Great trip, not so great bike crash

[shortstop14]

Rough - good luck on the recovery.

Makes me wonder if my wife and I taking up mountain biking in our retirement was the most prudent choice. Sticking to the moderate trails, but there are still some adventurous downhills out there. And sometimes my mind can ride trails better than my body can deliver.

If I see the young riders out there with full protection helmets and gear, I know my mind is writing checks my body can't cash.

 

[HFWR]

Don,
Sympathy and empathy and best wishes for a good recovery.

Serves as a reminder. I too, love biking and in my 79th year am taking your "crash" as a warning.

I have given up using my Motobecane road bike and switched to my Mongoose full suspension mountain bike... lowered the seat, added a better rear view mirror, and don't ride in high gear very often. Took a tumble three years ago, showing off with a teenager going full blast downhill, and didn't quite make a right turn... Don't remember much except I ended up 10 feet from the bike feeling bone by bone that I was ok, and deciding then to ALWAYS wear a helmet.

The 30 mile rides have turned into 5 or 10 miles at a time and never on busy roads. The risk is always there, but we balance the joys of what we like to do, knowing that 75 years with no serious accidents counts for nothing when it comes to tomorrow.

No more tent camping, hiking, or climbing in the Adirondaks, but we hang on to the things we can still do... biking, canoeing and some sailing. Being thankful for what still works.

It's definitely worth considering one's limitations, as Dirty Harry would say, but I'd rather croak riding a bike than on the couch, or worse, at w*rk...

 

[Dog]

A cycling friend of mine likes to remind us that the rides where something goes wrong typically makes for a good story.
Probably a good story here once you heal and are back on the bike.
Take care!


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[LOL!]

I won't know for sure until Monday but it looks like the scapula can be left to mend on it's own. The clavicle is a mess and will need hardware.

So an update is needed. O.R.I.F. for me 3 times for comminuted collarbone fractures.

However, I met someone who just got on with life with a two-piece collarbone.

Good luck on the PT.

 

[twolfy]

Replying to an old post here but have not been on the forum in quite a while.

Don, sorry to hear about your fall and hope by now you have had a full recovery or at least feeling much better.
We did a bicycling trip in Ireland about 7 yrs ago and had a great time. No accidents I'm happy to report but did get separated from the group and added a lot of extra miles to my days ride. but there is always a local pub to help ease the pain in the legs.
We didn't have a good experience with our bike tour company ( a non attentive and non accomodating supprt guide). Were you happy with VBT, ? i'll need to read up on them. I would like to bike some areas of Europe, not sure what parts yet and would like any recommendations on tour companies that have been used with good results. Thanks
Tom


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[donheff]

Yes twolfy, I like VBT and have been on many tours with them. They are expensive (but less than some other high end tour companies) but well worth it in my opinion.

 

[NW-Bound]

One of my nieces took time off work for a month to go on a European bike trip with her fiancé.

They did not take any tour, and shipped their bikes there and back. They went from Prague to Berlin, but I do not know what route they took, what detour.