[Closed] Pack up and sell everything!

What have you got, and how much do you want?

I hate to break this to you but people get hurt on road bikes too (probably moreso than mountain bikes)

Just buy a new bike, you'll be riding like a god again in no time!!

I'd rather take my chances against the rocks and trees than take to the tarmac.

"every time i've been out on the last month I've fallen off."
Only falling off once per ride is a result! Good work.

Crack on 😆

Scraped elbow, two scraped knees, bruised hip, grazed tricep. All on seperate occasions

Cool, maybe next time you'll have a proper crash and do all of them in one go - might even cut something.

Man up, or give me all your stuff.

God help you if you fall off on the road 😉

Hmmm, tarmac is quite unforgiving.

Cool, maybe next time you'll have a proper crash and do all of them in one go - might even cut something.

It's just so frustrating that every time i take the bike out I end up on the floor with some minor injury (i've also had proper crashes and didn't enjoy them much either).

What are thoughts on riding with knee / elbow pads AT ALL TIMES.

None of my riding mates do and to be honest 99% of the time its total overkill.

What sort of crashes are you having?

Get some lightweight elbow and knee pads.

Who cares if it is overkill if it makes you feel safe and more relaxed.

You'd probably crash less too. Psychological it is.

I'm having senseless idiot crashes. Today I crashed riding fast UP a hill. I lost balance and went down with quite a lot force on my knee. Other ones are due to lack of commitment and bottling it even though I'm mid section.

road biking is ok, until you've tried mountain biking, then it's totally shit. I fall off all the time, it's all part of the fun. loads less injuries than my rugby days so there yer go

Every time I go out on my mtb I wear Padded kneepads, Padded elbow pads on local trials and elbow pads with hard caps at trail Centers, and padded fingerless gloves.

I crash atleast once everytime out and apart from once always get up laughing without a scratch,
The exception being a recent crash at swinley where my front wheel washed out landing heavily on my elbow and shoulder leaving me suspected broken rib/ribs.

I am pretty sure I would have Broken my arm if not for my elbow pad.

Falling off means i am trying to get better and the day I stop falling off will be the day I achieve total mtb enlightenment.
Until then i prefer to look like a plank who gets up laughing.
[img] [/img]

OP - try a skills course or some coaching. They'll give you the confidence you need to commit and not crash like you are doing!

"I recovered fully and went on a skills course at the end of august. However, since returning home, every time i've been out on the last month I've fallen off"

I think I would ask for a refund.

It might be worth reflecting a bit on why you started riding off road in the first place. What was it about the experience that you enjoyed and that made you want to do it again? Do you still have that feeling and if not, why not?

Also, what is it that is pushing you to keep riding stuff that is beyond your comfort zone? Do you need to be better/faster than other riders to feel good about yourself? Do you believe that the only way to improve is to keep pushing your boundaries?

Somebody mentioned guitar playing on another thread, which is something else that I dabble in. Although guitar playing and mountain biking seems poles apart there are some interesting parallels. Lots of people try and take up guitar (or any instrument) in their middle age, but get frustrated because they don't sound like a rock god after a few months and give up. The problem is often that they are always trying to play stuff that's way beyond their ability in a mistaken belief that if they keep playing hard pieces they'll get better quicker. In fact, as any teacher will tell you, playing hard pieces badly just ingrains bad habits. It's much better to start with something simple and really nail that before moving on.

I don't really know how well that translates to mountain biking, but it does seem as though an awful lot of people take it up in later years and then beat themselves up because they are not a riding god after a few months. If you can hold onto the simple enjoyment of riding a bike and just keep doing it, then after 20 years you'll be pretty good without even trying. What's the hurry?

Oh and if pads make you feel more comfortable then wear them. I've taken to wearing G-form knee pads on pretty much every off-road ride now as I found that I hardly ever crash on the bits that I think are dangerous. It's the simple bits that get me every time.

Triathlons?

Can't you just take it a bit easier?

I had this problem after a totally unexpected and nasty tank-slapper at 0630 in a remote forest 9 years ago. I was out of it for 10 minutes with no hope of help. I finally got myself to my feet, rode another 7 painfully stiff miles of trail and then collapsed. Turns out I'd put a fracture in my shoulder blade and hip! I'd say it took me two years before I was fully back to my normal confident riding.

I wore pads for the first three months after the accident, but found them unbearable. I gradually changed my riding to include more road between the off-road locations and then worked my way back onto mainly trail routes over the course of a year. That helped me get really bike confident again.

Just pull back for a bit. Mix in some road to keep your hand in, but don't give up on trail riding.

You need a new bike. Preferably something that will make the trail come alive. 😉 it's the only way.

Take up crochet!

Was it a "clown skills" course?

I was in the same place a few years back. In fact I wrote "The Hard Way to become a Poet" for the STW magazine to tell the story. After 29 weeks in a cast following my last crash I had completely lost my fitness, ability, nerve and desire to ride.

I moped around for a while and discovered my way back into riding by trying a different type of riding to what I was used to. For me it was SS pootling around the New Forest just enjoying the scenery which slowly developed into longer rides, the night rides, then harder rides. Suddenly I was back to my old self.

Then I smashed my knee up and a couple of weeks later I snapped my foot off so I am just starting the process all over again.

I moped around for a while and discovered my way back into riding by trying a different type of riding to what I was used to. For me it was SS pootling around the New Forest just enjoying the scenery which slowly developed into longer rides, the night rides, then harder rides. Suddenly I was back to my old self.

Then I smashed my knee up and a couple of weeks later I snapped my foot off so I am just starting the process all over again.

but y'know. if you want to quit I'm sure you have your reasons...

(this should come with a facetious post warning)
but I agree with above, chill out and ride something easy, you'll remember why mountain bikes are fun

My riding skills slowly grow at a natural progression.I don't expect to fall off or ever attempt something My brain tells me i cannot do.
It's just sometimes it actually turns out my brain was wrong, or I just cock it up.

I look at stuff and think that's only going to end in pain and rightly avoid, but as I naturally improve and gain confidence to the point one day I look and think I could do that and give it a go.
Then after I have done it a few times, when I look i wonder how it ever appeared a problem.

Get yourself some light pads that will protect you from your general cuts and bruises and enjoy yourself.

or getting a road bike

I don't see how wearing pads is overkill if you keep hurting your knees and elbows. 😕

a couple of weeks later I snapped my foot off

Sorry....you [i]snapped[/i] your foot off? 😯

You're having a bad run. It happens. I had one a few months back, kept coming off, lost a bit of confidence on really steep stuff, got a bit brake happy and compounded the problem.

Keep at it, you'll come out the other side and not have another off for ages.

Most of it is confidence related. Go and see Jedi, at the very least he'll get your confidence back, his setup is a controlled environment, and great for building confidence.

Oh, and stick a set of pads on if it helps, who cares what anyone else thinks.

[i]Sorry....you snapped your foot off?

[/i]

Yeah - photo on bottom of page 2 here : http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/wca-in-hospital

Wasn't even bike related 🙁

nothing wrong with pads if they help.

WCS

I completely missed that thread. You [i]actually[/i] snapped your foot off 🙁

I'm really sorry to hear about that. How's the recovery going?

Triathlons?

Triathletes are the most crash prone cyclists out there, like a normal cyclist with all observational and motor skills removed.

Slowly...12 months on and still hurts. Docs decided not to amputate which is good so I guess I just need to MTFU a bit. A fair bit of restriction to movement so the good news is I won't be appearing on Dancing on Ice any time soon.

What WCA said, I picked up an SS-rigid-29er to make life difficult (and slow) after one too many crashes, then built up slowly from there, just need to figure out what made me like bikes in the first place, I ended up doing a 15 mile loop allong the local lanes, bridelways and footpaths including a beach, hike a bike up a cliff, clifftop section of the Cleveland way and the best fish and chips in the UK (Saltburn Pier). Wasn't technical, but enough to be the kind of mini adventure that got me into cycling in the first place.

Get a 27.1er. They make the bowling green come alive.

Other half has silly offs most rides. She wears pads as a matter of course.

She also benefitted massively from a skills course.

(I'm aware you went on one - maybe try Ed's Stop Crashing? 😉 )

Lots of pads appearing on our group rides.
Out of 20 riders roughly 5 sets of knees and 3 sets of elbows.

It surprises me how many riders I see with quit substantial knee pads but with just a t shirt and bare elbows.

I'm in that camp most of the time. I've never found any elbow pads that were comfy.

Passed a couple guys on a ride last year. Fully kitted out with full sussers, winter gear, night lights, elbow and knee pads. Weird though.....no helmets.

chip - Member

It surprises me how many riders I see with quit substantial knee pads but with just a t shirt and bare elbows.

11 years ago mtb hit a tree at about 35mph, well clipped one bounced hit another flung down the trail rolling, lay there for a while and realised my neck and arm weren't right, lower back and legs were odd. I had managed to seriously damage the discs in my

neck and lower back which were in a ropey state following years of rugby.

9 months later was allowed back to ride and have done ever since even though I have periods of enforced rest/injury reoccurance I have accepted that I will never be the fastest quickest jumpiest or bestest rider but I enjoy myself, I go fast enough for me on the downs and like a challenge on the climbs.

As WCA says start and just pootle and enjoy being out, really hard as I remember my first ride after nine months out and I was knackered but got better

ride in pads, forget the fashionpolice or the internet heroes and ride in what gives you comfort and confidence

get off and walk if you do not feel good that day

try a skills day ED O did wonders for my confidence and skills

relax, I was always tense thinking I was going to hurt myself so riding was hard

hypnotherapy...I went and it helped, reminded me to relax and enjoy things. A friend was taking there course and it was an offer and I was sceptical but a sports psychologist or a coach like jedi or ed o would help with the mind games

So no do not pack up yet but just reassess and of course get a 29er 😀

good luck with the recovery and WCA hope you get better soon and that pic is not good sat 9 in the morning

If you fall off a lot then you're riding beyond your current skill level.

Skills courses help but so will backing off a bit, not trying to ride quite as fast, not trying to keep up with mates.

Don't stop riding, just head out on your own for a ride and force yourself to take it easy. If you find one bit difficult, or fun, go back and ride it a few times. I find that some days my heads not there so I'm quite happy to walk a section that normally I'd ride without thinking about it.

The more you ride the better you will become and if you badly hurt yourself you can't do either (ride or get better at it)

Just checked back on this tread after 6 months... I'm happy to say that I got some lightweight Endura pads and some g form elbow pads AND HAVEN'T FALLEN OFF SINCE!!

I think it's been a combination of:
New bike (I wish I wasn't such a gear junky but it's really motivating)
Riding more (duh)
Confidence from wearing pads

I've decided I'm quite happy not to hit jumps and am keeping up with my regular riding buddy who used to always be much quicker on the downs.

😀

If you've lost the love for riding, sell up, if not, try to do easier, shorter rides and build back up. Road bikes are not hitting-trees dangerous but they are dangerous in their own right (other road users, low grip, road-side objects etc) but it's a different kind of riding and one you might feel is more your thing these days.