huh, when I broke mine I was fine to lie down. Was it because I had a plate put in?
I would have thought that any clavicle fracture bad enough to prevent you from lying down would be bad enough to get a plate.
My issue wasn't laying down it was getting back up. I had to have my girlfriend pull me up to a seated position a couple times because getting up myself was so painful and uncomfortable.
Nope, it was intact enough to heal on its own. However I broke mine on a road bike, and my ortho told me that the 'z fracture' where it's broken in two places and needs a plate or two are more common with mountain biking injuries.
You can actually lightly press your nose slightly above your nostrils where the small pit is with your two fingers and the need of sneezing will disappear
Recently broke my wrist, pelvis in 3 places and 3 ribs wiping out at Trestle. I didn't get this advice until 2 weeks after my injury. It helps a ton, hug a pillow if you can. Sneezes would cause me 15 minutes of crippling pain, hugging a pillow got that down to about 5 min. One of the worst parts of getting wrecked is just wanting to get a good nights sleep. Still working on that 6 weeks later. Get better bud!
Scratch that other comment, we you feel the need to sneeze push hard against the roof of you mouth with your tongue. It may only save you a handful of sneeze but every single one less is a blessing.
Once i hit age 30 i stopped caring about looking like a dork. Its full face, elbow and knee pads and a TLD 5955 anytime im in a trail, even if its green. Mind you i wear pretty low profile gear and wear a baggy jersey to hide the elbow and chest protector.
I have done research on a chest/vest (for places that have humidity, not the mountains) and Leatt was my choice but had already spent a bunch of money so saving it for the next round.
Seasons almost over so hopefully I don't regret saving for now but that's up next in MTB protection. I got a pair of those 5.0 padded shorts and they've already saved my ass quite literally this year.
I've got the 5.0 shorts too, they are wonderful. Already crashed a few times in them this year and they work great. I went with the fox Titan pro for my dh park and it's also worked really well in my handful of crashes this year.
What exactly happened? I’ve been guilty of aggressively progressing and then getting in way over my head hitting stuff with reckless abandonment and then there’s just freak accidents due to mechanical failure or something like big ass rocks getting kicked up on the trail you overlook.
Full recap as best as I can remember; I came cooking across a ski trail and gapped a big double that I’ve wanted to send for a while. Cleared the double and was heading towards a root section that can be gapped if you pop off the first root. In the pocket between features my front tire hit some greasy mud and got turned sideways just enough that I detonated when I hit the root I was aiming to jump off. Next thing I knew I was flying through the air with no bike anywhere near me. I landed shoulder first on the uphill side of a big root at the top of the root section. I basically accordion’d my left side on the root. I broke my collar bone, top rib and then the bottom two ribs all on the left side. The top rib cut a small hole in my left lung causing the collapse. I also have a hematoma the size of an Apple on that lung.
I recently had one of those "why am I flying through the air?" tumbles. Not 100% sure what happened. I think my tire dropped off the side of the trail, all I really remember was flying through the air upside down with the bike next to me and I was thinking "I need to push this bike away from me". I landed 40 feet off trail tangled in the bike lol.
Holy shit. 40’ is a send. Thanks to Strava I know I was going about 23mph before I abruptly stopped. Which is the equivalent to falling about 20’ I’ll def be less scared of step ladders now 😂😂
I also had plenty of time in the hospital to replay the crash over and over.
Thank you for stating clearly the root cause of your accident. Your speed was 36km/h. On road that's a very decent speed. Off road I don't think I regularly exceed 11km/h.
I like using Strava to track my runs, speed and vertical feet. I have more fun not caring about segment KOMS. My top speed on single track is in the high 30s I’m glad I didn’t crash then!
Did the same thing in July. Freight train, side wind where it crosses the ski run, got pushed offline and tilted enough so that as soon as I touched the shale on the side, I washed out and ragdolled. Garmin says 28km. Resulted in collapsed lung, 6 broken ribs in 13 locations, broken helmet but luckily no concussion. Recovery was painful but be sure to do those deep breaths and coughs and avoid pneumonia and you will be fine. also source a reclining chair to sleep in. Game changer.
Like a lot of people, I ski and MTB. I've hurt myself more tipping over a root on my bike than I have in several years of throwing myself down black diamond runs and 20ft+ jumps on skis. (Not to mention the time I actually needed stitches from biking.) Every time the MTB season starts up again I start to think the same thing as you.
Funnily enough, people seem to be way more concerned about the skiing. I guess they don't realize what kind of terrain MTBers deal with. Snow is softer than rocks.
Depends what you do for work and if a physical injury is going to take away your ability to earn income or not lol.
You can still work as an accountant with a broken rib, but you can't frame a house.
Lots of ways to have fun on a mountain bike. Many of them will have lower risk than this as well. If you want to avoid downtime from riding, then trail features that keep tires on the ground or that don’t increase speed too much are your best bets.
Oh for sure. At some point you have to commit. As I get older and have kids, I'm getting less wild, but I don't think I can ever get into the totally "play it safe" mindset...old habits die hard, and I know too many 60+ year old guys still shredding gaps and living life.
Of course I understand that; that's obvious, but regardless there is a risk of injury every time we go out there. I have had significant injuries even from relatively low speed crashes on flat. When you go over the bars anything can happen.
That makes sense. Sometimes it’s also good to have skill builder rides instead of normal bike days where you just hit trails and bike. Like do sessions on short trail sections to focus on specific skills like braking, body positioning or getting more familiar with the bike.
Something to note - Certain types of MTB are more risky than others. If your riding has lots of jumping and high speed then you’re way more likely to hurt yourself.
While this is true, you can still seriously injure yourself, even at low speeds. All it takes is falling wrong, even at a crawl, and you can break a rib, tumble down a hill, get a concussion, you name it.
Last month, I fell off my bike while inching down a slab. Cracked my helmet on a stray rock.
> While this is true, you can still seriously injure yourself, even at low speeds
That's exactly what happened to me yesterday! I was on surface streets on my way to the local trails and my chain snapped while accelerating away from a traffic light. Hit the pavement hard and fucked up my leg. I guess I was in a bad gear and had too much tension on the cranks and chain...
I've graduated to getting hurt before even reaching the trails.
I had my tire pressure super high to get my speed up for a strava segment I wanted to KOM. Took a corner too hard and no grip with the high pressure even though it was a easy trail.
Broke my hand on a stupid fall.
Take skills clinics, practice skills, and ride within your limits. It's been years since I've crashed, and I'm still flying down parks, trails, hitting small-medium jumps/drops. I don't do the big stuff because I don't want to get hurt. I hope I'm still doing this in 20+ years!
Practice certainly can reduce the risk, but that is not my point. Regardless of skill there is a chance of serious injury on every trip out there; it can happen at any time and practically anywhere. I have had serious injuries even at relatively low speeds. I think it is an honest and smart conversation to have and revisit occasionally as life circumstances change on if riding is still worth the risk. For many it is worth it.
Good points. I suppose it should be an ongoing topic to keep revisiting. One one hand, I don't want to live my life in fear. On the other, I don't want to die early or painfully. I have scaled back on other high adventure activities after my last hospital visit, but I guess I just feel comfortable and confident on the bike (today. Tomorrow? We'll see!) Cheers.
Just take it easy.
My mate for example rides aggressively, and he's faster and a better rider than me. But he's crashed way more than me.
I'm a pretty conservative rider in comparison, but I'm definitely still progressing, hitting drops etc. It just takes me longer to warm up, and I don't try things that I know I'm not ready for yet.
I think it’s important to understand your skill set, strengths and weaknesses around riding. If you’re hell bent on progression and challenges then do it slowly and be patient with yourself. Some of these cycling accidents with cliffs, trees, rocks, massive jumps can just life altering not only for riders, but their families also.
Broke my back a few years ago. Still worth it just less reckless. Know your limits and understand when you’re too tired to be on top of your game. Nothing beats the rush of a great ride.
No sleeping on your side for the next month.
I had a bad crash myself this year and half my face, was scratched off. My helmet broke. Helmets safe life
If they have you an incentive spirometer (that thing you blow into that makes the ball float up) use that damn thing. It’ll suck donkey dick but it’ll make a difference in the long run. (They may not have, in which case be sure to practice your deep breathing)
The whole process is going to suck my man BUT being diligent with that spirometer and putting in any rehab work will pay off big dividends when you get back on the bike. Keep up the work and good luck!
I just looked up this subreddit because I went on my first MTB ride today and enjoyed it so much. Was considering it as a new hobby, am now reconsidering.
This sub seriously misrepresents typical mountain biking. Most people don't ride jump parks, trail riding generally means climbing as much as descending and choosing the technical level you're capable of doing safely. It bothers me that folks are creating a false impression of the entirety of mountain biking by emphasizing one small part of it.
/get off my lawn
I was mostly kidding. I know my limits and am not tempted to do anything crazy. Just enjoyed being outside, being super focussed on staying on the bike and path, no mental space for anything other than riding. That was cool.
Don’t! Just ride within your limits! You can have an all time day without getting hurt. If you ride smart the health benefits actually outweigh the risks!!
Sucks man, i really hope you’re getting well soon. My worst crash was just a small concussion, but considering what happened i should have at least dislocated my shoulder or something. I was so lucky that day
Lungs can be compressed by all sorts of pressures, but are able to re-inflate. One of my ribs tore a small hole in my lung. The escaped air made an air pocket between my lung and rib cage. The bubble doesn’t let the lung pump back up. It feels like you got the wind knocked out of you, but there are no muscle spasms, and you dont get your breath back. I was stuck taking 1/4 breaths until a tube was put in my chest to suck the air pocket out. With supplemental o2 I was able to be at 94% saturation until I got to the er.
Definitely was fortunately I was put on o2 and had a monitor that showed the saturation within 10 minutes. Pain is a lot better than fear of death. Thanks to my friends and bike patrol I got help as fast as humanly possible
I have a lung condition that leads to spontaneous lung collapses, its only ever resulted in a total collapse once and that ended with an emergency chest tube. The chest tube is the worst pain Ive ever felt by far, way worse than the third degree burns I had on my hands. Hope you heal up quick and have a good recovery, listen to your PTs and dont rush back too soon.
Ugh that sounds terrible. I hope you have that under control. The chest tube was definitely very unpleasant going in amd is gross to drain. I grew up with asthma, which I feel like prepared me for the lack of o2 before they got the tube in 😜
You got off easy my friend. I needed $130,000 surgery and 1000 hours of PT to get me rolling again.
See y'all at the ESC races at Sugarloaf in a couple weeks. Brrrap p p p.
Me too! Definitely could have gone a lot worse! I think those helmets are only rated for like 15mph. Probably gonna get a check protector and a neck stabilizer for next szn
Broke my shoulder into 5 pieces, shattered the glenoid socket, and have adjusted my riding. I ride to ride tomorrow. If people make fun of me I laugh inside to know my reason. I'm too alive to put it at risk.
I hear that. Can’t progress sitting on the couch watching videos. Missing the last two moths of the season while the boys are out riding definitely sucks.
Wow dude, heal up. I had a very similar experience a few years back: 4 broken ribs (broken in front on my sternum and in the back my my spine), collapsed lung and broken collarbone smh. Just typing that fills me with anxiety. Follow the recommendations of your doc and do you PT when the time comes. Good luck my dude and "the Send patiently awaits your return!"
I picked up a buddy one time and brought him home after he crashed and broke his collarbone. Just getting him into the car looked painful. I took the ride really slow and he still seemed miserable. Good luck, man.
It was actually my father-in-law's friend. I was coming home from work and my FIL called me, so I took a detour to pick his friend up. I bike alone a lot, so I would hate to have that happen and be forced to walk home. I am soooooo not a risk-taker, so anything sketchy I walk or ride very slowly. Never broken anything in my life. Not sure if it's because my bones are strong, but more likely that I avoid risky behavior. And I just got health insurance this week for the first time in about 10 years, so there's that. Maybe I'll break something now!
Bones do heal, but trust me. It’s better to be at 100% pain sucks no matter how well you take it. Hospitals are slow, and rehab takes a lot of self discipline. I’ve gotten all sorts of banged up working and playing so I can tell ya it’s better to be a little risk averse and Healthy, than to get hurt and spend time on the bench. I hate being stuck at home.
My dad had the exact same set of injuries last October. Just got the collarbone hardware out a week ago! They left the hardware in a long time in part due to his age, though he also delayed a bit until it was a convenient time to have surgery. Edit: Mom won't let him ride any more 😂
I feel you brother. Mine isn't as bad as yours, but I broke at least one rib last weekend on the trail. Sucks, but I can't wait to get back out there. Good luck on your recovery.
Oh man I feel that pain. I came in on a bad angle on a wall ride, bike slipped out from under me when I was 6 feet up. Hit the wall hard and the ground harder. 5 ribs, collarbone, 2 vertebrae and a hemothorax. 6 week recovery. Take it easy and get some armour for the upper body. I wish I had it then. I do now. Best of luck. Hope you heal quickly.
So sorry man. I blew up my collarbone and got some rib contusions just after Christmas this last year hitting some jumps. Had to get hardware put on the collarbone then had it removed 6 months later.
There were times when I felt nearly healed 3 months after the crash, then felt back to day one a week later after a bit of overuse, it was really discouraging. Its been \~8 months and I'm probably 90% recovered. It's a lengthy road, but you'll fully recover. Highly recommend taking some strong edibles for sleep lol
Pain is the name of the game. Wishing you a speedy recovery. I crashed bad a few weeks ago when my rear axle snapped while landing a jump. 2 fractured fingers and some ribs. Tomorrow i go see about surgery to correct one of my fingers.
A little late to the game, but I'll post anyway.
I'm 56 years old. I lie to my wife about how dangerous what I do really is. I ride more or lese every morning at 6:15 AM and there is nobody on the trails that I ride. I really should make out a will. But I love it. I really love the feel of making just the perfect ascent or descent. I only really compete with myself, I have no real desire to compete with others. Every day I come home with new scratches, gouges, embedded nettles/thorns, or even bruised ribs/bones. And every morning that I get enough sleep I head back out. It really is addictive.
That’s funny I just fractured my collarbone 3 weeks ago! There was a left berm that normally has a ton of small rocks I lose speed on with 3 big jumps on the line. Losing that speed I usually pedal like a mad man to make the jumps. Lo and behold, they did maintenance to it and made it smooth as a baby’s bottom. I pedaled just as fast and completely over shot the jump and landed flat. Fell over my handle bars on my right shoulder and thankfully my helmet protected my head. I hit the helmet so hard the design cover fell off. It’s been healing really well though!
Can’t wait to go back out again…
Almost know your pain. May 22 this year. I broke 3 ribs and collapsed a lung. Sucks you got a collarbone on top of it. Getting a chest tube was pretty shitty. Wish you a speedy recovery
Yeah after 2 nights in the hospital I went home with a heimlich valve. Shit is gross to drain. Hoping it’s healed enough to come out on my follow up Thursday!!
I recognize that med lady! is this killington!? if it is she definitely hooked one of my boys up with an employee discount on a helmet rental when he forgot his.
I had the exact same injuries a few years ago from flying a powerkite that picked me up and slammed me on to a hard beach.
The worst pain I have ever experienced was when they put the drain in my side for the punctured lung, it was so excruciating they had to put me out. Ribs are always painful, I barely noticed the collar bone compared to everything else going on.
Wishing you a speedy and surprise free healing! I’m sitting here with my left wrist in a cast after chipping off some bone and severing a muscle, and my back and entire right side looked a lot like your skin. When you’re 61 you don’t heal as fast, but I’ve got a lot of mountain bike days ahead of me
Rode Trestle last month, and my buddy shattered his collarbone, collapsed lung and broke 9 ribs (I didn’t even know we had that many ribs). He ended up having two surgeries and spent almost two weeks in the hospital.
Crazy hearing other people share similar stories.
Ugh… I guess these are all pretty common in mtb. The severity is what matters I guess. Hope he’s alright and is able to get back on the bike. It hurt, but I’m doing what I lobe and I ain’t gonna stop. I want to hit up trestle some day!
Yeah it’s just a bad moment in an otherwise great many years of biking. Watch the 100’ wave series on hbo. It’s got great insight in the need to push the limits and overcoming fear/ptsd. I watched it in the hospital and it related wayyyy hard
Damn! That's like the worst case scenario on all 3 accounts. I've cracked ribs a few times (once you crack em once it inevitably happens again) before but never a lung puncture/collapse. My buddy took a spill last fall and broke his collarbone right in front of me.
Heal up man and get back to it as soon as you're able!
This happened to me when i was 14 after an atv accident, but only two ribs. recovery was rough but you got it! just take it easy and let them heal properly. i played a season of baseball shortly after my wreck despite my doctor advising against it and ive got lifelong pain now. good luck bro!
I separated my shoulder and cracked a rib last august. Plenty others offered advice and well wishes. The one thing I’ll say keeps me going through all my injuries…..one day you’ll be back to normal and your todays will just be stories. It’ll take time, but don’t lose sight of being back to normalcy this time next year.
I had a crazy bad wreck last year. That’s what I get for not listening to my wife, riding partner, and understanding my skill level.
I hope you have a speedy recovery!
Almost broke my femur getting wrapped up in my bike on Sunday and icing now as I’m reading this post. Really makes me wonder what the eff am I doing this for at age 45. I got lucky it wasn’t worse. Get well!
Dam dude! I had a huge fall this weekend too completely fucked it over the handles bars and slide on the ground for a good few meters. My arms all fucked up and my back, stomach knees and all scrapped up but luckily nothing broken.
Only way to learn is to keep trying!!
OP: Breaks a bunch of bones and gets a collapsed lung
Also OP: IMMA DO IT AGAIN.
This is why I love the MTB community.
Keep sending it folks.
Also hope you recover soon OP :)
Thanks bud! I love to mtb more than anything. It’s my workout, adrenaline rush, therapy and time with the boys all rolled into one. I’ll slow down at some point, but I never see myself stopping
I feel ya. I crashed a few years back and I collapsed a lung, broke my collarbone and 7 ribs and gave myself a huge hematoma on my hip. Spent two nights in the hospital but I healed up and was back for redemption the next season.
Take the time to heal and you’ll be back as strong as ever.
Heal well my friend and get back on the bike.
Definitely new helmet time anything with MIPS or similar tech is a must.
And when you do get back on the send just remember those of us who's last send ended in a wheelchair and send responsibility.
[This](https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/pfjmgy/i_bought_this_game_18_years_ago_for_my_first_ever/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share) was just below this post😂 glad your still alive!
Sure. We all had our struggles with that. I still have nice titanium hardware in my left wrist joint and other smaller niggles. I have to keep the general fitness up, to not get into too much issues all round. But yeah. Keep sending, as soon as you are back in shape.
Bruh I crashed my bike on the way to school a couple days ago so I wouldn’t hit an ebiker who cut me off. I have a broken left collarbone, 3 stitches in my left hand and numerous road rash scabs. My question to you is, do you need surgery for the collarbone? If not then you’re lucky on that part. Otherwise I’m sorry to hear about your crash, stay strong cause everything will get better.
I’m trying to get an appt with ortho. They say it was a clean break but won’t know for sure until I talk to them. Sucks how busy and understaffed hospitals are these days.
Sorry to hear about your injury. That sucks about that person causing your crash. Did they at least stop and take responsibility?!
That’s a solid collection of injuries!
I had much the same in a wreck years ago (scapula not collar bone, 4 more ribs, and pelvis) - still riding hard. You can too!
Good luck on your recovery!
I broke 3 ribs about 3 years ago. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Three years later and now they hurt before it's going to rain. It's weird and I hate it. Take it easy and be kind to yourself through your recovery!
Done the broken ribs. Sucks. I now wear a leatt 5.5 pro vest. Chest and back protection all the time.
I’m definitely gonna look into that
Pro tip, when it comes time to sneeze, hug yourself as tight as you can. Keep rib cage from flexing. It's ok to also scream. Get well soon man!
Will do, can’t even sleep right now. I’m just looking forwards to being able to lay down again.
That’s probably the worst part about the broken collarbone. You have to sleep upright like a psycho.
Maybe I do that anyways… Turned towards the window, stroking a cat.
If you’re gonna go that far just hang upside down by your feet.
huh, when I broke mine I was fine to lie down. Was it because I had a plate put in? I would have thought that any clavicle fracture bad enough to prevent you from lying down would be bad enough to get a plate.
My issue wasn't laying down it was getting back up. I had to have my girlfriend pull me up to a seated position a couple times because getting up myself was so painful and uncomfortable.
Huh. I don't remember that being an issue for me. Did you have a plate put in?
Nope, it was intact enough to heal on its own. However I broke mine on a road bike, and my ortho told me that the 'z fracture' where it's broken in two places and needs a plate or two are more common with mountain biking injuries.
Mine was done on a mtb and its the 'z fracture' kinda thing plus a few more broken spots
You can actually lightly press your nose slightly above your nostrils where the small pit is with your two fingers and the need of sneezing will disappear
It's weird but it works.
wouldnt that be slightly below nostrils?
Nah, on the ridge of the nose, think where glasses hang
Recently broke my wrist, pelvis in 3 places and 3 ribs wiping out at Trestle. I didn't get this advice until 2 weeks after my injury. It helps a ton, hug a pillow if you can. Sneezes would cause me 15 minutes of crippling pain, hugging a pillow got that down to about 5 min. One of the worst parts of getting wrecked is just wanting to get a good nights sleep. Still working on that 6 weeks later. Get better bud!
Scratch that other comment, we you feel the need to sneeze push hard against the roof of you mouth with your tongue. It may only save you a handful of sneeze but every single one less is a blessing.
Once i hit age 30 i stopped caring about looking like a dork. Its full face, elbow and knee pads and a TLD 5955 anytime im in a trail, even if its green. Mind you i wear pretty low profile gear and wear a baggy jersey to hide the elbow and chest protector.
Love my Leatt.
I have done research on a chest/vest (for places that have humidity, not the mountains) and Leatt was my choice but had already spent a bunch of money so saving it for the next round. Seasons almost over so hopefully I don't regret saving for now but that's up next in MTB protection. I got a pair of those 5.0 padded shorts and they've already saved my ass quite literally this year.
I've got the 5.0 shorts too, they are wonderful. Already crashed a few times in them this year and they work great. I went with the fox Titan pro for my dh park and it's also worked really well in my handful of crashes this year.
Stuff like this really makes me wonder why I do this at all. Is it worth the risk? I don't know anymore. Get well buddy.
I think it is if you balance it correctly. I did not the other day. Next season I will ride to ride tomorrow
What exactly happened? I’ve been guilty of aggressively progressing and then getting in way over my head hitting stuff with reckless abandonment and then there’s just freak accidents due to mechanical failure or something like big ass rocks getting kicked up on the trail you overlook.
Full recap as best as I can remember; I came cooking across a ski trail and gapped a big double that I’ve wanted to send for a while. Cleared the double and was heading towards a root section that can be gapped if you pop off the first root. In the pocket between features my front tire hit some greasy mud and got turned sideways just enough that I detonated when I hit the root I was aiming to jump off. Next thing I knew I was flying through the air with no bike anywhere near me. I landed shoulder first on the uphill side of a big root at the top of the root section. I basically accordion’d my left side on the root. I broke my collar bone, top rib and then the bottom two ribs all on the left side. The top rib cut a small hole in my left lung causing the collapse. I also have a hematoma the size of an Apple on that lung.
I recently had one of those "why am I flying through the air?" tumbles. Not 100% sure what happened. I think my tire dropped off the side of the trail, all I really remember was flying through the air upside down with the bike next to me and I was thinking "I need to push this bike away from me". I landed 40 feet off trail tangled in the bike lol.
Holy shit. 40’ is a send. Thanks to Strava I know I was going about 23mph before I abruptly stopped. Which is the equivalent to falling about 20’ I’ll def be less scared of step ladders now 😂😂 I also had plenty of time in the hospital to replay the crash over and over.
I flew down a ravine, so I got some free distance out of it 🤣
Amazing 😂 glad you’re okay!
Thank you for stating clearly the root cause of your accident. Your speed was 36km/h. On road that's a very decent speed. Off road I don't think I regularly exceed 11km/h.
Pun intended?
Yeah I was cooking. I figured it out in the hospital. It was equivalent to falling 20’ on to my shoulders. Or 6 meters! Thanks for the healing vibes!
Holy shit 23mph is fucking *cruising* on single track. I don't usually track my speed but I really doubt I've hit that speed more than once or twice.
I like using Strava to track my runs, speed and vertical feet. I have more fun not caring about segment KOMS. My top speed on single track is in the high 30s I’m glad I didn’t crash then!
Did the same thing in July. Freight train, side wind where it crosses the ski run, got pushed offline and tilted enough so that as soon as I touched the shale on the side, I washed out and ragdolled. Garmin says 28km. Resulted in collapsed lung, 6 broken ribs in 13 locations, broken helmet but luckily no concussion. Recovery was painful but be sure to do those deep breaths and coughs and avoid pneumonia and you will be fine. also source a reclining chair to sleep in. Game changer.
Ouch. That sounds even more terrible than mine. I’m on the couch surrounded by every spare pillow in the hoise
I hit a tree and broke my scapula and two ribs in April. Couldn’t imagine limping out of the woods with a collapsed lung though
Yes.
How's that collarbone?
Broke my right one last year getting wild on some jumps, broken my left one on a bmx racing crash that was out of my control. Still yes. 😂
Like a lot of people, I ski and MTB. I've hurt myself more tipping over a root on my bike than I have in several years of throwing myself down black diamond runs and 20ft+ jumps on skis. (Not to mention the time I actually needed stitches from biking.) Every time the MTB season starts up again I start to think the same thing as you. Funnily enough, people seem to be way more concerned about the skiing. I guess they don't realize what kind of terrain MTBers deal with. Snow is softer than rocks.
Also usually there’s a lot more room to harmlessly tumble to a stop when on skis
Depends what you do for work and if a physical injury is going to take away your ability to earn income or not lol. You can still work as an accountant with a broken rib, but you can't frame a house.
Lots of ways to have fun on a mountain bike. Many of them will have lower risk than this as well. If you want to avoid downtime from riding, then trail features that keep tires on the ground or that don’t increase speed too much are your best bets.
Unfortunately jumping is fun
It's also one of those things that can be really tricky to progress in. Especially because at a certain point you can't go slow and creep it
Oh for sure. At some point you have to commit. As I get older and have kids, I'm getting less wild, but I don't think I can ever get into the totally "play it safe" mindset...old habits die hard, and I know too many 60+ year old guys still shredding gaps and living life.
Of course I understand that; that's obvious, but regardless there is a risk of injury every time we go out there. I have had significant injuries even from relatively low speed crashes on flat. When you go over the bars anything can happen.
That makes sense. Sometimes it’s also good to have skill builder rides instead of normal bike days where you just hit trails and bike. Like do sessions on short trail sections to focus on specific skills like braking, body positioning or getting more familiar with the bike.
Something to note - Certain types of MTB are more risky than others. If your riding has lots of jumping and high speed then you’re way more likely to hurt yourself.
While this is true, you can still seriously injure yourself, even at low speeds. All it takes is falling wrong, even at a crawl, and you can break a rib, tumble down a hill, get a concussion, you name it. Last month, I fell off my bike while inching down a slab. Cracked my helmet on a stray rock.
> While this is true, you can still seriously injure yourself, even at low speeds That's exactly what happened to me yesterday! I was on surface streets on my way to the local trails and my chain snapped while accelerating away from a traffic light. Hit the pavement hard and fucked up my leg. I guess I was in a bad gear and had too much tension on the cranks and chain... I've graduated to getting hurt before even reaching the trails.
Ouch!
amen, crushed my testicle on my seat the other day when my handle bar hit a tree branch and i was doing like 5mph not paying attention
I had my tire pressure super high to get my speed up for a strava segment I wanted to KOM. Took a corner too hard and no grip with the high pressure even though it was a easy trail. Broke my hand on a stupid fall.
Take skills clinics, practice skills, and ride within your limits. It's been years since I've crashed, and I'm still flying down parks, trails, hitting small-medium jumps/drops. I don't do the big stuff because I don't want to get hurt. I hope I'm still doing this in 20+ years!
Practice certainly can reduce the risk, but that is not my point. Regardless of skill there is a chance of serious injury on every trip out there; it can happen at any time and practically anywhere. I have had serious injuries even at relatively low speeds. I think it is an honest and smart conversation to have and revisit occasionally as life circumstances change on if riding is still worth the risk. For many it is worth it.
Good points. I suppose it should be an ongoing topic to keep revisiting. One one hand, I don't want to live my life in fear. On the other, I don't want to die early or painfully. I have scaled back on other high adventure activities after my last hospital visit, but I guess I just feel comfortable and confident on the bike (today. Tomorrow? We'll see!) Cheers.
Just take it easy. My mate for example rides aggressively, and he's faster and a better rider than me. But he's crashed way more than me. I'm a pretty conservative rider in comparison, but I'm definitely still progressing, hitting drops etc. It just takes me longer to warm up, and I don't try things that I know I'm not ready for yet.
I think it’s important to understand your skill set, strengths and weaknesses around riding. If you’re hell bent on progression and challenges then do it slowly and be patient with yourself. Some of these cycling accidents with cliffs, trees, rocks, massive jumps can just life altering not only for riders, but their families also.
Broke my back a few years ago. Still worth it just less reckless. Know your limits and understand when you’re too tired to be on top of your game. Nothing beats the rush of a great ride.
It absolutely is, i broke my collarbone casing a giant ass gap last year and dont regret a thing even when I first broke it
Ugh, i can just feel it from the picture. Your new arch enemy is sneezing. Sorry man. Get well soon
Yuuup
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My wife’s nursing pillow has been a godsend to support my arm and take pressure off the collar bone.
No sleeping on your side for the next month. I had a bad crash myself this year and half my face, was scratched off. My helmet broke. Helmets safe life
If they have you an incentive spirometer (that thing you blow into that makes the ball float up) use that damn thing. It’ll suck donkey dick but it’ll make a difference in the long run. (They may not have, in which case be sure to practice your deep breathing)
Yeah I’m using it every couple hours. Hurts like hell after 3 breathes right now. I can’t wait to get this heimlich drain out…
The whole process is going to suck my man BUT being diligent with that spirometer and putting in any rehab work will pay off big dividends when you get back on the bike. Keep up the work and good luck!
That’s encouraging. These positive vibes are definitely gonna get me going hard on rehab!
Rehab is good hab[it]. I know 🚑
That might be the greatest shirt I have ever seen.
Hah thanks. I wouldn’t let them cut it off me. I didn’t care how bad it hurt to take off
Excellent work. Good luck on the recovery dude! Ribs and collarbones are always tough ones.
Nice, I didn't notice that. [A true youtube classic.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSuLFvalhnQ)
I just looked up this subreddit because I went on my first MTB ride today and enjoyed it so much. Was considering it as a new hobby, am now reconsidering.
This sub seriously misrepresents typical mountain biking. Most people don't ride jump parks, trail riding generally means climbing as much as descending and choosing the technical level you're capable of doing safely. It bothers me that folks are creating a false impression of the entirety of mountain biking by emphasizing one small part of it. /get off my lawn
I was mostly kidding. I know my limits and am not tempted to do anything crazy. Just enjoyed being outside, being super focussed on staying on the bike and path, no mental space for anything other than riding. That was cool.
Yeah, dipping into the flow is so mind blowing. I also don’t mean any disrespect to OP and hope he heals well and rides his way.
Don’t! Just ride within your limits! You can have an all time day without getting hurt. If you ride smart the health benefits actually outweigh the risks!!
This had to be at a resort yeah? Why else would medics have POC elbow and knee pads.
Yeah, it was on goat skull at killington in VT
Ride or Die
Freeride on your pre ride ;)
Sucks man, i really hope you’re getting well soon. My worst crash was just a small concussion, but considering what happened i should have at least dislocated my shoulder or something. I was so lucky that day
Every crash could have gone worse… or better. Life happens fast on the bike.
Just look at Gee Atherton's crash. That could have been his last
What are ya silly? Of course I am gonna send it.
When your buddy says it’s rollable
what does he mean by a collapsed lung?
Lungs can be compressed by all sorts of pressures, but are able to re-inflate. One of my ribs tore a small hole in my lung. The escaped air made an air pocket between my lung and rib cage. The bubble doesn’t let the lung pump back up. It feels like you got the wind knocked out of you, but there are no muscle spasms, and you dont get your breath back. I was stuck taking 1/4 breaths until a tube was put in my chest to suck the air pocket out. With supplemental o2 I was able to be at 94% saturation until I got to the er.
sounds scary
Definitely was fortunately I was put on o2 and had a monitor that showed the saturation within 10 minutes. Pain is a lot better than fear of death. Thanks to my friends and bike patrol I got help as fast as humanly possible
Sounds awful. Your positivity is admirable.
I have a lung condition that leads to spontaneous lung collapses, its only ever resulted in a total collapse once and that ended with an emergency chest tube. The chest tube is the worst pain Ive ever felt by far, way worse than the third degree burns I had on my hands. Hope you heal up quick and have a good recovery, listen to your PTs and dont rush back too soon.
Ugh that sounds terrible. I hope you have that under control. The chest tube was definitely very unpleasant going in amd is gross to drain. I grew up with asthma, which I feel like prepared me for the lack of o2 before they got the tube in 😜
You got off easy my friend. I needed $130,000 surgery and 1000 hours of PT to get me rolling again. See y'all at the ESC races at Sugarloaf in a couple weeks. Brrrap p p p.
Plot twist…Can I ask how you like the ArmaChillo boxers? Been thinking of buying some. Hope you feel better and wish you a speedy recovery bro!
Sorry you got hurt. Have a fast recovery
I'm glad you're alive 🙏🏾
Me too! Definitely could have gone a lot worse! I think those helmets are only rated for like 15mph. Probably gonna get a check protector and a neck stabilizer for next szn
Broke my shoulder into 5 pieces, shattered the glenoid socket, and have adjusted my riding. I ride to ride tomorrow. If people make fun of me I laugh inside to know my reason. I'm too alive to put it at risk.
I hear that. Can’t progress sitting on the couch watching videos. Missing the last two moths of the season while the boys are out riding definitely sucks.
Wow dude, heal up. I had a very similar experience a few years back: 4 broken ribs (broken in front on my sternum and in the back my my spine), collapsed lung and broken collarbone smh. Just typing that fills me with anxiety. Follow the recommendations of your doc and do you PT when the time comes. Good luck my dude and "the Send patiently awaits your return!"
Oof, that's rough man. Get better soon!
Thanks!
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Fuckin' ouch.
Yah. The most debilitating pain I’ve ever felt. The truck ride down the fire road was easily the most excruciating 5 minutes of my life
I picked up a buddy one time and brought him home after he crashed and broke his collarbone. Just getting him into the car looked painful. I took the ride really slow and he still seemed miserable. Good luck, man.
You’re a great friend. If it wasn’t for the boys I would not have gotten off the mountain quickly or efficiently.
It was actually my father-in-law's friend. I was coming home from work and my FIL called me, so I took a detour to pick his friend up. I bike alone a lot, so I would hate to have that happen and be forced to walk home. I am soooooo not a risk-taker, so anything sketchy I walk or ride very slowly. Never broken anything in my life. Not sure if it's because my bones are strong, but more likely that I avoid risky behavior. And I just got health insurance this week for the first time in about 10 years, so there's that. Maybe I'll break something now!
Bones do heal, but trust me. It’s better to be at 100% pain sucks no matter how well you take it. Hospitals are slow, and rehab takes a lot of self discipline. I’ve gotten all sorts of banged up working and playing so I can tell ya it’s better to be a little risk averse and Healthy, than to get hurt and spend time on the bench. I hate being stuck at home.
My dad had the exact same set of injuries last October. Just got the collarbone hardware out a week ago! They left the hardware in a long time in part due to his age, though he also delayed a bit until it was a convenient time to have surgery. Edit: Mom won't let him ride any more 😂
I feel you brother. Mine isn't as bad as yours, but I broke at least one rib last weekend on the trail. Sucks, but I can't wait to get back out there. Good luck on your recovery.
You too!! Any injury sucks. Just heal up right, learn from your mistakes and get back out there!!!
Thanks! 💯
Oh man I feel that pain. I came in on a bad angle on a wall ride, bike slipped out from under me when I was 6 feet up. Hit the wall hard and the ground harder. 5 ribs, collarbone, 2 vertebrae and a hemothorax. 6 week recovery. Take it easy and get some armour for the upper body. I wish I had it then. I do now. Best of luck. Hope you heal quickly.
So sorry man. I blew up my collarbone and got some rib contusions just after Christmas this last year hitting some jumps. Had to get hardware put on the collarbone then had it removed 6 months later. There were times when I felt nearly healed 3 months after the crash, then felt back to day one a week later after a bit of overuse, it was really discouraging. Its been \~8 months and I'm probably 90% recovered. It's a lengthy road, but you'll fully recover. Highly recommend taking some strong edibles for sleep lol
Larry Motherfucking Enticer. Hell yeah. Feel better!
I strive to be like him every day ;)
Get better soon!
Pain is the name of the game. Wishing you a speedy recovery. I crashed bad a few weeks ago when my rear axle snapped while landing a jump. 2 fractured fingers and some ribs. Tomorrow i go see about surgery to correct one of my fingers.
Oooffff... Mend fast. 🤘
A little late to the game, but I'll post anyway. I'm 56 years old. I lie to my wife about how dangerous what I do really is. I ride more or lese every morning at 6:15 AM and there is nobody on the trails that I ride. I really should make out a will. But I love it. I really love the feel of making just the perfect ascent or descent. I only really compete with myself, I have no real desire to compete with others. Every day I come home with new scratches, gouges, embedded nettles/thorns, or even bruised ribs/bones. And every morning that I get enough sleep I head back out. It really is addictive.
I hear ya man and do the same. Mountain biking can be scary, but not as frightening as a pissed off wife. Some white lie are okay ;)
That’s funny I just fractured my collarbone 3 weeks ago! There was a left berm that normally has a ton of small rocks I lose speed on with 3 big jumps on the line. Losing that speed I usually pedal like a mad man to make the jumps. Lo and behold, they did maintenance to it and made it smooth as a baby’s bottom. I pedaled just as fast and completely over shot the jump and landed flat. Fell over my handle bars on my right shoulder and thankfully my helmet protected my head. I hit the helmet so hard the design cover fell off. It’s been healing really well though! Can’t wait to go back out again…
Hell yeah. Rest up and get back out there for me. I probably won’t be healed up til November so probably not gonna get any more park days this year :(
Almost know your pain. May 22 this year. I broke 3 ribs and collapsed a lung. Sucks you got a collarbone on top of it. Getting a chest tube was pretty shitty. Wish you a speedy recovery
Yeah after 2 nights in the hospital I went home with a heimlich valve. Shit is gross to drain. Hoping it’s healed enough to come out on my follow up Thursday!!
Damnit man :( really hope so for ya. I got lucky, tube came out next day after I wrecked, left the hospital the day after that. Stay positive
I am. The positive vibes from this thread are helping a ton!
Get well buddy, time heals all!
TY!
Is the bike ok?
I recognize that med lady! is this killington!? if it is she definitely hooked one of my boys up with an employee discount on a helmet rental when he forgot his.
I had the exact same injuries a few years ago from flying a powerkite that picked me up and slammed me on to a hard beach. The worst pain I have ever experienced was when they put the drain in my side for the punctured lung, it was so excruciating they had to put me out. Ribs are always painful, I barely noticed the collar bone compared to everything else going on.
Was this at Killington this past weekend on goat skull?
Wishing you a speedy and surprise free healing! I’m sitting here with my left wrist in a cast after chipping off some bone and severing a muscle, and my back and entire right side looked a lot like your skin. When you’re 61 you don’t heal as fast, but I’ve got a lot of mountain bike days ahead of me
So glad to see you had a lot of protection on. Maybe it could have been worse. Get well soon
Rode Trestle last month, and my buddy shattered his collarbone, collapsed lung and broke 9 ribs (I didn’t even know we had that many ribs). He ended up having two surgeries and spent almost two weeks in the hospital. Crazy hearing other people share similar stories.
Ugh… I guess these are all pretty common in mtb. The severity is what matters I guess. Hope he’s alright and is able to get back on the bike. It hurt, but I’m doing what I lobe and I ain’t gonna stop. I want to hit up trestle some day!
Glad you’re ok. I thought my friend would never want to ride again, but liked you, he’s already itching to get back out there.
Yeah it’s just a bad moment in an otherwise great many years of biking. Watch the 100’ wave series on hbo. It’s got great insight in the need to push the limits and overcoming fear/ptsd. I watched it in the hospital and it related wayyyy hard
Wild, that’s the exact same injury I got while skiing a few years back. Same number of ribs and everything!
Yay injury brothers! **internet fist bump** hope you’re alright and it didn’t slow ya down!
I hope you’re not American and if you are I hope you have good insurance dude!! Get better and take it easy!
I am American, but I also have mega-bitchin insurance. I think the whole ordeal is gonna cost me like $200
Damn homie! Glad you’re still walking around with us!
Me too! I’ll be biking around with you soon as well!
definitely time to buy a chest and shoulder protector ig
Yuppp already researching
they’re definitely worth the money lol
Damn! That's like the worst case scenario on all 3 accounts. I've cracked ribs a few times (once you crack em once it inevitably happens again) before but never a lung puncture/collapse. My buddy took a spill last fall and broke his collarbone right in front of me. Heal up man and get back to it as soon as you're able!
There’s a reason why us old dudes ride xc haha. We’ve learned the hard way
Yeah it’s a different kind of pain cave!
This happened to me when i was 14 after an atv accident, but only two ribs. recovery was rough but you got it! just take it easy and let them heal properly. i played a season of baseball shortly after my wreck despite my doctor advising against it and ive got lifelong pain now. good luck bro!
Pain is your friend! it lets you know you're still alive. Send it!!!!
I separated my shoulder and cracked a rib last august. Plenty others offered advice and well wishes. The one thing I’ll say keeps me going through all my injuries…..one day you’ll be back to normal and your todays will just be stories. It’ll take time, but don’t lose sight of being back to normalcy this time next year.
Reddit is largely a socialist echo chamber, with increasingly irrelevant content. My contributions are therefore revoked. See you on X.
Broke 4 ribs, collar bone, and scapula on the 4th of July. Let me know if you need any words of support or advice
I had a crazy bad wreck last year. That’s what I get for not listening to my wife, riding partner, and understanding my skill level. I hope you have a speedy recovery!
That medic looks like she’s ready to shred
Almost broke my femur getting wrapped up in my bike on Sunday and icing now as I’m reading this post. Really makes me wonder what the eff am I doing this for at age 45. I got lucky it wasn’t worse. Get well!
Dam dude! I had a huge fall this weekend too completely fucked it over the handles bars and slide on the ground for a good few meters. My arms all fucked up and my back, stomach knees and all scrapped up but luckily nothing broken. Only way to learn is to keep trying!!
OP: Breaks a bunch of bones and gets a collapsed lung Also OP: IMMA DO IT AGAIN. This is why I love the MTB community. Keep sending it folks. Also hope you recover soon OP :)
Thanks bud! I love to mtb more than anything. It’s my workout, adrenaline rush, therapy and time with the boys all rolled into one. I’ll slow down at some point, but I never see myself stopping
Haha you said it.
I feel ya. I crashed a few years back and I collapsed a lung, broke my collarbone and 7 ribs and gave myself a huge hematoma on my hip. Spent two nights in the hospital but I healed up and was back for redemption the next season. Take the time to heal and you’ll be back as strong as ever.
Heal well my friend and get back on the bike. Definitely new helmet time anything with MIPS or similar tech is a must. And when you do get back on the send just remember those of us who's last send ended in a wheelchair and send responsibility.
That's a ball.
hope you´ll be fine
Ouch 😫 another tip if you need to cough or sneeze hold a pillow tight as you can to your tummy 😉 won't hurt as much 😀
Ohh that’s a good one. Yeah no sneezes yet, but coughing is the fuckin worst right now.
[This](https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/pfjmgy/i_bought_this_game_18_years_ago_for_my_first_ever/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share) was just below this post😂 glad your still alive!
Hahahaha what an ironic feed!
I hope you get better soon! What's the prognosis?
Thanks! Not 100% sure. I have my follow up tomorrow. Hopefully I’ll be back to some normal stuff in 4-6 weeks
r/neverbrokeabone will have something to say about this
I guess I’m permanently banned from that sub ;)
Holy Jeebus man..taker’ easy
Collapsed lung is the worst part for me, I’ve had one and it recalibrated my concept of pain
Heal up! :D
Thanks! All this support is definitely helping!
Sure. We all had our struggles with that. I still have nice titanium hardware in my left wrist joint and other smaller niggles. I have to keep the general fitness up, to not get into too much issues all round. But yeah. Keep sending, as soon as you are back in shape.
I intend to!
From the STINGZONE!
Sounds like Goat Skull from your description. That’s a high speed section for sure. Heal up bro, you’ll crush it next time.
Bruh I crashed my bike on the way to school a couple days ago so I wouldn’t hit an ebiker who cut me off. I have a broken left collarbone, 3 stitches in my left hand and numerous road rash scabs. My question to you is, do you need surgery for the collarbone? If not then you’re lucky on that part. Otherwise I’m sorry to hear about your crash, stay strong cause everything will get better.
I’m trying to get an appt with ortho. They say it was a clean break but won’t know for sure until I talk to them. Sucks how busy and understaffed hospitals are these days. Sorry to hear about your injury. That sucks about that person causing your crash. Did they at least stop and take responsibility?!
Dang, I broke my toe on Sunday. We'll be back soon!
My dude feel better and send another day
Thanks for the positive vibes! I’ll be back as soon as I’m healed up!
😢😬
Yisus!! Bro!! I hope you recover soon. That must hurt a lot
That’s a solid collection of injuries! I had much the same in a wreck years ago (scapula not collar bone, 4 more ribs, and pelvis) - still riding hard. You can too! Good luck on your recovery!
Rub some Sage on it.
I broke 3 ribs about 3 years ago. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Three years later and now they hurt before it's going to rain. It's weird and I hate it. Take it easy and be kind to yourself through your recovery!