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I’m 66 and had a big one in June that kept me off the bike for 6 weeks, I’ve decided to slow down on the trails, it’s just not worth it to me to get injured again. I’ll still catch a little air here and there but I’m getting too old to miss ride time because of injury.

Whatever decision makes you happy. After all the riding ive done i broke my ankle severly falling down some stairs! Ive been out on my bike today after 5 month's its much needed therapy. I can still take it steady.i have also known riders to give in after injury(collarbone)and never ridden again.

I'm 28 years old and started mountainbiking 6 years ago. I have a special condition where my C2 and C3 vertebrae have been surgically operated, basically bolted together. This was done when I was 13 years old and all extreme sports were off the list for me because of the high risk of hurting my neck. I still decided to take the risk to start mountainbiking, but my progression style has been taking the smallest possible steps at a time. You progress faster by taking bigger risks but you can also progress very far with a slower style. I have now raced in enduro races with even a top 10 finish. Out of 6 years of riding I've only had 2-3 incidents that I can call crashes. As others have said, the risk you take is only up to you. Take less risks and progress slower, I'd say that's the only way to go for me. It's not worth it otherwise.

done my shoulder twice, first time was catapulted off the bike and my outstreched arm stopped me going head first into a tree but dislocated my shoulder and tore my rotator cuff in the process, took 18 months to be 100% pain free but back on the bike after a couple of months albeit taking it easy for a bit, second time was last week, caught a large root I normally miss and had an uncontrolled high speed slide, I'm still unsure what really happened but at some point going down my hand made impact with the ground dislocating my shoulder, I didn't even feel it at first until I tried to get up, I stood up and popped it back in, tried to rotate my arm and it locked when raising my arm popping again, put it back in and rode gingerly home where it popped again reaching up to lock the gate........both the bike and myself are having a little rest but soon as I'm up for it I'll be back on the trails, for the record I'm 53.

I'm 59 now, and I took part on XC races until 40. Actually I'm riding my MTB for fun, and don't push it to the limits. Additionally, I'm riding a racing bike since 3 years, with whom I want to participate on races again. I never had a serious crash with a bike.

As a lifelong cyclist I did try mountain biking in the late1970s after spending all my time on road bikes I've never been scared descending on a road bike only on a mountain bike, so it didn't last very long before I stopped or an accident made the discission for me.. Maybe that's the answer, I still love my cycling and never intend to stop riding, but only ever on the tarmac.

I'm recovering from a snapped clavicle. Fell off on a berm, front Tyre just wiped out so wasn't expecting it. I've done bigger crashes and done less damage. I'm now looking at full armour but wondering if it would of stopped the break happening.

Don't know how old are you but you definitely started driving to late .

71 and mostly mountain bike. Hardly crash and mostly ride alone. Did tour divide, AZT and lots of other bikepacking. Don’t ride faster than my comfort level. Might crash out tomorrow but it’s a game of calculated risks. For those who crash a lot time to rethink your priorities. My goal is to always be able to ride tomorrow!

Im not against body armor, but it can provide a false sense of security. It will not prevent things like most fractures, especially collarbones, torn rotator cuffs, meniscus or ligament tears in the knees or ankles, wrist fractures or ligament or tendon tears. Basically anything where torque is applied or joints are hyper extended or where contrasting force is applied to a bone which is how most long bone fractures occur. It will help prevent against cuts and gashes, bruises, minor abrasions, and lessen blunt force to the chest, torso and back so can help lessen or prevent injuries to you heart, lungs, chest wall, sternum fractures, perhaps decrease a rib fracture to a bruise, perhaps help prevent transverse process and spinous fractures of your vertebrae, but won’t do much to lessen or prevent compression fractures or injuries to you spinal cord or discs. Armor is not bad, but I think there is this idea that if you wearing it you are bullet proof. And that itself can lead to taking risks that are too far out of our skill level. The other downside to armor is heat. It can be more deadly than most crashes that us average Joes will have. Where I live we have high 90s/100 degree F days with a humidity index that can make it feel 10 degrees hotter. You simply cannot wear armor on those days without a serious risk of heat stroke. Best way not to get hurt- don’t fall. I don’t mean that as a joke, but the more we practice and gain experience, the more we progress in a smart way and the more we recognize how, if something is to go wrong, it likely will. Which leads me to the next best way not to get hurt - learn how to fall. Again this is not a joke but a skill to learn. Learning how to roll to dissipate energy is super helpful in preventing injuries. We can’t always do it, but this is where experience comes into play- if you are riding a feature experience will tell you how it is likely to go wrong so you know how to land and roll out of it if it does. I played Rugby for years- some guys were constantly getting hurt in basic tackles because they didn’t know how to fall or tackle but dissipate the ball carrier’s energy. It is a real thing and can be learned to a certain extent. But all that said, there is always a certain level of risk we have to accept when we do something like mountain biking. Feeling like you have to armor up for every ride gets you focusing and thinking about crashing, instead of on riding. It’s like being in a corner and focusing on the trail in front of you instead of on the exit- focus on where you want to go. Stay focused on the positive of not crashing, don’t push yourself if you’re not feeling it, don’t give in to peer pressure to do something you don’t feel. Armor up at DH parks or if you want to have a progression day. But to me, if I crash on some ho-hum regular XCish ride and hurt myself, so be it. I am not wearing armor and a full facd every ride. If I get to that point I’ll stay home. We each have that level of risk though that we can accept, so we all have to figure out where that line is for ourselves. Oh and last way to not crash- never, ever say: Last Run or Just One More. 😂

46 here, 2 years of MTB. Most of my serious injuries happen when riding with other people. When riding alone i tend to be more careful. I broke my collar bone and questioned biking for a long time. But it brings me so much joy i don't know how to leave it. Instead i try to make sure to learn more, watch tutorials and talk to others. Thanks for this video, it made me aware i'm not the only one thinking about this topic.

Totally agree... slammed by face into the ground a month ago on a blue trail wearing the same helmet with the chinbar removed. Haha. Now I don't ride without it, and always wear my safety gear after numerous other injuries.

I've been going down on steep shutes all day and I was even proud of myself for not crashing. Then on the way home on a small suburban road I decided to drink while no hands on the bars, rock hit the tyre, got scared, grabbed front brake, did an OTB. My chin is still healing 😄 Never thought I would need a full-face on a suburban road. (I wear a trailhelmet always)

You need to look in the mirror again and realize that your an old man now Bo. There is nothing more pathetic than an old guy thinking that he can ride like a young shredder except an old man lying on the ground in wincing with pain from a little tip over. 789 subscribers It's not worth it dude.

You need to look in the mirror again and realize that your an old man now Bo. There is nothing more pathetic than an old guy thinking that he can ride like a young shredder except an old man lying on the ground in wincing with pain from a little tip over.

I bought the same helmet for my trip out to finale ligure last year. I really like it. I crashed hard face first and it did the job. I did break my shoulder though! Since then I got a similar pull over with shoulder protection. It's great if a little warm. I just can't get it off though so often end up driving home in it. One thing i'll add is shorts with side protection. These saved me from broken tibia when i flew off a cliff and through a load of trees. I wear dakine snowboard elbow pads for gnarlier rides. I'm 50 next year and can't face getting badly injured. Good luck with the recovery

Depends if you do a lot of downhill and jumping. (I don’t) Shinpads and kneepads that’s all I use And a helmet which covers my side of my head and ears. (Fox) Full face is too heavy and I can’t spit 😂

Totally agree with this! I have my armour, pads and full face on every ride no matter how sweaty I get! Most of the crashes I have had have been stupid ones on fire roads and “easy” trails when im not concentrating as much!

It's a great shirt but god it takes some getting off but better then getting another roter cuff tear

66 years old and I’ve been riding mountain bikes for 35 years and have had plenty of high speed lay downs. Worst was about 14 years ago and resulted in a surgical shoulder reconstruction, which had I listened to the doctor would have been the end of my riding days, instead it was six months off the bike and then slowly challenging myself with more risky things. Two things I have learned, don’t be afraid to not ride a feature if you’re not comfortable and a long travel slack angle bike makes thins a lot easier when descending. Writing this lying in bed recovering from prostate surgery but looking forward to being out in the bush soon, by the way Sydney is all sandstone so it always hurts when you go down.

Get well soon. I think that the weight of the e- bike is a contributing factor in crashes like yours.

I am 96 years old and I ride Hardtail

Go gravel bro. Much less technical but fun also :)

I've recently went on a 4 day bikeparking trip and crashed on the first run, blue trail, smacked my hand, broke a finger. Totally lame crash, low speed. And that was with the hand I already have one crew in the wrist and if I were to damage it it would follow pretty severe consequence, including complicated operation to rebuild the bone. But you can brake a finger playing with your child at home, so I don't know :)

IM just not ridding such trails, because u compress the ground and plants wont be able to use it anymore and it dries out cuz water cant go through anymore, and after decades everythign around will die. I see that since 30 years of mountain biking. thats why im not riding such non compressed soil trails anymore... i wont leave nature behind destroyed, just for my own enjoyment or soul healing whatsoever.

I had the exact same situation last fall. I dislocated my shoulder and had to have surgery. I recovered 100% in less than six months and during that time people asked me if I was afraid of mountain biking now? I replied to all of the exact same thing: "It's not news to me that I can fall off my bike and injure myself pretty badly. I feel a slight fear every time I sit on a bike. But my only real fear is to not ride a bike again.". Hope you recover soon!

As Clint Eastwood once said, a man's got to know his limitations 🤣🤣

I am trying to find the right line between challenging myself on the descent and taking too much danger. I crash twice a year, but always with protection adapted to the terrain I'm riding. Never been to hospital in the last 30 years of mountainbiking. I'm 54 now. 😅

It's 100% not worth it after your 30s. I have lingering pain on my knee from a non-bike related fall plus a bout of chikungunya fever that left me with cartilage damage on that knee. I know how you can feel the aftereffects of a fall for the rest of your life. So I wouldn't risk my wellbeing by riding fast downhills while zipping past trees and rocks and all kinds of things that could throw you over. Just landing slightly weird can propel you towards a tree or the ground or the bike itself. One bad fall and you can't do the things you love anymore, or worse. Not even mentioning medical bills or damage to the bike which can also be super expensive. I like going fast on my bike but I do it on the smooth asphalt now where I can see things from a mile away (usually 😅)and there's no jumps involved. I have cycled since I was 7 years old, 33 now and the only time I can remember falling off the bike and getting injured was while riding a bicycle trail.

We all crash, but not as much as you. Mountain biking it’s not for everyone and unfortunately E bikes have open the floodgates to so many posers.

I'm 62 and unlike my youth, I don't have 40 years left of riding. I only have 10 to 15 years left, so following several injuries and increasing recovery times, I'm taking it a bit easy and with less risk. In addition, I've got other things to enjoy like windsurfing, kayaking and going bush with my fourby.

I am around 40. This spring I got back on my bikes after a break of almost 10 years. The first few days were rather tough, but it reminded me of what I loved so much about MTB and riding in general. By the end of the first month, I felt a bit more confident. I rode more and more, faster, chose more difficult routes, and there were times when, after getting off the trail, I wondered what was wrong with me that I was doing things that at my age are no longer as safe as they were 20 years ago ;) And then an accident happened.... On my way home, on a level, straight bike lane between the forest I ride in and my house (which is unparalleled safer than the trails I frequent in the woods) Pure coincidence and a stupid situation -sand on the asphalt and an uneven curb sent me to the ER for several hours and took me out of any cycling activity for almost 2 months. I now have a few more scars and sometimes my wrist hurts, but in mid-July I got back on the bike, although I try not to do stupid things in the woods and I've let go of breaking records on Strava when I switch to the road bike ;) I try to ride at least 2-3 times a week as long as the weather is right and I have the time, and I'm slowly looking around for a new and better trail bike for next season. Regardless of where you ride - accidents are unavoidable. You have to pick yourself up, put yourself together if necessary, learn from them and get back on the bike while you can still ride and enjoy it. This is the way :)

I am relatively new to mountainbiking. After riding city on a cheap hardtail, I bought myself a trail full-suspension bike and started riding our local trails. But I also spent a lot of time watching Friday Fails on Pinbike and some other crash compilations. On one hand, it helps to analyze others' mistakes so you don't have to analyze them on your own. At the same time... these videos gave me some sense of fear. I am kind of scared of speed, I am scared of jumps. I don't have skills to pull them of yet, and I am a bit afraid to try any jumpy feature on our trails because none of them are for beginners. Then I realized that I am riding mostly for fun. And I usually stick to those trails that are not pushing me too hard and do not have the features I am afraid of (because of that my favourite trail of the spot is the local mini-enduro trail that has quite a variety of challenges, but none of them are jumps, and the whole trail can be ridden slow except for a few step-ups). So I just decided for myself that it does not worth risk at all if you want to have fun riding. The exception would be if I ever to become a professional and participate any serious competition (which is unlikely to happen). Don't push yourself, ride for fun.

If you enjoy it, keep doing it :)

I’m over 60 and still ride a bit stupid at times. Been over the bars loads of times and even considering buying a helmet after twice having half my face paralysed from impacting things with my head. 😂😂 Who cares hey. I don’t want to lie in hospital at 90 dying of nothing.

I had a crash one New Year’s Day about 4 years ago, 6 mile from home, slowest crash ever but landed on my shoulder, ended up tearing my rotator cuff and broke my humerus, took me 6 months before I could ride again, shoulder still isn’t 100% now, but I still ride and like to push myself

47 years old. I had lot of crashes. Dislocated my shoulder three times, had a snapped sinew in my left hand. Had a crash I can't remember because of a memory loss. I went and will get back on the bikes as long as I am able to. Riding with my mates is therapy for my soul after a hard week of work!

Its your failure not the failure of the mtb

We've all been there my friend, I've dislocate both collar bones, 3 years apart and broken ribs twice, which all give me ongoing problems. Do I still ride, yes, but with more caution.... Advise, do physiotherapy when well enough...

I snapped my ACL, MCL and Meniscus JAN this year (believe it or not, going up a very steep switchback). I am only now back on the bike 9 months later. 44 years old. I ride pretty much most things like DH tracks, Reds and blacks. That being said my worst injury came from climbing at near snail pace lol. When it's your time, it's your time. Ride at 70% is my new mantra, focus on the basics and CONCENTRATE. What happens is that we get too comfy and take the sport for granted. Never ever be certain of your abilities. Take it easy and have fun.

I am 62 yrs old and love my mountain biking. I am not a speed demon though and don't look for the features to jump or drop over. I like just riding and enjoying being out there in the natural enviroment. Treat it as a leisure activity and not waiting for that next challenge and you will still get a hell of a lot out of it. Great times!!

0:15 roflmao bubba if your crashing its because your doing something wrong. just because morons all say if your not crashing your not trying hard enough also are idiots who have no idea what there talking about, ive only crashed when a amature kid and when I did stupid stupid stuff! go to fast for a turn you did stupid stuff and will crash, you take a jump and do it wrong you did stupid stuff and will crash, d9n't pay attention to the trail your on you will crash.... real pros don't play that bs game of crashes re just a matter of whe bs no pros admit they made a mistake they fked up!

Plenty of bumps, big and small while riding but never questioned if is should keep riding. I have however, herniated a disc in my lower back last November (not mtb related) but I’ve not been on the bike since. Still suffer with pain in my lower back but now I’m worried that a bump on the bike will cause me more severe back pain so have been putting riding off ever since… Miss it like crazy though to be fair.

Advice isn't what you need - its to get your confidence back. Like I said in an earlier comment your speeds are kind of high. Nobody can give you advice on what you should do with your bike but you seem to be good at it and just because you got a boo-boo doesn't mean it's time to hang it up but that's really a personal decision. Frankly my biggest fear is getting smashed by a car because Spanish drivers are a little homicidal but in general, I'm focusing on the mountain bike and staying off the road as much as possible. I'm super lucky because I live across the street from a huge National Park but it's getting kind of small for my new XC, on the gravel bike it was plenty challenging but with a little motor that I run and a bit of enthusiasm I could definitely do a much more, have been but that requires getting on the road and I'm not so happy about it.

I'm 67 and have an e-MTB (XC) and e-gravel bike because my knees are sketchy - fell once in the last 7 years. Last crash was because I was looking at a girl, silly actually but there it is. Line choice is everything. Here in Spain there are deep ruts that will swallow the bike to the axle. Sorry about your crash - not sure I'd hang up the bike though. You were going fast, singletrack is tricky so before retiring, try slower speeds. I have hundreds of rides on my RUclips channel - speed isn't as important as getting home for dinner.

Ive snapped my alc ligament just had alc ligament reconstruction on 9th of August i jump it and snapped while riding i had too stop i didn't cash just got off i thats when i noticed i done something serious

Sometimes bad injuries happen with seemingly nothing. I once broke both bones on my lower arm by simply sticking a ski pole to the ground while going downhill at around 30kmph. I didn't even crash or fall. Took 4 months to fully recover.

I did the same thing last Saturday . Shoulder injury. Couldn't lift my arm and much pain. Went OTB of loose, super steep alpine terrain at Grand Targhee bike park . Body armor saved me from the worst, especially the spine protector. But I did get a headache. At 60, I thought it would take longer to heal but I'll be riding again in 3 days.

I do road, not mtb, and i slipped a corner damaged my back and shoulder.... been 6 awfull weeks and havent got to 100% still have pains,...