Terrible bike accident.

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Doobiesis

Über Member
Location
Poole Dorset
First Sunday in Jan headed out to a frequent ride. Trying to clear my head for exams. On my way back on a fast part 25 mph my back wheel caught some mud and I could do nothing to stop having a very bad fall.

I fell in the middle of a road and tried to get myself out of the road but my arm was buggered and I couldn’t move. Luckily for me a car driver pulled in front of me so nothing would hit me. I was very impressed with how many car drivers stopped and helped me. A local shop owner taking my shattered bike leaving me her phone number. Another gentleman telling me I should not let this stop me from being a cyclist. And someone was on the phone to 999 and a lovely couple who waited with me whilst the ambulance was on route.

To cut a very long story short initially hospital said nothing broken sent me home, only to be called back next day as I had a posterior dislocation so was in hospital a few days they could not put it in
To place and wanted to operate on me. Surgeon not happy so sent me for an MRI scan and that is where the bad news gets worse. I had a 7cm tear in my rotary cuff, and the ligaments had torn away from my bone, the consultant made no bones about how bad this was. He said I had to have two major operations in one but cos it was a long surgery they could not carry it out for 2 weeks which was very bad as my arm kept dislocating and was very painful. Doctor put me on morphine for paiin.

Nothing prepared me for the pain when I woke up from a 6 hr operation Oh My God! It was the worst pain I’ve ever had! Was in hospital a week and that was 2 weeks ago. Having just taken myself off the morphine which was actually worse than the op itself, and took a further five days, horrible stuff.

I’m convinced I’ll never cycle again, my mum collected my bike which apart from a buckled back wheel has gotten off better than I have.

Has anyone else had a bad accident and gotten back on? I’ve even given some cycling bits away I’m that convinced.
 

Heltor Chasca

Out-riding the Black Dog
Wow! I am in awe you’ve even managed to type this up. Well done for being so courageous. Get fixed soon.
 

I like Skol

A Minging Manc...
Not done anything as bad as you but had a fair number of nasty falls. Dislocated my shoulder in a slow speed MTB fall in my early-mid 20s, come off at speed a couple of times and received some nasty grazes, gouges and bruises but never needed any stitches. Broke my kneecap a couple of years ago and was back on my bike in a week or so.
Others on the forum have had some serious offs with broken limbs or hips being about the worst. @fossyant even broke his back when knocked off on his commute. Nearly all get back on their bikes, I certainly have.

Don't write off your cycling career just yet, give it the advised time for recovery, listen to your doctors and then slowly return to cycling, why wouldn't you? Serious accidents are few and far between and I bet in two months time you will be desperate to get back on the bike anyway :okay:
 
Yes, get well soon, as for your last question, lots of people have had bad accidents and eventually get back in the saddle. No need to rush, tackle it when you feel ready. Take all your doctor's advice and all the physio you can.

Personally I have had a couple of offs, but nothing broken/torn, even those minor events had me feeling nervous afterwards. It's normal to fear hurting yourself again, it's a means of self-preservation. Just put the risk in perspective. If you slipped in the bathroom, would you stop showering for the remainder of your life? Would you ride at that speed in those road conditions again, or would you learn from your bad luck and take it easier in muddy/wet conditions? We all put ourselves at risk every day, no matter what we do. But we can manage most of the risk away.
 
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Welsh wheels

Lycra king
Location
South Wales
First Sunday in Jan headed out to a frequent ride. Trying to clear my head for exams. On my way back on a fast part 25 mph my back wheel caught some mud and I could do nothing to stop having a very bad fall.

I fell in the middle of a road and tried to get myself out of the road but my arm was buggered and I couldn’t move. Luckily for me a car driver pulled in front of me so nothing would hit me. I was very impressed with how many car drivers stopped and helped me. A local shop owner taking my shattered bike leaving me her phone number. Another gentleman telling me I should not let this stop me from being a cyclist. And someone was on the phone to 999 and a lovely couple who waited with me whilst the ambulance was on route.

To cut a very long story short initially hospital said nothing broken sent me home, only to be called back next day as I had a posterior dislocation so was in hospital a few days they could not put it in
To place and wanted to operate on me. Surgeon not happy so sent me for an MRI scan and that is where the bad news gets worse. I had a 7cm tear in my rotary cuff, and the ligaments had torn away from my bone, the consultant made no bones about how bad this was. He said I had to have two major operations in one but cos it was a long surgery they could not carry it out for 2 weeks which was very bad as my arm kept dislocating and was very painful. Doctor put me on morphine for paiin.

Nothing prepared me for the pain when I woke up from a 6 hr operation Oh My God! It was the worst pain I’ve ever had! Was in hospital a week and that was 2 weeks ago. Having just taken myself off the morphine which was actually worse than the op itself, and took a further five days, horrible stuff.

I’m convinced I’ll never cycle again, my mum collected my bike which apart from a buckled back wheel has gotten off better than I have.

Has anyone else had a bad accident and gotten back on? I’ve even given some cycling bits away I’m that convinced.
Sorry to hear about your accident. I've had a few crashes in my time, nothing as serious as yours though. Both times I thought I would give up cycling but when I got back on the bike, it all came back to me, I wasn't worried and I remembered why I enjoyed cycling. I think it's something you have to work out yourself, yes there are risks, but there are also great benefits. There's no shame in giving something up after a bad experience though. There are plenty of other forms of exercise out there. I think you have to consider whether you can do without cycling and its benefits in your life or not.
 

derrick

The Glue that binds us together.
Not done anything as bad as you but had a fair number of nasty falls. Dislocated my shoulder in a slow speed MTB fall in my early-mid 20s, come off at speed a couple of times and received some nasty grazes, gouges and bruises but never needed any stitches. Broke my kneecap a couple of years ago and was back on my bike in a week or so.
Others on the forum have had some serious offs with broken limbs or hips being about the worst. @fossyant even broke his back when knocked off on his commute. Nearly all get back on their bikes, I certainly have.

Don't write off your cycling career just yet, give it the advised time for recovery, listen to your doctors and then slowly return to cycling, why wouldn't you? Serious accidents are few and far between and I bet in two months time you will be desperate to get back on the bike anyway :okay:
Sorry to read this, give it a bit of time before you get rid of all your gear, when the warmer weather gets here you may feel different, hope you have a speedy recovery from now on.
 
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Venod

Eh up
Location
Yorkshire
I have had a lot of offs over the years, fortunately I can say that I considered only one of them to be serious enough to contemplate packing in, a near head on with a blind driver resulted in a dislocated and broken shoulder, it was further complicated by infection, I did get back on the bike but I am not back at my previous confidence in traffic, my left shoulder is useless but its OK on the bike,
I would not stop if Its something you enjoy, but it may take a while to get your confidence back.
The brother in law came off recently and broke his hip, he has decided to pack in, a mate also broke his hip and had to have it replaced, he hasn't decided if he is getting back on yet.
 
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OP
OP
Doobiesis

Doobiesis

Über Member
Location
Poole Dorset
Wow! I am in awe you’ve even managed to type this up. Well done for being so courageous. Get fixed soon.
I’m just sad I feel the way I do about cycling. I’ve been cycling for over five years now and feel I get the most out of it, even recently joined a cycling group. :sad:
 
OP
OP
Doobiesis

Doobiesis

Über Member
Location
Poole Dorset
Not done anything as bad as you but had a fair number of nasty falls. Dislocated my shoulder in a slow speed MTB fall in my early-mid 20s, come off at speed a couple of times and received some nasty grazes, gouges and bruises but never needed any stitches. Broke my kneecap a couple of years ago and was back on my bike in a week or so.
Others on the forum have had some serious offs with broken limbs or hips being about the worst. @fossyant even broke his back when knocked off on his commute. Nearly all get back on their bikes, I certainly have.

Don't write off your cycling career just yet, give it the advised time for recovery, listen to your doctors and then slowly return to cycling, why wouldn't you? Serious accidents are few and far between and I bet in two months time you will be desperate to get back on the bike anyway :okay:

I think a bit of pushing from my mother and family telling me I should quit. I did feel bad for mum as she got a call from the police telling her to head to hospital. She was very worried.
 

Oldbloke

Guru
Location
Mayenne, France
Sorry to hear about your accident; hope you will feel better soon & regain your taste for cycling.

I had a similar op to you in 2016, broken ligaments/rotator cuff (not a bike fall) 6 weeks in a sling, so I fully sympathise!
 

Levo-Lon

Guru
You'll be fine when your healed up.
Pain and hospital are a crap mix.
Don't worry about getting back on for a while, it won't do any good.
Summer in a few months so look forward to that.

How would you feel if you crashed the car or had a transport accident? It's just life and touch wood you might never have a tumble again.

Leave the cotton wool life in the box where it belongs .
 

SpokeyDokey

67, & my GP says I will officially be old at 70!
Moderator
What rotten luck - without wishing to sound offhand it could have been a whole lot worse so there is a bit of an upside to your situation.

I pulled my right arm out of its socket on the North Face of Ben Nevis in 2003. My climbing partner managed to force it back in (ouch!). Impossible to abseil off and not wishing to call in a MRT (RAF) Helicopter we continued with difficulty. It popped out again and he managed to push it in again with some forceful and very painful wiggling. Then it came out a third time and wouldn't go back in again. Six hours later with my arm dangling 1.5" lower than its opposite I was sedated (Morphine) at the hospital in Fort William - bliss as the pain abated. Diagnosis; dislocated shoulder and rotor cuff tears (minor).

Cue a couple of years of physio' and multiple arm problems in various joints, tendons, nerves that still return to this day.

At that point in my life I'd been an ardent MTB'er for around 12 years. I stopped riding my bike immediately thinking I would never ride again - far too painful. And then in 2012 I decided to resume cycling after a 9 year hiatus and, apart from the odd ache and nerve tingling, all seems fine. In truth I could have restarted cycling a lot sooner but I had gotten out of the habit I guess.

I resisted surgery; they wanted to put a titanium lip around the socket to stop any repeat as I thought surgery might make matters worse - stupid of me probably. But despite resuming climbing (albeit at a lower level) some years after the accident my arm has stayed firmly in place.

Whilst your injury sounds a deal worse than mine I would guess that eventually you will be physically capable of riding again - I certainly hope so.

Wishing you a speedy recovery.
 
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