Road Bike Racing - quit racing

I love to road race. That said, I'm near 50 and recently crashed in a race. Lady went down in front of me, no way in hell to avoid. Seems like a crash like this happens every other race or so. Was at Firehouse Fifty last year when guy died from high speed crash. Seperated my shoulder 20 years ago hitting a car. Never had it fixed. The race crash made it worse so now I'm looking at a major surgery with much recovery time. Luckily I can ride this summer and get it fixed in the winter. I am seriously considering quitting the road race scene. Probably still do the time trials, although these are not near as much fun. Just doesn't seem worth it. Maybe I'll do the TT, ride with my "fast club ride" group once per week and do a few week long tours and call it good.

probably a wise decision. especially since you're facing an operation. sorry to hear about the bad luck.

You only live once. You might be in your 60s or 70s wishing you kept racing back when you were "young". If you ask me, carpe diem!

I think about the balance of "carpe diem!" versus having most of my parts working reasonably well into my 60s and 70s. Also don't like the weeks or months involved in the healing process, even if the recovery is full. A bad race crash could put me off the bike for many weeks, most of the summer, up here in the frozen tundra country. Don't want to end up like Darth, want all my original parts as long as possible. Also death sucks big time.

You must do what is right for you... not for someone else. Only you can decide if you want to race or not, no one else can say. Do what you feel is right. You may heal and decide you want another shot, you may also say in a few years, right decision. '

Racing is not all bike riding is, at least I tell myself that all the time.

In all but the most dire and rare cases of bike crashes, your health will return. If you break bike parts, you can work hard and earn your money back. But be sure of this: no matter how hard you try, you will never get your time back.

Why not try a recumbant bike.. less stress on the arms I think !

I love to road race. That said, I'm near 50 and recently crashed in a race. Lady went down in front of me, no way in hell to avoid. Seems like a crash like this happens every other race or so. Was at Firehouse Fifty last year when guy died from high speed crash. Seperated my shoulder 20 years ago hitting a car. Never had it fixed. The race crash made it worse so now I'm looking at a major surgery with much recovery time. Luckily I can ride this summer and get it fixed in the winter. I am seriously considering quitting the road race scene. Probably still do the time trials, although these are not near as much fun. Just doesn't seem worth it. Maybe I'll do the TT, ride with my "fast club ride" group once per week and do a few week long tours and call it good.


I have met many competitors who have given up on anything but time trialing. There are too many incompetent people inhabiting the peloton. One national champion who I have competed against had to have his shoulder rebuilt from a road race accident. The current National Seniors TT champ in both time trials witnessed an accident so bad that one guy had to be prevented from drowning when he went face down in a body of water, and another guy had to be airlifted from the scene. It is one of the reason I love, and specialize in the race of truth - the time trial.

Even though I could have gone, my third degree shoulder seperation actually feels better on the bike, I sat out this weekend's road race and TT. Best RR of the year and the mid season get together. Looking at the results this AM really makes this decision hard. My right hand is stilled sprained, seems it will take another couple weeks. My shoulder looks like I have an evil twin growing out the top. When I stand for any length of time shoulder and center of back aches like hell. So, I think I will become, once again, a high milage touring/training cyclist. Still have to decide on the shoulder repair. Even with a third degree seperation you have the option of a surgical fix (6 months rehab?) or leave it alone. Seems a lot of disagreement over the options. Any surgical fix can go wrong, arthritus is a greater possibilty. Not fixing will leave an ugly 2" bump and possibly higher degree of weakness and limited mobility. As I think about the decision I remember that I could not control the crash in the least. I could not avoid or partly avoid to minimize injury. As the crash happened I could did not have enough time to "tuck and roll" or any of the other fine advise you get after a crash. I could have just as easily landed on the back of my head/neck and be parralized today as flipping all the way over onto my shoulder as I did. For me bike riding is hazardous enough without adding the racing. Even though TT isn't near as much fun for me I might stay in the TT scene to keep motivated and be around motivated people. Again, this is a very tough decision.