Dealing with injury risk

[Cardy George]

Haven't made it to changing my risk behaviour, but I was waiting for my last big off to happen.

It had been a probably 10 years since the previous off of any sort. I was riding around thinking when it happens it's going to be big. Wolfhound took out my roadie front wheel at 40km/h, put me in hospital for the night.

Luckily I've had plenty of small offs since coming back to MTB

 

[smasher29er]

I’m at one of those crossroads and not really sure what to do.

Had a fairly innocuous crash 4 months ago and, aside from the broken hand, picked up a mildish concussion. 4 months and a couple of minor head knocks later and the symptoms haven’t gone (headaches, light/noise sensitivity, dizziness, cooked balance etc). Had the cranium scanned and thankfully no serious stuff going on so hopefully just need a bit more time.

Have a fairly lengthy history; been knocked out 3 times and had more than 12 concussions that I can recall.

Dr predictably says I should avoid getting any more. I’m the sole bread winner for a young family and this is affecting my work so really can’t afford another one anyway.

I really don’t know where this leaves me with mtbing. I’ve always tended to ride within my limits and only had a few decent offs in my time, but on both occasions I was taking it reasonably easy and shit just happened.

Anyone else struggled with this? Mtbing has been a part of my life for most of it and I’m struggling with the risk/reward at this point.

What bike and year of manufacture are you riding? What were you doing when you crashed?

Have you done any neuro rehab? the number of concussions you have had is alarming and having a year or two off the bike is probably a good idea just to decrease the likelihood of another (assuming many concussions are from mtb, they happen often enough with you)

Also you might want to ask yourself what it is about mountain biking you enjoy, being outdoors and active? there are other options to do the same.

I have seen plenty of people with neurological issues, and my best advice is to take care of your Brain, which might mean taking some years off MTB

 

[Stredda]

I ride mainly because I enjoy speed and risk. I do like the outdoors and being active but I still think I would need to do something to fulfill the need for speed. I've drag raced motorcycles and cars, raced dirt bikes and been a general hoon in the past so I think if I gave up MTB I would only feel the need to take up some other sort of risky behavior.
I like bushwalking but I do quite often feel when walking down some steep walking track "this would be pretty cool to ride"

 

[HamboCairns]

I ride mainly because I enjoy speed and risk. I do like the outdoors and being active but I still think I would need to do something to fulfill the need for speed. I've drag raced motorcycles and cars, raced dirt bikes and been a general hoon in the past so I think if I gave up MTB I would only feel the need to take up some other sort of risky behavior.
I like bushwalking but I do quite often feel when walking down some steep walking track "this would be pretty cool to ride naked"

FIFY

 

[moorey]

I like bushwalking but I do quite often feel when walking down some steep walking track "this would be pretty cool to ride"

We honeymooned in Chile, and did some big walks up and down some huge mountains. There were walking/horse tracks 1000’s of years old that descended for km’s in the perfect gradient for a bike. My wife got so sick of me stopping to look at lines a commenting on how awesome that would be to ride that I’m surprised our marriage lasted that fortnight.

 

[dirtdad]

I like bushwalking but I do quite often feel when walking down some steep walking track "this would be pretty cool to ride"

For me it's often "stupid steep track... this would be so much easier to ride down than walk down..."

 

[Patio]

I'm definitely getting more risk averse as I age. Worst riding accident was a fractured wrist. Recovery from that took months. I'm sticking with a 100mm XC duallie to try and stop myself getting carried away. Still regularly come off, usually low speed tech sections.

Cycling for me is a lifetime activity that has taken me to great places, hanging out with great friends and having fun along the way rather than the biggest jumps/drops/gaps.

Stuff can go wrong at any time and after a few solo trips my wife made me get a inReach for when I go out on my own or into more remote places. Have to consider how risky the family sees my chosen activities.

 

[HamboCairns]

I'm definitely getting more risk averse as I age. Worst riding accident was a fractured wrist. Recovery from that took months. I'm sticking with a 100mm XC duallie to try and stop myself getting carried away. Still regularly come off, usually low speed tech sections.

This is where the slack front end comes into its own for me.

 

[indica]

Do you know the one I mean?

I do

 

[HamboCairns]

I do

The trails seem very rutted and dry at the moment.

 

[Stredda]

For me it's often "stupid steep track... this would be so much easier to ride down than walk down..."

I've thought that many a time. Walking down hill for a extended amount of time suck balls, especially when it looks like it would ride so well

 

[HamboCairns]

Rooty drop!!!!

I love turning right onto that black trail at the bottom of pipeline and faking, that is well hectic in there.

Black Marlin?

 

[Fred Nurk]

Black Marlin?

Is probably the descent that was second finger...

 

[smasher29er]

I ride mainly because I enjoy speed and risk. I do like the outdoors and being active but I still think I would need to do something to fulfill the need for speed. I've drag raced motorcycles and cars, raced dirt bikes and been a general hoon in the past so I think if I gave up MTB I would only feel the need to take up some other sort of risky behavior.
I like bushwalking but I do quite often feel when walking down some steep walking track "this would be pretty cool to ride"

I do agree that fast is fun, but with this guys multiple concussions and neuro symptoms, maybe finding safer speed and risk (oxymoron I know). possibly track days in a car probably have low concussion risk.

 

[Lazmo]

I'm sticking with a 100mm XC duallie to try and stop myself getting carried away. Still regularly come off, usually low speed tech sections.

This is where the slack front end comes into its own for me.

For me too. I'm in my mid 60's and don't bounce too well any more. So I'm riding a slack bike (Kona Process 153) that is way more than I need for 99.9% of my rides. But I'd rather be on a sled that can handle that 0.1% of the ride that would have me OTB on a 100mm bike. I'm not trying to be race leader number one... I'm just trying to ride as often as possible and as far into old age as possible.

 

[ozzybmx]

For me too. I'm in my mid 60's and don't bounce too well any more. So I'm riding a slack bike (Kona Process 153) that is way more than I need for 99.9% of my rides.

I was approaching a rider from behind on a gravel climb a few weeks back, I didn't think about the age of him but he looked quite trim and fit, but was moving slower than me on my gravel bike.

Approaching, he had knees and elbows on, as I got on the back of him ready to overtake, I was thinking Hmmmm Trek Slash 9.9, Orange, Zebs... 'how you doin mate'

He turned around and gave me something like 'good mate, yourself'... he was easily mid to late 60's, if not 70

Legend !

 

[HamboCairns]

I was approaching a rider from behind on a gravel climb a few weeks back, I didn't think about the age of him but he looked quite trim and fit, but was moving slower than me on my gravel bike.

Approaching, he had knees and elbows on, as I got on the back of him ready to overtake, I was thinking Hmmmm Trek Slash 9.9, Orange, Zebs... 'how you doin mate'

He turned around and gave me something like 'good mate, yourself'... he was easily mid to late 60's, if not 70

Legend !

Did he have nice teeth?

 

[ozzybmx]

Did he have nice teeth?

Gleaming white, just out of the night cup.

 

[HamboCairns]

Gleaming white, just out of the night cup.

At least it wasn't a Yeti!

 

[Chriso_29er]

I was approaching a rider from behind on a gravel climb a few weeks back, I didn't think about the age of him but he looked quite trim and fit, but was moving slower than me on my gravel bike.

Approaching, he had knees and elbows on, as I got on the back of him ready to overtake, I was thinking Hmmmm Trek Slash 9.9, Orange, Zebs... 'how you doin mate'

He turned around and gave me something like 'good mate, yourself'... he was easily mid to late 60's, if not 70

Legend !

I only hope to be as fit and healthy as my dad at that age, something to look up to for both me and my two kids.

This was him last year on his Scott Genius at age 70, yes that's Hero trail at Bright lol, which he also rode up to from Bright before following us down at his pace. In the spirit of this thread, he very much rode it to his own accepted risk level