I had a smash on my road bike last week when my front wheel locked unexpectedly and I went over the bars, landing first on my helmet and then back. My commuting backpack contained a tupperware that squashed against my back - leaving me with compressed & fractured vertebrae and ribs. I'm really grateful for the kindness of strangers and NHS emergency care.
I'm walking and generally recovering positively, though I think it's going to take a while. Hopefully I will get access to private physio via occupational health (ironically an NHS employer). The whole thing follows a smaller but confidence-sapping smash on my MTB 2 years ago. I'm 41 now and had never had a proper smash despite riding all my life until these two events.
So, I've started to think about how my riding is going to be when I recover. I'm absolutely certain that I will still want to ride tame local MTB, connecting trails together on tarmac, commute a bit and do longer-distance road & touring stuff. I'll probably carry on with turbo training in the winter months. I also see running in my future, even though I've done none at all since leaving school 25 years ago (and it might not be good for my back for a while).
I'm basically conflicted. I think I should just slow down, take my eye off the miles and get back to how I used to ride in the past... Yet on the other hand I am already pining for the dull roar of a light bike on tarmac and the snap of hard acceleration up a climb. I am also pretty terrified of coming off again (even though it was nothing to do with the road bike)!
So... I'd appreciate any tales of recovery and whether it changed things for you. How do I go about working out what I want and what I can do?
I'd also like some advice on bikes - do I re-consider my collection? All are at the age where I could justify a change...
- [b]Genesis Volare 931[/b] - very light caliper-braked build. Needs new bars and some other bits after the crash. Not sure I will have the flexibility or confidence to ride a race geo bike in future? Goes on turbo in winter.
- [b]Shand Stooshie[/b] - custom gravel bike with mudguards & discs that is comfortable, stable and so will definitely stay. Already does biggest miles.
- [b]Genesis Mantle[/b] - very light & racy XC 29er with Fox 32s. Absolutely found my home with the light 29er concept, but wonder whether I need to consider full sus. I also have a fear of coming off this one again, so maybe I need something more lo-fi like a steel HT - Ritchey Ultra, Cotic Cascade flat bar build etc?
I expect the answer will be not to do anything yet, but I'd appreciate any views all the same. 🙂
You are out of hospital so can't be that bad. I've always packed back-pacs carefully, and don't currently ride my road bike without a small camelbac - more shortly.
Had a really bad accient 6 1/2 years ago, slow speed car turned right across my path. Broke 2 vertebrae and 4 ribs - proper snapped the vertebrae front to back. Given some bodged operations in the past (other body parts), the surgeon suggested we let it heal naturally, or he could insert scaffolding - I would be walking next day, or never. I chose the first, which was 6 1/2 weeks lay on my back in hospital, then 3 months in a TLSO brace (storm trooper). I started pootling again, but on the MTB within 4 months. Off work 8 months. Llandegla after 12 months.
Took 4-5 years for me to get back on the road again, despite MTB'ing in the mean time. I'm back commuting but off road. I road ride at weekends, or out of 'rush hours'.
Fitness is now back nearly where it was 6 years ago, and I'm hitting strava PB's again on the road.
I do ride my road bike, and MTB's with a carefully packed back pack, however small, so that it will cushion my spine, as the accident left me with a big bit of my L1 missing (about half).
You can/can't really justiy the changes in bikes - LOL I can still ride both road bikes that were set up for me 30 years ago - both are race position and aggressive - that missing bit of spine helps bending over. I commute on a 30 year old MTB and have a newer (post accident) full suspension for the proper off road stuff. Oh and the bottom gear on my old bikes is 39 x 26, can't get any lower, so need to keep fit to ride them. Despite the injuries, I will not get an e-bike unless my legs fall off next.
PS I'm 52 and have crashed badly on my road bike more than my MTB. Most of my injuries are road and road v car. MTB - I'm wheels on ground unfortunately !
I’m 4 weeks into my second clavicle plate…same arm I did 4 years ago.
Counting down the weeks to getting back out, no racing (that’s gone for this year) and no idea how I’ll get my fix going forward. Just looking forward to getting back out and rebuilding my fitness again, will see how that goes before committing to anything.
It slowed me down last time, I took a year off racing but missed it massively…then covid took the next year and half away!
Thanks fossy and Haze.
