chefxian

I got hit by a car 3 days ago and my arm is in a cast. It only goes to my forearm. The injury was a severe dislocated thumb. It's fixed now but with a cast. I do have lots of road rash but it's no big deal. So my question is has anyone out there had a cast and still ridden without problems?

botto 

home trainer ftw.

Treespeed

Had a buddy that setup, on his mtb, his shifters and brakes on one side so that he could finish the season with a broken wrist, but he was crazy.

crispy010

I rode my flat bar mtb to class for a couple weeks with a broken collarbone in a sling. No problems, but I was quite cautious because my handling and braking abilities were much-reduced.

I don't recommend it, especially if you're talking about doing long road rides. At the very least you'll delay the healing process, and at the worst you will re-injure it really badly.

Grillparzer

Spoken like a true cyclist! SALUTE

divineAndbright

I busted my hand last year and rode a lot with a cast with no real issues, I was still able to shift and get a basic enough grasp on the bars, I couldnt use my rear brake though but I barely ever use it anyway so that was no big deal. Your arm under there + cast aint gonna smell too terrific with the added sweat of 100+km rides.

RoboChrist

Time to heal, not to ride. You could mess up your thumb for life, so forget the macho bull and suck back a few cold ones, rent some movies, read some cycling magazines, upgrade your bike, but don't ride.

Pros would never do anything like this.

ScarcelyAware

Why would you want to? Do you commute?

nahh

time to rest, not ride.

chefxian

No but I need to ride. I ride almost every day. Race season is over and I want to get my base miles.
The doctor said 4 weeks. That is a long time but if the trainer is the way to go then I guess thats better then nothing.
Thanks for your help guys

Kai Winters

Wind trainer.
Ride if you want but if you f up yourself I will laugh at and mock you for the moron you would be...but that is only my opinion.

Bwana

Also, depending on how far/hard you ride, your cast would get pretty damn stinky from all the sweat.

DrPete 

Bad idea.

billyymc

I have to ask, why do you guys think this is such a bad idea? It's not like it's his leg, it's his arm. Couldn't he do some easy riding? I'm pretty sure I would try if I were in his shoes, and see how I could manage. If he can use his thumb for general grasping and stuff like that -- why not riding?

I'm not challenging...just asking. Only bone I ever broke was my femur. Didn't try to ride with that.

scotch

hit a bump the wrong way, jam the busted thumb and re-break it.

c0urt

it can be done

roadiejorge 

Rest would be the best thing you can do, building your base back isn't going to be that big of a deal to risk potentially injuring yourself.

Jaeger

A friend of mine rides with a stub of an arm from a birth defect (thalidomide caused, I believe).

If I recall there's a BF member with a permanently paralyzed arm.

Make sure you can handle the bike in an emergency stop and I'd say you should be okay.

artifice

Don't let you going stir crazy affect your healing. Find another way to stretch your legs, and give the rest of your body a break. Set some little goals for yourself, and gradually increase your activity. I have a separated shoulder from a MTB accident last sunday. I've been @ the gym on the elliptical (not pumping arms) and treadmill (walking, can't run), and some lower-body resistance training. Might try a spin class next week, and hope to be in the pool a week after that.

billyymc

I'd ask your Dr if you really want to ride - see what he/she says.

Braden1550

This.

You should be talking to your Dr. before anybody on the internets.

AFAIK Levi finished his last stage this year TDf with a busted something or other, as has Lance, and Levi posted pics of himself back on the trainer before TDF even finished with a cast.

Talk to doc, get on trainer if doc allows. Mayb increased bloodflow will be good for it.

cornas

I rode my bike for a couple of weeks with a cast on my left hand. There are a few issues though. As mentioned, your cast will smell like a dead cat. Also be sure to bring a plastic bag if it starts to rain. If you ride hard, the sweat you produce might reduce the strength of the cast. In my case I had a broken bone, and I was advised to ride on roads with a smooth surface to reduce vibrations.

Several years ago while I was skiing (alpine) I dislocated my thumb. To be able to continue racing I got a plastic cast that wasn't as bulky as a normal cast, and water resistant. I actually had the cast made holding on to a my pole. Check if you can get one of those. It will still smell a bit, but miles from the bouquet an ordinary cast can develop :-)

Vinci

You are comparing permanent conditions to a temporary injury. Yes, riding one-handed/one-armed is very possible. The point is that the OP is in the process of healing a temporary injury, which would very likely be impeded by stressing it.

Levi crashed less than 2 Km from the finish and didn't even realize his injury until the next day (from an interview).