Mountain Biking - Back on the Saddle... Not good

So a bit under 2 months ago I decimated my foot/ankle in an accident at my last DH race. Anyway today I went for my first mtb ride on my ankle. Previously I had tried riding my dad's roadie and I felt I was up for some light DJing. I felt so good getting back on the bike and riding it but I have lost everything. I have lost my balance and can hardly mono let alone manual. I was having toruble clearing gaps I used to do easily and was too scared to pull of simple tricks like one handers and no footers. Lastly I have discovered that I have lost all my upper body strength and can hardly throw my bike around :(

One of my friends is wanting to do a documentry on MTBing for her school Drama project and next weekend we are going out shooting, we should get some very very funny clips I think... Think out of form, weaker than normal, testostorone filled adolescent, crazy boy trying to show off for the camera :rolleyes: She also told me any stacks she gets are being sent into Australia's Funniest home video's... Any winnings I think I should be entitled too:p

We all know what happens when the camera is pointed at you :D I would say, if you have the time, go get an ankle support since it and your foot may need the extra support. You should be able to get an inexpensive one with laces that you can wear under your shoe. Other then that just suck it up and go big :D

:beer:

Sounds like a prime chance to show a girl how big you can go when hurt :)...if she is like the girls around here you will have a girlfriend for at least a month :)

Definately look into some support. You don't want to overstrain the ankle and be out longer.

This brings up something interesting that I've just been wondering about. Just yesterday I hurt my ankle going down some wide stone steps. I decided to stop and forgot I was attached to my clipless. Because I was on an incline, when I went over I really turned my ankle. My ankle became huge, looked like a baseball was growing out of it. Anyway, ankle is better now after icing and heating cyclically.

So, besides my sheer stupidity in this, I was curious to know why mountain bike shoes aren't hightop. Hiking boots and basketball shoes are hightop and still allow enough mobility. Hopper's injury sounds pretty extreme so I don't know if hightops would have prevented his injury but in my case I think hightops would have prevented my injury.

Anyone have any thoughts or insight into this?

XC riders wont wear high tops because of weight and heat build up. AXO used to make a very nice hightop, Descend shoe, that had a lot of padding and a lot of ankle support but it was expensive, hot, heavy and not many dh'ers, free riders nor recreational riders want to spend that much on a shoe when it could go towards better components. There are still a few high tops out there, AXO, Gaerne and a couple of others that make a high top but they dont sell all that much.

If you want some ankle support with out the high top you could get something like this 661 AnkleBiter (http://www.vsportgroup.com/gear/support_anklebiter.html) from 661. I have seen a lot of riders using them.

:beer:

Hmmmmmm........ Show off for the girl aie. That thought had never crossed my mind ;)

Yeah I am in an ankle support and I will be in an ankle support while doing physical activities for the rest of my life:( Yes this was an extremely rare and serious accident, my foot is a new shape :p so I am going to be in pain for a while as my foot and the tissue readjusts, my foot also has still got a bit of fluid in it. Also most won't need to worry about what I did happening to them unless you decide to crush your foot with your bottom bracket from 4metres in the air while still on the bike and having the ankle rolled :eek:

Oh holy crap man, did your chainrings chew up your leg too?

Geeeez, I've broken my leg before in a motorcycle accident, requiring two surgeries and nearly 6 months on crutches...but dang. That almost sounds worse :p

Sounds like a prime chance to show a girl how big you can go when hurt :)...if she is like the girls around here you will have a girlfriend for at least a month :)

Definately look into some support. You don't want to overstrain the ankle and be out longer.

Hmm - a month? I'll take a big hit for a week ;)

Don't tell my fiancé though! (j/k - well, not the fiancé part, just the "for a week" part)

Seriously, though, just like in any sport, it's worth it to be a bit boring and go for support and protection (no, I dropped talking about girls a while ago!). I'd even suggest holding back some, but I know I'd have a hard time in any sport with that concept, so at least try to stay alive?