Originally Posted by icyclist

the last time i broke a bone i was 14. I flipped over the bars, suffered a concussion (no helmet), was unconscious and then in and out of consciousness for a few minutes; i broke my left arm at the wrist.

A little over month ago i managed to suffer another broken wrist, a half century after that earlier accident.

I came close to doing it again a few months ago, when i flipped over the bars of my road bike, due to a mechanical issue that was my fault. As i lay in the road, i thought i must have broken my collarbone, because i hit the pavement hard. I'd only landed heavily on my back, though, compressing part of my (former) helmet. Except for some road rash and bruises, i was ok and finished my ride.

This time, due to a mechanical problem that wasn't my fault, i again flipped over the bars, on my fixed gear bike.

And this time, as i lay in the street, concerned citizens quickly coming to my aid, i was fairly certain i'd broken my collarbone, because my right shoulder was in considerable pain. Confirmation came a few moments later as i tried to sit up: I could feel a fair amount of grinding in my right shoulder.

I also realized my right arm, from hand to elbow, was in some serious pain. In fact, in the aftermath, there's almost enough titanium in my forearm to build a bike frame.

Even at my age, collarbones repair themselves quickly - in my case, the grinding when i moved stopped after four days. Unfortunately, i won't be back on my bike with both hands for about two more months. And i'm going to need some physical therapy for my hand.

When i was 14, the cast came off my left arm and i dimly recall that my wrist felt odd. No pt, although even into my 20s, it hurt to do pushups a little. That was a long time ago. The surgeon said i should make an almost-complete recovery, with only a little loss of motion, nothing to inhibit my riding or posting in this forum.

For now, i'm riding my indoor trainer in the backyard (this is california) every other day, and the dogs are getting longer walks.

I've been incredibly lucky not to have had as serious an accident since i was 14.

If history is a guide, though, i won't have another bone break in my body for another half century.