Nachoman

My last cycling accident kept me off the bike for about 2.5 months.
But I was back on the trainer within a few days, just barely spinning.

eja_ bottecchia

Almost two years ago (January 2016) I crashed in the rain. I broke the small finger of my right hand and injured my right rotator cuff.

I taped my small finger and ring fingers together and rode the final 30 miles home. I felt every bump along the way.

The finger required three permanent screws to fix the break.

I went back to riding as soon as the bandages were removed.

I am stupid that way.

Chaco

Broke my hip 3 weeks ago today. Dying to get back on the road. Hope to get clearance from my surgeon when I see him in 3 weeks. Until then, it's spin classes inside, which I hate!

MattDwyerva

Crashed in Sept trying to bunny hop a curb sideways at low speed on a rental bike with flat pedals - yeah, dumb. Fell on left knee and right elbow. Month off, month easy, still hurt. Month off and finally started back training again, still trying to figure out how to ride without pain. It's fine at tempo under one hour (sigh), so medical advice is to only ride tempo . Same knee where I got T-boned by a car 30 years ago when I was going 20 mph (0.01 sec prior - why is a car light right next to my knee?), and could be related to prior injury from that initial crash.

Change - spinning about 10-20 rpm up from normal (85 is normal for me) to avoid pushing.

tablatom

When i was a bicycle courier in Melbourne 1990 i was doing around 20mph next to the gutter on the left lane, filing through stationary traffic that was waiting at a red light, i was about 100 meters from the traffic lights.
A passenger opened their car door, a sports car with no frame around the window, luckily.
I launched through the door window, which shattered and ended up about 10 meters down the road. Broke the outside Metacarpus on my left hand, and had masses of grazes.
Front wheel of the bike toast.
Think it took 3 weeks to heal, had to get back on the bike as it was my job.

tablatom

Sprained my wrist while on a 50 mile ride, front wheel went into a slimy storm drain. I hit the road before i new what had happened.

I Rode 15 miles to the nearest hospital, ( it was all flat riding so not to hard. )where a cast was put on my arm.

I had a gig that night, i am a drummer, the show had to go on, luckily it was my left hand and it was a Blues band, so got through the gig alright.

TireLever-07

I was in two crashes without a helmet. One in the 1970's & the other in the 1980's. One solo bike camping trip alone to Quebec & back, slowed down my URGES, to, and try to ride more like an adult? ,, I guess. So after those events. I'd carry more tools & maps. Usually a AM/FM, Weather Band radio. I bought the original, *Bike Beacon* ,, flashing tail light in 1980. Took a 9V battery, same as the radio. It was the poor man's Winnebago. I bought my first new City Bike in the Mid-1980's. By then I was more into urban biking. A good afternoon is passing, at least 200 slower moving cars. I love threading the needle thru traffic here. Which Boston has now, in about every direction, every day of the week. thanx Guys -07

sweeks

Does it count as a "cycling accident" if you fall on black ice while heading to the garage to take out your bike?
That happened to me yesterday and I racked up my ankle pretty well. I'd like to think I'll be back on the bike by next Tuesday, but I have a feeling I'm over-optimistic.
The irony is that if I'd been on my bike I wouldn't have fallen (studded tires).
Steve

Mark Stone

Sounds like a good idea to keep your bike in the house instead of the garage ----- At least in icy conditions.

sweeks

Where I failed was not to notice there were icy conditions. Besides, I couldn't ride the bike down my back stairs!

The worst part is that I now have this forced time off from work, but can't get my project bike in from the garage to work on. I can't even manage the basement steps.
Steve

Cougrrcj

The only real bicycling accident I ever had was waaaaay back in the mid '70s. I was riding my bike home from high school. Stopped at a red light at a major intersection. Light turns green, so off I go -- a couple hundred feet later a car full of girls goes by, and sees a guy they knew walking down the sidewalk. They turned right into a driveway just as they got in front of me. I grabbed two handfuls of brakes but no way could I stop. I hit the rear tire of the VW Bug as it crossed in front of me. At impact, my breastbone hit the exposed handlebar stem bolt. I thought it was just the wind knocked out of me, but I had torn most of the cartilage away from the attached ribs. I had to wear what almost amounted to a straightjacket until it healed. Very shallow breathing, and don't raise the arms, etc. Six weeks. I got back on my bike as soon as got rid of the corset.

veganbikes

My last crash I was off the bike for 2-3 weeks but some of that was weather and holiday related. That was due to stupidity in the wet, I should have gone in front of the car and avoided going behind the bus but I ended up in a nice controlled skid to ground due to my magnificent rear wheel lock up. Funny the first time riding outdoors was in the rain today and I was so nervous luckily this bike had disc brakes, the other was rim braked.

The crash before that while touring (ended up hitting a tree root going at a decent pace too close to some friends) I was riding about 20 minutes or so after the crash. I was in pain and was going a lot slower and had I think mostly hand issues and some trail rash but I got going, got to town stayed the night and hung out the next day (as planned) and then biked, camped and biked back and then once the trip finished all the bruising and pain decided to catch right up with me and stop me riding for a week.

Surprisingly though I haven't crashed since being a young kid and all these crashes were within a short period of one another (a few months) I think I got cursed late last year.

wipekitty

In 2008, I got left hooked by a minivan. Busted up my ribs a bit, which was fine; but the way I landed caused the right side of my rear end to bruise and swell to like 3x its normal size. I couldn't sit on anything (including a bike) for about two weeks, so that was two weeks off.

I had a relatively minor crash last summer, and went into the ditch on a not very fast or steep descent. I twisted up some muscles in my back, so nothing major - no time off the bike, but my rides were pretty short for about a week. The worst part was the mental aftermath; it took me a good month and a half to do descents without freaking out and grabbing the brakes. All good now, especially with a bit of skill work to increase confidence

I feel grateful that my crashes, at this point, have been relatively minor.

jamesdak 

Ummm.....wrecked pretty good today. Can't hardly move one arm. Ask me this question tomorrow because I plan to be out there. One way or the other.

Cyclcist11023131

Since I ride long distances, it always seems I have to ride back home, or to my truck. I rode back to my truck with two broken ankles and two broken wrists and four broken ribs. Had trouble getting off bike and in truck but I did it, Lost six months on that one. Head on with Tweeker on SART. He was hauled away in ambulance. Crashed on PCH in a construction detour, ripped half my kneecap out , picked myself up and rode to Hoag Hospital and they put it back and sewed me up. Still hurts if you touch it, but I got back on the bike in four weeks. I figure the more I ride the more blood flows thru and heals it. Two really bad crashes in 60000 miles, I’ll take it and with such an education I hope to be crash free for the next 60000.

turkey9186

In 2008 I crashed and broke a bone in my right hand. Six months later I was finally able to get back on the bike for short periods of time. Shifting was really painful!
In 2013 I spent five months in Texas for job training. I planned the time to be there for the MS150 in San Antonio. The Saturday before the ride, I t-boned a loose dog at 20 MPH. Concussion, deep gash above one eye, dislocated thumb, shoulder injury, and lots of road rash. I was on the bike the Saturday and rode 105 miles. I would not recommend doing it!

BBassett

I got punted off my bike by a Dodge Durango in heavy bumper to bumper traffic in the middle of the day. I hit hot white concrete like a ripe avocado, landing on my chest and forearm. One of several times in my life that it knocked the smartass out of me. I was sitting in the road trying to figure out why someone's Garman Edge 1000 was laying in the road. I was still wondering about it when the woman driver comes over and asks if I am ok. Before I could come up with anything worthy of the situation she say's "I am going to move my car." Walked around to her truck and drove into Sonic Burger and around back, and then was gone. Once I got up and got my GPS, it was mine all along... and got my bike out of the way. I road around looking for the car and could never find it. Looking back on it now after over a year two things come to me, one is the irony of being hit by a Dodge, and two, that I must have been even more stunned than I thought 'cause I didn't get a burger.

By the time I got home the bruises were getting good. I took the pictures the next day. I was sore for weeks, couldn't ride if I had wanted to. What was even worst was a super sharp pain when I would sneeze. Bad. The pain would take me to my knees. Ever try to turn off a sneeze? It was almost 3 months before I could sneeze without wincing like a, ahhh, like a... old fat guy that was slapped off my bike by a truck.

RFEngineer

There is going to be survivorship bias in the responses to this thread. A family friend crashed on his bike 10 years ago and ended up with a brain injury. He has never been the same.

Anyone who had a cycling-career-ending crash (or ends up dead) probably won't be on bike forums anymore.

Personally, I crashed and broke my pelvis (in 4 places) in 2013. I think it was 4-6 months before I rode again. I don't recommend breaking your pelvis (and I'm in my 30s).
Alan

danspano

Touched a wheel in a training ride and went down very hard..........landed in ICU for 4 days and 2 weeks in rehab hospital; broke my pelvis in 5 areas including two cracks through my hip joint. Also broke my clavicle and nasal fracture. Doc said I would be in a wheelchair for 10 months but I only used a walker for 2.5 months with 12 weeks unweighting my right leg. Started walking 2.5 weeks after accident and Lost a ton of muscle and strength. I was back on the bike within 3.5 months. My goal is to come back and be stronger than I was when I crashed. I will achieve this goal even though I'm 71 years old. See you on the road.

indyfabz

I got attacked by a zombie thread and crashed. I was back on the bike after 7 seasons and 2 spinoffs.

Small cog

Two this past year, the first time I had a head on with another cyclist when cycling the C&O canal while on holiday in the US, they pulled out to overtake another in their group without looking straight into the front of me, no harm done to me or my bike as we landed in some bushes but the other rider landed on gravel and was a little cut up. They admitted it was their fault and even offered me their Go-Pro footage but I said I was fine and carried on a few minutes later.
Two months later two miles from home a car tries to overtake me without waiting for an oncoming tractor and hits me in the back with their passenger side mirror breaking four ribs. About a week later I take a very short ride up my street to see what it is like and about the same time am back on my motorcycle as it is my only other form of transport, I am back regularly cycling after about a month.

Black wallnut 

The newbies don't understand!

WaveyGravey

I crashed my mountain bike and broke a few ribs. The most painful injury I've ever had. Took a while to ride again.

Was side swiped by a car on my road bike. Suffered a cut hand but after first aid I was able to resume. The car that hit me did not stop.

Pratt

I fell on ice and broke my clavicle. Got up, straightened the handlebars and rode home, so ~ 1-2 minutes.

delbiker1 

This is quite a story of recovery. Kudos to you. I am 71, relatively good physical condition, and find this post inspiring. I have always been a quick healer, but this is beyond “quick”.
I have had some crashes, fortunately, nasty bruises and rash have been the worst damage.