Squeezebox

Someone on the brifter vs. bar end thread raised the question of Carpel Tunnel syndrome as part of that decision.
Yesterday I fell fairly hard at low speed in my alley on an icy patch. Last May a hiking fall tore my right side rotator cuff. Took 10 months to heal. This feels the same. I hope i can ride/hike soon.
So what have been your experiences with injuries?

indyfabz

In 2012 I did D2R2 with a still-fractured clavicle because I am hard that way.

I even rode after Mary Ellen Moffat broke my heart.

Doug64

I had shoulder surgery for 4 torn tendons, including the rotator cuff. I was back on the bike in about 12 weeks and went on a short tour about a month after that.

The way I managed shoulder pain was to install interrupter brake levers on my CX bike. This allowed me to ride with a little less weight on my shoulder. My CX bike had a new fork with an uncut steerer tube which also allowed me to raise the bars so they were level with the saddle. I liked the interrupter levers so much, I put them on my touring bike.



I don't think this option is open to you. The 920 has bars that are lower than the saddle without any way to raise bar height, and you probably can't install interrupter brake levers on discs (can't on hydraulics for sure). Saddle /bar position almost forces you to have more weight on your shoulder.

I suggest seeing a good physical therapist.

nun

I fell off my bike crossing some wet rail tracks in Utica, NY. Next day I rode 85 miles to Albany. The day after I rode 80 miles over the Taconic Range and the Berkshires to Northampton. The next day I woke feeling sick and with a terrible pain in my ribs. I could only manage 30 miles that day and bailed out by renting a car and driving home where it took a month for my ribs to heal.

saddlesores

got back on the bike.....gently.....about a month
after heart surgery. painful at first, but seemed
to help the recovery. main concern was whether
the stainless steel twist-ties holding my sternum
together were gonna break and let my gizzards
start pouring out.....

mm718

5 months for a running related hamstring injury to heal. 5 weeks for ribs to heal after a bike accident.

raybo

I had a bad encounter with French curb cuts while touring. I broke a couple ribs, sliced up my elbow (stitches), and had an enormous bruise on my hip. I was about halfway through my trip. Getting from a standing position to laying on a bed was incredibly painful.

I assumed riding a bike would be out, yet the only thing that didn't hurt was riding my bicycle. I rode about 25 miles the first day and then 50. I still had a hard time getting into a bed, sitting down, washing all of my body, and getting on and off my bike. But, I continued to ride and actually finished the trip on time.

The gory details start at the end of this journal entry.

MassiveD

They told us not to for nearly 4 months. I think the standard for a break is 6 weeks, but then they added some more time to that because that is the 50 percent mark, and if you have certain things in mind that isn't long enough.

CliffordK

I'm reluctant to admit. The day before Christmas eve, I was distracted by a car alarm, towing my trailer, and my bike slipped out from under me on the driveway. I came down hard on my left arm.

I went ahead and rode to Mom's anyway, pretty sore. A couple days rest, and it was better, but still store.

Now, mid February, it is still sore for some things. For example pumping with a mini-pump inevitably gives me some twinges of pain.

I haven't had any tests, but my interpretation is probably a badly sprained, or partly torn rotator cuff.

At this print, I'm continuing to ride, and use the arm. Much more careful with going down the wet driveway though.

I have read that NSAIDS impair the healing of tendons, and have chosen not to use them, and continuing to use the arm is good for it.. So, I'm letting pain be my guide for what I can and can't do, but otherwise, I'm really trying to treat it like "normal".

hartlean

Thank God for clip-in pedals. While bicycling in (hilly) NorthWest Pennsylvania, I got shot by a deer rifle bullet. The bullet hit my frame pump first & then bounced into my right calf. At the hospital, when they removed the bullet, they said if it had hit bone it would have shattered the bone.
After a week of rest, I rode around town for 2 weeks using my left leg only, until my right leg was healed enough to pedal. The hills were steep, but Shimano SPD, along with low (touring) gearing, allowed me to keep riding almost the entire time.

BobG

I was a replacement tour leader on an ACA Northern Tier Tour one year for the final 2 weeks of the trip. On a layover day in NH one of the group members took a crash at a curve on a fast mountain descent. He passed out with a broken collar bone. While he was in the hospital I started looking into options of getting him and his bike home to Chicago. But there was no way he was going to agree to drop out of the trip that close to it's conclusion. He rode the final week to Bar Harbor to the finish. He said the most painful move was shifting gears. @indyfabz was also in the group and will remember the incident.

Lt Stonez

are you gonna wait buying the trek 920 now then?
hope you get vell fast.

Cheers

Squeezebox

Thank you. Very serious question. I'm a bit better than 2 days ago. I rode to the grocery and back this morning. I'll keep the speed and miles low, slowly increase. Don't do nothing stupid. I have pondered your question since I crashed. I'm low income, I have the money now so I'll get the 920. ride it a bit if I can. But 6 months from now the money might not be there anymore. It does mean you won't get much of a ride report any time soon.

saddlesores

not meaning to add insult to injury (ha, get it!), but maybe a $2000 bike before
upgrades and accessories isn't the best choice. here in the depths of winter,
well......there in the depths of winter....it's 35C here in bangkok now.....you
can likely find a super awesome deal on a lightly used already upgraded touring
bike, maybe even a package deal including bags or panniers and camping gear.

Squeezebox

Thanks I'm pretty settled with what I want.

indyfabz

Remember it well.