RISK & REWARD - Your take on it
 

Having been mostly offline and away for the past 3 months (spending time at my Ancestral Family home in Germany...), I've come back to the quite normal and expected notices on injuries and conditions suffered while living and cycling...
There has been some discussion on these threads on the 'Risks & Rewards' of cycling and how one might want to approach these and the possibilities of mishaps, injuries and conditions, due to the act of cycling....
It's a worthy discussion here, because most of us are going thru the stage of aging when 'changes' are happening quickly and our own capabilities are becoming more constrained. At the same time, there might be those who are just finding that they are actually doing more than they've done in the prior years.
I'll share some of my thoughts on my own tilt on living my life.
It would be worthwhile to read yours...

​​​​​​My Take - Over most all my 76 years I've been a very, very active person. Involved in many activities which would be considered high risk, and cycling has been a constant in that way for the most part of 60+ years. Most of it has been 'road' riding, and some mtb (on a purely recreational level) for about 30 of those years. I'm still mostly a 'roadie' with increasing time spent on what I call 'MTB Lite' ...
back to Risk and Reward - I do it knowing there are Risks, often high, but the Rewards far exceed the inherent consequences of Risk and result.
My choice is to do the best I can in reducing the risk, and even modifyfing my effort and participation to a level which, in my mind, is well below the max of my skills and condition.
Outside of that I also know that the environments I'm are mostly outside of my control, so I adapt and consider accoridingly.
If I'm riding on the road, the accompanying traffic, the road conditions, the weather, the time of day and so many other things needed to be considered.
A major thing, I've realized, to mitigating the possibility of a injuring 'event' or 'occurrance' is to be extremely aware of the surrounding evironment and conditions - 'Be Here Now', In the Moment, and not be distracted. When I'm distracted or not mindful of the moment, that when things happen.
One can't account for every detail, but some details are more important than others - I work on identifying those and adjusting in the best way I know.
I have put aside many of the things I have done regularly, because who I am now is not good enough to deal properly with the risks in those activities.
But cycling, in a varied and strong manner is still very doable - although the risks seem to be increasing...
I see many on bikes with some of the protective gear we now have available and riding in a very risky fashion, and seemingly not in the moment or aware. I avoid them when possible and always feel some regret for what may occurr to them.
In the case of those, among us here, who fall to the consequences, I can only hope for a good and speedy recovery along with their assessment of of how to not have a simillar event again.
What are you're thoughts?

Ride On
Yuri

It's been noted before that humans are terrible at assessing the risk of a catastrophic event with a miniscule probability of occurrence. Such, I suspect, is the risk of being run down on a bike by a motor vehicle. And let's face it, most of us aren't all that good with math in general.

It's particularly hard to assess this risk when you compare it to a less visible / drastic reward with a pretty good probability; such as maintaining one's physical condition while aging, for instance.

Some of us have lived through health events (heart attacks, for instance), probably because of regular exercise on a bike. But the problem there is that neither my doctor nor I can prove I'm alive because I commuted on a bike for a dozen years before my MI.

So I'll counter with this: Most of a discussion of risks and rewards of an activity such as cycling is going to devolve into emotional responses vs. bravery in the face of an emotional response. But who wants to say, "I'm scared?" Easier to say, "My spouse is scared" but that just makes the person saying that sound like a wimp. So, unfortunately, such a discussion winds up with points that are only tangentially related to the uncertain facts, but, because of the underlying emotional involvement, yelled all the louder for it. As you might conclude, I don't expect much persuasion or enlightenment to come from such a discussion.

These I agree with. But I have to admit I don't really take as many precautions as I should. At least for my safety. However, I sometimes ride with a 20 year old young lady that I ran half marathons with when I was her running mentor in a youth running group (she would beat me to death these days running but I can hold my own on a bike). There are routes that I will not take her on due to there being no shoulders on the road or the traffic at certain times of day. I'm just not willing to take the same risks with her as I'm willing to take myself.

But in the back of my mind, there is always that "what if this happened" thought for many things, not just cycling. I'm almost 61, and even though I think I'm in good cardiovascular health, I sometimes think maybe I should not run and ride solo in isolated areas when I could experience something where seconds matter. But then again, I have this weird notion that if something did happen, I would go out doing something that I love to do because I'm not ready to retire to the recliner.

For sure we aren't really able to assess 'every' threat, nor should we ? It would take a huge amount of computing on our end and ultimately resolve in a complete lockup/lockout from doing anything. Which would not be a viable option for living...
And yes, many of us have gone thru episodes and have survived, possibly because we see fit to do things, like cycling, which do have some obvious level of risk. Certainly I would consider that I've survived a number of major catastrophes, because of what cycling has and continues to give me, improved overall health. But counter that with more than frequent incidents because of my activities. So far, I think a comparative valuation would be that I'm better for the riding, in spite of injuries because of riding.

I totally expect that discussion will range across the whole spectrum of response types. But that's ok, good. Things we hear/read/see often jog something in our own perceptions which make us consider something we haven't considered before.
The point being that many of us are constantly reassessing how we do our cycling - what's acceptable risk and what's is no longer acceptable.
I've recently experienced a number of things which I think I would not have experienced at a younger age. But now they happen. A strained achilles tendon (not due to cycling...) - do I need to stop running ? Or is there something else invovled?
Anyway, would be good, informative, supportive to hear how others are living and riding in the face of risk.

Ride On
Yuri

We all assess our own risk to things we do. And probably wrongly think we are safer than others. My primary care doctor can't understand why I still continue to ride after going to the ER for a crash while cycling in 2019. However, to me it's just one of a dozen or so crashes I had. And the only one to require medical attention in over 56 years of riding a bicycle.

As well, we base our assessment of risk on how difficult something is for us. Which is probably totally wrong.

All I can say is I know this is too much risk for me........


Good thing I didn't know about this stuff when I was a teen! <grin>

I ride mtn bikes 4x a week, old one’s you have to pedal.Theres no cars to worry about. I also ride motorcycles, track only. Everybody's going the same direction.

I also have 3 stents in my right artery.

I’m 73

I have definitely become more risk-averse after being bedridden for the first 2 months of 2023 and then needing walking aids until early July of that year. (I also had to use a stairlift into early August.). It was all due to a non-cycling related illness, but I don’t want to go back there due to any cause.

At this very moment I am waiting for a friend to come pick me up. I’m abandoning a tour after 6 days because I started getting pain and a little swelling in my left Achilles after taking on some steep grades on Day 5. Days 7 and 8 would have featured even tougher climbs.

Also, I had ridden many of the roads before (Some of them twice.), but that many years ago. I experienced much more traffic this trip. I found it annoying and also unreasonably dangerous. I would not have taken this trip had I known what the conditions would be like.

With the aging population, I can understand why more and more people are turning to trails for trips. Back in June I was on ACA’s TransAm route in Montana. I had done the same portions during the same time of year on several occasions. I would normally encounter lots of people doing road touring. One year I camped with at least 10 others one night alone. This year, I encountered maybe a half dozen.

Stuff happens. Even taking a shower or going down the steps to the driveway involves some risk. I'm sitting at my desk some 13 days after suffering a serious crash on an empty bike path, looking out the window at a beautiful, Saturday morning. Typing is hard due to the clavicle brace I am wearing. I dread having to cough for sneeze due to the two broken ribs (the second fracture was found on Tuesday) I'm also suffering from. However, I still think the reward is well worth the risk. I enjoy riding bikes. It's not just the positive health effects which I like. As soon as I get on my bike and start pedaling, I feel good.

I had a few things planned for the rest of the year. I'll have to cancel a couple bike packing trips I had arranged. But at my current rate of recovery, I'll be able to take part in the annual Rainbow Bridge ride here in Tokyo in December. Enjoy some bike packing in Okinawa in January. And of course I want to take part in next year's Tour Divide.

Every day, one's entire life is risk and reward.

It has been reported that over half of all car collisions occur within 5 miles of the driver's home.

I am taking steps to reduce my risk by leaving my car 5 miles away from home.

My take is the rewards in both fitness and attitude of riding regularly are well worth the amount of risk I am taking by doing it on certain roads, and perhaps not worth the risk on other roads. Not sure where to draw the line, but I haven't ventured down Riverside Drive past the second bridge. I am actually impressed with the patience and coordination shown by average drivers here while dealing with the five lanes and increased traffic down the main drag. But, I fear that the amount of scanning required to allow for other's intentions would interfere with recognizing a bicyclist among the cars, so I don't go there.

If the risks outweigh the reward or if the risk doesn't really offer any significant benefits, then I refuse to take that risk. Taking stupid risks is strictly for people whose ego is out of control and for people who falsely believe that they are impressing strangers.

I will turn 71 in a few months, I started riding in grade school and since my first bike I have not been without a bike.
I have had several minor injuries most often caused by a combination of driver error combined with my own youthful stupidity.
One serious injury in 2007 that could easily have killed me. Jerk in a speeding Porsche turned left in front of me. I avoided a collision, thankfully. I went over the bars and crashed to the ground.
My injuries were substantial and very painful, including a moderate concussion. Level 8 on the pain scale for 3 solid weeks.
I got back on the bike.

Every time I ride, I know there are risks associated.
I always wear a helmet and use a rear view mirror.
I try to ride smart and ride safe.
I expect to buy a new bike soon and will continue to ride.
Why the new bike?
Better Fit.
Better Brakes.

fat biker

The biggest risk most folks take is sitting on the couch eating bonbons, which invites all sorts of age-related diseases to kill them off early. Exercise and wise eating are by far the best things that you can do to stave off the grim reaper*.

I'm somewhat amused by all the folks on this thread equating road riding as high risk as compared to "low risk" mountain biking. That is not my experience at all. Obviously, the risk of collisions with cars is the major differentiator, but that is fairly easily minimized by choosing your roads to ride wisely. While not possible in some parts of the country, there are large swaths of the country where car traffic is minimal, and those roads are usually the most enjoyable from a cycling standpoint. Also, looking at all of my cycling friends' experiences (including my own), the most serious injuries and life-threatening accidents have happened on off-road rides, including two helivacs for one of my MTB friends. The only car-bike collisions I'm aware of resulted in bruises and road rash. My only serious crashes (concussion, broken clavicle, smashed helmet, ambulance ride, etc) have been off-road, and this in spite of riding about 80% on-road and 20% off-road . It's a simple fact that riding on loose surfaces and rocky trails in mountainous terrain is much more likely to have you crash your bike than riding on the road. I'm not discounting the seriousness of a car-bike collision, but the risk of such happening can be minimized by choosing routes wisely, and the consequences are not necessarily worse than an off-road crash down a mountainside.

*assuming that you don't get hit by a bus or plummet down a mountainside.

As a mtn biker primarily these days theres almost as much risk compared to road but not quite. Speeds are much slower and theres no asphalt. Yea I fall once a week but its mostly bruising/swelling and meds make it worse. Better than layers of skin. When the skins gone its bone.

We ride road once a week because of the intensity.

So far haven’t been banged up to bad off-road. My father gave me a Tohatsu 50 when I was quite young so I know dirt. Road riding another story altogether.

Crashing never impresses anyone. These days it keeps my weight in check and is a good mental release. No electronic gadgets. Just me and the birds

How did you learn to read what is in people’s minds? :rolleyes:

I just simply offered my opinion on what I believe about taking risks while cycling. I never said follow what I do or agree with what i said. My reply was on topic while yours was not.

Mountain biking crashes result from riding trails or features which are beyond the skill level of the rider or just letting ego take over which ends up doing stupid things which result in injuries. Mountain biking is safer than road riding because you have a choice to avoid and bypass sections of trail which are beyond your skill level or too dangerous to ride Mountain biking gives you a lot of control of how to ride and then you have a choice of many different trails, some of which are easy and safe and others which are more risky. When you're on the road you have absolutely no control over cars and drivers.

Wife and myself bought our first real mtn bikes in 1980. Started road riding in 1989. Bought a Burley Duet.

I’ve been messed up crashing in the street. So much so I’ve lost the use of 3 fingers on my dominant hand. Skin and metal instead of skin and bones. Recovery was a son of a gun.

I gave up dedicated road riding circa 1993 when the Katy trail became available. I do ride on a hilly route that also includes some obscure low traffic routes. Generally i do that on weekend mornings when the traffic is virtually nonexistent. Drivers are too distracted to be around, and our MKT and Katy trails are very lovely. YMMV.

Around here we are entering the dark, cold, wet half of the year, so I will be gradually running more and cycling less than in summer.

Otto

We all try to mitigate risk, especially as I get older. I have younger cycling friends who bomb down descents without apparent fear. I'm not able to follow.

I"m not going to pretend that there aren't risks out there, but I simply don't feel like I have a choice.

If I couldn't cycle outdoors, my life would be shortened considerably. I'd rot. I'd be unhappy.

So I'll take the risks, and do my best to keep them minimized.

A few days ago I was headed down a hill at about 35 mph, and all of a sudden I was totally overtaken with the fear of a face plant due to a front tire blowout. Now in over 55 years of cycling I have blown out one or two front tires while riding, and never while screaming downhill. But I sure have slowed now due to an unrealistic risk fear, or maybe decided that the consequence of a flat at speed was too high. But it for sure a new and troubling thought.

I'm 64 and about 2 months ago I went down hard while mountain biking. Not in the rock garden I just went through (fortunately) but making a turn in soft sand at the bottom. Not moving fast, but slammed down hard. I later learned the term is "$h*t whipped". Cracked ribs mostly. Had I went down on the rocks, I can only guess, but probably broken limbs and ribs.

Ribs kept me off the bike for 6 weeks or so. Probably could have got going earlier. The accident completely put a stop to my strength training.

So, I gave this a thought and decided, I'm not going to ride single track anymore. Where I went down was not technical and was a spot I had ridden through dozens of times before. I don't feel I can right this off as I'll do better next time. I'm much more of a roadie, and really won't miss MTB. I'll ride easy flat trails and such but I decided that the risk was no longer worth the reward. If I get injured, I simply lose out on too many other things in my life.

As for the risks of road riding, they're there of course. But there's not nearly the chance of falling that there is on an MTB. Usually it's nothing much, but it's simply much more likely I'll go down.

There are risks in just about anything we do. So, avoiding all risk is not realistic. But in my case, I've decided I'm no longer taking the risk with my MTB on even moderately technical single track.

If you’re offering something as an opinion, expressly state it as such, especially considering my reasoned opinion of your history.

In any event…What led you to form such an opinion?

Just because you make absolutist statements like this doesn't mean that any of them are true. These are just your opinions based on your own experiences and habits, and they don't apply to anyone else. I could pick apart each one but it's not worth bothering with. I'll keep it short and just say...Nonsense!