We had someone die on one of our trails yesterday

[thekarens]

Let me preface this by saying Houston isn't known for it's mountain biking. We have a handful of trails and they are all considered beginner to intermediate. There's nothing super gnarly, no downhill. In fact, to up the difficulty most people (not me) just go faster.

Up until this point when I think of biking injuries I think of my MTB community and when I think of biking deaths I'm always thinking about my roadie community. This is the first time I've heard of someone locally dieing while MTBing. He was wearing his helmet and he was on one of our intermediate trails and from what I've heard he went off one of the bridges. They Life Flighted him out, but he died en route. I didn't know him, but I still ache for his family.

It really makes you think.....go out, enjoy your ride, but be safe!

[Catrin]

Very sad to read this, thinking of his family. Be safe!

[indysteel]

Wow; I'm really sorry to hear that. This is why I get pretty anxious each time we mountain bike.

[zoom-zoom]

I really WANT to love mountain biking, but after breaking my wrist in 2 places last Nov. on my longest ever ride (only 18 miles, but on some fairly challenging, twisty terrain)...and having 2 friends who also busted their wrists <6 months before my injury (one for the 2nd time) I'm not sure how much of a future I have in the sport. I'm 40, which is totally not old, but maybe it's too old to teach THIS dog new tricks. I have friends who have hopped on mountain bikes and taken to it like it was the most natural thing ever. But I never felt confident. The most confident I ever felt was the day I busted myself. Now I'm totally gunshy with a beautiful bike that has only 102 trail miles (I put a few hundred on a low-rent 26er bike. We felt like I was ready to upgrade to a better quality 29er and it was awesome to not work so hard to keep up with others or die on minor hills). Contributing to my apprehension is the fact that my right wrist still doesn't have full function, so I'd not be able to have the best control over my bike that I would with a non-bum wrist.

I suspect that I am really too short to be comfortably piloting a 29er (I'm just under 5'4"), too, but there were almost no 650b options when we bought my Salsa El Mariachi. Even now, the shop we frequent has only ONE 650b option that would fit me and it's easily a grand more than what we would willingly spend (not sure why Jamis makes the $2900 Dragon in a tiny size, but not the $1900 Nemesis).

I'm registered for a 30ish mile mountain bike race in Nov., but I suspect I will be transferring my registration to someone else. Maybe I'll feel better about getting back to it in 2014, but I'm not holding my breath. In the next couple of years my 12 year old son will likely fit my bike well, so maybe I'll pass it off to him...or sell it and upgrade my CX bike! :)

[TigerMom]

Poor Zoom Zoom. Maybe you are just racing too hard/too fast on your MTB rides?

Sad to hear about the Mountain Biker falling off of a bridge.

In my cycling club (I wasn't there that morning), we recently had a road biker fall off of the road and down a cliff. His bike hung in a tree and he had huge gashes on his face. But, surprisingly, he survived.

[thekarens]

I love MTBing, and I used to think I wanted to start trying harder trails, but I've since decided I'm happy at the level I'm at and I'll stick to those types of trails that I'm ok at and just enjoy the ride.

[Catrin]

Zoom Zoom, I hear you! As much as I loved mountain biking, and as hard as it was for me to decide to quit, the decision brought a measure of relief. While it looks like my mountain bike crashes left some permanent physical consequences (neck) for me, I am very lucky compared to some I know of. CNS damage can be far worse than what I experienced. It is a great sport - but certainly on the edge! My problem last year was that I kept second guessing myself which didn't help the soft tissue damage that I am currently dealing with - I KNEW I should have stopped before I did but darn it, when it worked for me it was so much fun! In retrospect, it was a bit much to take on at 51-52 years old but I HAD to try it ;)

[indysteel]

Zoom, have you taken a skills clinic? If you haven't, I strongly recommend that you do. I really want to do the Women's clinic next year. Care to join me? :)

[zoom-zoom]

Zoom, have you taken a skills clinic? If you haven't, I strongly recommend that you do. I really want to do the Women's clinic next year. Care to join me? :)

I'd really like to do that, next year. I did one short clinic nearby a few months back, but really haven't been back on my bike, since then. My wrist is still quite weak, plus fairly stiff and often sore, so it makes me feel like it's limiting my control of the bike. I figure next Spring I'll hopefully be in a better place to give it another go.

[emily_in_nc]

When I first started mountain biking (in my mid-40s), I tried doing some more technical stuff (which was still very easy by experienced MTBer standards), but to me the roots, rocks, and twisty switchbacks were just too much. I fell enough that I ultimately decided "enough". I know I could have gotten better with practice and clinics, but I decided I much more enjoyed the less technical stuff than singletrack, unless it's very easy singletrack. So now I pretty much stick to unpaved rail-trails and very easy trails, and when something starts getting a bit sketchy, I don't hesitate to get off and walk a bit. I also enjoy riding my MTB for urban rides on crappy, cracked, potholed paved roads -- it's just more comfortable with the wider tires and suspension. We've been riding our MTBs a lot more than our roadies here in the Kansas City area (plus the Katy Trail and our recent trip to New Mexico).

I have had both a hardtail and two full-suspension MTBs and prefer the full-suspension. Much more comfy, but then again, I'm not doing anything technical.

[Crankin]

I'm another one who made the decision to stop mountain biking. I was in love with the idea of it, and of being in the woods. I had one year, where I attempted and did fair on some hard stuff, but mountain biking is something you have to practice a lot to do well, and I hated taking time away from my road bikes. I am not naturally a risk taker and since I was also in my early fifties when I started, I decided it wasn't worth it. We sold both of our mountain bikes about 5 years ago, after we rode them on dirt roads up in Maine. Even that was harder than I thought, although I would do it again. There's very little in the way of mountian bike trails here that aren't rooty or rocky and when I started, I still hadn't found a medication I could take for my osteoporosis. That is now being reversed, but I just couldn't risk falling, which I did some, but mostly, I didn't try anything too risky.
I am not that kind of scared at all on the road.

[zoom-zoom]

I'm another one who made the decision to stop mountain biking. I was in love with the idea of it, and of being in the woods. I had one year, where I attempted and did fair on some hard stuff, but mountain biking is something you have to practice a lot to do well, and I hated taking time away from my road bikes. I am not naturally a risk taker and since I was also in my early fifties when I started, I decided it wasn't worth it. We sold both of our mountain bikes about 5 years ago, after we rode them on dirt roads up in Maine. Even that was harder than I thought, although I would do it again. There's very little in the way of mountian bike trails here that aren't rooty or rocky and when I started, I still hadn't found a medication I could take for my osteoporosis. That is now being reversed, but I just couldn't risk falling, which I did some, but mostly, I didn't try anything too risky.
I am not that kind of scared at all on the road.

I TOTALLY get what you are saying. I think I love the IDEA of mountain biking more than the reality of it. When it's good it's awesome and blows road biking away...but the inherent risks, especially to a noob who falls a LOT, are a bit beyond what I often think I want to deal with. I felt this to a very small degree before I broke my wrist. Before that I felt sort of invincible and was sorta proud of my massive (and frequent) bruises. But after causing major injury to myself I wonder if the risks are worth the reward. Being laid-up for 6 weeks really sucked -- and it was during the worst part of the year, weather-wise. If I found myself relegated to the sofa in the middle of Summer I think I'd be unbelievably miserable. And unbelievably miserable to be around!

[tealtreak]

I really WANT to love mountain biking, but after breaking my wrist in 2 places last Nov. on my longest ever ride (only 18 miles, but on some fairly challenging, twisty terrain)...and having 2 friends who also busted their wrists <6 months before my injury (one for the 2nd time) I'm not sure how much of a future I have in the sport. I'm 40, which is totally not old, but maybe it's too old to teach THIS dog new tricks. I have friends who have hopped on mountain bikes and taken to it like it was the most natural thing ever. But I never felt confident. The most confident I ever felt was the day I busted myself. Now I'm totally gunshy with a beautiful bike that has only 102 trail miles (I put a few hundred on a low-rent 26er bike. We felt like I was ready to upgrade to a better quality 29er and it was awesome to not work so hard to keep up with others or die on minor hills). Contributing to my apprehension is the fact that my right wrist still doesn't have full function, so I'd not be able to have the best control over my bike that I would with a non-bum wrist.

I suspect that I am really too short to be comfortably piloting a 29er (I'm just under 5'4"), too, but there were almost no 650b options when we bought my Salsa El Mariachi. Even now, the shop we frequent has only ONE 650b option that would fit me and it's easily a grand more than what we would willingly spend (not sure why Jamis makes the $2900 Dragon in a tiny size, but not the $1900 Nemesis).

I'm registered for a 30ish mile mountain bike race in Nov., but I suspect I will be transferring my registration to someone else. Maybe I'll feel better about getting back to it in 2014, but I'm not holding my breath. In the next couple of years my 12 year old son will likely fit my bike well, so maybe I'll pass it off to him...or sell it and upgrade my CX bike! :)

Zoomzoom- you may have answered/ heard this before....but have you done any physical therapy for your wrist? Mine is arthritic but I have regained most strength and range of motion with PT (though my break was kayaking not biking....pain is the same!)

[tealtreak]

so sorry to hear about this....): thinking about his family and your entire biking community...

[zoom-zoom]

Zoomzoom- you may have answered/ heard this before....but have you done any physical therapy for your wrist? Mine is arthritic but I have regained most strength and range of motion with PT (though my break was kayaking not biking....pain is the same!)

I have -- and it really made a huge difference in the early months of healing. I know from my experience with a grade 2 ankle sprain 3 years ago that I can expect at least a full year to 2 years before it will likely feel anywhere near pre-injury condition. It's only in the past year that I've contemplated a return to trail running after that injury. Soft tissue/ligament damage stinks!

How long since your injury? How bad is your arthritis? I'm good on the road bike on the hoods or drops, but rotating my hand 90º medial is still uncomfortable...ie the tops on a road bike or mtn. bike handlebars. It's only in the past month that my SRAM road/CX shifters weren't really requiring major effort to operate. I'm about back to shifting without giving it much thought.

[tealtreak]

I have -- and it really made a huge difference in the early months of healing. I know from my experience with a grade 2 ankle sprain 3 years ago that I can expect at least a full year to 2 years before it will likely feel anywhere near pre-injury condition. It's only in the past year that I've contemplated a return to trail running after that injury. Soft tissue/ligament damage stinks!

How long since your injury? How bad is your arthritis? I'm good on the road bike on the hoods or drops, but rotating my hand 90º medial is still uncomfortable...ie the tops on a road bike or mtn. bike handlebars. It's only in the past month that my SRAM road/CX shifters weren't really requiring major effort to operate. I'm about back to shifting without giving it much thought.


My wrist and finger demolition incident was August 2008, so yes....now that you have refreshed my memory...it did take a while to heal....I mentioned the PT because even now I do the wrist strength exercises when I am at the gym and feel it helps..Please don't assume you will have arthritis, mine may be from years of martial arts and other craziness rather than a specific injury (:

As far as biking goes my experience is not super relevant because I didn't start mountain biking until 2010. Interestingly (and in contrast to many comments above) I feel way safer mt biking than on the road. Maybe the drivers here in VA are particularly awful toward cyclists but on the trails its just me, the rocks and the trees (: Any wreck I have had was my fault, not some lunatic going 60 around a narrow curve pulling a horse trailer!

[zoom-zoom]

Ahhh...drivers are generally pretty courteous around these parts. I think in large part because cycling is really popular and growing at a crazy rate in West MI. I do tend to avoid more congested/busy roads, though. We have so many nice, quiet ones that it's not hard to do so.

Yeah, I don't know whether arthritis will end up an issue -- my ortho and PT mentioned the possibility. My ankle generally feels pretty good. Where I do have arthritis is my tailbone after busting it a few times as a kid. My knees used to be semi-arthritic during certain weather conditions, but have been much happier since I started running >7 years ago (use it or lose it).

[SheFly]

So sorry to read about the MTBer. That is truly sad. That said, we don't very often hear of MTB deaths, as thekarens mentioned.

I ride in the woods A LOT. I have fear. I ride technical and non-technical terrain. I ride with groups, I ride with DH and I ride alone. I have never had a serious MTB injury (my most serious cycling injury happened in a CX race, which, amazingly, everyone thinks is safer). Don't let this news deter you - if you love being in the woods - go out and enjoy being in the woods. Want to get better? Find someone locally who can show you how to ride (NOT your SO!). Find a clinic that will teach you skills. Ride WITHIN your comfort zone! There are still LOTS of things I won't ride. Just last weekend, racing as a Cat 1 at MTB Nationals, I walked a good portion of the descent because it scared me.

My point? If you don't love it, I get it. If you do, keep doing it. Do what you love - you could get run over by a mail truck going out your front door...

SheFly

[thekarens]

Amen SheFly! :-)

[indysteel]

Thanks for the pep-talk, SheFly. I needed to hear that. This thread has reinforced for me that I should go to another clinic or otherwise get some more instruction. I feel like I'm doing relatively well as a new-ish rider, but I'm letting some anxiety get the better of me. Having some additional instruction will hopefully reinforce what I think I'm already doing pretty well, and help me correct some of the things that I'm not. Because I really do love riding in the woods.

[SheFly]

Thanks for the pep-talk, SheFly. I needed to hear that. This thread has reinforced for me that I should go to another clinic or otherwise get some more instruction. I feel like I'm doing relatively well as a new-ish rider, but I'm letting some anxiety get the better of me. Having some additional instruction will hopefully reinforce what I think I'm already doing pretty well, and help me correct some of the things that I'm not. Because I really do love riding in the woods.

You're welcome :D Trust me - I get anxious too, so I GET IT. But I still love it, and I still go out and push myself to do even better every time I ride. My anxiety about all of the rocks at Nationals actually helped me to ride some rocky sections of a race course BETTER yesterday than I might have previously. I still dabbed in places where I was nervous, but I had a terrific race, and LOVED being out there. That's what it is about.

Indy - do you have an MTB group local to you? Are there any women local who ride A LOT and would be willing to take yo out with them for a ride? I do that often here - I love to teach and share my passion for riding in the woods with others. I've also been on the receiving end of some great tips from other women. It's a great way to get out there!

SheFly

[Catrin]

Thanks for the pep-talk, SheFly. I needed to hear that. This thread has reinforced for me that I should go to another clinic or otherwise get some more instruction. I feel like I'm doing relatively well as a new-ish rider, but I'm letting some anxiety get the better of me. Having some additional instruction will hopefully reinforce what I think I'm already doing pretty well, and help me correct some of the things that I'm not. Because I really do love riding in the woods.

Indy - if it helps - I really enjoyed riding with you last year when we hit Green Valley. Your confidence and strength riding was very encouraging to me!

I wish I COULD risk trying it again, but I can't risk another neck injury. That doesn't mean that I can't encourage others and volunteer at events :)

[indysteel]

You're welcome :D Trust me - I get anxious too, so I GET IT. But I still love it, and I still go out and push myself to do even better every time I ride. My anxiety about all of the rocks at Nationals actually helped me to ride some rocky sections of a race course BETTER yesterday than I might have previously. I still dabbed in places where I was nervous, but I had a terrific race, and LOVED being out there. That's what it is about.

Indy - do you have an MTB group local to you? Are there any women local who ride A LOT and would be willing to take yo out with them for a ride? I do that often here - I love to teach and share my passion for riding in the woods with others. I've also been on the receiving end of some great tips from other women. It's a great way to get out there!

SheFly

The irony is that every time I ride, I actually do pretty well. My husband just shakes his head at me because my perception of how I'm riding and the reality of how I ride are vastly different. I sort of did the same thing when I started road biking. After I got strong enough to ride the worst of our hills and/or ride long distances, I would still put myself down when it came to my abilities.

But to answer your question, we do have a relatively local "club," but I'm not terribly tapped into it, and I've sort of sensed that it operates more as an advocacy group (especially as it relates to trail building, maintenance and local MTB promotion) than as a club through which riders can meet and ride together. To best of my knowledge, there are no club sponsored rides other than the "big" event rides and local races.

I've reached out a time or two to the husband and wife who put on our local women's skills clinic for the name of someone local who might be interested in private lessons. I heard nothing from the wife and was vaguely directed elsewhere by the husband (who is somebody I know reasonably well as he was my fitter for my road bike and he helped me design and build my Moots roadie). I don't want to malign them because I mostly assumed at the time that they were pretty busy, but I will admit that I was a bit surprised that they weren't more eager to hook me up with someone. The husband has since left the shop where he worked, but I don't know whether he's in a better position now to instruct me himself. I haven't seen or talked to him in some time.

Beyond that, there's a Meetup.com women's group. From what I can tell, a small group of beginning/intermediate riders get together at the park where I ride. Admittedly, I'm torn about this. I feel sort of self-conscious saying this because I'm otherwise pretty independent from my husband and he from me, but riding is one of the things we mostly do together. We go mtbing infrequently enough as it is that I'd rather ride with him when I do go out. While we have a few mutual mtb friends, it's usually just the two of us. So, I haven't done a particularly good job of reaching out to other riders. But I will acknowledge that I'm likely hampering my own development as a mtber because of it. Maybe it's time to rethink that.

Thanks for giving me some food for thought.

[indysteel]

Indy - if it helps - I really enjoyed riding with you last year when we hit Green Valley. Your confidence and strength riding was very encouraging to me!

I wish I COULD risk trying it again, but I can't risk another neck injury. That doesn't mean that I can't encourage others and volunteer at events :)

Thanks; I appreciate your compliment. I was having a good day that day! I'm sorry you've had to stop, although I totally understand your reasoning.

[Catrin]

Thank; I appreciate your compliment. I was having a good day that day! I'm sorry you've had to stop, although I totally understand your reasoning.

That WAS a great day, wasn't it? So what if I crashed at the end of it, but I consider it my last good mountain bike ride :) I finally made outside Pine Loop, Limekiln, and the NT Loop, even if it was only once. I would totally try it again someday if it weren't for the potential consequences. It helps that I no longer have a mountain bike, so I can't go on a whim.

If we had easier trails on which to ride I would have kept the bike and done what some others here do. Fire trails and other less technical terrain probably would have been fine for me, but I've not been able to even road ride without symptoms since then. I just choose to consider it a reminder by my body that I've limitations and to focus on what doesn't hurt. I DO have hopes of being able to ride more after I complete my shoulder/neck treatments :)

[indysteel]

That WAS a great day, wasn't it? So what if I crashed at the end of it, but I consider it my last good mountain bike ride :) I finally made outside Pine Loop, Limekiln, and the NT Loop, even if it was only once. I would totally try it again someday if it weren't for the potential consequences. It helps that I no longer have a mountain bike, so I can't go on a whim.

If we had easier trails on which to ride I would have kept the bike and done what some others here do. Fire trails and other less technical terrain probably would have been fine for me, but I've not been able to even road ride without symptoms since then. I just choose to consider it a reminder by my body that I've limitations and to focus on what doesn't hurt. I DO have hopes of being able to ride more after I complete my shoulder/neck treatments :)

It's a bummer that we don't have more off-roading options closer to central Indiana. I think often of your whiplash injury because, if memory serves, you and I had tentative plans that day to ride while Brian and I were camping at BCSP. You ended up going out instead with your friend and her young son instead and, again if memory serves, you crashed because you were going slowly over some rocks/roots an an effort to accommodate the little boy. The stars did not align well for you that day, and you've paid a ridiculously high price for that. That's a real shame.

But I'll give you a ton of credit for finding some new activities and goals. Your group X class sounds grueling, yet there you are day after day, week after week. You're one tenacious woman! Oh, but we each have our hurdles. Anyone who has exercised or been active for any length of time knows the ebb and flow of our bodies, our interests, our time, etc. It's seemingly a moving target. My hat goes off to anyone who finds ways to keep at it. My latest hurdle is plantar fasciitis in my right foot. What a pain, literally. It's plagued me since this winter, but just recently went from a minor inconvenience to a full-out war. I've decided that my right side is just totally screwed up from my low back down. I think it's all related and it's arguably time to find someone who can see my big picture. Maybe I should see your chiro.....

[Catrin]

You have an amazing memory Indy! That is exactly what happened. It was just a freakish fall- all about how I fell rather than the speed of the fall. That is life and I am thankful that I've been able to find other things. It DOES feel at times that the price I've paid for that crash has been pretty high but I prefer to focus on what I can do. No sense focusing on what I can't change.

I will PM you the contact info on my Chiro in case you decide to go that way. He is in Carmel on Tues/Thurs.

[mumbles]

I fell a lot when I started riding at 52. A lot of my falls were because I got scared and tried to stop in the middle of something. Had to learn to let the bike roll through it. Some falls were just sudden otb's. Broke my wrist when my bike slipped in the mud. I find the 29er to be much more stable and at 57 I ride better and take less risks, falls are rare. If I could ride as fast as the young guys around here do, I would be in bad shape after a fall. Slower speed crashes aren't so bad. Road bikes are higher speed and you fall on concrete, that scares me more.
Sad about the guy that went off the bridge. Actually I heard he totally missed the bridge and was no doubt flying at full speed, he landed wrong and broke his neck. I think when death wants to take you, it doesn't matter where you are or what you are doing, it will find a way. Better to die doing what you love than some of the other available options.

[Jolt]

When I first started mountain biking (in my mid-40s), I tried doing some more technical stuff (which was still very easy by experienced MTBer standards), but to me the roots, rocks, and twisty switchbacks were just too much. I fell enough that I ultimately decided "enough". I know I could have gotten better with practice and clinics, but I decided I much more enjoyed the less technical stuff than singletrack, unless it's very easy singletrack. So now I pretty much stick to unpaved rail-trails and very easy trails, and when something starts getting a bit sketchy, I don't hesitate to get off and walk a bit. I also enjoy riding my MTB for urban rides on crappy, cracked, potholed paved roads -- it's just more comfortable with the wider tires and suspension. We've been riding our MTBs a lot more than our roadies here in the Kansas City area (plus the Katy Trail and our recent trip to New Mexico).

I have had both a hardtail and two full-suspension MTBs and prefer the full-suspension. Much more comfy, but then again, I'm not doing anything technical.

I feel pretty much the same way...this summer I took a mountain biking lesson, to try it out (it was free, with a Meetup group that I am part of), and it was too scary to be fun. The trails weren't even that hard, by MTB standards, but the tight turns and steep downhill sections were nerve racking, particularly in a group and with somebody yelling instructions while one is trying to concentrate. When I almost did an endo going down a short steep section, I decided it was not my cup of tea! Rail trails, fire roads and the like are fun to ride; singletrack is best appreciated on foot as far as I am concerned.

[Wahine]

So sorry to read about the MTBer. That is truly sad. That said, we don't very often hear of MTB deaths, as thekarens mentioned.

I ride in the woods A LOT. I have fear. I ride technical and non-technical terrain. I ride with groups, I ride with DH and I ride alone. I have never had a serious MTB injury (my most serious cycling injury happened in a CX race, which, amazingly, everyone thinks is safer). Don't let this news deter you - if you love being in the woods - go out and enjoy being in the woods. Want to get better? Find someone locally who can show you how to ride (NOT your SO!). Find a clinic that will teach you skills. Ride WITHIN your comfort zone! There are still LOTS of things I won't ride. Just last weekend, racing as a Cat 1 at MTB Nationals, I walked a good portion of the descent because it scared me.

My point? If you don't love it, I get it. If you do, keep doing it. Do what you love - you could get run over by a mail truck going out your front door...

SheFly

Exactly. And let's be realistic, how many deaths do you hear about from mtn biking at an intermediate level do you hear about? Not many. But how many deaths or severe brain injuries occur when roadies get hit by cars? When you're out mtn biking, it's OK to get off and walk stuff. I do it all the time. I get off and walk stuff that I would normally ride on days when I just feel a little off of my A game. But don't let your ego rule your decision making. That's when bad things happen. I'd much rather take my chances with the dirt and the trees where I am in control of what happens to me by making smart choices than rolling the dice with cars on roads.

Just my 2 cents.

[Crankin]

I get what you are saying, Wahine, but I still felt much more comfortable on the road. Sure, I got off and walked... that was the issue. I was walking most of the time, even in places where it was ranked easy. I was just scared all of the time. What Jolt said pretty much echoes how I felt. I think that since mountain biking is so much more technical, it requires constant practice and I wasn't willing to give up the road cycling to do all of that practice. Some of my road riding skills need improvement, but I'm still able to hold my own in the groups I ride with. I'm a lot more comfortable in certain traffic situations than I used to be. Sometimes, I wish I still had a mountain bike, so I could ride fire roads, dirt roads, etc., but I'd have to travel a ways to find this type of terrain. I have to say, I am amazed at some of the things mountain bikers do, but all I could think about was the risk and what could happen if... hence I was extremely cautious.

[Wahine]

Mountain biking isn't for everyone, and it may not be for you Crankin. It just surprises me that it is perceived by so many as being more dangerous than road riding. In the last one year working as a PT I've seen 3 roadies seriously injured, 1 collarbone fracture and minor concussion, 1 collarbone fracture, lumbar fracture and concussion, one serious concussion, neck injury, avulsion fracture of the shoulder and multiple significant contusions. And one friend that ended up in a coma for 3 weeks from being hit from behind by a car. In that same time frame, I've had one mountain biker who was an aggressive rider with a serious hand fracture and grade 3 shoulder separation. I'm just talking serious traumatic injuries here.

[tealtreak]

Crankin, you are wise to pursue what you are comfortable with, after all, having fun with our exercise is the ultimate goal! ...Your last sentence is telling. Caution (or rather hesitation) is the enemy in momentum sports.....In diving and gymnastics the coaches call it the "flinch factor"... that last minute loss of forward momentum will cause you to fail every time.... This is not to say I ride like a lunatic... but it is critical to commit fully (or not) way before the obstacle or technical section.....My heart goes out to the women I meet who do not enjoy mt biking but keep trying because of pressure from SO... (who is often not a patient teacher.....) I wish they had your conviction to just say..."not for me, enjoying the road..."

[Wahine]

Crankin, you are wise to pursue what you are comfortable with, after all, having fun with our exercise is the ultimate goal! ...Your last sentence is telling. Caution (or rather hesitation) is the enemy in momentum sports.....In diving and gymnastics the coaches call it the "flinch factor"... that last minute loss of forward momentum will cause you to fail every time.... This is not to say I ride like a lunatic... but it is critical to commit fully (or not) way before the obstacle or technical section.....My heart goes out to the women I meet who do not enjoy mt biking but keep trying because of pressure from SO... (who is often not a patient teacher.....) I wish they had your conviction to just say..."not for me, enjoying the road..."

Very well put.

[thekarens]

Crankin, you are wise to pursue what you are comfortable with, after all, having fun with our exercise is the ultimate goal! ...Your last sentence is telling. Caution (or rather hesitation) is the enemy in momentum sports.....In diving and gymnastics the coaches call it the "flinch factor"... that last minute loss of forward momentum will cause you to fail every time.... This is not to say I ride like a lunatic... but it is critical to commit fully (or not) way before the obstacle or technical section.....My heart goes out to the women I meet who do not enjoy mt biking but keep trying because of pressure from SO... (who is often not a patient teacher.....) I wish they had your conviction to just say..."not for me, enjoying the road..."

I agree wholeheartedly. When I was first learning the guy teaching me told me over and over that I had to trust my bike to ride the bumpy stuff (roots, rocks, etc.) that it was built to do it. My worst fall was the one where I hesitated on a small downhill. If I had committed fully it would have been fine.

Interestingly I had the same lesson/experience on my road bike a couple weekends ago. We were headed down an incline and I was going 20-22 when we hit a wooden bridge. The bridge had every other slat slightly lower than the previous slat. When I hit it there wasn't time to slow down so I had to use my MTB lesson. I got out of my saddle held on and committed. It about rattled my teeth out, but I never lost control of the bike.

[Catrin]

I prefer mountain to road riding, but my list of mtb injuries finally managed to take me off the mtb bike. I really miss riding in the woods, but I can't say what caused me to fail. The crash that caused my neck injury that keeps on giving was a slow fall where I hit a root at the wrong angle...it was how I fell that caused the neck-snapping. After that I tried to continue, but went from one mtb injury to another. Were they from not fully committing and second-guessing myself? From not having enough general riding experience before attempting mountain biking? Possibly both in one degree to another. When it worked it was SO sweet though that I hated to give up. I've also known of several who have suffered broken backs on the same beginners trail that I crashed on in the last couple of years.

Good job Thekarens! That would be a bit scary if you weren't expecting it - but you knew what you needed to do and did it!

I DO know that I am far more confident in my general riding than I was prior to mountain biking. Road riding just isn't as much fun as it was before I hit the trails for the very first time. If I ever live someplace there there are less technical riding options such as fire roads I will consider replacing my FS and go for it - but until then I will continue to explore with riding on the road and running on the trails ;) Oh yes, and encouraging women to try it out and follow their bliss if they find they also love to ride in the woods!