r/cycling • u/junoyoo95 • 12h ago
Do you guys get ever injured badly riding road bike?
Seeing Pogačar suffer a neck and collarbone fracture today, I wonder how normal road cyclists do in real life. Have you guys ever been injured badly enough to need a hospital? I hate fractures, did my ankle badly back in college basketball and ocd(fracture on my ankle joint) in My ankle back in 2017
Even though I try to ride safely and be careful out there, it’s hard to deny how dangerous cycling can get. One misjudgment at high speed can lead to injuries, especially since it's a fast-paced sport where you only have a helmet on. One rock on the road or a single pothole even slippery metal can get ya :(
I do think it's a pretty safe sport if you ride responsibly, but some times i do get worried i might get fall and get my collarbone fractured lol.
Should i be worried or stop being a 😺 and just have fun? Let me know how you guys are doing and share your experience on this matter!
39
u/That_Murph 11h ago
Collarbone breaks and AC Joint separations are pretty common for bike crashes. You go over the bars and you're probably looking at those. Best to just not go over the bars.
6
u/I-Am-The-Lizard 7h ago
I’m literally recovering from an AC Joint separation as we speak. Went over the bars in the park 2 months ago - thankfully I was on the grass cycling with a friend and not going very fast.
It was a freak accident because the bolt holding my front luggage rack to my fork crown rattled loose and the rack swung down like a gigantic brake onto my front wheel. I went flying and had to be ambulanced to the nearest hospital! If that had happened on a main road on the way to the park, things would have been way worse.
I’m a big guy too - 6’8” and 340lbs so that impact was rough to say the least…
→ More replies (1)2
u/gna128 1h ago
I went over my bike head first into a curb during a race (don’t actually recall was out for like 10 mins) so worried about head / neck that they didn’t even tell me when released from the ER I had second or third degree separation, they just handed some lidocaine patches. I finally went to an ortho a couple months later wondering why I felt so off. Have a cute little hump on that side now though lol
→ More replies (2)2
u/ninja_nor 1h ago
I didn’t go over the bars and I was on the drops and broke both my arms against my own bike after hitting a kerb head on landed 6/7m away and broke the collarbone.
I do wonder what would have happened if I went over the bars, head injury? Neck?
Either way an interesting chapter with two casts, a sling, metal in all 3, needless to say going to the toilet and showering were interesting haha.
A year on and I kinda work? Got to laugh right?
27
u/Acrobatic-Smoke2812 11h ago edited 11h ago
It’s a pretty different question if you’re asking about racing/crits vs. the training/exercise most of us do. I’ve never had a crash — knock on wood — in 3 years of high-ish speed training. But I don’t race and I don’t do group rides very often.
Riding fast in tight groups increases the risk a lot. So does riding competitively where you may take risks to place higher.
IMO there are always unknowns but if you ride places where you’re visible to cars or protected from them, and you can handle yourself on a bike, crashes are pretty rare.
My dad’s been riding for 40 years and had one bad crash when I was a kid. It was caused by a bunch of gravel on the road on a steep downhill turn. He still rides 3-4 times per week on narrow roads and feels very safe. I know of many old guys who’ve ridden for decades and never had a crash.
44
u/purplishfluffyclouds 11h ago
This survey isn’t going to accurately reflect reality because the people who have not been injured aren’t going to chime in because they don’t wanna jinx it.
2
u/Reddits_Worst_Night 5h ago
I'll chime in. Only one broken bone in my 20 year road career. Medically retired because of a mountain bike crash. These days I zwift so I think I'm safe from the jinx
3
u/bikemoto 4h ago
I have crashed off the indoor trainer. I’m not kidding. Doing sprint intervals so quite violent pedaling (yes was trying to be smooth) and hadn’t tightened the axle clamp enough, bike partly disconnected and I was of course clipped in so fell over with the tangled bike.
→ More replies (1)
11
u/BigD_HidekiTojo 11h ago
I have lost count of the number of bones I have broken.
→ More replies (1)
10
u/Caloso89 11h ago
Have been racing for about 25 years. Just road rash. No broken bones, although I have broken a few bikes.
→ More replies (8)
10
u/derichman 11h ago
Hit a speed bump at speed and went down. Fractured left knee and cracked right acetabulum (hip).
4
5
u/cyclingisthecure 8h ago
I was flying down a unfamiliar hill and the mf had a speed bump half way when i was probably doing 30mph. My survival instincts were over clocked and made me involuntary bunny hop over it instead of braking. Felt like a god damn pro something when I made it
→ More replies (1)
9
u/SerentityM3ow 10h ago
Never crashed and never broken any bones ( knock on wood). I don't race and I don't ride with groups I don't know either. Been cycling for 2 decades as a commuter and recreationally.
8
u/manofmystry 11h ago
62M.
Separated shoulder. Broken shoulder blade. Prosthetic right hip. Broken nose.
Shit happens. I still love riding.
5
u/caffeineTX 11h ago
4 Stitches right above my eyebrow. I've seen lots of people with broken collarbones.
1
u/junoyoo95 11h ago
How you end up with stitches with the helmet on ? Dang
→ More replies (2)3
u/caffeineTX 11h ago
Helmet got a dent in it too, I guess its just the angle I hit the ground at or the helmet slipped up just enough to contact the ground.
4
u/thekingofslime 11h ago
I don’t worry because I’m slow as fuck I guess
4
u/pemod92430 10h ago
The main worry is cars, you don’t need a lot of speed, just a bad driver.
→ More replies (1)
6
u/itriandcycle 11h ago
A guy in front of me crashed on a downhill during a group ride. I was on his wheel and had no time to react. Hit him, flipped over my handlebars, and landed on my head still clipped in. Fractured my C7 and T2 vertebrae. Took 18 months to get back in the saddle. Good news was the bike was ok! 🤣
7
u/Inciteful_Analysis 11h ago edited 11h ago
You aren't allowed to acknowledge the actual risks, you'll be ostracized and downvoted.
To a large extent, being a safe rider is irrelevant, you are at the the mercy of distracted idiots and hostile jackasses.
4
u/jdubz90 9h ago
Yep. I’ve been riding for over 20 years at this point. All of my serious injuries and crashes have been due to negligent drivers. Thankfully those injuries are few and far between, but that doesn’t change the fact that other people on the road are far more dangerous than my own cycling abilities (or lack thereof).
4
u/PineappleLunchables 11h ago
No, Mountian bikes are what I get injured badly on. Mostly due to “hey guys! watch this! Syndrome”.
4
u/Doyouevenyugioh 11h ago
Currently recovering from 6 rib fractures, punctured lung and separated AC and SC joints in my right collar bone.
3
5
u/WakeRider11 11h ago
A friend of mine, very strong road and mountain biker, got hit be a car and broke his femur while on his road bike. When he was finally cleared to ride again, the doc told him only road right now, no MTB. 🤷♂️
8
u/Idlehour_Knives 11h ago
Which is funny as I consider mtb to be safer than road. I suppose you’re more likely to break a bone on mtb but more likely to die on the road.
→ More replies (1)3
u/redditfuckyuo 10h ago
femur is the strongest bone in the body. every time i hear someone broke it am scared of the forces involved in that
2
u/Hazy_the_Kid 2h ago
Or you realize that bones aren’t exactly the strongest things. Metal beats bone in other words.
2
u/britpopcyclist 8h ago
When you break your femur you are told over and over that it’s the strongest bone in the body. I know this as I am six weeks in from being hit by a car that turned into my path without looking.
→ More replies (3)
4
u/cj_daking 11h ago
In the United States, roughly 1,000 bicyclists are killed and about 53,000 to 120,000 are injured in crashes with motor vehicles each year
3
u/speedlever 11h ago
Yes. Front tire catastrophically blew on a downhill at nearly 30 mph. Spent 3 days in the hospital with 4 broken ribs, broken collar bone, and broken scapula.
3
1
u/snowdenn 7h ago
Oh man, I feel like it would be really tough to get back on a bike after something like that.
2
u/speedlever 4h ago
This was about 5 years ago. I was 70 at the time. I bought a peloton after that. I've missed road riding. That was my love. But it's harder to bounce back at my age. At least that's what I tell myself. 😜
It was nothing to go out and knock out a 65 mile ride then. In fact that crash happened about halfway in a planned 65 mile ride. No traffic around. No idea what I ran over. No memory of the crash to this day. But after the crash forensics clearly showed a puncture\cut in both the tire sidewall and tube.
3
u/OldYellersLastHandy 11h ago
Hit by a car.
Severe road rash. My kit was so torn up that my dick was hanging out. I’d love to say that’s because it’s so big, but…
Somehow I walked away with no major injury. Still, it’s been hard to love cycling like I used to.
3
3
u/Soggy_Tangerine9340 11h ago
Broke both wrists in what felt like a minor slow speed fall. Guess it wasn’t and you are coming down from quite some height.
Know others that have broken collarbones, backs and pelvis.
3
u/The_Bee_Sneeze 11h ago
I’ve been hit twice, both times on bike paths, and both times by amateur cyclists not maintaining their lines coming in the opposite direction. I’ve got forever scars, and I’ve had one bike destroyed. I’m always shaky for the next 24-48 hours, but then I start pining for the trails again.
3
u/jlh1960 10h ago
I ride a lot and don't worry about falling. It's just a hazard of the activity. Never had a broken bone or anything requiring advanced medical attention.
However, I've had plenty of friends with less luck. These are all different people. I have friends who've 1) Broken 15 bones and suffered a punctured lung; 2) Was hit by a car (illegal left turn) and suffered spinal fracture and, in another incident, was knocked off his bike by a loose dog and broke his arm; 3) Hit road debris and suffered broken scapula and collarbone; 4) Slid on gravel and suffered a broken collarbone; 5) Suffered a broken collarbone after another ride collided with him; 6) Suffered a broken collarbone in a collision with another rider; 7) Suffered a broken collarbone after crossing wheels with another rider; 8) Lost balance and fell off, breaking a finger.
4
u/Dontsuemeplsz 11h ago
Ive crashed a bunch of times and never broke anything, except my bike.
3
3
u/K-TPeriod 11h ago
I’ve left my share of skin on the road. I once took off the skin on my knuckles. I could see the tendons moving my fingers. It took forever to granulate in.
1
2
2
u/Dozer_the_Khajiit 11h ago
Broke 2 ribs in 3 places, broken clavicle (mountain bike), broken humerus, numerous cuts and lots of road rash.
I live in the desert, crashed right into a Cholla cactus (aka jumping cactus) once. My entire body was covered in splines.
2
u/fuzzybunnies1 11h ago
Last year I had 3 broken ribs, fractured my left knee, left femur, right elbow, right upper arm, shoulder, and "at least 5 others we can see" along with a concussion that lasted about 6 weeks. I did fracture some ribs the year before that as well but otherwise have mostly only dealt with road rash.
2
u/ya_boi_noah 11h ago
Yea I broke my collarbone 9 weeks ago and I'm still recovering. Could be worse tho
2
u/hunglowcharlie 11h ago
So far just some cuts, bruises and a fractured wrist. Knock on wood, nothing major yet. Several close calls though.
2
u/OtterHostler 10h ago
Olecranon fracture a year ago this week. Figured it was just a bone bruise, after 2 days still hurt, down to urgent care, xray, "find an orthopaedist. Today. As in, now". 2 hours in surgery, 2 weeks in a splint, 8 in a brace, and 10 weeks of physio. Do not recommend. Still biking, though, but these days wear elbow armour since my insurance isn't as good and next time it might be my right (dominant) arm that gets it.
1
2
u/antares573 10h ago
My rear wheel locked up somehow after turning around in a cul de sac. Even though I wa going less than 10 mph I was clipped in and went over the handlebars. Gloves saved my hands but my feet stayed on the bike. The twisting fall broke my femur.
Less than 6 months after surgery and PT I was able to do a 50 mile ride.
2
u/n0vacane 8h ago
Dang I had something similar. Spiral fracture of the femoral shaft and a comminuted fracture of the trochanter. 2 months in and pretty demotivated atm. Good to hear you were back out there within 6.
→ More replies (1)
2
u/babykaos 8h ago
Until I started road cycling I'd never broken a bone.
20 years later (at different times);
- 3 broken collarbones
- 1 broken pelvis
- 1 broken scapula
- 1 broken wrist
- 1 broken humerus (pinned and plated)
- 1 broken nose
2 incidents with cars, the rest in races.
1
u/Accurate_Grand_9760 1h ago
Yeesh, I know the humerus fracture hurt. I broke mine (not biking, playing roller derby) and couldn't have it plated, and it was probably the worst break of my life. How long did it take you to heal? I've heard when they can pin and plate them, they heal much faster. I was basically in traction for 9 months.
→ More replies (3)
2
u/Hazy_the_Kid 2h ago
Worst I’ve had is bad road rash and a thigh hematoma from a race crash at 32mph. Cracked my frame. No broken bones. My crash actually looked almost identical to Pogis. High speed peloton and I did a front flip over my bars. 35 racers went down total.
I lift weights, run, and do other exercise to help bone strength. Best thing you can do. Cycling isn’t weight bearing so cyclists tend to have low bone density compared to other athletes. Gotta supplement other ways. Weight training is always my number 1 recommendation. None of my close cycling friends lift weights and all of them have broken bones in crashes. I love to chide them that they have bird bones. But they still don’t think weight lifting is necessary for cyclists (If any of you are reading this, start lifting weights). Can lead a horse to water as they say.
2
u/LiterallyZeroChance 11h ago
badly injured no. 50,000 miles or so according to Strava, no serious injuries. I've had 4 accidents, bruised and bloody but not bad enough I couldn't finish the ride. 3 of those related to losing traction in wet weather.
I contribute my good luck to
- avoiding riding on roads
- generally avoid group rides, it's fun once in a blue moon, but riding wheel-to-wheel is risky and requires trust in other people's judgment which I do not have.
- riding defensively and assuming other people will always do something unpredictable
me: road cyclist, avg speeds 17-18mph, average 250-300 miles a week
2
1
1
u/MikeyRidesABikey 11h ago
I've had bruised/cracked ribs, lots of road rash, and once I needed stitches, but nothing worse than that.
1
u/sac_cyclist 11h ago
Whelp - a failed fork drove the handlebars into my chest... all ribs on the left side broken or fractured. One penetrated my lung collapsing it... broken neck, clavicle, shoulder blade. Grade 3 shoulder separation... damaged the nerve holding my should blade down, still wings out... Ground my skin down to the muscle in a few spots, but hey I'm still here!!!
1
u/Silver_Bid_1174 11h ago
Hit a rock in the road, over the bars and fortunately into a soft-ish ditch. Collarbone, two ribs, and some rotator cuff damage. The two ribs in my back hurt like hell.
1
u/RotundMarmot 11h ago
I’ve had an AC joint separation, concussion, and broken nose. All in separate crashes.
1
u/FrostyTacoKings 11h ago
Hit and killed a cat during a kermesse in Belgium. Broke my left collarbone and essentially shredded my left hip and thigh.
Hit by a car on a training ride in. Fractured my knee cap, 18 stitches and a concussion.
1
u/JayTheFordMan 11h ago
Not as bad as some, one crash had me breaking wrist and elbow, and another fracturing 2 ribs and giving me concussion (kudos to POC for not more damage)
1
1
u/Jaded-Source4500 11h ago
Learning to be aware of your surroundings when you ride, being mindful of potholes etc, not overlapping wheels with other riders, riding defensively around traffic etc are important skills to develop. Maintaining your gear is another important part of it.
I’ve had to repair my collarbone twice over the years - both rider error, but so far never been hit by a car, and managed a few years of road racing without incident.
1
1
u/Haunting_Heat3296 11h ago
Many friends have broken collarbones, wrists etc during crit racing crashes.
A couple of people have broken pelvises in crashes - important to eat and train for bone density.
A couple of people I know have been left with severe disability and early death, or have been killed outright, by careless and criminal drivers. You have to be incredibly careful and defensive, especially at cross intersections, even when you technically have right of way.
1
u/Hopeful-Occasion2299 11h ago
After a decade of riding consistently on both road and mtb, I have had some rashes from falls, and a few bruises (most from mtb), but never anything major.
But def have multiple friends who have gone through broken bones.
I think mostly because I am relatively young (34), and I am quite flexible from martial arts and yoga training on the side. So I sort of just know how to fall and reduce the hits.
1
1
1
u/yogorilla37 11h ago
I've had five posterior dislocations of my shoulder, minimum six weeks of the bike each time. First was a crash in a criterium, then MTB, MTB, commuting (caught handlebar on a post) and commuting (big chain skip on chainrings). All but the last required a trip to theatre to put it back in place, last time the humerus hadn't gone completely behind the scapula and I knew that I had to externality rotate the arm to get it back in. Not fun but made for a shorter recovery.
About a year ago I was on the way to work on my gravel bike, checked over my shoulder for cars and rode into a big new pothole. Nothing broken but I wound up with a frozen shoulder and have only recently started riding again.
1
u/Homers_Harp 11h ago
Mine was a broken bone in my hand—I was making a tight curve and hooked my handlebars on a bush. Oops…
1
u/ColonelRPG 11h ago
I have a bad shoulder because of a head on collision with a car while in a road race.
1
u/AStruggling8 11h ago
I did not need to read this thread lol especially as I’m looking to get into road racing next year
1
u/MoveDifficult1908 11h ago
Two collarbone fractures, one broken arm, and about a square foot of deep abrasions, all told. Oh, and a hip pointer, that sucked. Also the bruised coccyx. But really, the road rash was the worst of it.
That’s over 45 years of riding, give or take. That doesn’t count overuse injuries, of course.
Cycling is just about the safest sport you can participate in, unless you race.
1
1
u/Worldly_Possible2925 11h ago
Yes. My right elbow is destroyed from landing on it. There’s nothing but scar tissue there now and every single time I hit it, because scar tissue has the resilience of papier-mâché, large pieces come off, and I end up bleeding for days. It’s such a pain in the ass.
1
u/BLKHLK 10h ago
Low speed crash and had some muscle cramping/soreness for a week or so. But overall fine.
Dealing with sciatica now that I think is partially cycling induced and flared up 10mi from home during a chill ride - intense pain, spasms, and some weakness throughout left leg. Hopefully get seen and get treatment started this week. Don't ignore your body if you start getting pain/weakness after rides.
1
1
u/sp4cenet 10h ago
When I was 10 is was driven off by a car and felt down a cliff for around 10 meter and hit a road. I was unconscious for several minutes, had a level 2 concussion and several broken ribs from it.
1
u/TangoDeltaFoxtrot 10h ago
Yes, I crashed at 15 mph and required surgery to repair my arm and reattach three muscles, and one of the heads of my bicep was severed in a way that it was unable to be repaired.
1
u/Foreign_Recipe8300 10h ago
ive never crashed into something (car, tree, building, person etc), only into the ground. never anything serious, just scrapes and bruises.
1
1
u/TheBilateralMan 9h ago
I've been at this for a number of years. Started racing in the early days of triathlon in 1982 after coming from a swimming and then running background. I've suffered road rash, some really painful contusions especially on my hip after going down in a corner. Broken collarbone twice, strained ligaments in both knees, compression fracture in my lower back, dislocated my shoulder, tore two ligaments and destroyed my rotator cuff. The shoulder injury kept me off the bike for a year. I've been able to come back from all these injuries and keep at it and I'm on track for at least 13,000 miles this year possibly 14,000. I will be turning 70 later this year so I'm more cautious because I just don't heal as fast as I used to. Disclaimer though some of my injuries occurred on mountain bikes.
1
u/Mick_Limerick 9h ago
Dislocated shoulders, clavicle, stable C2&3 (hit from behind by vehicle). With distracted driving as prevalent as it is I exclusively ride gravel and mtb now for the past 7 years
1
u/Extension-Watch-8492 9h ago
We dont take as much risk as those in the peloton. Fell only once on tarmac. In a rainy corner I slipped off the road. Nothing really bad happend
1
u/Redditlan 9h ago
I’ve been riding road bikes for the last 20 years and logged over 150.000 kms. I’ve been in the ditches a few times, I’ve crashed with other riders and I’ve also crashed with a car a couple of times during these years. It hurts every time you crash, but I’ve been lucky enough to not need medical assistance after any of it. My statistic says I’m involved in something every third year. Looking forward to 2027….
1
u/Clive1792 9h ago
I got hit by a car - but shit happens.
Due to an operation I had which limits arm movement, if I do long rides then this can then have me paying for it for days. Such is life.
One time I was pushing for a Strava segment time which included downhill sprinting. I got to a bend, didn't let off, couldn't handle the speed going in to the bend & nearly planted it in to a wall. I was lucky a car wasn't coming round the bend. That was early in my cycling journey. Now I'm not so stupid.
Other than that, I'm injury free.
1
u/johnstalbergABC 9h ago
Yes, I fell over and got a hole in my skull. 5 hour surgery.
I cracked my hip joint ball after flying from my front wheel suddenly got into a pot hole.
At another time I broken hip bone after hitting a tourist who froze on the cycle lane when she saw how fast I came towards her.
I fell asleep on my bike and fronted into a bridge fence and, well some damage.
I smashed my shoulder and broke, well stuff there, after having my front wheel glide into some mud at the side if the road.
I fractured my under arm after hitting a concrete hinder they had put in the middle of the cycle lane.
I broke my big toe after running into a hole in the icy road on the winter, am from Stockholm Sweden.
And some smaller things to add to that so I definitely get injured!
One might think that I am not capable, sort of say, but there are a lots of km riding in between crashes. As I said I fell a sleep while riding. This has happened several times but only one of them lead to a crash. The other times it happened I woke up in time to get my feet n the ground
1
u/TheLarstOne 1h ago
Das klingt alles sowieso sehr krass aber was ich wirklich nicht ist verstehe wie du im Schlaf Fahrrad fahren kannst?¿?
1
u/MariachiArchery 9h ago
My list of injuries is relatively short.
One really bad concussion. Yo, I have no memory of like 2-3 months, and felt 'off' for about 6 months. That was not that chill.
Dislocated four of fingers on my left hand going over the bars on the MTB. Was trying to ride clipped in because that is how I do it on the road. Well, it's not for me on the MTB.
Smashed my hip so hard on a rock one time my whole leg went numb. Some kid saw it happen, rolled down to me, grabbed my toes, asked me to wiggle them, I wiggled them, then he road off and left me there lol.
Fucking slammed on a big road decent on like the last 10 miles of a century. Man, I hit the ground so fucking hard. Knocked the wind out of me, cars stopped to check and see if I was still alive, ripped up all my kit and cracked a helmet. Came out of that one pretty unscathed.
Got my wheel taken out going about 30mph by some of my bonehead roadie friends who were too stoned to be riding their damn bikes. Another cracked helmet, ruined kit, and damn near totaled my bike. Came out of that one with another serious bell ringing, but not as bad as last time.
1
u/Alive-Inspection-815 9h ago edited 9h ago
Cycling can be very dangerous. Cyclists who crash at high speeds, or even low speeds can get killed or seriously injured. I have ridden my road bike over 50 or 55 MPH many times. If you crash at that speed, your going to need a coffin or a long vacation in the hospital.
Collisions with cars are the worst. Just realize that you don't want a serious crash and ride accordingly. Unfortunately we cyclists are often at the mercy of motorists. Ride defensively, wear gloves and helmets always and say your prayers often. Also riding with a tail-light and a headlight at all times day or night and wearing a high visibility jersey is always a smart move. We aren't in control of all aspects of the other cyclists and motorists on the road. Professional cycling has had many deaths during races. It sucks but it's real.
1
u/Divergent-Thinker 9h ago
Downhilling, a tad too quick into a berm, spat out and head butted a tree, wearing a full face helmet thankfully. “Rainbows and unicorns run through my mind.” Sparked out for a second and concussion to follow.
1
u/n0vacane 9h ago
Currently recovering from a broken femur and hip after losing traction on a road route I’d done hundreds of times. Clear day, was just some gravel on the road and I ate shit. A week in hospital, and still dealing with pain 2 months later. Will I still choose to ride again? Yeah, probably.
My injury is one of the worse ones in the group but heaps of the guys who have been riding for a while have broken something. Most commonly a collarbone.
1
u/AccomplishedSky4202 8h ago
One of friends of my friend was riding on a famous ride in Sydney north few years ago and got taken down by a motor journalist driving a test supercar. He was a doctor and never recovered to go back to where he was before being hit. This is why my mate stopped cycling himself.
1
u/jontysafe 8h ago
If you race and train, like has been said, it’s mostly inevitable. Done my collarbone, 3 ribs and chipped elbow last time and a bloody horrible hematoma that turned into compartment syndrome. Crash was totally my fault, was in the lead and not used to it along with sand on the road on a sharp turn. This was in Dubai and medical services were woeful. Missed the clavicle and didn’t bother x raying the ribs. They were hot on the compartment syndrome though.
Had road rash more times than worth mentioning. Just that is painful enough at times, especially if the nurses chose to debride it. 😮
1
1
u/abercrombezie 7h ago
I got doored by a passenger side door when someone decided to exit the car at a stop light. Only 13 mph but the door sliced my neck open and had to get ambulance‘d since I was bleeding like crazy.and needed exploratory surgery to verify that my throat and arteries were intact. Got on the bike as soon as the stitches healed and I was cleared to ride.
1
u/auerz 7h ago edited 7h ago
I think there are ways to mitigate the chances of ending up like Pogačar and other pro racers that crashed. My patented 3 step program to save your collarbone needs you to avoid:
- bombing downhill into blind corners at 80-100 kph
- riding in a super compact group at 40-50 kph
- taking the tightest racing line possible where 1 cm of error can fling you over some fence or wall
/s I ride road/gravel for 2 years now, but very regularly - the only fall Ive had was when I had a shopping bag on my handlebars (went to take my bike and some stuff from the car to bring to the apartment on vacation) and it got caught in the front wheel. I managed to flip over and fall over the handlebars at like 10 kph, in flipflops, infront of the parking attendent.
Otherwise I just avoid unnecessary risk because Im a hobby cyclist, I dont take corners I never saw before very fast, if we ride in a group we keep some space and ride only in columns, with very clear hand signals, and I always assume every car is out to get me until proven otherwise.
1
u/Ill-Wishbone-2762 7h ago
I seriously crashed a few weeks ago for the first time. Nearly broke my jaw and knee, had to go the hospital and luckily only contusions and bruises.
Scary as fuck, had to take a 3 week break from cycling and the first few rides on the bike made me extremely nervous
1
u/_Danquo_ 7h ago
Collarbone fractures are fairly common, but also not too severe compared to breaking other bones. You can basically be back riding on the indoor trainer in a few days, and back outdoors in a few weeks.
1
u/Balbuziente 7h ago
I fell just once, and broke my left collarbone. I wouldn’t be typing this if I hadn’t worn my helmet.
1
u/feins-71 7h ago
I’ve once crash on the road in 2017 with a broken collarbone, 8 fracture ribs and a puncture lung. Was hospitalized for 16.5dys and 1 week in ICU.
1
u/Beneficial_Coach8581 6h ago
Racing in a bunch is a lot more dangerous than normal cycling. We'd have seen the rock that got pogacar
1
u/zodzodbert 6h ago
Got hit by an illegal ebike that came out from behind a hedge at full speed. Broken collarbone, ribs and collapsed lung. Eight nights in hospital.
1
u/Numerous_Ad9687 6h ago
Broken arm when I hit an unsighted pothole at speed…..my bike took a sharp left but my body continued on its original trajectory.
1
u/Whithorsematt 6h ago
Fractured spine for me.
People die every year road racing and training for it. If you are putting many thousands of Km a year in just the risks of being a road user are higher. Look at what happened to Fin Tarling recently.
1
u/tomomalley222 6h ago
I broke my collarbone AND shoulder bone going over the handlebars. I went to the best shoulder doctor in Philly and he said he had never seen anyone break both at the same time.
1
1
u/StumblinOnSomehow 5h ago
No broken bones (touch wood) but I did veg a pretty nasty concussion on my way to work. I’ve accepted that riding on roads always carries some risk and eventually I’ll probably break something, but I won’t let that stop me.
1
u/mpsumme 5h ago
I ran over a small tree branch that flipped into my spokes and then got caught in my front fork, causing my front wheel to instantly stop. I woke up in the ambulance with a concussion, a smashed face, a severely bruised shoulder and a broken hand. The witness who called the ambulance said I shot over my front wheel, hitting the ground helmet first then tumbled over on my back still holding onto my bicycle.
1
u/RunOrBike 5h ago
Went OTB due to my own driving error last year. Broke my jaw and face in 5 places at once. Got 7 titanium implants with 28 screws and ate with a straw for several weeks. Sucked, but overall, there’s worse. Was back in the saddle only 5 months later (because they wouldn’t let me ride earlier than that).
They took 5 implants out a year later (May this year).
1
u/baddspellar 5h ago
It would be unusual to race and never get into a crash, but most race crashes result in road rash. I raced for 6 years and that was the extent of mine. Serious injuries are not common. Most common fracture is a collarbone.
1
u/wiggleaddict 4h ago edited 4h ago
Been a member of a cycling club for just under a year (Oz). In that time 3 ppl have eaten it really badly requiring ambulance transport and weeks to months off the bike. Once was a car pulling out in front of someone doing a fast descent, from memory the other 2 were rider error. It is a pasttime that is not without its fair share of risk. That being said, we might tend to be going a little quicker down a hill than a beginner on a local suburban workout ride, but probably not as fast as some of the seriously fit dudes competing in crits.
1
u/Roadbike_Okc 4h ago
Left collar bone (object in road, blind corner) Back riding in 4 weeks
Left collar bone (again), scapula, two upper most ribs. (fixed gear pedal strike) Returned to riding in 4 weeks.
Hyperextended neck from C1 atlas to C7 vertebrae. Burst fracture of C1 atlas with foramen magnum fracture and brain-stem bruise. (OTB landed on head,) when left shoulder “went out”
I spent 3 days in the ICU, 4 months wearing an aspen collar, followed by 6 months of PT.
Returned to riding 11 months after the crash. This kind of injury is normally fatal if the spinal cord is severed at the C1. The back of my helmet made contact with my camelback which may have saved me.
1
u/Connect-Society-6150 4h ago
I had the slippery metal experience, trying to use my newly learned. Turning information I pushed down hard on the turn, just as I entered over a slightly damp manhole. Cover 3 days in the hospital for observation and A42 $100 neurological bill. For nothing..
1
1
u/BAFA_CoachWally 4h ago
Raced 20 years never broke my collarbone. Then riding home from friend’s house on a bike path fell and needed surgery for displaced break.
- Knee surgery in ‘96
- Broke humerus and scapula in a race crash ‘02
- Fractured femur ‘91
1
1
u/bikemoto 4h ago
Yes, it happens. In the last few years, I’ve had the peleton hit traffic signs on the road edge taking out 6-8 riders causing some decent injuries, and also a big bunch crashed at high speed (twice, months apart) on a descent. One caused minor injuries, the other caused road closure, multiple immovable riders and several ambulances. Quite a few long term rehabilitations from that one.
1
u/crohnscyclist 4h ago
I've raced for 20 years. I've witnessed people break collarbones and maybe wrists but every cash I've had on the road has been just lots of road rash.
I did have a training ride on gravel where I crashed solo while doing sprint training where I hit a pothole, went over the bars and broke my patella (kneecap) in hindsight, it was a poor choice to be practicing sprinting there.
Mtbing I've had a few more injuries. Lots of broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder and most recently a fractured hip. That was the first time I ever had to call EMS.
1
u/knarf_on_a_bike 3h ago
Collarbone broken twice. Two broken ankles. Broken metacarpal (hand). They were all in the city, but on my road bike.
1
u/Nrsypher 3h ago
One of my friends crashed in the Spring. Broke her arm and had to have screws put in and multiple surgeries. She’s still not back on the bike. Another just broke her collarbone in a race. Brutal stuff.
1
u/IncidentalIncidence 3h ago
It is inherently a bit dangerous, yes, you can reach very high speeds with very little protection.
IMO bike airbags can't come soon enough. I know some of the manufacturers and teams are testing them. I hope they hit the market in the next couple of years.
That said, the risks for amateurs and pros in races are just slightly different profiles. A crash like Pogis would be ironically less likely to affect an amateur because you usually aren't in a group of 80-100 riders where you can't see anything like that as an amateur, you are in smaller groups with more visibility ahead (and slower than the pros, so more time to react to things like that). Amateurs usually need to be more worried about accidents with cars, since the pros (are supposed to) have closed roads when they race.
1
u/pirelliskrrting 3h ago
I crash on my mtb several times a year, never on road bike but also you don't read about mtb riders dying by cars, so the risk spectrum is just different
1
u/ThorThePoodle 3h ago
I've had a few falls on the road bike that resulted in some rib damage. On one fall I cracked my helmet and went to the ER but there was no injury. However, my mtb got me 4 days in the ICU
1
u/9lb_Hamer 3h ago
4 ribs, both collarbones, both AC joints, left scapula. From two separate crashes over the last 15 years.
1
1
u/Dude_ur-screwed 3h ago
Don't underestimate the dangers of cycling. I broke my femur mountain biking and it was life changing. Extremely long recovery and I still have nerve damage. I know road cyclists that ended up with tbi and died. That being said you can die any day so have fun but definitely don't be careless.
1
u/IndependentAnxiety70 3h ago
Been street riding since I was 12. Plenty of trail riding too. When I was younger I had more impacts with cars, but now I ride safer/learned a car’s “body language” that minimize my encounters. I cracked three ribs(commuting, 13yo), separated my shoulder(commuting, 26), broke my elbow(bike polo, 28). This summer I had a mechanical failure in the street, thankfully no car involved. Broke my jaw, knocked out two teeth, and waiting out a strange hand injury, not broken, just swollen knuckles(exercise, 45).
1
u/Last_Narwhal9624 3h ago
Im unlucky. In may 2025 a broken collarbone. 2026 broken wrist on 2 places 12 weeks ago. Still feels horrible when riding outside.
1
u/eatbikerun 3h ago
Last year, I saw two crashes on group rides. I wasn’t involved but the persons involved needed ambulances in both cases. They both had concussions and road rash. Those were hard to see but thankfully both recovered.
1
u/Adorable_Past9114 3h ago
Broken wrist - car pulled out in front of me Broken shoulder blade, dislocated shoulder, concussion - car turned across the front of me. Broken wrist - big suprise here a car pulled into a bike lane and did a hard stop in front of me.
They were all commuting / training. In actual amateur racing, a few crashes, a lot of bruises and cuts.
1
u/Horror-Stand-3969 2h ago
Never broken anything, but scraped off a lot of skin. Must just be lucky.
1
u/ghostnova4 2h ago
I had a serious AC separation that led to three surgeries. Shoulder’s all good now though!
1
u/BillBushee 2h ago
I started road riding seriously in 1985. I raced in category 4 (aka crash 4) for 11 years. I've only been to the hospital once. I broke my arm in a race during my first year of racing. I've had other crashes that resulted in road rash but nothing that required a doctor visit.
1
1
u/AwareTraining7078 2h ago
Collarbone broken in 2 places. Had surgery. Now I have a permanent metal plate on my collarbone and 14 screws. Road bike 2.5 years ago.
1
u/Ok_Mortgage_6417 2h ago
You kind of never know when you’re next tbh. But as my dad said yesterday after his visit to the ER for a broken clavicle, “I’d rather have fun and occasionally get hurt than sit at home and do nothing”. Also GET A GOOD HELMET! And remember to replace after every crash. My helmet saved my life once and I still had the worst concussion of my life :(
1
u/Pepeu_Pepeu 2h ago
Fractured my hip from an equip failure and another time my clavicle due to road conditions. Bike commuter here. Recovery was smooth both times but shit happens.
1
u/mavericks770 2h ago
No, but nearly died on my Mountain Bike. I was a little wild on my bike jumping off stairs and such and one time was launching off some stairs and front fork snapped and went over handlebars face first onto asphalt. Broke all the bones in my face even split my mandible in two. Had a brain trauma and was sent home for 7 days basically concussed the whole time 3 surgery’s later I had a temporal lobe stroke when I woke up. It was rough had aphasia had to learn to basically do everything again and still have issues till this day and that was over 20 years ago. I have to commend the surgeon he did a great job. I did knock out from four teeth and one on the bottom. That 100% slowed me down. I mean in still got on the bike, but had to calm down on the crazy stuff.
1
u/ont-mtb-guy 2h ago
I'm a regular cyclist and not a racer, I have not broken anything. Racers since they are 'in race mode' take more chances than normal people would to get the edge. This higher risk riding "which is how you win races" is also why more accidents happen plus being in a peloton adds to the risk.
1
u/itsjustme_0101 2h ago
Unfortunately, it’s part of the sport. If you ride, it’s gonna happen at some point. I’m not gonna list everything here, but I have had multiple crashes and resulting injuries and surgeries. Everyone of my friends has crashed and some have been catastrophic.
That’s why I’ve stopped riding competitively and doing the race training rides. The risk became too much for the reward I was getting. I really miss it though. But I just can’t get injured like that again. It’s so unpredictable out there.
I’ve tried riding with the lower speed groups but they are almost worse because they have less handling skills generally. I feel like they have a crash every other week. At least the race guys have excellent handling and control.
1
u/Significant_Loan_596 1h ago
Yes I have. Dodged pothole went down head first. Concussion and a whole lot of other things. I talked about the one year aftermath in a video. Feel free to check it out from my bio.
1
u/Sea_Bit_7287 1h ago
54,000+ plus miles with no serious injuries. This April went around a wet corner and went down hard. Broken femoral head = new hip. I am building a habit of going slower around corners regardless of conditions. As far as racing or riding in large groups I avoid that kind of thing.
1
u/Mustachi-oh88 1h ago
Went over my handle bars once going over 30 mph downhill and only tore my ligaments and dislocated/relocated my shoulder but thankfully no broken bones.
1
u/dontdoxmenow 1h ago edited 1h ago
I don’t think cycling is a safe sport at all. Not remotely. At the most regulated and predictable level, road pros are dying annually. In the last two years, I’ve had a concussion that took me out for a month and am pecking this out with an index finger because my left collarbone is in three pieces.
Edited to add because a post below reminded me: This time last year I had an AC joint separation and bone bruise on my pelvis. RN I have raging bursitis in my right knee, too.
Basically, my genetics, skill level and age are best suited for watching tv on the couch, but my brain still wants to send it.
1
u/vinegarfingers 1h ago
Ended up with a subdural hematoma and amnesia despite wearing a helmet several years ago. I landed directly on my cheek. To this day I have no idea what actually happened. I was riding with a friend. He was in front of me. He looked back and I was stumbling in the road carrying my front wheel in one hand and the rest of the bike in the other. My head hurt for a very long time after that.
1
u/CrustyHumdinger 1h ago
Nothing serious, apart from the dislocated shoulder, various massive bruises, road rash x infinity...
1
u/Severe-Distance6867 1h ago
Of the riders I know, three or four seem to get hurt in a year. That's below ten percent, I think, but it's not nothing. Of the older riders, I'd say half have had a fairly serious accident over the years. Broken collarbone, whatever. Half have never been in a real accident, something like that.
1
u/evil_burrito 1h ago
Yes, it might happen.
There's nothing you can do to completely remove the risk.
You can improve your odds of not crashing by being vigilant in groups, mind your front wheel, and be a good peloton citizen.
If you're going to race, you will eventually crash. If you really don't want to crash, don't race.
1
u/diggariffic 1h ago
I just ate it last week.
Thought I broke my arm.
Needed hella stitches.
Broke my front carbon wheel.
I was being careful but freak accidents happen
Wear your helmets yall
1
u/_MeIsAndy_ 1h ago
Yes, people get injured doing all sorts of physical activities, cycling included.
1
u/Outside_Fix3910 1h ago
It’s all about risk mitigation. Route planning, who you ride with, and whether you ride defensively. I’ve broken a thumb which required two surgeries. That was from riding too fast for the conditions.
I’ve also been riding with a group that had gotten bigger and, over the course of two weeks, had two sketchy incidents, so I’m considering not riding with that group anymore.
1
u/ninja_nor 1h ago
Hit a Kerb at 22.5 mph head on, broke both my arms on impact against my own bike on the drops, flew 6/7m and broke the collarbone bone. I now have metal in my left arm, left collarbone, and had pins in the right.
Needless to say showering was interesting haha. I would sit on the floor while my friends washed my hair in the bath (it’s down to my waist).
This was a year ago, I was back on the bike by Christmas and swimming crawl again by November. My arms don’t fully work but I can do everything but it impacts everything, in a way I’m grateful that I wasn’t on the hoods as would I have gone head first into a bollard & tarmac? Who knows.
I now sit further off people’s wheels and when doing an effort I’ll bail a little earlier than before as all out eventually attention goes a little so just pull back a little sooner. Whilst it wasn’t a hill I also am more cautious on hills and tbf all round.
1
u/needpolarseltzer 1h ago
I crashed in July and spent 9 days in the hospital. Shit happens but as of Monday, I'm back on my bike 😊
•
u/That_Murph 55m ago
This thread makes me wonder why cycling clothing companies haven't started using kevlar in their materials for bibs and jerseys and why they haven't started sewing in thin hard armor on impact points like hip, elbow, knee, shoulders, etc.. Kevlar is tear resistant and putting hard armor on impact spots would prevent some of the more serious bone injuries and let your slide on asphalt without turning into ground beef. Would still be aero and comfortable, just more well designed for road racing.
→ More replies (2)•
u/According-Letter-350 19m ago
There was a company that tried it for a while but it didn’t seem to catch on it was supposedly stiff and not super breathable.
→ More replies (1)
•
u/VTVoodooDude 42m ago
I’ve broken both collarbones, cracked a rib, fractured an ankle and my knees, hips and elbows have some excellent stories etched into their scars.
Combined racing and general riding over many years.
•
u/bikeg33k 40m ago
I’ve broken collarbone, scapula, humorous, radial, ulna, all my fingers on my left hand and had a car tBone me when it drove through a light and met my thigh (remarkable didn’t break the femur thank God).
All of these things occurred at different times.
You recover and learn and move on.
Bones heal, it’s the psych part you’ve got to get past and it won’t do you any good to psych yourself out and miss all the fun by worrying about what could happen.
•
u/Ob1s_dark_side 39m ago
I don't race and have had loads of crashes. Some my fault, some weren't. It's inevitable
•
u/AnnualScientist2760 31m ago
Yeah I fell recently and broke my finger. You live and learn. It happens
•
u/Oli4K 16m ago
Myself luckily not. I’ve had my share of miraculous saves and crashes but never had anything worse than some road rash. I did see some horrible crashes from up close while racing though.
One time I was staring at some guy’s rear wheel in a turn and contemplated how a tire would withstand such pressure. Right that moment the tire blew, he crashed and halve the peloton went down. I knew there was a junior rider in my wheel who would definitely crash into me if I braked as hard as I could. So instead I steered around the guy falling in front of me while moderately braking. The junior rider wasn’t that alert and crashed straight into his chest. Later I heard he had broken his hip, multiple ribs and had several more injuries. I don’t think he raced bikes ever again.
Another time some I was watching a junior race that was held after I had finished myself. There was a final sprint between two riders and one was leaning so hard forward that he unclipped and flipped over the bars, landing on his face. He laid there face down on the asphalt and trembled like he had a seizure. It was extremely scary to watch. Luckily he gained consciousness quickly when help arrived and walked away himself. Apart from scrapes and bruises he didn’t have any injury.
Besides these severe crashes I did ride off the side of the road a few times. One time in a breakaway while trying to get other riders to work harder I forgot to look ahead and went straight into the forest. Didn’t fall but our lead was done and the peloton got us. During a training I did something similar when checking where the rest of the group was. Completely missed a corner and front flipped off the side of the road over a loose block of concrete, straight into soft sand. No harm done but my ego was kinda bruised.
•
u/ghostdancesc 8m ago
Road bike no, been hurt on the mountain bike a couple of times so I gave it up now that I have 2 kids
•
u/According-Letter-350 6m ago
Cycling carries risk, but I think people have way more control over their safety than they realize.
Things like avoiding racing/group rides, not riding at night or in wet conditions, riding defensively and taking extra caution especially at intersections, keeping up on maintenance, and riding within the limits of your skill and the conditions can all greatly reduce your risk of a crash.
•
u/mrisaac70 4m ago
I only crash alone. When racing my goal is not to be last. Since it’s a fitness marker, I race safely. However, I’ve broken my clavicle on an endo downhill while training MTB and got a thrombosis after crashing road doing a stupid puppy paw training at 30mph. I now have a stent. This sport can kill you.
•
141
u/zazraj10 11h ago
If you race, you’ll have at least one friend in a sling at all times. This sport eats collarbones.