Bikes are not for everyone!

I have a friend who decided her husband needed to loose weight get out be more active. Their relationship has suffered some from his non participation in her active life. So This christmas she bought him a mountain bike.
Everything seemed good, he was happy to get it and willing to give it a go.
So this past sat they went out on their first adventure. Now I need to mention my friends hubby is a good 50 pounds overweight. Things are going good they are having fun. A couple friends are with them. One of which is a Dr. Well Lisa is on her merry way when she realizes she is by herself.....where is everyone so she turns around and back tracks. Finally she see's everyone huddled around something. Get's up to the little crowd and see;s it is her hubby. He has fallen 2 times. First time his helmet saved his head but still ended up with a concussion. And the 2nd fall well I will let the picture tell you what happened. Before Lisa knew what had happened she had gotten mad at her hubby for scratching the new paint! She of coarse now feels really bad about forcing this whole thing on him. Lesson to be learned? Not sure, some people are better off left alone but some do need a fire put under their butts but to what cost? Poor Brad is on his way into surgery today. Good luck Brad! Maybe walking is better.
Now I say that and think back on the first time my husband went Kayak fishing in the ocean and the boat sank and he had to swim to shore in 50 degree water, lost all the gear that was lent him, almost got hypothermia, search and rescue showed up. Saved the boat but had to but all new stuff for the guy that lent him the gear. What did my husband do? Bought a kayak and fishing gear and went right back out. Of coarse he has all the safety stuff now including a radio he can call a coast guard. And everything is tied to the boat so it won't float away. But he also didn't buy a boat that had a plug in it. Yes the first boat had a plug in it in the front and someone took it out and did not put it back then lent it to someone! Smaaaart! So interesting lessons here. Just wanted to share sorry if it is long winded.

there are a lot of people a lot more overweight than 50 pounds. Of course you haven't really told us the details. Why did he fall? was he messing around? riding beyond his abilities? Then again, maybe he deliberately sabotaged his ride. Who knows? I'd like to hear the rest of the story.
I know a guy who started seriously riding a year ago. before that, riding was hard on his back, his butt, he always had an excuse. But then he started riding. And he fell and fell and fell. He fell hard. he ruined a saddle by falling. He scratched his bike up and needed serious repairs on it. But then he started "getting" it.

He's done a lot of serious miles since then without falling! Your Brad could be like that too.
I know a lot of cyclists who have fallen and broken collarbones; unfortunately, that's a fairly common injury.

Good luck Brad.

Owwwww!

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Originally Posted by Brandi

Maybe walking is better.

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Yeah, maybe some nice walks for the two of them when he gets out and recovered. :o

The good news is they say you're not a real cyclist till you have a broken clavicle. He jumped right in and got that out of the way. ;)

I am afraid I do not know all the details of what happened. My friend Lisa is my Best friends sister in law so I got this story last night and stole the picture from my bf's fb page. When I find out more I will let you know.
I am grateful my husband has not broken his shoulder! That would be awful considering what we do for a living. I guess I could do all the shoveling and sculpting but it is better when he helps.
I have yet to break anything on my bike either (knock on wood).

Depending on where they were riding mountain bikes, I can totally see this happening. MTB trails can be very technical and dangerous for beginners. When I first got a MTB and had only done fire roads, I went onto some intermediate trails with a friend and fell a LOT. I was lucky I didn't get seriously injured, but I did get whiplash and some minor injuries. I then scaled back to fire roads and beginner trails only. The roots, rocks, switchbacks, and drops of some trails are not for the uninitiated! And let's face it, some of us are better bike handlers than others. A newbie is not likely to be able to anticipate how to handle even the smallest obstacles.

My DH broke his clavicle on his road bike when he hit a bad edge on the pavement, and he was a very experienced rider with many 1000s of miles under his wheels, so it can happen to anyone, but a first-time inexperienced mountain biker is much more likely to run into trouble if s/he rides on terrain above his/her ability. Sounds like that may have been the case here. Poor guy -- owie! :(

I would not have taken a new rider on anything but a fire road for sure. My friend went on a long mountain bike trip with us and she was supposed to train for a year prior and she didn't. The 7 days we were out in the middle of nowhere almost did her in. I was mad that she had not taken this more seriously. I didn't get mad at her while we were riding. Just grumbled a lot while everyone else was having a great time while I waited for her every few miles. It was a long trip. In the end I ended up finding her a ride to Moab where we were supposed to end our trip. That was after she hit a sand bar flipped over her handle bars and knocked herself out. She had fractured her cheek bone on that one. I still love her though! But won't do that again unlees I know for sure that person is training. She said she was though so how was I to know?

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Originally Posted by Trek420

The good news is they say you're not a real cyclist till you have a broken clavicle. He jumped right in and got that out of the way. ;)

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I am happy to remain a phony cyclist, then. :eek:

Sorry that happened to your friend Brad, Brandi. The worst is the concussion; the second fall might have been the consequence of that. Hopefully he got hooked and won't make a habit of falling, getting concussions or breaking bones.

That is quite a story! I have noticed that adversity draws people too so maybe the wreck will have the opposite effect, and he'll be a hard core mountain bicyclist now!

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Originally Posted by Brandi

I would not have taken a new rider on anything but a fire road for sure. My friend went on a long mountain bike trip with us and she was supposed to train for a year prior and she didn't. The 7 days we were out in the middle of nowhere almost did her in.

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Ah. So perhaps a family tendency to skip the build up or training?

I admire people who jump in with both feet to a project but even with my bike handling skills I would start slow on a mtb. Then again some do not know how to formulate a training plan, where to start and how to build skills.

Invite them to TE! We've got some expertise here. :cool:

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Originally Posted by Trek420

Owwwww!



Yeah, maybe some nice walks for the two of them when he gets out and recovered. :o

The good news is they say you're not a real cyclist till you have a broken clavicle. He jumped right in and got that out of the way. ;)

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I hope that's not true. I prefer all my bones intact. I thought my fall into doggie too on my new road bike might qualify me into that club perhaps. I guess not.

Anyway, hopefully he might give it another try once he heals, and take it slow. He could always use a stationary/spin bike.

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Originally Posted by Muirenn

I think, perhaps, this is the only true problem. When person A decides something for person B...

Er, that and the scratched paint reaction.

Ah well.

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I think you nailed it. Sorry but the wife in this story sounds like a piece of work. 1)she decides the husband needs a bike to exercise 2)wife waltzs selfishly away while friends stay behind and keep husband company because he can't keep up 3)he seriously hurts himself with broken bones and a concussion and all she can think about is scratched paint?

He needs a Dr. and a good divorce lawyer.

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Originally Posted by Bike Writer

I think you nailed it. Sorry but the wife in this story sounds like a piece of work. 1)she decides the husband needs a bike to exercise 2)wife waltzs selfishly away while friends stay behind and keep husband company because he can't keep up 3)he seriously hurts himself with broken bones and a concussion and all she can think about is scratched paint?

He needs a Dr. and a good divorce lawyer.

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This. And freaking out over scratched pain on a mountain bike?! Hello, mountain and CX bikes look better with dings and scratches! It means they are getting used for their intended purposes.

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Originally Posted by Bike Writer

I think you nailed it. Sorry but the wife in this story sounds like a piece of work. 1)she decides the husband needs a bike to exercise 2)wife waltzs selfishly away while friends stay behind and keep husband company because he can't keep up 3)he seriously hurts himself with broken bones and a concussion and all she can think about is scratched paint?

He needs a Dr. and a good divorce lawyer.

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Oh she is a piece of work. He gets pulled in all over the place. But not much of a self motivator soooooo? Maybe she has to be that way with him. I have herd stories. So now I can't invite them to TE they might read this. Yikes!

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Originally Posted by Brandi

Oh she is a piece of work. He gets pulled in all over the place.

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Sounds like my MIL. :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by Muirenn

Fortuitous? :rolleyes:

Oh, I thought she was mad about the paint until she found out he was hurt. Still, worrying about scratched paint on your spouse's anything is a red-flag.

If he is not a 'self-motivator' it's not the wife's job to act in that function. He's a grown-up. Right?

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She was mad about the paint till she found out her was hurt. They both could use some work. ;)

My husband decided to participate in a mountain bike race. I didn't want to be the "little woman" who stays at home so I decided to do it too. It was a HUGE step out of my comfort zone, and if I decide to do it again next year I will train differently. The good news is that I got the proof that I AM AWESOME!;) I really needed proof of that after some hard times recently. What I got from this was that my husband threw a challenge at me and I grudgingly accepted. I survived with all my bones intact. I am capable of so much more than I realize and it's time to act on it!

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Originally Posted by beccaB

My husband decided to participate in a mountain bike race. I didn't want to be the "little woman" who stays at home so I decided to do it too. It was a HUGE step out of my comfort zone, and if I decide to do it again next year I will train differently. The good news is that I got the proof that I AM AWESOME!;) I really needed proof of that after some hard times recently. What I got from this was that my husband threw a challenge at me and I grudgingly accepted. I survived with all my bones intact. I am capable of so much more than I realize and it's time to act on it!

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Good for you! Love to hear it! I have trouble going out of my comfort zone so i know what a challenge it can be. And I am glad you didn't hurt yourself!

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Originally Posted by Bike Writer

I think you nailed it. Sorry but the wife in this story sounds like a piece of work. 1)she decides the husband needs a bike to exercise 2)wife waltzs selfishly away while friends stay behind and keep husband company because he can't keep up 3)he seriously hurts himself with broken bones and a concussion and all she can think about is scratched paint?

He needs a Dr. and a good divorce lawyer.

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+1000!

Several red flags here. I must say though, I shake my head in confusion at people that take newbies straight out to the trail. If he hasn't been on a bike in awhile, they should have done parking lot drills on stopping, steering, bike/body separation, climbing & ascending and front wheel lifts at the very least before getting in the dirt!

Jeni
IMIC certified mtb instructor

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Originally Posted by Muirenn

Okay, so I know nothing about mountain biking. But :eek: !!!


:p :)

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fancy term for getting your weight off the saddle and be able to shift it right / left / back / forward depending on what the trail throws at you. :D

Right/Left - off camber sections

Fore/Aft - climbing and ascending