Show us your biking scars!

[bikerchick68]

ummmmm... can't post my pic either due to location... minor compared to some of yours but mine is about 2 inches long and the result of surgery in July and another in late Aug for sebacious cyst removal... saddle was rubbing them... ow.

Hoping to ride for the first time THIS weekend... fingers crossed. I'm strangely nervous and in some trepidation about performance... sigh...hoping I can still ride 20 miles without too much suffering. Hills... well, those are gonna have to wait for now til I find my legs again.

[7rider]

Here's are some pictures that is are a 2-for-1 special!
Sorry they're so small, but I had to load the "email sized" as the regular setting on the camera is too large and I don't have a program on this p.c. that I can figure out how to use to re-size pictures!
First scar is the small, roundish dot in the middle of my knee of the first picture. That was the bolt from the front wheel of my old neighbor Scott Cleary's bike. He and I were playing "Chicken" on our bikes..and neither of us chickened out! We crashed head-on and that was my proof that I'm no chicken! At least I wasn't when I was, oh, about 10 when this happened.
Second, long scar was from surgery. In 1997 I was chasing my ex (not-so-affectionately known as @sshole!) down a railtrail, of all things. Managed to launch myself into the air and into a tree at a shallow angle. Bike stopped dead against said tree, and I continued head first, straight down the trail.
In ripping my feet from the clipless pedals, I tore my lateral collateral ligament and medial meniscus. Damaged, but did not totally destroy, my ACL too.
So the long scar and slightly deformed thigh come from them taking a tendon from my hamstrings and rebuilding my LCL.

[Xrayted]

Well, this is a thread I can unfortunately relate to. Do motorcycle crashes count? Actually, I've previously been IM'd about this subject since I've alluded to some scars I've acquired over the years. It was a kind, caring inquiry and I appreciate the concern. I know it took me a while to do this. Some sides of me are just harder for me to show. But thanks!

OK. This happened in 1991 when I was 21. While riding my Harley, I was hit by a car and pretty much lost the entire day of memory. I woke up with the cycle on top of me and the pipes burning into my calf. I was missing about 3" of tibia that never resurfaced. I'm only about 3/4" short now. I ripped off my heel when it went through the trans cover so they reattached that too.
I think I had 9 surgeries total. (so far ) Bone grafts, skin grafts, lots of hardware, daily debridement for months, stim treatment 10 hours a day for a year. I was in casts for 2 1/2 years and then it took me about a year to learn to walk and lose most of my limp. Getting my ankle to move was the hardest b/c my achilles was totally shot. Lost the soleus muscle and most of the gastrocnemius. (sp?) I ended up teaching other muscles to compensate.
These are just from the knee down. I've got some more scars higher up from skin graft and bone graft donor sites. They don't show up too well though.
It kinda presents a problem going up hills b/c it still doesn't pull it's own weight yet. But it's getting there. Cycling has really helped my lower leg strength and coordination a lot. Well, here goes. (just breathe...)

[Kitsune06]

oh, wow, X. And you're still a cyclist (but I take it not a motorcyclist...) My hat and helmet are off to you, for picking up and continuing, healing and kicking as$. You go, girl.

[HipGnosis6]

I have the MRSA spot from the last accident.... it's smallish but fairly gory yet. It's like.... a 2x3 cm spot where I simply don't have any skin, surrounded by what looks like a large bruise. It's ugly and WILL leave a scar. Hopefully with the debridement and meticulous care it won't be too bad, though.

[Velobambina]

X---Your photos are just incredible. You must be a very strong lady! Keep biking!!

[BeeLady]

My only scar so far is about 2 inches long down my knee. I was about 10 and had someone on my handle bars so when we went down we went down hard. Thats was in the old days before people ran to the doctor for stitches or tape or whatever just due to childhood accidents. Matches my ankle scar from riding bareback along a barbed wire fence (horse).

Anyway, mine are minor. I vote that Margo wins for most scars/accidents and Xrayted for nicest toe nail polish.

[KnottedYet]

That's some nice nail polish there, Xrayted!

And I would say, fascinating leg, but that's the healthcare provider in me talking. The TE'r in me says, "Wow, X, you are amazing!"

(but I still wish I could play with your leg a little. Very cool that you compensate and very very cool that you ride.)

[spokewench]

I'm sure I have small scars on my legs and knees, etc. But I really don't pay attention to scars that much so . . .

The only half way decent scar I have is from a ride I was doing with my girlfriends up in Show Low Arizona. Every year, they put on an endurance mountain bike ride up there - it is the most beautiful scenery, you always see HUGE elk, and wildlife and there are creeks/great riding/sometimes a little technical

It think we were doing the 55-60 mile route (somewhere in that range) and we had gone about 15-20 miles into the ride when we were descending a rocky, drop off, section and I planted my front wheel right on the wrong place on a rock that was slanted towards me and over the handle bars I went. I landed on my side and my elbow and tore all the skin right off the elbow. It was pretty gross! My friend, Leslie, was prepared and had some guaze in her bike bag (leave it to Leslie to be prepared) We had an ER physician with us but OF COURSE, she doesn't carry anything like that with her! Well, we wrapped that baby up and off we went. Got to the next food stop and the people there tried to talk me out of riding the rest of the way and OF COURSE, there was NO WAY I was bagging out on that great ride with my 3 best riding buddies, so off we went and finished the ride! It was spectacular.

Then when we got back to camp, everyone again was trying to get me to go get stitches, but I had cleaned the elbow off and it was probably too many hours after the injury anyway, so I just let it heal up. It did, but it was slow cause it had to knit back on, so that is my biggest scar! Very Memorable mostly cause it was an epic ride, with an epic crash with all my best riding buddies present!

[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.

[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.