A month off
 

I'm whining to the BF gang because I know this crowd will understand. This week will be a month of not riding and it's been enlightening. Maybe more like endarkening, and sadly I have another couple months to go before I can ride outside. This is a cycling addict's version of going cold turkey and it feels like the game board of my life has been flipped over. I'm spending wayyy too much time inside my own head.

I dropped my bike hard in an unfocused moment during a tough training ride. The bike is fine but I totally ripped my clavicle off my shoulder, an AC joint separation, type V (the worst level). Surgery with lots of ligament grafts and I have to keep my arm supported in a sling, probably through December while the grafts knit. I might heal faster, but February seems like the soonest I can get back on a bike.

The physical positives are; I can ride Zwift sitting up like Mary Poppins with my arm in sling, and I can do body weight exercises for my legs and core. But I'm definitely short on the internal push to exercise. To help get mentally positive I'm starting a 6 week immersive Spanish program in Manhattan next week and that should take up lot of time and headspace. I'm also committing to spending time with art in the city. The last time I was a regular visitor to museums and galleries I was a college student, and I'm hoping that this will be an enjoyable escape. Another positive is my wife has been amazing, totally supportive and sympathetic, a bit surprising considering how she gave me a sit-down lecture on how unsafe cycling is less than 2 weeks before I crashed.

So I as wrap up a truly great year of cycling with some downtime and perspective, I'm thinking about "Where to go in 2026?" and the Left Coast seems like the winner. My wife will enjoy California a lot more than Pyrenees and that's a big part of the decision. Maybe sneak off to Spain a bit later :D.

Ouch. Been there.

Back in 2014 I crashed hard in my left shoulder. I have a complete tear of my AC joint but no additional damage. No surgery needed. I have about 95% range of motion. I used a sling for about 4 or 5 weeks.

I tacoed my front wheel, tore up my saddle and my bar tape. Fixed all that before riding again.

My doctor told me that I could start riding again when I could handle any discomfort. I was off the bike for about 6 or 7 weeks. Started back with short 15 mile rides and was soon back to 40 mile rides.

Sorry to hear of the crash. Was it a failure-to-unclip injury?

The bright side is that it happened right as the worst weather is rolling in, rather than ruining peak season!


Walking is good too; a body weight exercise to keep bone density up in the lower body; for that, it's better than cycling. You won't go as far or as fast, but you'll see more.

Re. art, you have a world class museum right there by Central Park!

Don't beat yourself up! Your body'd already stressed from...Yep, it ought to do that!

Hmmm... she perhaps went along on your training ride, whispering things into your ear, a distraction at an inopportune moment?

You have any other recollections you can share from this mishap that might help those of us out here (pulling for you) avoid similar?

Either way, eat well, rest well! Your body's in great shape to deal with the healing when you support it. Getting your mind/ego out of the way helps with that.

Keep on keeping on... my last big wreck kept me down for a few weeks (bunch of broken bones) - but back on the trainer I went ASAP. Back outdoors a week later, back to normal speeds in about a month after re starting.

Yes - cycling is dangerous, yer wife unit is correct.

I've been mitigating risk lately. Less road riding, more cautious on my gravel and MTB - and after a recent crash that took out my son and my buddy, broken bones- smashed CF- on the bike path... we changed our rules bit about drafting. Added more space between riders, eliminated wheel overlap..

Wrecks will happen no matter what, but weeding out some of the situations that make them worse or more likely to happen isn't a bad thing.

Speaking as a cyclist who has been plagued with knee injuries over the past 25 years, and which involved 3 surgeries including a full knee replacement, I'm sure you'll make it through and return to full time cycling in good form. You don't have damage to the power-producing bits, so you'll only need to polish up your general fitness.

Just be patient, and when you return to riding, do so remembering you need to rebuild. Everyone has their own path, but I don't think that in 3 months off you will lose much, nor that it will take long to bounce, but still, doing it with a training plan will probably be helpful. Not only will a training plan manage expectations and help prevent disappointment, it'll also help you see and recognize progress, encouraging you.

That's my advice. Good luck!

Know what you mean.

Condolences on the injury and forced time-off. It's never easy.

For me, it was with distance and trail running. Got injured badly (torn muscles). Took nearly three years to fully recover. (Well, to 95%-ish.) Loved the activity dearly. And that slow ramp-up of therapy and recovery over a 3yr period was excruciatingly aggravating, at the time. Too much time "inside your head", eh? Yeah. BTDT.

But after recovery, there was another several years of sheer exercising bliss in the hills, enjoying all the running I couldn't previously do. Can't say the time off was worth it. No injury is. But it helped refocus me on the valuable aspects of the activity. Bar none, the single best fitness-related activity I've ever found for recharging the ol' "batteries" (getting my mind right).

You'll get there. And you'll love it.

Those Central and Prospect park crit training things can get hairy....

BTinNYC : Been there, done that. Not as a result of a crash, but other maladies requiring minor surgeries.

As others have suggested ( chaadster said it well), you won't lose as much fitness as you think. And in the meantime, you are smart to take the opportunity to do other types of workouts. You might find that these help your cycling fitness in unexpected ways, once you are back on the bike.

It sounds like you're doing everything you need to do to stay sane and heal up during the recovery. It sure sounds like NYC might be one of the best places to recover and keep from going stir crazy.

I definitely laughed when you mentioned your wife's support. Between time, money, and fear of an untimely crippling, I think most wives hate that we ride. Your crash not only proved her right but also took you off the bike for a while. Let her bask in it, you'll be back.

Just last night I started a thread in the mountain bike forum asking about shoulder support specifically for this kind of crash. No responses yet. https://www.bikeforums.net/mountain-...-crashing.html

Imagine not being able to stand up on your own for a couple of months. It will put things in perspective. Ask me how I know.

Sharing with 'Been Scuffed Up' crew is the best! Thanks guys!

I had finished a 10 minute interval at FTP + 10%, and pulled off the street bike lane toward the bike path at an angle. Semi-delirious, I didn't see that behind the cut grass, the asphalt path was elevated and it grabbed my front tire at about 16 mph. My shoulder was a real mess and since ambulances don't have bike racks I rode to Urgent Care holding my left arm in my right.

indyfabz, yeah, I'm just whining about ortho stuff. My mom had an MCI and passed away a couple weeks before we heard about yours.

I think we need a Zwifting Mary Poppins photo. For science.

Sounds like a nasty spill. Hope you heal up 100. And revisiting some of the finest museums in the world as you convalesce is making a sill purse out of a sow's ear.

I totally understand. I have lost the entire season to an inguinal hernia, L5 back issue, two tooth extractions, and some other small stuff. As much as it has been frustration there has been a silver lining. I've been able to put my cycling in a different perspective. Basically, I have not pressure to be faster, stronger and go longer. All pressures I put on myself. As an ex-college athlete that attitude is built in. It's been liberating. Fortunately, I have been able to get some motorcycle rides in to keep me from getting depressed. That and I have been able to get to the gym enough to feel like I haven't totally lost physical activity.

Oh man, yes, we understand this. I've had months/multiple months off owing to injuries in the past, and "enarkening" is accurate. There is so much of our psychology supported by the riding, the thinking about the riding, the fellowship of the riding, the post-ride feelings of well-being, and on and on and on.

On the one hand, I wouldn't worry too much about losing fitness. As others have said, it does come back. On the other hand, something to watch out for is eating or drinking too much. The weight can be hard to lose. Focus on eating well and staying active - long walks, for example - and if you get that right, the cardio will come back when you are healed up.

+1000 for taking advantage of the fabulous art in NYC! You can spend days and days in the Met. Apparently the Frick has undergone a huge renovation recently - there are some real treasures there. And make sure to make a pilgrimage up to the Cloisters!

My sympathies!
I disarticulated my right ankle and got a spiral fracture of the proximal fibula in the bargain... a "Maisonneuve fracture". Two screws to stabilize the tibiofibular syndesmosis and six weeks of non-weight-bearing. Off work for two months, and off the bike for four.
A lot of fitness lost. The screws were made of polylactic acid, so they disappeared after about 6 months. I couldn't clip in (more accurately, I couldn't clip *out*) for several weeks after I started riding again... so, platform pedals.
I was pretty much back to normal after about a year.
This wasn't strictly a bike-related injury. You might call it a "bike-adjacent" mishap, because I was on my way to my garage to get the bike out for my daily commute when I slipped on ice on the stairs. There had been an ice storm overnight, and I was excited for the commute because I had studded tires. Sadly, I never made it to the bike.

Here is hoping you can get back to 100% also.

While you can't ride for the moment, at least maybe you can do some fun bike-related shopping or looking through all the fun bike ads. Off-season deals can be great. Even just for entertainment value instead of real purchasing.

nothing ventured, nothing gained (or lost...)
Life and the living of it is sometimes of our choice, and some times not.
But it proceeds however we participate.
so we just, ride on...
Yuri
to a quick and successful healing !

Good luck, I just got done with a month off and it’s taking a while to get my strength back.

RATS! Shoulder injuries are a bugger to heal. I would suggest using an Elliptical till you can get back outside in the saddle. For me its a little bit better then a Rat Caged stationary bike. Years ago I bought a Walmart ChiCom special for about a 100 USD and still use it today when I can't ride.

No Out Side Ridding till December...

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b90b1adadb.png

Almost 2 months ago I suffered a hard crash, causing a minor skull fracture, 2 broken ribs, and a broken clavicle. Thankfully, other than some staples in my head, I didn’t need any surgery. I've been back on my bike for a week now. I've been taking it slow and easy, but slow and easy is better than no riding at all.

That's a good recovery. Just two months with no hardware. Of course it is still a toss up on if placing hardware heals faster then just mobilizing with splint/band. I personally am a firm believer in hardware but have never suffered the injury. Some clavicular fractures can use external fixation and I think that's a real winner. Healing time as little as 6 weeks and no scars or big bumps.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39704601/

Good to hear your in the saddle again...

I think it depends on the person. One of my riding friends, with an average build, broke his clavicle and opted for the ORIF route. He's done really well. 2 months post crash and other than a few twinges here or there, he's basically recovered.

On the other hand, I don't have an average build. I'm way skinny, clavicles sticking out, winged scapulas, the whole thing. My clavicle feels bony and in the way on my best days. Introducing a surgical scar and plates/screws into an area with no room for it? No way.

In our system, you do need to be able to advocate for yourself though. I wouldn't trust most Ortho trauma docs to try to avoid surgery.

Also depends on the location of the break. My break was outside (closer to my shoulder) of the ligament connections to the scapula. Clean break... also broke my shoulder cap (along with 3 ribs).

I had no idea the shoulder and clavicle was even broken. Two weeks after my crash I went to the ortho to check on my knee, which was also injured... he looked at me, tilted his head sideways and basically said - yer collar bone is broken dummy...

I was already riding my bike at that time - no need for a sling or any surgery, healed up just fine. Lucky I guess... I also carry a bit of muscle in my upper body/shoulders, probably helped a bit.