Managed to suffer a visually bad sprain last Sunday, X-ray Monday doesn’t show any obvious break but will get results in a few days re micro-fractures etc. Damage is heavy swelling and bruising – walking is fine with a slight hobble. My question is what sort of timescale should i give before going off to the Alps for a weeks’ hut-to-hut on a bike (probably with a fair amount of fireroad work according to my maps). Anyone been through this?

It’s a bit of a how long is a piece of string question.

It took me 10 weeks and a lot of physio to just be able to walk again

Blimey, that sounds like a lot of trauma with that one! Mine just looks grim, i guess i would like to know if swelling takes a long time to subside.

swelling is likely to take 2-4 weeks to subside depending on how old you are. As above, full movement etc may require a lot longer plus physio to achieve.

Rest Ice Compression Elevation Patience
You’ll be back on the bike soon enough. My fell running has taken friggin ages to get back on track though – ankle ligaments are baggy and lazy and take far too long to get back to normal! Ruins your descending confidence.

i did mine in April and still not back on a MTB

don’t rush it and let it heal properly, even though it’s really really frustrating

I sprained my ankle last month on a mtbing holiday in Spain – ironically having just come down a lovely descent, I was on a flat bit and suddenly spied someone about to take my photo, rode straight into a stump and came off. As I landed I heard a *snap* and thought my ankle had gone… Once I realised I could still stand, I then thought my carbon bars had snapped but that’s another story.

Anyway, my ankle hurt like hell that night and I was hobbling about like a loon. Couldn’t walk, and it was massively swollen. The next day still as bad and bruised, but managed to bandage it up well and stuffed it in my spd’s. Direct pressure was ok (but no twisting – fun unclipping!) so I could still ride. I guess it took about 2-3 weeks for it to look normal again, and it’s only feeling pretty much ok 5 or so weeks later.

It took longer than I expected to heal actually, and I usually fix-up pretty well.

I did mine a week before my Alps trip, wasn’t able to do much more then blue/greens. Took months before it was right again.