Show us your biking scars!

[Cali Sunshine]

has anyone here crashed and ruined their cycling garments (shorts, tights, etc)? i have seen pictures of cyclists after a tumble and their cycling shorts will have big rips and holes in them. cycling shorts are expensive (to me), so how common will this happen and can they be patched/repaired?

[LisaB]

has anyone here crashed and ruined their cycling garments (shorts, tights, etc)? i have seen pictures of cyclists after a tumble and their cycling shorts will have big rips and holes in them. cycling shorts are expensive (to me), so how common will this happen and can they be patched/repaired?

Ha. No. I "lost" a pair of UltraSensor shorts and a pair of AmFib tights when the ER cut them off me. Funny, they never gave them back ... I think that was the same wreck that gave me five stitches across the bridge of my nose that never healed well. I did learn two things from that wreck, at least - don't use the front brake when spinning at 35 mph down a hill in the rain and a car pulls out in front of you, and don't wear glasses (they're what gave me the sliced up nose).

I think I've learned something from every wreck ... what can I say, I learn from experience.

[SadieKate]

. . . and don't wear glasses (they're what gave me the sliced up nose).

So a non-sliced up nose is preferable to permanent eye damage from debris or glaucoma from the sun? Ooookaaaay.

[LisaB]

So a non-sliced up nose is preferable to permanent eye damage from debris or glaucoma from the sun? Ooookaaaay.

In the dark, in the rain? Yeah, I'll take the chance.

[SadieKate]

I wear clear or yellow glasses. There is still a huge amount of crap flying around in a rain storm. I'll go with my ophthalmologist's recommendations.

[DebW]

Here's the x-ray of my right collarbone when it was broken. Notice the 2 small pieces where the big pieces overlap. Wish I could see what it looks like now.

[chickwhorips]

i can't believe the leg x! wow. but i do like the nail polish. i think i have the color.

deb ouch! that looks painful. thats a break!

[7rider]

has anyone here crashed and ruined their cycling garments (shorts, tights, etc)? i have seen pictures of cyclists after a tumble and their cycling shorts will have big rips and holes in them. cycling shorts are expensive (to me), so how common will this happen and can they be patched/repaired?

OMIGOSH, X. You "win"! Amazing collection and even more amazing that you're still riding. You ROCK!

RE: Ripped shorts. I got taken out in a fast paceline by someone who grabbed a handful of brakes and zigged around a pothole rather than bunnyhopping it (and warning those of us behind him). Ripped my (then) brand new favorite pair of Hind shorts on the thigh. I was majorly bummed (and plenty sore from the road rash). The rip was not on a seam, but I stitched them anyway. I still wear them occasionally, but they are primarily my "under tights" shorts now.

[Xrayted]

Actually, I think margo wins hands down. Now that girl sounds tore up!

I love my sapphire blue polish. Indigo, sapphire, any dark blue just does it for me. We're not allowed to wear any polish on our fingers at the hospital due to bacteria so I overcompensate on the toes.
Tough? I'm actually quite a softy. My progress is solely due to those who were there for me, especially when I needed a good swift kick in the, um, shin. (the other one ) (And to the one who left me when this all happened... thank you very much. I couldn't have done it with you.)

KnottedYet - (sorry, still can't call ya KY, it makes me lose my train of thought ) This is gonna kill ya but... I went to physical therapy ONE time when going through this. I didn't like their attitude of "there's not much hope but the insurance is paying so try this". I got them to send me home with some big rubber bands, (sorry, I don't know the right term) some basic moves and a lot of my own determination, creativity and good sense. My orthopod agreed with my philosophy (LOVE YA Dr. Alfred Cooke! - aka pops) and trusted me not to do damage. In the end, he thought I had much better progress because I wasn't held back by that group of PT's. (only ones my insurance paid for then) 15 yrs later, I'm still looking for a PT that shares my thoughts on "alternatives". I don't think they exist in this conservative area, however.
I may have to move. Or at least, fly to Seattle every now and again so you can "play with my leg a little". **Ahem. I can pay in lentils.

To all of us who've lived through life's scars (of all kinds) and came out better than before. And thanks everybody for not going "Gasp, how horrible!" That always just knocks the life out of me.

-X.

[Xrayted]

DebW - one word

Ouch!!

Ok, I lied, here's some more... That is a very nasty clavicular fracture. I can only assume they went in and screwed a plate on there. Those are some of the most painful fx's to have too. There's just no way to completely immobilize them until healed. Now look who's tough!

[DebW]

DebW - one word

Ouch!!

Ok, I lied, here's some more... That is a very nasty clavicular fracture. I can only assume they went in and screwed a plate on there. Those are some of the most painful fx's to have too. There's just no way to completely immobilize them until healed. Now look who's tough!

Nope. No surgery. No plates. No screws. It's healed in that configuration, though the sharp edges have rounded themselves off. Actually, the doc told me that it would heal better because it was so smashed up - something about pulverized bone working like a graft. He actually said to me "The only reason you would want to have surgery on this is if you are a big-time backpacker." I let the collarbone heal as it was and modified my backpack (sock on right shoulder strap to hold some foam that evens out the offset in the bone). The collarbone healed up fine, my torn deltoid still bothers me, and recovering from frozen shoulder sucked big time. Recovery was 5-6 months with PT. Sounds small compared to what Xrayted went through.

[Kitsune06]

I may have to move. Or at least, fly to Seattle every now and again so you can "play with my leg a little". **Ahem. I can pay in lentils.
-X.

*covers her ears first, then her eyes* OH MG. giggity giggity legumes.

[Aggie_Ama]

I don't have any photos of my cycling scars. I did crack my tailbone mountain biking back in 2004, but no X-ray for that. My normal injury is to bruise my calf badly when I try to get going and hit it with my pedals.

[TerraNik]

I don't have any scars (yet) though my current injuries from my most recent accident might turn out to leave some scars... I have some lovely pictures of my wounds while still healing *mmmmmm*!

This was only 2 weeks ago when I was riding my brand new bike (!!) up in the mountains (mtn biking)... I don't remember the accident but basically I must have been going too fast and got caught in a water groove and overcorrected and just slammed myself into the ground. That's all I can imagine happened.

Anyway, I ended up with a concussion + mild head injury (don't remember the accident and had a couple of minutes of lossed consciousness). I also had a nice bruise around my eye where my sunglasses slammed into my head! I fractured my radial head (elbow) and cut up my legs (as you can see from the pics). The x-ray for my arm is pretty boring, so I won't bother putting that on.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

And thanks everybody for not going "Gasp, how horrible!" That always just knocks the life out of me.

-X.

Horrible? No, it's wonderful and admirable how you have worked your way out from under from this major injury and are riding again!! You are some woman.