Ankle vs Hill - The Hill Won

Clipless pedals are our friends, (or grippy pedals & shoes). I broke my ankle Labor Day weekend by riding unclipped. I was going up a super steep hill. It was so steep that I had only a 50/50 chance of getting to the top. I thought that I was being proactive by riding with one of my feet unclipped so that I could get it down fast if I lost too much momentum. The plan backfired. I was pushing SOOOOO hard on the pedals that my foot slipped off of the small pedal platform and slammed into the ground at an ugly angle, breaking off the two boney projections on either side of my ankle.

The irony is that the worst thing that would have happened had I been clipped in & couldn't get my foot out in time is that I would have simply tipped over at slow speed & gotten a bruise or two. Another irony is that being clipped in would have given me more power with less risk of having to stop in the first place.

The good news is that I made it to the top of the two REALLY steep hills that immediately preceded the hill that got me. The first hill had been my nemesis all summer but I managed to nail TWO of them during the last ride before I fell!

So now I have another 5 weeks of analyzing what I did wrong & figure out how to do it better next time. My broken ankle sometimes makes it hard to fall asleep at night. I lie there & "re-ride" the obstacles on my favorite trails. I can't wait to get back on my bike!

Oh, that sucks Artista. I hope your ankle heals quickly and without complication. Hang in there!

Wow - that break sounds hideous! :eek: Heal well.

Oh my, that sounds painful & I hope you heal quickly!

Oh awful, that makes me queasy just thinking about it. Hope you heal up soon! Let us know if you need anything!!

Ugh! Avulsion fracture? Sounds like about the right healing time. I've done that to my ankle in a 'cross race - wasn;t going to make a hill, put my foot out [on the downhill side] and avulsively fractured the ankle.

It will heal, but be careful with it. I did too much, too soon (you know, 'cause I'm like that), and it still bothers me. No more 'cross racing for me without an ankle brace!

Heal up!

SheFly

Sorry to hear that :( Hope you heal soon...

Ouch. Ouch. Heal fast.

Thanks for the well wishes, everyone. This has been surprisingly less painful than I expected from broken bones. Except for a few hours on the day after surgery, I would rate this as no worse than uncomfortable.

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Originally Posted by SheFly

Ugh! Avulsion fracture? Sounds like about the right healing time. I've done that to my ankle in a 'cross race - wasn;t going to make a hill, put my foot out [on the downhill side] and avulsively fractured the ankle.

It will heal, but be careful with it. I did too much, too soon (you know, 'cause I'm like that), and it still bothers me. No more 'cross racing for me without an ankle brace!

Heal up!

SheFly

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Yes, avulsion fracture sounds right. I wasn't paying much attention to what they called it. I just wanted it fixed asap;)

I'm interested in your brace, SheFly. Where did you get it? Do you plan to wear it forever? Does it allow enough rotation to get out of clipless pedals? I use multidirectional SPD's on the lightest setting so it doesn't take much to get my feet out. I plan to ride pretty conservatively until next summer but miscalculations happen, (as evidenced by my attempt to ride that hill unclipped & you putting your foot down on the downhill side).

Ouch! So sorry to hear that, Artista. I wish you a very rapid healing.

Sorry to hear about your injury but like your attitude! Take care, your Pivot will be waiting.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Artista

I'm interested in your brace, SheFly. Where did you get it? Do you plan to wear it forever? Does it allow enough rotation to get out of clipless pedals? I use multidirectional SPD's on the lightest setting so it doesn't take much to get my feet out. I plan to ride pretty conservatively until next summer but miscalculations happen, (as evidenced by my attempt to ride that hill unclipped & you putting your foot down on the downhill side).

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I wear this when I race cyclcross. I don't wear it while road riding, and I don't necessarily wear it when I'm out on the MTB (unless the ankle has been acting up, or I am going to be doing some fairly technical riding). I do wear it for 'cross because the action of running over barriers and remounting really torques my ankle, and I need the extra support to be sure I don't break it again :o.

This fits nicely in my MTB shoes, or in a pair of sneakers or clogs. The hard sides prevent ankle rotation, which for me, is key.

I also use SPDs set on the lightest setting, so don't have trouble unclipping, and the brace doesn't change that at all. I was lucky to only be in an aircast for 4 weeks when I broke mine, and then moved to this to finish out the remainder of the cross season. I also have one of these for days when I need some support, but not the stability the other brace provides.

Will I wear it forever? Hopefully not :D. That said, I'd rather wear it than risk another break... And despite the break, I was back on my road bike within a week - the rotation of pedalling didn't hurt - I swear ;)

Good luck!

SheFly

p.s.
I picked up both of these at the local CVS pharmacy...

Yes, Aggie...my Pivot is waiting for me. She's a patient girl who takes the best care of me that she can. She's up to the task when I want to push myself yet understanding when I chicken out. Aside from my hubby, she's the best mtb friend that I've ever had!

Thanks for the links, SheFly. That company has a gold mine of solutions for my ankle as it heals & strengthens.

And thanks again to everyone else for the well wishes. This is the most supportive community ever!