HollowZer0

Hey all, I had a bad fall and got a mild concussion yesterday while out on the trails and I guess I just want to cry about it here... I am also wondering if there are any others out there who have had the same situation.

Basically I was following a friend down the trails and we approached a decent-sized natural drop. The drop itself was okay, not crazy, but the landing was between two trees. Of course you know what happened, but yes, I dropped decently but then rode straight into the tree on my right, smashing my stupid head into the tree. I have no amnesia or loss of consciousness around the event (wish I did) but I felt kind of dizzy and drunk afterwards for the rest of the day. I believe it was partially due to me riding with 780mm bars on a bike that I wasn’t used to. I’m 5’7” on a good day and have tried 780mm bars in the past, and hated them. Definitely too wide for my body and for the trails I ride. But since this was a different frame I decided to leave them on to try again. (Bought the bike second hand and it came with Chromag fubars so I had to ride with the blingy bars, right? I’m a sucker.) I’m just so mad at myself for not switching them, because I knew in my gut that they were too wide and I should stick with my 750’s as an absolute MAX, but I didn’t because of marketing saying wider is better and because of bling... Total idiot.

Of course 15mm per side makes ****-all difference to the actual width of the bike but those extra 15mm per side is all it takes for the bike to feel weird and vague in my hands.

I know that my crash was an “accident” and that accidents happen, but I can’t shake the feeling that I wouldn’t be resting concussed now if I had simply taken 10 minutes out of my day to swap over the bars. Sure, following a friend that is much more skilled than me was part of it, but I think it’s mainly because I was piloting a bike that felt like it had airplane wings sticking off it.

This whole post is dumb but right now I’m laying in bed using all in my power to not scream at the top of my lungs and to not punch holes in my wall. I don’t know why I’m so mad but I just keep replaying the idiotic crash in my mind and keep thinking that it could have been so easily prevented.

Now I’ve had concussion number 3, and don’t know how many more I can take before I become brain damaged. Should I quit riding outright? Is it even safe to risk another one? If I’m not doing hooligan stuff out on the trails then I don’t even feel like riding so maybe I just need to give up. As soon as I’m capable, and probably even before that I’m going right back and clearing that drop. Then I’m going to put back the stupid 780’s and do the drop again with them. I know this won’t help anything but I don’t know what to do to relax this flaming fury I have towards my dumb self.

I know that a lot of these questions would be better aimed at a doctor or a mental health counsellor but they don’t understand biking so that’s why I’m here complaining to you guys. I just can’t get over the fact that one stupid decision can change my brain and my whole life.

Has anyone had more than one concussion from the bike? How do you cope, and do you still ride trails? At the same intensity? It’s most important for me that I can keep riding at the same level. My life revolves around riding and I really don’t know what I’d do if not pedal a bike. I’m depressed and OCD and have aspergers and I generally have a hatred for living every minute, unless I’m in a forest spinning cranks. From there life seems so put together and like I could get out of the sadness but then as soon as I come out of the bush the feeling is back. Oh well. I probably will go back to riding at that level even if dangerous for my head because I don’t know what else I’d do. I’d kill myself if I didn’t have parents that cared about me because I only stay around for them. I don’t want to weigh on them with my sadness.

This post has been very disorganized and there’s probably 2 or 3 different streams all in one here but oh well. Apologies to the mods if this is not allowed. I don’t care if it gets deleted; it’s been helpful for me to spill and vent to the keyboard, even if it never gets read. Much better than the geniuses on the mental health hotline. Cheers. Hopefully somebody tells me that it’s still safe to ride after some amount of break so I can rest up and then keep riding a bike, albeit a narrower one...

RobotGuy

Go to the doctor! They don’t need to understand cycling, they only need to understand concussions. Let them give you a concussion evaluation and then follow their advice. If they notice symptoms, then you need to return for further evaluation after a couple of weeks. They need to clear you for activity FIRST, before you hit the trails again.

Reinjuring your brain before it is completely healed risks long term / permanent damage.

Seriously.

HollowZer0

Thanks, I did go to the doctor on the day that it happened and they said that based on my symptoms (I could do the drunk walk, walk tip-toes, follow finger with eyes, etc) that they didn’t need to do further analysis with a CT scan or the like. They just told me to rest my brain and not think too much, which I have been doing as well as I can. The doctor said, “if you were a 14 year old playing contact hockey, I’d say no play for 10 days,” but that seems a bit short to me.

I will go back and check in with them again after 10 days to see what they think.

I’m feeling a bit more clear headed and less mad this morning. I realize my original post is a bit demented. Thanks for the advice.

Bigbus

I've never been seriously injured riding non-motorized bikes, but I have on snowmobiles, ATVs, and dirt bikes. One time I was unconscious for more than 30 minutes and busted my nose up pretty bad. The Doc ask me if I could still breathe through it. When I said yes, he said "You'll be fine" and sent me home. No pain meds and no mention of the concussion, and I was driving!!!

HollowZer0

Jeez!! Was that a long time ago? It seems that doctors’ mentality around concussions has changed dramatically over the past decade or two. Now it seems we’re in a time where the docs are more concerned about it, but that makes hypochondriacs like me get much more worried when they talk about how bad it is, how bad getting another one would be, etc. I kind of wish I just got the “tough it out!” treatment!

Thanks for sharing

RobotGuy

Great to hear. I’m not a doctor, but as a high school teacher / coach, I’m very strict on the recovery time. Typically you see kids being held out 10 days to 2 weeks, so that certainly is a starting point.

RobotGuy

Ah the good old days. Back when babies didn’t need seatbelts and hockey goalies didn’t need masks.

Gallo

sorry to hear about your crash and hope you heal up well

The bars seem to have little to do with the crash and I am not sure having narrower bars on it would have prevented it.

Wider bars should provide more stability going off a drop and a more stable directional ability.

Sounds like you were either in a poor direction coming off or over corrected on landing

Not saying if you do not like the bars you should not switch them. By all means if you like narrower bars swap them out.

My point is do not beat yourself up over that. I from what I read on your post feel that the bars did not contribute to your crash

And if you have not already done so buy a new helmet and trash the one that was in the crash. They are only good for one crash

* edit

ok just got to the bottom of your post and saw the question regarding concussions and riding

I have had them on the bike and more than once

they do change your style or aggression if you will for a short period of time. I would call it being gun shy. Not just a concussion but any crash that results in injury and requires healing time afterwards

This works its way out with time and as the memory of the crash fades so to does the fear of the crash and you find yourself back as business as usual

Good luck

RB1oldguy

I had a crash on a road bike & split my helmet open with a 2" crack. I went home & felt dazed. Over the next month I had memory loss
and had trouble remembering how to drive my car or where I lived. Finally recovered. Never saw a doctor. I'm fine now.

I assume you were wearing a helmet. If your head clears up & you have no further symptoms, I'd say ride on ( but it's just an internet opinion ).

WannaGetGood

Some suggestions for someone who has had concussions in either biking, hockey, lacrosse and other life events. Concussions suck but you need to listen to your doctor about recovery times. I love biking too and wouldn't stop it for anything now a days, but you need to protect yourself. Invest in the best helmet you can afford. If you hit your head hard enough to concuss yourself, that means you need to replace it. Look for helmets with the MIPS system. I do a lot of downhill and huck myself of stupid stuff that I have no business hitting. This is the first year I have invested in a neck brace, expensive but you can find good deals, because I am all about protecting your head/spine. Remember that spine/neck injuries are head injuries. As for your bars, you will think about that until the cows come home but it will not change anything. Stuff happens, get better and go back and conquer what took you down. As far as I'm concerned, that's what biking is all about.

RubenAlonzo

You'll be fine, don't beat yourself up over it. And for Pete's Sake do not stop riding as THAT will leave you worse off. Take your time and you'll be Right as Rain.

Leebo

What kind of helmet were you using? Full face? It needs to be replaced now, some makers have a crash replacement program. It's a poor rider who blames the tools. Ride within your skill limit.