Mrs M
Guru
- Location
- Aberdeenshire
Wishing you a good recovery and hope you get back on the bike, as and when suits you 
xx
xx
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Oh, also ...
A good friend of mine had a similarly horrific accident last June, on a cycle tour of Europe. She was caught out by a dangerous rail crossing*** on a wet road in Switzerland, crashed heavily and suffered terrible leg injuries. She literally had to have one leg bolted back together in a Swiss hospital.
This an x-ray of the leg after the surgery ...
She suffered similar emotional problems after her crash and hospitalisation but eventually DID get back on her bike. She is now doing 50 mile hilly rides again. She intends one day to go back to that same road in Switzerland and restart her tour from where it so abruptly finished!
She has not found the recovery at all easy and still gets very upset about what has happened, but the cycling is helping her to put it behind her.
While she was recovering from the surgery in the Swiss hospital she was feeling nauseous when her doctor came to her room to see how she was doing. My friend promptly threw up over her and burst into tears! The doctor cleaned the pair of them up, gave her a hug and told her that she'd had an identical injury in a skiing accident a couple of years ago. Her x-rays had looked just like the one above.
The doctor said that she too had cried a lot in the weeks after her accident and surgery. It was perfectly normal after such trauma, and it was also perfectly normal to be scared of getting back into the activity which had caused the injury. She had seen it frequently with her patients, but most of them were eventually able to return to what they loved doing.
I hope that helps!
*** No warning signs, tracks at 45 degrees to direction of travel, slippery surface. Locals told her that cyclists crash there very regularly.
A good friend of mine had a similarly horrific accident last June, on a cycle tour of Europe. She was caught out by a dangerous rail crossing*** on a wet road in Switzerland, crashed heavily and suffered terrible leg injuries. She literally had to have one leg bolted back together in a Swiss hospital.
This an x-ray of the leg after the surgery ...
She suffered similar emotional problems after her crash and hospitalisation but eventually DID get back on her bike. She is now doing 50 mile hilly rides again. She intends one day to go back to that same road in Switzerland and restart her tour from where it so abruptly finished!
She has not found the recovery at all easy and still gets very upset about what has happened, but the cycling is helping her to put it behind her.
While she was recovering from the surgery in the Swiss hospital she was feeling nauseous when her doctor came to her room to see how she was doing. My friend promptly threw up over her and burst into tears! The doctor cleaned the pair of them up, gave her a hug and told her that she'd had an identical injury in a skiing accident a couple of years ago. Her x-rays had looked just like the one above.
The doctor said that she too had cried a lot in the weeks after her accident and surgery. It was perfectly normal after such trauma, and it was also perfectly normal to be scared of getting back into the activity which had caused the injury. She had seen it frequently with her patients, but most of them were eventually able to return to what they loved doing.
I hope that helps!
*** No warning signs, tracks at 45 degrees to direction of travel, slippery surface. Locals told her that cyclists crash there very regularly.
NorthernDave
Never used Über Member
- Location
- The real Northern Powerhouse
Firstly, GWS.
At least the response of everyone who came to your audience in the aftermath shows that the overwhelming majority of people are decent, despite what we all might think sometimes!
Theres no rush to get back on your bike, take your time and you'll know when you are ready.
At least the response of everyone who came to your audience in the aftermath shows that the overwhelming majority of people are decent, despite what we all might think sometimes!
Theres no rush to get back on your bike, take your time and you'll know when you are ready.
Last edited:
OP
OP
Doobiesis
Über Member
- Location
- Poole Dorset
That does help thank you, if your friend managed to get passed it, there’s hope for me.
Thank you I am still crying daily and it doesn’t take much to set me off.
I had a relationship breakup not so long ago and cycling was my way of coping with it. So I guess I’m slightly worried it’s gonna build up again.
Thank you I am still crying daily and it doesn’t take much to set me off.
I had a relationship breakup not so long ago and cycling was my way of coping with it. So I guess I’m slightly worried it’s gonna build up again.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Very unlikely to be killed and it sounds like your relatives are being a bit unfair pressuring you to stop doing something you enjoyed. There are far more hazardous things you could have been doing.
Now, I hope you recover well, and I expect this to be unpopular, but if you tend to fall off a lot, please do something about that before you push the speed again. Coaching if you like, but just a bit of gently building up handling skills based on plans from books or websites should help immensely. There's no reason for crashing to be a frequent part of non-competitive cycling IMO.
Will Spin
Über Member
I suffered a similar shoulder injury after a cycling accident about 7 years ago. I actually smashed and dislocated the ball joint off the top of the humerus. I had my arm strapped to my side for 6 weeks after an operation. Two things I found helped with a speedy recovery were; 1) I joined a local gym (i got 3 months membership free on the NHS as part of recuperation) and as soon as I could get down there, with my arm still strapped up I got them to give me a program for keeping fit, 2) I got a very good physiotherapist to work with me to rebuild the muscles in my arm as soon as the doctor said it was OK to start. It took about 3 months before I was back on the bike.
Kernow Cyclista
Active Member
- Location
- Kernow
Sorry to hear about your off, I hope your injuries physical and mental heal very soon. it's a real confidence sapper. I had an off last month too, on a much smaller scale, but it was a hell of a shock. I was lucky, came out of the miu with a glued up lip and broken front tooth, not a great look for a lady but it could have been a lot worse. I've had three rides since with my club and they've helped a lot but I also need to go out solo and I plan to do that tomorrow. I'm nervous!
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
If you have private healthcare see about physio asap , i went through works physio for my rotator cuff/ frozen shoulder and tbh i wish at the time i had been in the private scheme as it seemed all they did was chase the pain around the arm suggesting different exercises .
It has taken me a good 6 months to get to a stage where i can contemplate longer rides, i was still managing my 10 mile commute but after 20 miles my amr would feel like it was about to drop off , i could ride more upright so as not to put strain on the ligaments holding the arm together but noass up head down riding .
I am at the point where i have gained a lot of the flexibility and no longer in constant pain , there is light at the end of the tunnel .
It has taken me a good 6 months to get to a stage where i can contemplate longer rides, i was still managing my 10 mile commute but after 20 miles my amr would feel like it was about to drop off , i could ride more upright so as not to put strain on the ligaments holding the arm together but noass up head down riding .
I am at the point where i have gained a lot of the flexibility and no longer in constant pain , there is light at the end of the tunnel .
U
User32269
Guest
Concentrate on getting better. Don't worry about when or if you will get back in the saddle.
Sounds an horrific experience.
Hope you can make a quick as possible recovery.
Sounds an horrific experience.
Hope you can make a quick as possible recovery.
vickster
Legendary Member
GWS
I suffered some injuries after being knocked off my bike 4 years ago. Needed two procedures on my left leg within 2 weeks and two keyhole ops about 18 months later on my right shoulder to repair a posterior labral tear and deal with subsequent adhesive capsulitis (can’t prove the shoulder injuries were down to the accident but anyhow).
As above, start Physio asap but only once your surgeon gives you the ok. Consider paying for private if not insured
I think because my injuries weren’t down to me I was determined to start Cycling again ASAP but I wasn’t allowed to do so for 8 weeks after each surgery. Every shoulder injury is different, if you’ve had bit reattached, bones drilled etc the recovery will be very different to say a frozen shoulder. My two ops were both different in terms of rehab. After the second I was seeing a Physio every few days even on Christmas and New Year’s Eve! To avoid the capsule playing up again. After the tear repair it was much more conservative.
The important thing is to try to regain range of movement back. I’m not fully mobile or pain free and needed a steroid injection, but better than it was
However, don’t feel rushed or pressured to do anything including Cycling. Use a gym or turbo trainer to regain some fitness if needed all under the guidance of surgeon and Physio only though!!
I’m still nervous from time to time especially if a car gets to close and I certainly don’t ride at 25 mph even if I could but I enjoy the cycling I do, slow, steady, lots of coffee stops
If you’re struggling with the emotional side, talk to your GP about some counselling perhaps
Get well soon
I suffered some injuries after being knocked off my bike 4 years ago. Needed two procedures on my left leg within 2 weeks and two keyhole ops about 18 months later on my right shoulder to repair a posterior labral tear and deal with subsequent adhesive capsulitis (can’t prove the shoulder injuries were down to the accident but anyhow).
As above, start Physio asap but only once your surgeon gives you the ok. Consider paying for private if not insured
I think because my injuries weren’t down to me I was determined to start Cycling again ASAP but I wasn’t allowed to do so for 8 weeks after each surgery. Every shoulder injury is different, if you’ve had bit reattached, bones drilled etc the recovery will be very different to say a frozen shoulder. My two ops were both different in terms of rehab. After the second I was seeing a Physio every few days even on Christmas and New Year’s Eve! To avoid the capsule playing up again. After the tear repair it was much more conservative.
The important thing is to try to regain range of movement back. I’m not fully mobile or pain free and needed a steroid injection, but better than it was
However, don’t feel rushed or pressured to do anything including Cycling. Use a gym or turbo trainer to regain some fitness if needed all under the guidance of surgeon and Physio only though!!
I’m still nervous from time to time especially if a car gets to close and I certainly don’t ride at 25 mph even if I could but I enjoy the cycling I do, slow, steady, lots of coffee stops
If you’re struggling with the emotional side, talk to your GP about some counselling perhaps
Get well soon
Racing roadkill
Guru
I don’t know a single rider ( who actually rides more than a couple of miles a year ) who hasn’t had an off. Don’t let that out you off though, take your time and don’t rush to get back on prematurely.
Last edited by a moderator:
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
I crashed when I was younger but I learned and haven't for some time. Riding most days, thousands of miles a year.
Last edited by a moderator:
Tigerbiten
Guru
GWS.
I never thought I cycle much after losing my left arm to a Tiger.
Then I got a recumbent trike.
In the last 8 years I've done ~50,000 miles.
So if you go recumbent trike then you'll put a lot less stress/strain on your bad shoulder.
A bent bike can be a lot harder to learn to ride but also puts less stress/strain on your shoulder.
Luck ..........
I never thought I cycle much after losing my left arm to a Tiger.
Then I got a recumbent trike.
In the last 8 years I've done ~50,000 miles.
So if you go recumbent trike then you'll put a lot less stress/strain on your bad shoulder.
A bent bike can be a lot harder to learn to ride but also puts less stress/strain on your shoulder.
Luck ..........
Dave 123
Legendary Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire alps
@Doobiesis thats really sad news to hear of your off. I hope the journey to recovery is as kind as it can be.
You will get back on your bike. Give it a nice sunny day, off road, no traffic, maybe with others around you to give you confidence. Take your time and don't beat yourself up over it!
You will get back on your bike. Give it a nice sunny day, off road, no traffic, maybe with others around you to give you confidence. Take your time and don't beat yourself up over it!
Sorry to read your words and fair play to you for telling us your story. I think that’s the first step already done by the sounds of it.
Don’t give up on cycling. Don’t force yourself back on, but keep your kit and just wake up one morning and get back on. Don’t think about it or you’ll never do it.
Don’t give up on cycling. Don’t force yourself back on, but keep your kit and just wake up one morning and get back on. Don’t think about it or you’ll never do it.