Will Goes Boing

As a motorcyclist, I have seen many people who experienced their first crash and never want to touch a bike again. I've also seen those who have one bad crash after another and get back on as soon as they recover. I think that's the case for a lot of "adrenaline pumping" type of sport where the risk is high.

It's all fun and exciting when things are going well, but not many people are truly aware of the consequences. I think everybody who does any dangerous sport should ask themselves these questions before they begin: "Can I afford to wreck my bike (or equipment)?" and "If I knew there's a chance I might die today doing this, would I still do it?"

Whether you're riding a motorcycle or road biking on the streets, your risk of serious injuries or death has increased EXPONENTIALLY. The grim fact is that the moment you throw your leg over your bike and set out for a ride, there's a chance you might not make it back home to see your family. If that's not kosher with you, the sport/activity is not for you. Glad your wife made it out of the incident alive, I think you should respect her decision to never touch a bike again.

Dan Burkhart 

Very sorry for your experience, but glad she is going to be OK. Perhaps a blessing in disguise finding the cyst before it becomes dangerous.

JimF22003

Best wishes for a full recovery, and don't second-guess whatever you decide. The good thing is that no decision has to be final. Take as much time off the bike as you wish. There's no need to jump right back on the horse that threw you. When she feels the urge to ride, then that's the time to start riding. That time may never come, but no one is going to think worse of her if it never does.

krobinson103

Two years ago I was into my 10th year of riding motor cycles and loving it. On a routine commute I stopped at a red light only to be rear ended by a 10 tonne dump truck. The bike took some major damage but I was wearing armor so I got off with a bruised ankle. Thought nothing of it for a few weeks then noticed I was riding with excessive caution and not enjoying it at all. It got worse till I didn't want to ride any more. At that point I knew my motorcycling days were over.

Perhaps I may ride again someday, but bikes serve the same purpose now. End of the day she has to decide.

dstrong 

Mountain Mitch

I am glad to hear that physically things seem to be turning out alright. My wife had her ankle severely broken by a dog running into her while we had ours out for a walk - accidents happen! Hopefully your wife will gradually regain her trust and interest in cycling but as several posters have said, you can't force it.

If it was me, I'd buy her a stationary bike (or trainer) to 'ride' at home. I'd go to spin classes with her when she's ready. Get her back into the cycling world and see if she comes back to it - maybe on a more recreational level. Good luck

CraigB

My wife had a spill several years ago and it kept her from riding at all for a few seasons. I never really understood it until I dumped my mtn bike one day when I was too tired to jump a 1-inch change in elevation at a curb cut. I was riding parallel to the curb and came to a drive and thought I'd hop up onto it while still going the same direction. The action was half-hearted and I paid for it - the bike just fell over to the right, dropping me to the pavement with it.

I don't tell the story for any kind of sympathy, or even to empathize with the OP - it was a stupid bit of brain-dead behavior on my part, and I deserved worse than I got, which was just a couple of minor scratches and a bruise - but instead because it had an interesting effect on my cycling mindset. I wasn't afraid to get back on and ride the next day, and I suffered no lack of confidence in my abilities. But the whole act of bicycling suddenly had a kind of pallor cast over it, like it was borderline distasteful. I just wanted to avoid the bike in general. That really surprised me, and the effect lasted a good several weeks before I was completely over it.

oldster

well that solves it...I will not lean on wife to start rideing any more,,I have suggested it in the past to no avail,thanks and sorry about your,and her problems Bud

North Coast Joe

Sorry you folks are going through this, Al. Best wishes!

Daspydyr 

I had a 9 day stay in ICU and wore a Halo for 90 days. I couldn't even look at my bikes when I walked through the garage for another two or three months. To this day I can't pull myself to do an early morning ride.

The day came when I took a couple of slow rides and started my emotional recovery. If that day comes for your wife, AWESOME! If not, you have her to have and the hold for the rest of your lives. You both still win!

zonatandem

Give her time to heal; then she can decide.

Most folks have been in bad car crashes, yet they get back in a car.

We have had a few crashes/hits by vehicles on our tandem, and a few on my single racing bike; yet we get back on.
At ages 80/78 we are still riding several days a week.
We pretty well prefer riding the road/highway compared to MUPs which have their own unique hazards.
Roads and highways are designed for faster speeds and good sight lines; MUPs are designed for casual riding by engineers that usually don't ride a bike.
Blind/bad curves and posts at entrance/exits on some paths are just some of the hazards.
Folks using MUPs vary from casual to fast cyclists, joggers, bladers, dog walkers, etc.
Yes, many are inattentive; texting, on the phone, listening to their tunes, etc.
Have had 6 broken ribs and punctured lung in one crash . . . busted shoulder, lost some teeth . . .
Oh, still enjoy riding!!!
Tell her to get well, soon!

GeorgeBMac

Geez! That was enough to make ME want to put the bike away.

TromboneAl

She's recovering very fast.

Me? Tomorrow I decide whether to go on a training ride for the upcoming century, or wait a bit.

Here's the thing about the ideas of "You can't live your life in fear." or "The benefits of riding outweigh the dangers." That is usually my mindset, but it's an abstract thing.

When you are in the ICU waiting to find out if they are going to have to drill into your wife's head to relieve pressure, it is no longer an abstract concept. You just want your life to go back to normal. You wish that the accident hadn't happened, and you think "I'll do anything to avoid this kind of thing in the future."

As time passes, those feelings fade away, and you go back to the abstract ideas.

My current thinking is that I'll train for the century, and after that do fewer really long rides.

Dudelsack 

You never know.

I watched my son get hit by a car when we were finishing up what was, up to then, a great ride.

To this day he won't ride a road bike unless he's in a group. He likes the mountain bike when he gets the chance.

He acknowledges that he has an element of PTSD.

For me, I do everything I can to be safe. If I were in a major wreck, I suspect I wouldn't ride anymore. I hope that never happens, but I don't plan on living forever, either.

GeorgeBMac

The benefits of riding DO outweigh the dangers -- as long as you don't run into anything, nothing runs into you and you don't fall off...

But seriously, I wonder how many crashes were completely unforeseeable and unavoidable vs how many were the result of something that was, in some way, avoidable. Particularly on MUPS, I suspect most are avoidable.

... My goal -- my only real goal -- in cycling is to be safe. If that means slowing or stopping in a tight area, I will try to do that. If it means avoiding dangerous areas, I will do that too. It even goes so far as using platform pedals and having disk brakes on my bikes -- so I can stop quicker and put my foot down when I have to do it unexpectedly. Simply put: I do everything I can to improve my odds of coming back with all of my pieces intact. That doesn't guarantee it. But it helps to improve the odds...
(and yes I DID knock on wood!)

JanMM

Of course, we all know that equally bad or worse injuries can result from driving/riding in cars, too.

Hope she recovers as fast as possible. It's gonna have to be her decision about whether to ride, or how to ride.

Good luck to you both.

loneviking61

But the problem is that you can't do absolutely anything to avoid this problem in the future! She can get T-boned driving a car and wind up with injuries just as severe. I've had two quadrapalegic patients that I know were paralyzed as a result of stumble and falls. I had another very athletic female patient (used to be a champion swimmer) die at age 70 from an unexpected blood clot.

Life is about risks and there isn't anything guaranteed except death and taxes. I would hope as time goes on that your wife would be able to find joy in cycling again but if she doesn't, well, love her anyway. By the time most of us are above 50 we've developed our own coping mechanisms to deal with life and they are often set in stone.

B. Carfree

Best wishes to Mrs. Trombone. Great that her recovery is moving along quickly, and hopefully completely.

I hope she can find something to keep her physically active as long as possible, be it a return to cycling or something else. There's lots of ways to healthfully move one's body, but it helps if you choose one that feels like dancing, especially if it is dancing.

For those who are recommending a recumbent trike as a possible bike for Mrs. Trombone: Have you looked at the roads in TromboneAl's neck of the woods? That's no place for a trike, IMO. I'm not anti-bent, but some venues don't lend themselves to three wheels. A two-wheel bent sounds interesting, but can she skip the beard?

cplager

At this point, you both need to heal. I'm very glad to hear she's on her way physically. It may take both of you more time than you realize mentally. Take the time you need.

essiemyra

I am glad to hear your wife is recovering and sorry to hear about her accident. May she recover fully and be back to herself soon.

wphamilton

Best wishes for your wife's recovery. All I can say is that there's nothing wrong about giving up cycling, not compared to real concerns about health and safety. It's a personal decision and no one else's answer can work for you or your wife.

TromboneAl

Last night at dinner, she said "Well, I'm going to need new bike gloves and, of course, a new helmet." Then this morning, she said she would ride the 35-mile part of the Wine Country Century (for which she is signed up) on May 4. I never made any suggestions or comments about her riding again.

And I'm off on a 60 miler today. Sheesh, what's wrong with us?

I totally like the idea of being low and foot-first on a recumbent -- that would have completely avoided injuries for this crash. However, there certainly are some disadvantages here, as CarFree points out. Someday we'll consider it.

Dan Burkhart 

That's wonderful that she wants to get back on the horse that threw her. Hopefully, you can both soon put this behind you.

Latif

Great news about your wife's progress and what a beautiful Humboldt spring day for a great ride! Looks like we'll be heading up Fickle Hill today.

CraigB

Super! Good for you both, but especially good for her!