Top 5 Injuries

[Pup-n-taco]

Hey Peeps- I just wanted to take a brief survey to see what are your top 5 injuries on the trail. These can include most common, worrisome, severe, painful, etc. I am particularly interested in what might concern you when you are further away from immediate care.

I'll start

1. Flesh wound either bad scrape, gash or cut
2. Broken bone
3. Joint dislocation
4. Concussion (even with a helmet)
5. Getting impaled (I know unlikely but just how my twisted mind works).

Thanks in advance for all the input.

Ride ON!

 

[da big hills]

• Flesh wound either bad scrape, gash or cut BLOOD HAPPENS, you know it comes with the single track. If you're not getting nicked, you're not riding fast enough

• Broken bone Nope

• Joint dislocation Nope

• Concussion (even with a helmet) Nope

• Getting impaled (I know unlikely but just how my twisted mind works). Gravity dudes worry, they carry more speed thus crash further off the trail

Happy single trac trails

 

[trailninja]

I am not sure I want to be a part of this club. Haha. I have had my fair share of crashes over the years.

1. Crashed hard with a body blow to the chest. All while sliding down the cliff @ The Luge. (3 months reovery)
2. Ate doo doo at hellride on a jump section. Another body blow to the chest. (2 months recovery)
3. Going down rockit my front tire burped so my air pressure was too low. Not realizing this I tried to jump a lip but when I landed my front tire blewout and I landed full force on my left ankle (i swear i heard something break. Haha). (7 months recovery)
4. While doing a loop around Whiting I had a nasty spill at slippery section. Another chest blow. (1 month recovery)
5. First major injury was when I got impaled by the handlebar riding a target bike. (1 wk at Hoag and 3 months recovery). Tip make sure to change your bar ends if they are exposed. Lol.

 

[ridinrox]

Only one severe injury:

1) Concussion at Snow Summit Bike Park 2015. Don't remember the crash, didn't know where I was, could barely remember my last name. Two weeks off the bike per @doublewide's orders.

I hope to never break, dislocate or impale any body part.

 

[Pup-n-taco]

Thanks for the replies guys. I guess I need to clarify in case anyone else replies- What I listed isn't necessarily what has happened to me (although some have) but also some that I am most afraid of happening to me.

 

[herzalot]

Sorry @Pup-n-taco I'm going to continue the "what happened to me" theme.

1.) Facial laceration, severe concussion and dislocated shoulder on Lynx due to pedal strike (March 2014). Two nights in hospital. Two months rehab on shoulder.
2.) Nasty crash in 2012 at Whistler on Freight Train when I landed sideways off a jump. Severely bruised ribs only - I was very lucky. 3 weeks recovery
3.) Stupid OTB, then over a fence and down into a creek at Whistler in 2009. Massive contusion on my lower back and ass-cheek. No time off the bike, but it was bad.
4.) Broken hand on 5-Oaks April 2016. Surgery and 4 weeks off the bike. The injury, surgery and recovery never really hurt that much.

A few other instances of bruised ribs. Plenty of scrapes, but nothing requiring medical attention.

 

[ridinrox]

Sorry @Pup-n-taco I'm going to continue the "what happened to me" theme.

1.) Facial laceration

You know, you're much better looking now.

 

[un-kola]

I've been riding for 30 years now so I picked up a few various injuries, scrapes and cuts mostly. However I was hit by a car not once but twice!!! First time was on a road bike in '77 just after being discharged from the Army. I had just returned from a tour in Germany and took an early morning ride with a friend to Huntington Beach from Hacienda Heights. Sideswiped by a car that pushed me into a fence by the boatyard at the corner of Beach and PCH. Idiot didn't stop. Not much damage to me or the bike thankfully. Didn't ride a road bike again much after that. Definitely not as courteous as in Europe!

Started riding mtb's in '86. Fast forward to August of '07. Riding Bonelli Park which is about a mile from my house, before I went on graveyard shift that night. Finished a dirt section and taking the pavement over the dam to the next section of dirt trail. Heard something behind me and before I could get out of the way, a small blue car again sideswiped me. Pushed me into a rock wall. This time I needed 16 stitches under my right forearm, and the first of two concussions, with a helmet on. Again that bastard did not stop!!!

The second concussion and 8 stitches on my left elbow was in ''14 at Marshall Canyon. Front tire washed out and high sided in 4" of powder while dropping down to a creek crossing. Cracked my helmet on that one. Hence my sig. -Lloyd

 

[ridinrox]

@un-kola great stories!!

Sounds like those drivers were probably under the influence.

So if you picked up the nickname Llyod what does un-kola mean??

 

[un-kola]

@un-kola great stories!!

Sounds like those drivers were probably under the influence.

So if you picked up the nickname Llyod what does un-kola mean??

The first guy that hit me may have been but the second guy I think was looking at Raging Waters and just not paying attention, just my guess as I barely saw him as he was driving away.

My name is Lloyd. Un-kola is a play off my last name, Kolack. In the early '70s, there was a commercial featuring a Jamaican guy advertising the uncola nut for 7-Up soft drink. When I got to Vietnam in '71, our company medic started calling me that. After I came home I never heard it again unless I ran into an old buddy from those days. (yea, I'm that old!)

With the advent of the internet, I needed handle so I revived it, thus, un-kola. -Lloyd

 

[YvettesSherpa]

I have been lucky until a couple of months ago when I went OTB and ended up cracking a rib. I thought they were just bruised but they were taking to long to heal.

 

[ridinrox]

In the early '70s, there was a commercial featuring a Jamaican guy advertising the uncola nut for 7-Up soft drink. When I got to Vietnam in '71, our company medic started calling me that. After I came home I never heard it again unless I ran into an old buddy from those days. (yea, I'm that old!)

With the advent of the internet, I needed handle so I revived it, thus, un-kola. -Lloyd

I remember that commercial thus now your handle name makes sense. I, too, am that old.

 

[Aviatrix]

What do I worry about most on the trail? I assume we are talking remote trail (further away from immediate help). This would be my list:

1. Axe-murderers
2. Murderers
3. Rapists
4. Getting hungry

My most severe MTB injury happened with a velocity of zero, just bad luck during a stupid tip-over and broke 3 metacarpals. In my camelback I carry a small lightweight camping medical kit, a SOL (Survive Outdoors Longer) kit, an emergency heat blanket, and a water filtration straw. I suggest anyone riding remote trails have that as a minimum. Doesn't weigh much and didn't cost much either. I plan to add a dive-knife to the lot to wear on my calf, but haven't yet.