Accident & Mojo Recovery

[Jigghead]

So I've been riding a long time, albeit with far less mileage than I would like. Let's call it only around 20,000km over the last 10 years or so. I'm pretty fit, with plenty of running and swimming between rides, which are curtailed by fear of bike jacking and lack of time to get in any decent riding (I have kids who are worthy of more time than my bike).

 

So, coming down a relatively inert slope at an event in August last year, I ran out of talent and saw my ass. This is the type of hill that I descend without thinking and have done for many years. This time, however, I managed to dig my front wheel in and go over the bars. The result was that I broke my nose, cut my face up, loads of roasties, top to tail, and managed to fracture the T6 vertebra in my spine. Whilst I was lucky to have escaped with the result I did.

 

Whilst the neurosurgeon has told me that I am to expect a 12-18 month total recovery, with the green light given only to swim on 11th January, I'm keen to hit the bike again. I am aware that my age (46), and my injury preclude me from behaving like I used to, but I'd like to get to the point where I am comfortable on the cross country trails again, after all, this is where I enjoyed my MTB the most. I'm a little nervous to get on a bike again, but also cannot wait. Anyone here had an accident that left them unsure of their future on two wheels that got over it, and how?

 

The will is there, the understanding of the need to take it easy is definitely there. What I'm looking for is an idea of how you got over the fear of permanent damage in order to enjoy the thrill of riding your bike again! I'm not keen for the black stuff, I've never been a serious downhill racer, but I'm so eager to inject just a little bit of adrenaline into my life again, without the fear of course...

[tinmug]

Sorry to hear about the crash. Broken nose ... okay. Vertebra ... eish.

46 is young. The BMX craze hit South Africa when I was just the right age and that translated nicely into madness on a mountain bike when that followed a few years later. When you are in your teens or twenties you know everything and unbreakable and do the dumbest things imaginable. Luckily rock climbing saved me from doing anything truly dumb on a bicycle 😳, and doing utterly stupid things on a mountain with far too little (and inferior) gear had me back off climbing mountains for a bit. 

Then I had to work for a living and, fast forward a few decades, found myself with a mountain bike again. Naturally, I could still do all those things I could when I was 19. Only I couldn't. I kept falling over. Kept getting bucked over the bars. So I have re-adjusted what I want out of cycling.

I no longer have to be John Tomac, just enjoying a long twee-spoor with both wheels on the ground is just fine. I haven't smacked the ground or visited the doctor for many months and still love cycling as much as ever. All you have to do is change what you want from it. 

[madmarc]

I had the same issue at RedBarn Dec 2020 - came off a stupid drop-off I had done many times before, front wheel washed out and I broke 2 ribs - No where as serious as your injuries, but it took 3 months to recover, but also time to reflect at 59 now 60 that we shouldn't be doing this sh@t anymore, bouncing around on a XC trail or BMXing jumps like a 15 year old should be left to the Pro's and 15 year old's. Now Chicken runs are my friend and I'm not embarrassed to get off the bike and walk if I'm not confident of the obstacles.  

[Prince Albert Cycles]

Start where you are do what can use what you have