, don't give up

Oh yeah, watch out for the itching. It's a nightmare!

I'm not going to go back over what people have said about recovery, I think that, rationally, you probably know all that. I will say that you can exceed what your surgeon is telling you. Stick with the physio and give it time. Your bikes will not go off or get stale and they will still be waiting for you when your wrist is strong enough.

Stick with it.

Worst case there's a chap who rides in my local cyclox league with only one arm. He's never last either 😎

tpbiker, just wait and see how YOU feel after your recovery. you may be very surprised mate.
the specialists are not always correct.

i have 3 fused joints, and a false one. with a bit of careful planning and a bit of reigning in what you ride, offroad riding is still doable.

Given what Hope have done with one lever/two brake braking, and a recent thing I saw from Ribble re adaptations for one handed shifting and braking, your days are not done yet!

Might be worth an appointment with Brian Simpson in Ipswich, he's sorted many a Moto crosser and Motorcycle racer after bad/near catastrophic injuries.

Surgeons are famously pessimistic about recovery. Probably because they know what butchers they are and are secretly amazed that the patients recover at all

This made my day! 🙂

Suppose you could sell them, use the money to pay for good physiotherapy to help it heal, then once its good again acquire new bikes?

I dislocated my wrist, broke my scaphoid and snapped ligaments about 10 years ago. I needed three operations on it including k wires and a screw in my scaphoid.

Is my wrist 100%? No, I only have about 50% movement and reduced strength. However it doesn't stop me riding one bit, I've got a good wrist brace and it's helped no end.

There's no reason you can't continue to enjoy cycling once you've recovered as much as you did before your accident.

Nope it's not over you can overcome and recover, just look at Tommy Wilkinson for inspiration
https://enduro-mtb.com/en/overcoming-all-obstacles-riding-with-one-arm-by-tommy-wilkinson/

Sell one. Keep one. You’ll need something upright with suspension forks for bimbling around on the road once you’re into recovery.

Chap said hed never seen anything similar in all his year’s as a surgeon.

Time to find a more experienced surgeon?

I still mountain bike with a permanently broken ulna… was also told I wouldn’t ride again… but as others have pointed out, there are people riding with way more to deal with. Never say never.

As many others have said here, don't give up hope yet.

After shattering the too of my humerus about 5 years ago I was told by my surgeon I may never be able to ride a normal bike again because of the way it broke.

Since then I've got back in the saddle and amongst other things ridden the TransPennine Trail on my BFe, regularly ride trail centres such as Llandegla, Cannock Chase and the Forest of Dean, and this year bought myself a new GT.

It may take a while to get there but it's worth working at it.

Again I will just agree with the others

another bit of inspiration would be Kevin Schwantz who basically smashed his wrist to smithereens to the point he had the scaphoid removed and he was full of metal and he got back to riding moto gp bikes!

And do your physio!

Got told I'd not ride again or at best manage some "light cycling.

Just back from the alps....

Try a

https://www.freewheel.co.uk/allsport-dynamics-oh2-wrist-brace-speed-medium-uadoh2sdmd?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuLC8x8b75AIVS7DtCh0htw7OEAQYEiABEgKBy_D_BwE#fo_c=2922&fo_k=0ec145c676a5c185a540af7cb20411fb&fo_s=gplauk

Heart attack whilst mountain biking at bpw @42yrs, told me that I wasn't to go above 130bpm etc
Still thrash myself to 170bpm and did 2weeks in Morzine 3 months after the heart attack so I wouldn't worry too much about your diagnosis.

And 47 in January.. Still not dead

Nasty injury but I agree with others about good potential to overcome for mtb if you want to.

I would sell the bikes though, a couple of bikes sitting in the shed through winter is pointless, sell now for a few quid /giant is worth around 1k and Yeti around 1800/ you will be able to buy the same bikes for similar once you are back and wanting to ride but it is likely that you will want a different type of bike by then anyway.

Don't get hung up on riding/wanting things that aren't possible right now, just get some good physio and get your wrist as strong as it can be and evaluate from there

Sell one. Keep one.
Then use the one you keep as an inspiration tool for rehabilitation. Just because 1 person says you won't or can't ride ever again. And then giving up on the whole thing is crazy.
Just tell yourself I wi ride that bike, off road in 1 years time.
I do not care what he said. I am going to do it. If I have to do it wearing a mechanical aid then that's what I will do. If I have to fit a small electric motor, then that's what I will do.
If I need to pay for a extra physio, then that's what I will do
Because unless the world ends on 1st Oct next year, I am off to the woods on that bike.

Juts to echo what a lot of others have said, doctors tend to be calibrated to the average, bone idle, sit on the sofa lifestyler. If you're motivated and determined then there's a good chance you can rehab way better than they reckon.

I always think back to Luke Rowe who pretty much shattered his lower leg jumping off a bridge on a stag do. He was told it was doubtful that he'd ride a bike competitively again. Less than a year later he was at the Tour de France with Team Sky because he was super motivated to follow his rehab programme and commit to riding. Ditto Froome, who is making rapid progress again because he's wired that way.

Ud keep at least one of the bikes and use it as motivation to keep pushing your recovery. Find a good physio privately if necessary and see it as an investment in your future mountain biking. Good luck and let us know how you get on! 🙂

Cheers folks, lots of positive storys to keep me optimistic. I think keeping one, sell one is the way forward. Don't really use the giant anyways as the yeti is far more suitable for my bimbling.

Went on the turbo last night..an hr on zwift resting on aero bars. Didn't enjoy it in the least and now my cast is itchy. But I'll be Back on tonight with a view to starting a 10 week trainer road plan as soon as the cast come off in 3 week's time. I find Trainee road plans (Or indeed any structured trading plan) inpossible to complete normally, as the lure of going outside is usually too much. But with that option taken away from me I may just see this one through, and will be finished just in time to get back outdoors by Christmas, albeit on the road bike.

Thanks again everyone for the positive vibes!

I've ridden all summer with a very badly frozen shoulder, and before that a broken collar bone, granted at less than my ideal level but ridden and enjoyed myself. I too thought about selling my bike while it was still worth a few quid as my recover could be literally years, but don't jump too quick, it's not over until it's over.

Even if you had one arm, you could ride, there's all manner of braces and supports available. Get second opinions and advice on here seems great. If you must sell something sell the one that means the least to you and go from there.

Whatever you do, good luck and stay positive.

As somebody else wrote above, I'd be reluctant to give too much creedence to what the surgeon says. You need to find a good physio who understands you and is prepared to help you make the effort. I broke my collar bone last year then got a frozen shoulder as a free bonus. The first physio was next to useless and had me written off so sessions with him were a waste of time. The second I met through a sports clinic; he is a climber and he completely understood my determination to get back on the bike. In fact he and the OT who was monitoring my stiff hand were both amazed at my recovery, probably because they don't see many cyclists/ex-climbers who refuse to give up and sit on the sofa.

Writing this from my hotel in Jo'Burg, must nip down to the gym now for some stretching and weights.

This is going to sound awfully American, and I don't know where in the country you are, but I recommend doing what you can to see a guy called Alex Kocheta for a second opinion. He works at Rotherham hospital and he's one of the best hand people. I saw him once very briefly after getting hit by a car and messing up my right hand, and he was kind, quick, expert and seemed genuinely interested in why I needed to ride. (plus I'm a pianist by trade so there was that too). I'm sure your person is good, but you deserve more than one expert on the case if it's something you love.

Anyway he does private stuff at a hospital in Sheffield, but I managed to get referred through my Sheffield GP to Rotherham hospital using some weird system called "choose and book". I don't know what the regional limitations of such a thing are, or if they still exist. It was slow but it worked.

Also, I know anecdotal medicine is kinda shitty if your situation is a lot worse than the anecdote teller...but....don't know if anyone has recommended you using a Powerball for wrist strength and stability - but I've broken my wrist twice and both times it has been painful and clicked. The second time I was a bit fed up with being told 'it'll get better' and got a Powerball gyroscope thing from the climbing shop. Flippin' magic bullet, feels like muscles started stabilising wrist after a few days of use. Apparently a bunch of boxers, downhillers etc. use them for prehab - it really transformed the way my wrists/hands felt. Best of luck. deffo hang onto the Yeti, it ain't over!

@davidisaacs : weird, just weird.
 

You might want to go to a private sports physio, NHS acceptable recovery level can to be pretty minimal, eg if you could limp around an office job they are done. (totally understandable given budget limitations).

Also a lot of people dont do the recovery exercises given, just keep turning up wanting somebody to fix them.

Positive attitude helps, if you decide you are done you are.

Don't sell all the bikes, it's a bigger barrier to getting back into it.

The way things are you're feeling vulnerable and understandably pessimistic, but you'll ride again if you want to. It might be painful, you might be more limited, but you can do it if you want to.

Other sports and outdoor pursuits are available if you don't want to ride enough. But riding bikes is fun.

Awful news, but never give up. I have all sorts of issues and bits missing after throat cancer 15 years ago, and my mate has one arm. I’m 64 now, and ride fairly long distance, all terrain, 3 times a week. My mate rides road very competitively, and MTB at least once a week. For second opinion, further treatment I’d get to see this guy asap. He’s part of the “Orth Team” in Manchester, and they treat all sorts of professionals (Cavendish, Athertons etc)

Good luck mucker 🤞

https://orthteamcentre.co.uk/consultants/mr-mike-hayton/

Shitty news but...
I had 14 slivers of bone taken from my left wrist when I put a motorcycle into a dyke at ca.60 mph back in the early 00s.
After a couple of operations, some pins and wires in the wrist it hurt like hell and I was in a lot of pain using it. But as the weeks passed and with physio it improved. I had to stop bmx riding but was ok with a hardtail and suspension forks. Fast forward almost 2 decades and apart from the arthritis it’s ok.
This might sound gloomy but my point is that it is possible to over come physically limiting issues.

Just to echo the above and from what people I know have said, stress your life is based around your riding. They may go for a basic fix enough for work unless your quality of life is seriously affected, then they may go for the premium package. That said it might not be an option on state care.

Though sounds like it's a tough road.

I cannot comment on your injury per say but there seems to be a lot of advice above that makes sense to me, my experience when I ruptured my Achilles a few years ago was that over the course of my treatment (surgery then multiple plaster casts) was that I saw 3 different “specialists” and they all had different opinions on the treatment and recovery, the last one saying (after I’ve been in a cast for 3 months), I’d have had you out of that a month ago which was frustrating to say the least.

I guess what I am trying to say (and others above have said) is definitely get a second opinion even if you have to pay for it and physio’s are the hero’s of the nhs.

Anyway that’s just my 2p worth. Just don’t give up.

Thanks

Tim

7 years ago I was In a pretty bad motor bike accident and told I would never walk again let alone ride a bike. My answer...
Well that's not acceptable, you'd better do a better job and sort me out.
Was warned I'll be in a wheelchair for several years.

I just got my head down and proved everyone wrong.
I was back riding a push bike in 8 months.

If you put your mind to it, positive attitude and the right physio you can do anything

Consultant told me 3 years ago not to run more than 5k after knee surgery.

I ran 40 mile ultra last weekend, No pain at all in said knee.

Did you have a knee replacement?

Physiotherapy and strength training. Don't give up on riding just yet. Just take it easy on the long road to recovery.

https://www.trinity-creative.co.uk/

Set up by mountain bikers to help people keep on riding. Same guys that set this up http://www.notbroken.co.uk/category/mountain-bike/

If you put your mind to it, positive attitude and the right physio you can do anything

Respectfully, that simply isn't true and those of us with injuries that can't be cured with positive attitude and physio might find it a bit glib and upsetting.

- Finbar, ex marathon runner of reasonable quality (top 100 at London - I mention that only to demonstrate I'm not afraid of hard work). I haven't been able to jog once since Jan 1st and have been circling the toilet bowl of running since 2016.

Not sure who you’ve seen, or what your situation is, but before you go any further, I’d get a consultation with this guy. He works NHS and private, and is part of the Orth Team in Manchester....loads of pros from all sports use them, and IMHO they are the best.

Dont sell your bikes until you’re 120% certain you’re out of the game.

Been advised to do similar a few times, and I’m 64 and still riding 3 times a week.

Good luck.

https://www.wwl.nhs.uk/consultants/specialist_services/Mike_Hayton.aspx

Don’t sell the yeti (it seems like your favourite)
It could take 2-3 years until you’re fully healed, i broke my leg 2y and 4 months ago, and i am still, even now, noticing improvements.
Please focus on the positive bits, I initially thought I would never walk properly again, but i can. In fact the only thing I’m aware of now is that i need to be careful going down stairs.

For the cast I used the vacuum cleaner to pull air through the cast after I was done on the turbo. As long as it is not plaster of paris (shouldn't be these days) I vacuumed all over which drew the air deep into the cast and dried out the bandages.