Injuries & first aid

[katshipp]

What is your most common mtb related injury, and how do you treat it? Bruises, poison ivy, and small abrasions seem to be my most common ones. If you're feeling brave, post up your worst injury or accident.

What do you folks do for poison oak/ivy? I'm good with injuries, but that stuff baffles me...

[Tim]

I messed up my wrist for years, actually just quit riding a bike all together. Sucked.

Other than that nothing major. Cuts bruises are common.
I've been hurt worse at work than I have on a bike.
Now I do preventative riding. No crazy s#it

I can do it , but (should) I do it.

[nathan]

Broken collarbones are a pretty common biking injury. Luckily I haven't had one yet. (knock on wood)

Last year at Scales I was coming around a corner pretty fast and started pedaling a little too early. Hooked my inside pedal on a root and got high-sided off the bike into an embankment. I landed on my side with my arm pinned under me. That was the first time I've ever knocked the wind out of just one lung. It was a strange experience.

I was sore as hell and sat down for a while, then rode for another hour or so. The next day I woke up in all kinds of pain so I went and had x-rays done. I ended up breaking my 5th and 6th ribs on the left side, about 2 inches from my breast bone.

So that sucked for a few months. I took 2 weeks off then started riding again, with the help of a few painkillers before each ride. It took about 3 months before I was 100%.

[kylekirkman]

the video of me smashing into the camera "How to Crash Gracefully" evvemabike.googlepages.com/pictures

The seat rammed into my pooper. That pain was like trying to $hit a Chevy S10........ sideways.
*************
I almost should have died once. I was up in Terre Haute on a camping trip and was moving at a clip down a hill... Which was not a trail, just a hill with trees all over the place. Came to the bottom and Suprise!!!! a creek bed that had a 7ft drop. Nose first into the ground, completely vertical. luckily I landed the front wheel with my arms extended and lessened the blow. Tried to roll out of it but went face first into the ground. Somehow my head was at angle and whipped it to the side instead of straight back. I so should have had a c spine fracture.
***************
I do hope that everyone comes out of MTBing alive and well. I've had a few calls on the ambulance where it was so bad. MTBing does have the potential for multisystem trauma but large scale injuries tend not to be the norm. In fact it almost seems that slow speed injuries can be even worse than the high speed stuff- as long as one is able to roll out of it.

In any case- if you or someone else gets injured try to stay cool, calm, and control your breathing.

I hope that we can go over all of this stuff in Patrol Training in the near future.

[jboyd]

Earlier this year (Late Jan.), it was my first long ride on my new GT Peace 9r, when I came to a bridge with a closed sign on it. We had just gone through an ice storm and so I figured there was some sort of carnage to be seen and decided that sign was for cars and proceeded across. I had to maneuver around the barricade along the edge of the bridge that did not have any rails. This was where the day went completely to hell.

I have been a whitewater paddler for years and I know the rules about "looking where you want to go". It applies to cycling too. If you want to avoid something, don't look at it. I looked over the edge of the bridge and sure as heck, I veered that way. When I tried to pull it back, I over compensated and started to lean and panicked and could not get out of the clips and fell off the bridge still hooked to the bike. Fell about 8 feet and landed on my side on ice, still hooked to the bike. I heard a crack and felt electricity shoot through my body. Broke two ribs. Took months to get back on the bike. Actually had to sleep sitting up for about 4 weeks.

Completely destroyed my back wheel. I now ride platforms with pins. Screw clipless.

[Eric]

Aug 29, 2009 22:13:10 GMT -5 jboyd said:

Completely destroyed my back wheel. I now ride platforms with pins. Screw clipless.

You do realize that the clipless did not make you do this part?

" I looked over the edge of the bridge and sure as heck, I veered that way." ;D

[jboyd]

You do realize that the clipless did not make you do this part?

I looked over the edge of the bridge and sure as heck, I veered that way." ;D

Yeah, I know

Sorry for dis'n the clipless. That was not my first fall. I just came to the realization this year that I am a clipless wienie. Spent the past two years with them and between the bruised ego and broken ribs that I needed a change. Since I went platforms, I have had the best year of riding. To each their own.

[Eric]

I was just giving you a hard time!

[wolvenborn]

Kyle, the crash was pretty sweet, but paled in comparison to the Carlton. My buddy and I used to do that all the time. lol!

[Tim]

I must have missed the part about the 7' drop off / C fracture.

I guess I should be somewhat disabled or possibly dead.
I should be lucky, I've never broken anything or had any major injuries. Like I said, been hurt worse doing other things.

I suppose the closest I've ever come was at scales lake
when i was in my 20's. I didn't have a "helmet", i had what appeared to be a modefied batters helmet / hat....

I caught a root and ran my skull into a tree. Knocked the shit out of me. i cried like a girl because I thought I really broke my neck.
I heard all the popping of the vertebra or what ever.
Could not turn my head to the left for months.
it never really hurt because of the whiskey. Could have been worse I suppose...

Those were fun times though, really had no care about tomorrow so what the hell. I'm 40 now, i don't do the crazy stuff but I still find myself tumbling off that bike more than I want to.
At least I have a nicer helmet