Update on collarbone

[trailgumby]

Saw the surgeon this morning, and I got good news and bad news.



Good news: The collarbone I broke last weekend at Taree doesn't need an opration.

Bad news: 6-8 weeks before I ride again, 8-10 before I ride off-road.

[Nobody]

Sorry to hear it, obviously. Never done a collarbone, never want to. From what I've seen, usually a result of not being able to get your hands/feet down fast enough.

Got a bike trainer? If not, good time to get one.

Although I like MTB, this is why I try to spend more time on bike paths (and to a lesser extent roads) these days. Having said that, I've got a groin injury at the moment and so on the MTB again. Missed the pedal the other day going over some stairs and did my shin a disservice. First time for that one.

I learn the hard way not do a lot of stuff twice, but the problem is, there are just so many ways to hurt yourself.

Edit:Grammar.

[ft_critical]

Got a bike trainer? If not, good time to get one.

[jules21]

good news if you don't need to go under the knife TG.

[trailgumby]

The bruising on that guy's shoulder and upper arm looks like my right shoulder down to the base of the right pectoral.

The stack was caused by riding too fast on a known trail in an unfamiliar direction, trying to keep our ride guide in sight. Missed a twitch in the trail, found myself on the right - off-camber - side of the trail coming into a tight right turn and lost the front under brakes when presented with my escape line being blocked by a gnarly tree.

On the weekend I ordered some Oakleys with transitions lenses and a distance vision prescription. 670 clams!

At the Mont back in April it felt like my reactions were slow, particularly on the night lap, like sections of trail were surprising me much more often than usual. The other riders didn't seem to have the same problem. Been noticing this over the last year and an eye test in April I took to ensure I'd be able to pass my licence renewal showed I have astigmatism, with different levels in each eye (although I didn't need glasses to pass the test). Can't be good for picking up trail information or depth perception. Didn't bother ordering at the time because they wanted to hang onto the prescription, and we had other expenses come through.

So, self-inflicted on a couple of levels.

Hope your shin's OK nobody. Ouch. On a slightly humorous take (in a "there, but for the grace of God..." sense), the department head in the area I'm being seconded to managed to slice open his calf on a pedal and needed 31 stitches. ... He did it in the gym, on a spin bike

[Mulger bill]

No slice and dice=good
Up to 70 days off the dirt=depressing.

Heal well Gumby, I'll take the MTB out for ya

Shaun

[KenGS]

If you haven't done so go see a physio asap to get some exercises for your shoulder. I didn't and once the bone healed I had a frozen shoulder for another 6 weeks. I could ride but indicating was a challenge. Actually it was near impossible.

[Oxford]

trailgumby, if you want somethign to deal with the bruising, get some "Rapigel". Its veterinary medicine used on horses and dogs, but it works remarkably well on humans. Get it from produce stores, vets, horsey establishments. A rodeo clown put me on to it, it reduces swelling and bruising very well.

[sogood]

Rapigel's active ingredients are Menthol, Camphor and Iso-propyl Alcohol. For bruising, Hirudoid cream would be much more effective.

[trailgumby]

Physio: done:
Hirudoid: yes, I keep a tube of that handy

[toolonglegs]

Geez Gumby!...you like falling off don't ya!.
I must be riding like a pussy these days,haven't had a really good stack in a while!...that my change in CX season!.
Heal up quick!.

[trailgumby]

I must be riding like a pussy these days,haven't had a really good stack in a while!...

Why do I get the feeling you may regret saying that?

Glad to hear the back issues are coming good.

Have to admit that if I'd needed surgical intervention, chances were 50/50 the dually would have gone on eBay.

[Oxford]

Rapigel's active ingredients are Menthol, Camphor and Iso-propyl Alcohol. For bruising, Hirudoid cream would be much more effective.

Bang for buck Rapigel is cheaper and not just a little bit, but a lot.

[ldrcycles]

Woohoo. And damn. I thought 2 weeks off the bike was hard, time to get that trainer warmed up then hey tg.

[Nobody]

Have to admit that if I'd needed surgical intervention, chances were 50/50 the dually would have gone on eBay.

I remember someone on here muttering something about suspension just makes it faster when you crash.

Anyway, you could always get a rigid to slow you down. Works for me. Even my OTB crashes are fairly slow.

[trailgumby]

I hear ya. Rigid probably wouldn't have been a factor here, though: it was reasonably smooth groomed trail. I just plain missed the line I needed turning in, through poor vision/reaction speed/caution + excessive speed, and lost it panic braking on an ever so slightly greasy section of track.

4" wide Moonlander tyres at 5psi might have made a difference Staying off the front brake and skid-steering the rear might have helped as well, but it's not a move I've ever really practiced due to it being generally frowned upon for recreational riding.

Maybe something to practice when I'm able to get back on the bike...

[brokenbus]

Hi TG Good to hear that no surgery is required but bad news about not getting to ride for a while. Let us know when you are better and I will try and come down for a ride around your way.

Nicko

[triangle]

Don't be too down. I broke my collarbone five weeks ago and displaced it good and proper. It hurt like all hell but I used a sling constantly for the first 2 weeks and was back on the bike, on road, 19 days after the accident, averaging 200kms a week. I have been fine and I am mostly healed up now with only a bit of pain in the mornings and when I cross my arm over my body or try to take a lot of weight on it. I am sure it is different for everyone but I too was told eight weeks before I would be able to cycle again and that prove to be completely inaccurate. You might be back on the bike sooner than you think.

[Nobody]

Wow, that sounds like you are fairly young Triangle. TG is about 47 from memory.

[jules21]

I am sure it is different for everyone but I too was told eight weeks before I would be able to cycle again and that prove to be completely inaccurate.

i think that's called a self-fulfilling prophecy. the 8 weeks is to give it time to heal properly, so that if you knock it again, it's got a good chance of not re-breaking. it's not the amount of time before you'll be physically capable of riding a bike again.

[triangle]

Wow, that sounds like you are fairly young Triangle. TG is about 47 from memory.

I'm 42.

[Oxford]

I am sure it is different for everyone but I too was told eight weeks before I would be able to cycle again and that prove to be completely inaccurate.

i think that's called a self-fulfilling prophecy. the 8 weeks is to give it time to heal properly, so that if you knock it again, it's got a good chance of not re-breaking. it's not the amount of time before you'll be physically capable of riding a bike again.

correct, at 3~5 weeks the new bone is still soft and sticky, it'll hold but will not withstand another serious knock. from 5~8 weeks the bone is beginning to harden and set. times will vary from person to person and also with diet. last broken collarbone I stepped up calcium intake to hopefully accelerate healing due to the multiple pieces in the fracture and the additional knitting required. the bone did take longer to heal since there were 8 or more pieces knitting together. I wouldn't rush into riding unless you are a pro and need to. the one or two weeks extra you take now may mean no long term issues like arthritis.

[trailgumby]

Close. I'm 49. But don't tell my colleagues, they all think I'm mid-late 30s. Seriously, you should see the shocked looks I get when I talk about my kids in high school, let alone my eldest doing the HSC right now.

Will probably hit the spin bikes at the gym this week for a gentle introduction, the mid-section is starting to expand already! The trails around my area are moderately technical (Sydney's Northern Beaches) compared to elsewhere, and the occasional inelegant dismount is not uncommon. So an early return to off-road riding would not be particularly wise. Commuting might be OK from Week 5-6 though.

The advice Oxford got on what happens when in the knitting process mirrors what my physio said. I'm now, at the end of week 2, not using the sling most of the time. Only using when I when I'm out and about so I don't get knocked, or at the end of the day when it starts to get a bit achy (like now).

No upper body stuff like military press pushups or lat pulldowns at the gym for 6 weeks will be hard when I return. But I agree, no sheepstations to be had so better to heal properly first.

Otherwise, progressing well

[Oxford]

Close. I'm 49. But don't tell my colleagues, they all think I'm mid-late 30s. Seriously, you should see the shocked looks I get when I talk about my kids in high school, let alone my eldest doing the HSC right now.

...

I'm younger than you and my eldest is in Uni'.
So am I for that matter.

[elStado]

Good to hear you didn't need surgery as it's pretty terrible.

I've almost done my time. It's been about 14 weeks (July 16th) since I broke mine and 11 weeks since I got surgery. Another couple of weeks and a few visits to the physio and doctors and I should be good to get on the road bike and go surfing again. I've ridden the flat bar a few times since about 2 weeks ago, but have been told to take it easy and avoid riding if possible. Just as well I have been writing my thesis and other final assignments so I have had to stay home and work on those pretty much every day for the past two months anyway.