We had someone die on one of our trails yesterday

[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 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 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.