MTB injuries...

[Spud]

Yep. Mountain biking's the way.

Around here in New England, MTB racing is declined. Very few numbers. I stopped racing a couple of seasons ago, along with a bunch of others. But anyway, the races only attract up to 300-350max.

Road racing is getting bigger and bigger every year. Numbers are up there way more than MTB.

 

[carboncycles]

Good thread w/ some funny stories. I've had my share on both mtn and road.

The oddest mtn one actually took place as I was heading out to the trails. Near campus there is a nice little downhill that approaches the usually dry creek bed that runs through town w/ a bridge over it. Well, being young and somewhat stupid, I carried a little too much speed down the road and found myself in a situation to either go headfirst into the dry creek bed with some good size rocks in it, or try to glance the stone bridge pillar in hopes of shedding off speed. I chose the pillar, which left a nice gouge of removed skin and muscle from my wrist to to the outside of my bicep (in some areas you could see the bone)...really wicked to see that much flesh removed. My gf at that time almost killed me. There are countless others of tacoing wheels, lots of abrasions, flips, etc.

Worst on the road was when I took a really bad fall that seriously tweaked my hip that contributed to an si-joint injury...fun times.

 

[Spud]

a nice gouge of removed skin and muscle from my wrist to to the outside of my bicep (in some areas you could see the bone)...really wicked to see that much flesh removed.

Jogged my memory and reminded me of my wifes fall on the very same rocky descent that got Brian, (from post #1). Left her with a bad scar on the back of her forearm near the elbow.

She arrived at home and showed her mom, while laughing, "Hey mom...look at my bone".

 

[Spud]

A race I did not make it to cause' I had to work:

Three of my local crew involved. Expert MTB race on a very hot and humid day, in the mid 90's.
My wife is racing along and Dave comes up from behind asking to pass, "on your right Lesli". Lesli gives room to the left and Dave bobbles causing a bad crash in which the two of them tumble. Dave caught his arm on her outer chainring and opens a gash complete with punctures in the form of a chainring.

At the same time his helmet compressed as his head hit the ground, this wrung the sweat from the brow pad and caused it to pour down his face. He saw the profuse amount of blood from his arm, felt the liquid on his face, (also was blinded by the sweat in the eyes), and he believed that he was bleeding from the head. This caused him to go into shock.

At the same time on a different part of the coarse, our other friend, (a different Brian), was seen walking in the woods off coarse and rambling words to himself...He had developed heat stroke and was severely dehydrated.

They actually had to call lifestar for Brian and rushed him to the hospital. They all recovered...but it was a rather shocking call from my woman post race, when she tried to summarise the event in a 5min. phone call. I was like???

 

[carboncycles]

Who would have ever thought cycling could be such a brutal activity

 

[scottm]

I was more careful than usual on my ride to work this am, will do the same on my way home. You guys are sucking the fun!

 

[Spud]

Who would have ever thought cycling could be such a brutal activity

Another friend from the racing scene. Josh...Impressed us all with his ability to achieve top 5 finishes while rockin a fully rigid IF.

One race his luck ran low and he pretty much bit his tonge nearly off, at the same time he punctured a hole in his bottom lip. His whole face was covered in dirt, compacted into the injury.

He had faceplanted, quite literally, on a log crossing.

 

[Spud]

I was more careful than usual on my ride to work this am, will do the same on my way home. You guys are sucking the fun!

I hear ya...
Keep in mind that these stories are from about 15years of MTB for me...

In that time I have ridden so many rides and races without incident.

Disclaimer: Don't click on the thread if you don't want to hear about "MTB Injuries".

 

[crholliday]

Sometime between ages 10 and 12 I grabbed the chain while riding to check if the tension was ok (BMX bike) and hit a bump and turned the crank 180 degrees sending my fingers, wrapped around the chain, into the ring. One of the teeth penetrated my index finger nail and so there I was with my hand stuck to my chainring in agonizing pain trying not to fall over and rip my finger off the tooth. Eventually I fell over since I couldnt spin the cranks all the way around and with the coaster brake I couldnt go backwards.

That hurt.

 

[Spud]

Oh man...good one. errr, I mean, that sucks., bad one.

 

[Fly Rod]

Road...

I borrowed a friends brothers beach cruiser for a run to the store. On the way back I was racing a guy on a 10 speed. I was standing and really pumping on the bars. The front tire came off! The forks hit the asphault and I hit the air. I instinctively went into a dive position and hit the asphault. I slid on my left side. My hip took the brunt of the ride and the flesh was removed to the hip bone. I had road rash from my finger tips to my toes.Iwas wearing shorts and flip flops....

 

[Spud]

Road...

I borrowed a friends brothers beach cruiser for a run to the store. On the way back I was racing a guy on a 10 speed. I was standing and really pumping on the bars. The front tire came off! The forks hit the asphault and I hit the air. I instinctively went into a dive position and hit the asphault. I slid on my left side. My hip took the brunt of the ride and the flesh was removed to the hip bone. I had road rash from my finger tips to my toes.Iwas wearing shorts and flip flops....

Oh...Man.

OK, you sparked a memory and I am morphing to a skateboard crash...

Was about 10. Summertime in Cali. Shirtless, on a skateboard at the top of a hill, laid down on it with the board under my abdomen. Proceed down the hill. Bottom of the hill, road turned abrupty from asphalt to dirt. Board stops...I kept going.

Spent the rest of the summer with a skab that covered my whole chest. Nearly ripped my nipples off.

 

[e rock]

Oddly enough I've never broke a bone in the dirt, but it seems like I should have several times.

The one that I will always remember was when I was 16 and just getting into racing (1992). A buddy and I were running our usual trails, but keeping a log of times, so every day we were trying to push it a litttle bit further. So, on a trail that I knew like the back of my hand, there was a fairly straight, down-sloped single track section that makes an abrupt transition from bright clearcut to a dense forest. For about half a second, you're basically blind as your eyes adjust.

Just before entering the darkness, there's a "bonus line" on the uphill side that goes around the top side of a tree, instead of the main trail that makes a little swerve to go below the tree. Well, in the interest of maintaining speed to save time, I took the bonus line faster than my skills were prepared to handle. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but the darkness transition obscured the back side of the bonus line that sent me airborn. I was able to keep it pointed in the right direction and landed back on the trail, but the body contortion required to get the tires in the right spot put me in the wrong position and my right foot twisted out of the pedal and I landed hard on the saddle. I was momentarily unable to do anything while the bike and I continued quickly down the trail. The trail then makes a slight jog to the left around another tree, which I was now headed directly toward. I remember turning at the last second to avoid a direct endo into the tree, and just clearing the handlebar, but my shoulder took a direct hit. I don't really remember the next part, but according to my buddy, I log-rolled down the sidehill until I encountered another tree which stopped me from ending up in the creek.

 

[tcb]

Never got too messed up on the MTB, but have dislocated my shoulder a few times. The pain was so bad I can't let myself think about it. Interestingly, that's not so for everyone.

Anyway, my most serious dislocation (the only one I couldn't get back in and had to go to the ER to re-locate) happened in Dec. 2006 and I'm still not good. I hope Brian's does better.

I dislocate a shoulder a year.... at least. It's like I'm put together with rubber bands. I never do it doing anything remotely atheletic, It will happen while taking a suit off a hanger or something rediculous. The only time it's a lingering problem is when I catch a nerve or other piece of meat when it pops back into socket.

Been happening since 7th grade..

 

[carboncycles]

I just remembered one as a kid. My next door neighbor back then was a hot blond girl who was just beginning to discover boys; I was probably 7 or 8. Anyway, one afternoon I was riding to a friends house, and on the way, there is a curb that has disintegrated into a perfect little ramp. Well, as I was about to hit the ramp, I look over and the blond had a pistol facing at me that she apparently got from this guy's car. Next thing I know, I was seeing pieces of blue, concrete, blue, concrete until I finally ended up on my back with my bmx bike on top of me and a throbbing pain in my right big toe. Let's say after that incident, that blond no longer looked hot

 

[yooper]

I hadn't been riding much the last few years, turned to trail running instead to work out. A month ago I sprained my ankle pretty bad and had to stop running for a while so I got the bike out, a 1995 Trek Single Track 930. I had forgotten how much I liked riding. I don't do crazy MTB stuff any more, no jumps, no races, no crazy downhills. My old bike is all worn out. So I decided to get a road bike for working out.

A week ago I rode to the bike shop and after some discussion we picked three bikes for me to test ride. Riding the first bike I was really impressed and was riding it pretty hard, really too fast, putting it through its paces, and all of a sudden took a wrong turn and had a very tall curb in front of me. I chose to stop rather than bump it and maybe damage the shop bike. I squeezed the brakes HARD like I'm used to on my old bike, and the front wheel locked instantly and threw me over and down. My old bike can't do that. It surprised me and happened so quickly that I didn't have time to think and I put my hand down reflexively and broke my wrist. Had surgery the next day. Got my cast off today, 7 days after surgery, and have a removable splint. Started the pretty painful range of motion exercises today.

I was back to work this Monday and I'll be performing surgery again in 2-3 weeks from now.

Some pics:

 

[cary]

Man, I am comparatively fortunate. In 30 or so years of riding bikes I have never broken anything. I have some scars, and as I get older they don't seem to go away. Currently I am sporting a nice scare on the back of my left leg from bailing at Northstar and getting an SPD in the calf. I thought it would go right away but has been there for nearly a year. I also have a scar on the right calf in the shape of a chainring.

 

[e rock]

I also have a scar on the right calf in the shape of a chainring.

I imagine those are pretty common. I've still got one (well, 8 really) that I've had for 15 years. Amongst my riding buddies, I held the throne for 'coolest scar' for a long time with that one. It's mostly faded and covered with ink now, but I can still feel the little lumps in a perfect line.

 

[stinkyfj60]

Man, I am comparatively fortunate. In 30 or so years of riding bikes I have never broken anything. I have some scars, and as I get older they don't seem to go away. Currently I am sporting a nice scare on the back of my left leg from bailing at Northstar and getting an SPD in the calf. I thought it would go right away but has been there for nearly a year. I also have a scar on the right calf in the shape of a chainring.

You havent broke anything that you know of... I have fractures in my right wrist from wrecking on both BMXs and MTBs. I had no idea they were there until they took an X-Ray when I tore a tendon awhile back...

 

[tcb]

You havent broke anything that you know of... I have fractures in my right wrist from wrecking on both BMXs and MTBs. I had no idea they were there until they took an X-Ray when I tore a tendon awhile back...

Yuup.... my broken wrist that I talked about above was broken for about 3 weeks before seeing a doctor. I'd probably have never gone if it wasn't for the bruise on my palm that wasn't healing. I just thought it was a bad sprain..... but then I'm kind of an idiot like that.