Broken clavicle – how long before mtb again

Just looking for some wise words, preferably from experience. Fractured my left clavicle last Tuesday, had it operated on two days ago (Monday).

31 year old male. In pretty good shape I would say.

Is it too far fetched to still hope to do the Megavalanche this summer? July 4th to 10th (even if it would mean just riding road for some of the days?) .

I know its hard to give an accurate answer. Any input or past experience appreciated!

Cheers.

I’ve done my right one twice now. Operated on both times. Recovery time is slow – I would say the Megavalance is extremely optimistic. And if your surgeon found out would probably not be very impressed. I’d give it at least 3 months before even thinking of getting back on a mountain bike. If you have a crash and fall on the same side you’re likely to do more damage and need more surgery.

Did my right one, had it plated, was told it would be 8 weeks and was off the bike for exactly 8 weeks until they told me it was ok to ride again. There was a big caveat from the surgeon who basically said, yes you can ride again but do no fall off on it yet and stick to roads or gravel paths, nothing major.

I was happy to get back on the bike but it took quite a while for confidence to come back and I missed out on an Alps holiday too.

Hmm.. not what I wanted to hear but thanks anyway.
Was hoping the timeline would go something like – indoor trainer after 10 days, road bike after 3 weeks and mtb after 5 to 6.

Right clavicle, plated in five days, came round pretty quick, was in Spain sat by the pool after a few days. I wasn’t proper mtbing until after about 12 weeks and then it was quite uncomfortable and I was struggling a bit just mincing around the Yorkshire dales. It actually takes 12 months for the bone to properly fuse back together. Think it was 6 months before I stopped physio but I had some muscle / ligament issues

Did mine around this time last year, broke it into 3 pieces. Left to heal conservatively on advice of docs and my ex (consultant orthopaedic surgeon). Was on turbo after 3 weeks, on the bike gently after 4, did a MTB orienteering event (3.5 hours off road) after 8 weeks and then a week of uplift riding in the Alps after 9 weeks. Fell off on first corner but luckily no damage 🙂

Not troubled me since.

oh and I am nearly 50 so you may heal quicker

I did mine 5 years ago no plating due to lack of a hospital bed sent home twice.
Still have a broken bones with a fair old gap but it doesn’t affect anything which proves you don’t always need the op.
I broke a rib at the same time so never really felt any collarbone pain plus losing some skin hurt.Another side effect from not wearing a helmet lost 90% sense of smell when I hit the tarmac

That gives me some hope Welshfarmer!! 😉

Mine was in peices before surgery on 24th Feb. June 2nd and should be good for Mtb. Been on road/cx for 4 weeks now. Felt tender riding at first but feels good in last 2 weeks. Been told it was a bad ‘un though, with a graft too. Feeling nervous for MTB. Feel like loamy wooded trails first, but my local stuff is mostly rock fest.

40 and half thought about selling the susser for a shand stoater. That was daft, so saving for stoater instead!

Mine didn’t need surgery both times, 8 weeks first time, and 4 the second, although the 4 was rushed, should have given it another 2 really.

although the 4 was rushed, should have given it another 2 really.

What kind of break was the 4? Same side or different? What was your age and general condition?

Bad luck, that sucks. I’ve broken both of my collar bones, and done the Mega a few times too.

Looking back at my diary last time I broke my collar bone I did it on Dec 28th skiing, had it operated on Jan 8th, and was back on the slopes again on the 21st Feb, so 6 weeks later, but I felt I could have gone back a couple of weeks before that if I was very careful. Skiing is a bit easier on the shoulders than biking, but you’ve got 7-8 weeks so you should be in better shape. The trouble will be how scared you will (rightfully) be of falling on it again.

If you’re anything like me I think you’ll be able to go out there and ride the course, but I don’t think you’ll feel like you want to ‘race’ it. When I went back skiing it wasn’t for another month that I felt comfortable enough to risk falling on it again and so ski anywhere near my limits. I think you’ll be able to get down it ok, but it’ll be at 80% pace being very wary of people overtaking you and walking the tech bits. If you were going to trundle down at the back for the experience and walk those bits anyway you’ll have a good time. If you had hopes of qualifying for the main race you might find it a bit frustrating.

To give you a positive view I’ve broken 3 times over the years. All left to heal naturally. Two in to 3/4 bits with displacement and one simple non displaced crack.
The longest I’ve been off the bike is 6 weeks and that was the first time listening to the doctor. Since then 5 weeks until full mtb without problems and riding after 2 weeks gently on the road.

Can’t speak for a plated example but I’ve done both of mine, both in MTB Dh crashes. First time was a really simple break that was left to heal naturally with just the stupid sling thing. Not too much pain with that one and I could drive within a couple of weeks and was seriously back on the Dh bike within 6 weeks and in Morzine on the 7th.

The 2nd was less good and I was probably off the bike for a few months but it corresponded with winter and getting a 2nd child so getting back on the bike wasn’t a major priority.

Best of luck whatever but if you’ve had the op so everything is back in place and you’re not in too much pain I can’t see it being a problem riding even DH – not sure I’d want to introduce the random carnage or red mist that is Megavalanche though.

Best of luck.

For me, broke it early August, plated early September. Road rides and canals mid october first off road early december-25 miler over 5 hours!

3 months before off-roading here. First crash (Tarmac/ice) after 4 months. Luckily it held.

Since then 5 weeks until full mtb without problems and riding after 2 weeks gently on the road.

That’s what i like to hear! 😛

Yeah i was hoping to qualify for the main race at mega, but i’ll very much be a punter if i do it now.

Sorry, should have said mine was a crack both times, not all the way through, and nothing displaced. Left to heal naturally, and both on the same side, fit and healthy early 20s, with 8 months between breaks, wasn’t the same place each time though.

Bust mine in 2011 while riding in Italy. Flew home lucky to get to be seen by the Swedish Olympic surgeon. He got me on rollers after 4 days, road riding only on mtb after another 4 but MTB proper after 3 weeks.

Find a physio that is physio to a pro rugby club or the like. Only that type of person will push you hard enough. You prob want physio 5 days a week for 3 weeks if you want to do the best.

C

Spot the difference in healing time from those who had it plated and those who didn’t. If you’ve had yours plated, it’s major invasive surgery. A bad fall will pull the screws out of the bone – resulting in yet more surgery.

broke and dislocated mine at the sterno clavicular joint. was three months before I got back on the bike. no surgery or physio but I had 90% movement after crash and 100% now with no problems.

Just been reading back over all these replies again!

Any more stories or examples off anyone? Cheers

Any plated break you are looking at 8-12 weeks but factor in being pretty tentative at first. I had a big off last year and then went back after 4 wks as I had a boys weekend in the lakes. I was pretty tense and ended up over the bars and popped my AC joint (joy). My point is you might mend if you are really lucky but you will not be riding right and if you have another off you could be off the bike for a lot longer – 4.5 months in my case and still not right! Good luck with the break and hope it mends quick and well.

My surgeon had me road riding on my MTB after a few days, but that was one handed with the other tightly bound up in a sling. Managed a couple of hours a day riding like that on some good hills.

C

The problem I recall when first getting back on the bike was hoofing back on the handlebars to loft the front wheel, Just riding along was fine. You naturally do it with arms straight so as to use the major bones and muscle in your shoulders/back. You do it a lot, not just the obvious getting over and up stuff, but you also shift your weight back with arms straight on drops to keep the front from nose diving and the action is from your major shoulder/back muscle. It wasn’t unbearable pain, it just felt uncomfortable, but then i was just riding in the dales, not doing a mega avalanche.

My surgeon had me road riding on my MTB after a few days, but that was one handed with the other tightly bound up in a sling.

WTF? 😯 The mind boggles… weird ‘surgeon’ dude.

Lots of different experiences here – I hope your healing is quick and thorough.
To add another anecdote to the list, I went OTB at the Three Peaks and broke mine. It was a clean break with minimal misalignment but it wasn’t straight. The broken ends knitted after about 10 or 12 days – it was such a relief to have the movement stop! I got on a turbo then, was road riding gently after 4 weeks and CX racing after 6. Walloped the injured shoulder into a tree a week later, winced but was fine 🙂
My consultant told me that if everything goes naturally, you get most of the bone strength back in about 6 weeks but consolidation and remodelling of the repair goes on for months and months after that. Age makes a difference – I was 39 at the time.

Even if you are fit to ride, it maybe worth checking what your race/travel insurance will cover you for if planning on the Mega. 3 months later we were having to pay an insurance premium for a holiday, and that wasn’t race insurance, that was just a holiday. Plus had to prove discharge from hospital, and no ongoing physio etc was being carried out. Even a year later there was a premium to be paid for MTB cover.

So you had the op on the 16th May and the Megavalanche starts on the 4th July, right? So that’s bang on 7 weeks from the op. I would say that it’s a little bit early- you are going to be putting a lot of force through a bone that will, at best, have only just finished forming a hard callus.

However, my advice is to ask your consultant, he/she will have the best info regarding your situation.

10 weeks for me before I was out on the road bike. Was probably a bit early and was another 4 weeks before it stopped hurting. Was riding Ok after that but it actually took nearly a year before the bones were properly fused

My surgeon had me road riding on my MTB after a few days, but that was one handed with the other tightly bound up in a sling.

Did your surgeon know you were riding like that though? 😆

So you had the op on the 16th May and the Megavalanche starts on the 4th July, right?

That’s correct. I’ve started getting laser treatment on the bone itself and the muscles around the shoulder, which I was told can take some time off the healing process. One whole week maybe?

Although I am thinking about maybe doing road out there for a few days and only doing about 2 or 3 days off road. The quali and race day. I’ll see how I am, also considering just doing road and XC type riding out there, but the thought of that frustrates me a bit 👿 .

I think half the issue is that It’s not even sore anymore most of the time, and I can move it about a lot more than I thought I’d be able to at this stage without any pain, so I’m possibly being lulled into a false sense of confidence about being able to do the Mega.

I did mine 7 years ago, very bad break, plated within a week. That was late April, I was back on a mtb by the end of June. That was the red at Glentress and not the mega! I’d say it’s optimistic. The shoulder atrophy will be significant also. Get going with physio as soon as you can. Hth.