Anyone had a big spill off the bike...

[neil_p]

...and considered giving up cycling?

I came off the bike at speed on Saturday, and have been left with multiple skull fractures... massive black eyes... stitches, etc.

I'm feeling pretty good about things, considering what's happened.... but there is a nagging doubt that I should stop cycling (esp with a new baby on the way).

I keep reliving the incident (drifted off the tarmac at the edge of a country lane, too much of a lip in the tarmac to right it, greasy road meant the bike slipped out from under me).

I would love to hear from people who have had a crash... just to give me some encouragement really.

Oh, and yes, I was wearing a helmet... which now has a crack in the side (whjere I landed) and will be replaced. Thank god for that!

[cake]

Wow Neil, that sounds like a bad one.  I'm glad you are relatively ok though.

I've never had a big off myself, only a couple of walking pace ice related spills.  I've had a few of the drifting off the tarmac onto the gravel / mud / grass and eventually back onto the road moments, due to being tired and losing concentration for a second.  They certainly get the adrenelin flowing!

The odd occasions i have had to consider giving up cycling have been down to motorists putting my life at risk and scaring me stupid when i think about the potential outcome.

But then i think that this could have happened if i was driving - i used to drive all sorts of vehicle for a living and stopped this mainly because i started to feel i was pushing my luck being on (fast) roads day after day with people becoming more and more reckless.

Nothing we do is risk free, so my feeling is that if you are a confident and sensible bike rider who does everything they can to be safe, and you know that your crash was down to a moment of inattentiveness then use it as a (very hard) lesson and put it down to experience.

I'm also going to be a dad (at the end of the year) and have had similar thoughts about curtailing my cycling (mainly when an arsehole overtakes way to fast and close to me), but then without regular cycling i think i would end up being committed to an asylum and would therefore be an absent father - and that wouldn't be good either!

Anyway, you'll know what is right for you eventually and that will be the correct decision.

All the best for a speedy recovery and a quick return to riding (it had to be said from a member of a cycling enthusiasts forum!).

Gary.

[julk]

Neil,
Sorry to hear about your spill - good to hear that you are patched up and will mend. Round where I live some of the country roads have huge rain filled ruts in the grassy edges where tractors have run off the tarmac - I have managed to stay out of them so far.

I had a bad moment some years ago when my (pre Thorn bike) handlebars snapped whilst commuting home through winter evening Edinburgh traffic. I am more reluctant to commit to high speed now - that is a mental hangover as I was recovered physically in about 6 weeks.

I would say keep on cycling once you feel up to it. The stress reduction and health benefits of riding a bike far outweigh the risks.

Good luck with the family and include them in the cycling as soon as you can.

Did the bike sustain any damage?
Julian.

[peddles]

Yes, I took a big spill almost 5 years ago and now have 3 pieces of titanium and 30 screws in my skull.  I wasn't wearing a helmet but that was the last time I went near a bike without one. My brain was damaged in the accident and perhaps that explains why, as soon as I was able, I bought a helmet and got back on board. 14 months ago I bought my Raven Tour and have now just passed 10,000 miles on it.  I hope you do make a full recovery and that your enthusiasm returns and like me, you get to enjoy many more miles in the saddle.

[geocycle]

That sounds awful.  So sorry to hear of the accident. 

Overall, I am sure the benefits of cycling far outweigh the mercifully rare accidents.  Your family will appreciate the health it brings you.  Risk is everywhere but that involved in cycling is much lower than comparable interests.

Cycling with a family is not easy and requires juggling to find the time but the rewards can be high when they join you on rides.

[tandemman]

My wife had a nasty one a while back when she slid on a gravel track and ended up under the front of a landrover which was coming towards us she only sustained broken fingers and cuts and bruises but her helmet was cracked in two, and replaced free of charge by the bike shop she bought it from as they intended to use it as a sales aid.
she got back on the bike again and is fine.
incidently a few weeks ago , out of the blue she had a heart attack , very minor but very worrying , and was back on the bike after 4 weeks.

[JimK]

Ach, that sounds horrible! I hope you heal up quickly and good as new!

I haven't taken too many spills, and nothing severe so far. Without a doubt, life means risk. How best to play one's cards, that is really difficult!

Just a month or so after my Nomad arrived, I was riding up a steep hill and got caught in some frozen ruts at the edge of the road and over I went. Very slow speed and fortunately no traffic nearby. I still have a nice scar on my kneecap some six or seven months later, so I think I will remain marked. A tiny price.

Back in the 1980s I had a colleague who was training to race. He was coming down a hill at very high speed when a heating oil truck pulled out of a driveway. I saw him walking in town a couple months later, shortly after he got out of the hospital. They did get him patched back together quite well - he looked good but pale and was walking steadily but slowly. I can't imagine he ever went back into racing & he wasn't enthusiastic about biking again at all. I'm not in touch with him anymore. But I still think about that on long descents. I use the brakes liberally. I don't ride for thrills!

Just take things slowly & let yourself heal. No need to hurry with big decisions.
 

[neil_p]

Hi, thanks to everyone for their messages of advice/support. I'm 99% certain I will just get back on the bike as soon as my recovery allows. 

I'm sorry to say a family member passed away yesterday (self inflicted, tragically). They were the main reason I started cycling again in my mid twenties... they themselves had been injured recently (non cycling related) but were convinced their cycling days were over (entirely unfounded), and ended up in a very dark place.

I am even more determined now to keep cycling and not to get depressed should I be off the bike for any period of time.

Apologies for such a downbeat message on the forum... 

[JimK]

Wow, that is an awful lot to deal with, Neil. I hope you continue to find sources of strength and perspective to bring you back to more joyful times.

[neil_p]

Hi all,

I went out on the bike today for the first time since the crash... did my usual 20 mile "training" route. Only 6 weeks, but it feels a long time when you cycle most days. Concussion is nearly gone, I just need to get back to cycle fitness now.

[julk]

Neil,
Good to hear you are back on the bike, take it easy at first.
Julian.

[Danneaux]

Neil,

So very sorry to hear of your accident, and wish you a speedy recovery.

I have had a number of big "offs" over the years, and have gone through three helmets as a result, including splitting one down the middle on a curbing after losing traction on a heated street hatch (manhole cover) and high-siding when the tires regained lateral traction after a slide on a patch of sand in the roadway .  The most recent was in '94 as the object of a murder attempt.  I was cycling at the time, but the accident was not cycling-caused.  It did result in a closed-head injury despite my helmet (triple skull fracture, broken nose and teeth, complete free-fracture of the upper maxilla, shattered left eye orbit requiring a number of titanium bits and 13 bone and tissue grafts to make right, broken ribs and a lot of deep-tissue injuries and hematomas).  Most of the damage was caused by the assailants' attempts to kick me to death, but some was caused by the initial unarrested facial impact with the tarmac.

I can recommend cycling again, with suitable caution born of experience.  I returned to cycling as soon as possible and never have regretted it.  It is a passion of mine and my primary and preferred form of outdoors recreation.  Interestingly, I found myself riding greater distances and with greater ease after my accidents than before. 

Cycling after an accident can take place in many ways, and at various levels of risk and difficulty.  Even car-topping the bike to a nearby park for a leisurely ride with the family can recapture much of the joy and excitement of more adventurous rides, while minimizing risk.  It is a good way to get "back in the saddle" again after a major "off".  Beginning again in a conservative manner will allow you to re-evaluate your desire and comfort levels as you progress.  Overall, though, there is much to be said for returning to cycling if possible.  The health benefits alone are worthwhile (crashes excepted) and it is helpful to confront and address that which has brought you down.

As you can imagine, I endorse the use of helmets and have always used one since they first became available in my area in the mid-1970s.

Again, wishing you all the very best in your recovery.

With all best regards,

Dan.

[JimK]

Wow, Dan, that is enough adventure for half a dozen lives! I hope your new Sherpa comes together properly and soon and gives you many thousands of miles of cycling pleasure - without any broken helmets!