The Crash That Has Me Questioning Mountain Biking
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- Опубликовано: 11 май 2022
- I have crashed hard before but have only gotten physically injured. This MTB crash was different. I'm mentally shook and questioning if the risk of mountain biking is even worth it.
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Mate, life is far too short. I lost about 5 years of my life due to severe mental health issues compounded by disasterous medication choice and neglect by my 'doctor'. I practically did nothing but sleep and work and sleep away entire weekends for 5 years. It feels like no more than 1 year could possibly have passed. Suicide was always in my thoughts, every single day. And during that time I did not set foot on a bicycle, I could barely function as it was.
When I finally got back into mountain biking, I felt it's what saved my life. Engaging my mind and body progressing MTB has helped me claw back into functional life.
I've never been a risk taker, not even in my youth. I was a wimp and a nerd and poor at sports as a kid. Now approaching my late 30s, I've started doing more technical MTB riding such as smaller jumps and bunny hopping off little trail features. I'm no less of a wimp than when I was younger, but I am now able to mentally plan out and design strategies to safely (as much as possible) progress skills.
I don't really get much of an adrenaline rush from jumps or slashing berms. I don't get "stoked" in the way I think others do. I'm not that excitable. But at the end of a ride I feel a sense of productivity and that I took advantage of the day, not just riding and doing cardio but also progressing technical skills in a logical and measured way.
Finding new limits has nothing to do with being reckless or stupid if done well. It is about "how can I make this work for me?" given current circumstances.
I feel that many who are of the opinion that's it's selfish or irresponsible to continue (or start!!!) mountain biking due to life responsibilities or certain age milestones simply need to bring a more problem solving style approach mountain biking as opposed to throwing up their arms and saying that's it.
Living is risky. Disease or non MTB related accidents don't care that you are feeling sorry for yourself and indulging yourself with excuses of responsibilities and life circumstances so you can quit or semi quit MTB.
Life's short so make it work. Ride on.
I read every word you wrote. Really good insight and advice, brother. Thank you for sharing. Pinning to the top as I’m sure others will also benefit from it.
Wow, I'm so glad I scrolled down to the comments. Thank you for this, and best wishes.
@@MILTONATOR Thank you and thanks so much for the video! (sorry for the late reply, I forgot I had notifications turned off!)
I could relate bro..amen to this.
Preach 🤝
I'm 55 and still enjoy mountain biking a great deal. Been riding since the 80's and took many hard crashes in my 20's and 30's that would probably kill me today. Multiple concussions, broken ribs, separated shoulders and a collar bone. I don't regret how I used to ride but I look back and consider myself lucky to have fully recovered from all the injuries and still enjoy riding. My goal is to still be mountain biking in my 80's. My best/fastest riding is behind me but my most enjoyable riding is ahead of me. I cruise now and challenge myself when I feel like it and am not ashamed to get off and walk or take the b-line through a tricky section.
B-line squad represent.
😂👊👊
This! I’m almost 51. I do ride a lot still with my sons but don’t take the big chances I use to. Things break a lot easier and heal a lot slower than they did in the 20’s & 30’s. I plan to ride for many more years but gnarly downhill rock gardens are no longer on my menu!
Couldn't have said it better myself sir. I subscribe to the same sentiment. I've been a fan of everything 2 wheels and being outdoors my whole life. My teens and 20's I was a factory Kawasaki rider out of San Diego. Did the whole gambit of hard injuries running the Baja 250 and Motocross circuit. Decided to minimize my risks and made the transition to serious mountain biking after my last motorcycle crash 25 years ago. Somehow my body has not only held up but at 55 I feel stronger and look more fit than I ever have. And I've been a professional athlete my entire life. I too hope to be riding just as hard in my 80's as I do today. Maybe we will pass each other by on the trail one day. If we do you'll be eating my dust! 🚴💨🤠 Happy trails pardner 😂🤙
Agreed. I am 62. Saling it. Well, it goes bad that the ground comes up fast and hard.
I’m 74, an old roadie& love mountain biking. But I know I can’t take the falls on steep sections so I just ride Green Trails now. Not the adrenaline rush, but total enjoy the fun and beauty of the woods. Even on the Green Trails there are sections that are straight for 10 or 20 feet. I love the constant turns and twists & coming back in 1 usable piece
Like they say, "Drive like lightning, crash like thunder!"
Road riding can be extremely dangerous, too. Avoid roads busy with motor vehicles and no or poor shoulders. Much less stressful and more enjoyable on beautiful, safe, manageable trails.
Love the inspiration. May I ask what mountain bike you like to use on green trails, how much suspension do you need ?
I'm 67 and want to get it back to it. I fell one September and fractured a bone but healed. I miss it but no longer have a reparable bike or a car to get me to the trails. Is it worth the risk of dying or becoming disabled? It would limit cycling. When we get older there is less to lose. Tough call though when you have a spouse and kids.
@Hafhafnhaf live for as long as it's possible so we can continue to improve, make life safer, more peaceful, less stressful, easier, happier, more meaningful, less expensive, and more fun for every single human being alive on our beautiful planet earth.
I'm 68 and still riding trails and here are my tips: Never ride ANY trail you think you need a DH bike or full-face helmet on. Leave the rough stuff to the kids. There are plenty of other ways adults can challenge themselves without thrill-seeking descents. Maturity insists that you consider a different perspective on the sport. It's part of growing up. I ride the green trails in Bentonville/ Bella Vista and love it! While I have the lungs and legs of a 40 y.o., my joints are all original equipment. Gravel riding has also taken a bigger part of my riding time. Still on dirt, still in the woods, just a much smoother ride. Weight lifting has also helped me stay riding longer.
I'm seeing a lot of comments from guys that are 40, 50, 60 years of age. As a 29 year old, I really respect reading all of your thoughts. Whenever it comes to trails and obstacles that are tougher, I always ask myself "is the juice worth the squeeze?". Oftentimes, I'll end up skipping a feature if I feel like my skill set isn't there.
It's great to read through these comments and realize that there's nothing to be ashamed of and that it's better to "live to ride another day" vs pushing it to the extreme.
Thank you all for the awesome discussion!!
Thanks for chiming in man. Some crazy stories shared in the comments
If I was in my 20's I'd be riding the feature where he crashed. But I started riding when I turned 40, I have a builtin safety margin my brain won't let me pass. It's weird getting older man, when you're in your late 30's and early 40's you can consciously notice how your body recovers slower, your brain ramping up the fear factor and bigger safety barriers. When I started riding I was 100% trying to do and learn everything I could, and it quickly tapered off when my brain was like ok wait, this is actually dangerous. I'm still really serious with my riding, I do a lot of indoor training, road biking, skill work, but I do skill work that makes me better at riding trails and not jumping, I don't do big drops, etc. If I was younger I'd be going full force, but being older you also learn to be comfortable with saying "I don't need to do that, or ride that feature, and that's totally fine with me"
Also, part of being older is you generally have a professional job that you can't risk skipping because it's paying your way in life, you probably have a family, married, basically people in your life that it would effect if you had to walk around in a cast for 3 months. There's more at stake when you're older, I think that's another big factor that makes you feel totally ok with not doing big sections on a trail, not doing double black diamonds, etc.
There's never any shame in taking the easier route, heck there's no shame in just not riding single tracks at all!
I'm trying to find the video I'm thinking about, but I saw one with two guys riding something a bit wider than a quad trail along the side of a mountain, the view was breathtaking, the flow was awesome and it only required an XC bike and could have been riden on a gravel bike. No big risks and they had just as much fun for sure!
Deciding not to go down that nasty path you know you're not able to handle is something to be proud of. Self-preservation instinct is the main feature that allowed all your ancestors to live long enough so that you are here today. Perpetuating that long-lasting survival tradition is one of your highest prides.
The Lucky think they're smart.
The Smart know they're lucky
Honestly this is why I went back to milder trails. My ego hurt at first with the milder trails, but then I ended up falling back in love with what got me started in MTBing to begin with.
well said.
Totally. Unfortunately, too many people don't know the value of the knees, shoulders, or spine until it's too late.
getting fit is what got me into mtbing then it just turned into adrenaline seeking and downhill... then i got hurt(broken humerus/collarbome/dislocated arm) and realised this haha
Unfortunately there's a lot of places that put massive ramps and drops with crazy rock features etc. Over fun simple flow trails. It's hard to find them now tbh
It's all about one hardcore track then 100 of mild ones. If one hunts down and only does the hardcore or harder ones, they're just gonna tire out both the body and mind. Think of the hardcore ones as rewards and points. If you did more then 20 hardcore tracks, it's more then enough to proof you have balls haha so now you can just relax.
after 15 years of riding all types of trails, I found that i dont need to impress no one, and im too old to be doing risky jumps or descends. Its all about recognizing the phases that we go through in life stay safe, family always comes first.
So very true.
Age had caught up and bones don't heal as fast...we have jobs and families amd responsibilities...biking is what keeps us sane...no need to be a fool and risk everything for some short term high
At 55yo I agree, I still ride almost daily but mainly stick to the gravel trails and roads as I've come to accept my bodies limitations. I still look to the single trails that dump out into the gravels and sometimes get the itch to go and run them but I don't, I choose to listen to the not so common common sense.
@@robertseaburg67 At 71 I still enjoy the trails and the thrills just with more respect and the aid of emtn bikes I build. Blues are the max for me with no shame.
When I raced dirt bikes, I remember going as fast as I could to move up to an A rider. While racing at a hare scramble, an A rider passed me and ended up crashing and broke his back and is paralyzed from the waist down. This had a profound effect on me. I slowed down, quit racing and always rode under control. I still ride, but now I ride for my enjoyment. Impressing myself, not anyone else.
I'm 51 now, and I've been mountain biking for around 40 years. I've been pretty lucky in the injury department; one shattered wrist that required surgery, one concussion, one torn up shoulder that healed without surgery (though it took months before I was pain-free) and the elbow on the same side, broken hand, sprained jaw (took a couple of weeks before I could eat solid food without substantial pain), lots of cuts and scrapes, and one pretty cool scar where a brake handle ripped a 5" tear into my forearm (same crash that racked up my shoulder).
Risk is part of riding, but there comes a point where you start to realise that it's more fun to get out in the fresh air, get some decent cardio in, take in the scenery, ride within your skill level and go home without an injury.
Love the part where you say "I've been pretty lucky in the injury department" and then go on to recite a long list of pretty serious injuries that would make a normal person gasp and pass out....lol. You are a true mountain biker my friend!
Well said.
I had 4 major surgeries in 2015, all from riding dirtbikes over a very long career, new knee, etc,etc. But Im good now! Nothing hurts and I ride everyday. Somehow I lost the jonesing for the dirtbike. I just lost interest. But 2 new mt bikes are getting used a lot.
Kestrel, that's what it's all about! Speed is for the younger guys who haven't learned that crashes can take you out of action for a long time.
Lucky hahahaha that is ridiculous!!
Two suggestions:
1. Go for easier trails so you can still have fun but not getting injured as often.
2. Go with friends that don't give you peer pressure.
I see MTB as a way to get some exercises, a little sight-seeing. As soon as I feel any particular trails may put me in harm's way, I re-evaluate the situation before taking my bike there. If it seems it could paralyze me, no thanks. Staying healthy (i.e, not getting spinal injury) is my #1 priority. I've nothing to prove to other riders (friends included).
I'm in my mid-40s, been riding for a while now. I've never got myself in any serious crashes or injuries at all. Touch wood.
This as well,
Doesn't matter how long you ride for or not sometimes you will get hurt from something you don't think will. All a matter of how you fall.
I've just recently gotten back into it and I can say I'm definitely not as brave or possibly stupid as when I was younger. Way more hesitant to jump etc.
I got back into it same reason, exercise and just a bit of sight seeing in nature.
I have nothing to prove, I'm not competitive with it. End of the day I'm an adult now (sadly) with responsibilities like bills etc. And I work a physical demanding job. Can't really be doing something stupid that would mean I can't work anymore even if it's short term injury.
My MTB philosophy has been ‘Live to ride another day’. I’m 46 and started riding 6 years ago. Though I’m comfortable riding, I never just ‘Send it’ and would rather walk where I know it may be beyond my comfort zone. To be fearless is to be wreck less. I hope to enjoy many more years this way. All I can say if that if you are OK with bouncing back from injury all the time then have at it. Otherwise act your age and live to ride another day! Be risk conscious, in this case ‘sticks and stones will break your bones’
Truth. I just sent it and now I wish I could take it all back. This eMTB isn't cheap, and my elbow isn't cheap.
I'm 39 and just started riding a few months ago and after a few weeks, I got comfortable and then too comfortable and went over the bar lol. Laying there on the ground I realized if I want to keep riding that I had better chill. So now I also ride with that same philosophy. Live to ride another day! Cheers!
What's the saying? there are old riders and there are bold riders, but there are no old bold riders.
@@Zetler when people say “ just send it “ I think it’s basically if you’re gonna hit a big drop or jump you can’t just call time out mid air , you have to commit, I remember when Dave Jenvey did a drop at Forest of Dean and he was going so slow he went over the bars if he’d of been going faster he probably would’ve cleared it he also broke his collarbone 🥵
Great comment Bro
I had a similar experience when I was 42. Went MTBing with a group who were all younger than me with nearest being 36 and the rest all younger down into their mid-20’s. We were riding on some pretty technical trails. One of the guys wrecked early in the ride and seemed kind of proud of being the first to go own; kind of a badge of honor. I eventually wrecked too. I got up, backtracked and tried to ride through the same section again only to wreck again. I had wrecked several times B4 over the years when I was younger and it had never bothered me. But that time it did and what I concluded was that tolerance to risk for most people (not all) drops as we older. That’s why countries recruit or draft only young men and women to go off and risk their lives fighting in wars. As for the 40+ folks, when shit happens, it has a greater affect on our psyche. I think it’s natures way of reminding us as we get older to slow down and stop and smell the roses. I’m 62 now and still riding. Do I ride the same trails as I did when I was 42 . . . absolutely not! But I still love what riding I do which is mostly cross country single track with plenty of good climbs. My motto ever since I wrecked at 42 is “better to live to ride another day.” Most of my friends who are my age or older are not in as good a shape as I am. I’m not trying to brag and I’m definitely no Adonis by any stretch of the imagination. But I am grateful that I love to do something that keeps me in shape and young at heart. And, I don’t have many of the health issues that plague a lot of 62 year olds who choose not to be as active. And my continued riding has kept me in decent enough shape to do other things I love. Backpacking, traveling, hiking, goofing off with my wife and keeping up with my grandson. So my advice would be to keep riding, listen to Mother Nature, lower your risk tolerance and live to ride another day. Do your best and be careful. And above all, may peace, love, and gratitude be with you and your family. Cheers mate!
I'm 71 - yours are words of wisdom. When I was younger than 40, bikes were not near as capable as they are now and trails were relatively scarce. I regret being too old to experience the wide selection of trails now available, with bikes that can handle them. It is what it is. The old days were good enough for John Tomac and Ned Overend, so shouldn't complain. Keep on riding, but be safe.
Well said @ucdChe. Just separated my shoulder, two months ago AGAIN. Now both sides have the clavicle sticking up. I turn 62 in two months. I am suffering more mentally than I am physically as I contemplate ending my 33 year run as a mountain biker. Even on green trails there is danger. I don't know...I am real sad about this possibility. Mountain Biking is such a huge part of my life.
Good thoughts. As for me, I am going to enjoy extreme mountain biking the RUclips way.
Im 66 and riding almost every day, roadbike or mt bike. Basically none of the people I grew up with are doing anything like this, they all got old. Even though they're the same age.
I think, they think Im nuts out doing what Im doing. And yeah I could get hurt, but I really try to keep it on the sane side of fun. Still love it or I wouldnt do it.
Great advice!
The trend is to take it easier as we get older. Riding is still fun with a terrifically adjusted full suspension mtb even if it is more capable than you will use. I enjoy my surroundings more now. I am 70.
I've been riding for 25 years and am now 61. I raced XC in Colorado from age 40 to 50. Since I turned 50 I've carefully reduced the risk to stay within what is acceptable for me. I am now retired and ride about 10 hours a week, all on trails. I never ride trails as difficult as what you were riding in the video. I enjoy blues, but am pretty careful about learning the trails before I ride them very quickly. I haven't had more than a washed out tire fall in ten years now. And, I have a blast still riding my mountain bikes.
57 here. That's the thing, if riding more-carefully-selected runs was not fun, it might be a difficult decision. But you can still go out and have a blast ripping through relatively easier, less-dangerous trails. It's a matter of dealing with the ego.
Me too, I'm 54 and I only ride blue trails. I'm not trying to get air or anything. Just getting out and muscle my way up intermediate inclines and enjoy the outdoors while getting exercise. I have a light hardtail bike with only 100mm of travel and I don't need anymore than that. I got a family.
after riding motorcycles for a bit i've gotten way to confident on bicycles. even on my roadbike with literal race tires the amount of grip i have on sand/gravel/dirt is unreal(at least compared to a motorcycle on 50/50 tires). not a good thing, i'm sure it will bite me soon.
As a high performance skier(racing and backcountry steeps), rock and ice climber, a class V white water kayaker, and a mountain biker of over 25 years there is a point where you need to pull back and assess. You only get so good, at a point its a game of odds. I've known many people that are full throttle no brakes sending 50+ ft waterfalls, drop-ins, and jumping huge gaps. Most get career ending life altering injuries eventually. You can get away with it for so long and then that day comes where a broken back or trashed shoulder happens. Its simply numbers, more crazy hucks more chances to make that little mistake that leads to a whumping. I've found that staying just slightly below your performance threshold and not pushing it too far has kept me in the game. You need to decide if that rapid, that huck, that drop-in is worth the chance you won't be able to do your sports anymore. We have a joke in white water kayaking. "The number one injury of boaters is mountain biking". There seems to be something about mtb that encourages more risk taking. I stopped doing big jumps, slowed down on flow trails, and I don't do really steep technicals. Fast flow and jumps is where I got hurt the most. I still do it but I keep it slower and Idon't do big jumps. You hit a tree at 30mph and it's like a motorcycle wreck. It's easy to get too fast, decisions happen fast on a mtb and it's easy to lay off the brakes and send to hard. I teach skiing and whitewater boating and I advise my students to make prudent decisions about conditions and risks. I had a former student drown in a kayak this last winter because they didn't make a proper assessment on conditions and skill level. I wouldn't quit, I'd just assess what am I capable of and then leave yourself a margin of saftey on the trails and drops you run.
Agreed. I’ve also skied at a reasonable level. I think that the difference is that with skiing, a level of technical ability is needed to get into exposed situations, because without that ability you’re just going to fall before you get there. On a mountain bike, it’s easy for confidence and speed (and let’s be honest, often weed) and the ability of the bike to catch people through. This means that when they do run out of luck the consequences can be very high, on an unforgiving surface.
Yea I broke my collarbone and scapula. Skiing this year
yeah, I've been a climber and a kayaker since I was a kid but I deliberately haven't taken up mountain biking because I know I would injure myself badly at some point - I like the speed and thrill so much I'd be very lucky to make it past the "unconscious incompetent" stage.
The cliffs caught up to me in skiing. Tore my lcl and probably will never ski at a high level again
^ this comment right here... theres an optimum, fun level to risk, for your current ability. upto ~80% your, skill level/risk graph, you accrue 20 units of fun... but the last twenty risk percentage points you only accrue about 3 units of fun. e.g. from a guy who was skiing alone in the Backcountry... skied over a fairly tall maple sapling, bounced off of a large tree at 30 mph and flew 20 feet out of the woods, then down 15 feet into the ditch on the access road. had I not been near the edge of the woods, I'd have flown into another tree head first for sure. that extra 3 units of fun, isn't worth it.
I am a your person, and I am addicted to mountain biking (or dirt jumping). Only about 3 months ago, I had my fist serious bike crash. I went over e bars and ended up with a concussion, a broken collarbone, a broken left wrist and slight dislocation of my shoulder. I was out for over 2 and a half months, and almost wanted to forget about biking. Let me tell you, it won’t just get erased from our memory. What I have learned is that you should only do what you are comfortable doing, you should look at the features before riding, and take it slow. I would say something like do less hard things, but that will just make you want so do bigger things more, so I say just do what your comfortable with, good luck.
Same thing happened to me. After riding downhill for years I suffered a broken collarbone and then I broke my shoulder on a really steep drop which I flipped over my handlebars on. The pain of my broken shoulder for about a week was unbearable. I eventually recovered and thought the same exact thing and I questioned it also. Purchased a nice 140mm bike and made the move to trail riding with some nice speed but avoided all the pitfalls of downhill.
Have to say i.have no.enjoyment riding over all those rocks..but love down hill
Definitely a personal choice. If you decide that you want to continue to ride gnarly trails, then you have to make a mental commitment to it. If you go in timid and afraid of the consequences, you will probably crash more frequently. Confidence is absolutely critical on the gnarly tech.
Nailed it! Defensive riding, in my opinion leads to more crashes.
I think you need a balance, I've had some pretty ugly crashes while being over confident.
Watching the weekend crash videos on RUclips shows a huge portion that are people being tentative... Breaking before jumps, etc. You have to be confident and committed or you will be crashing.
@@BradCagle Exactly, same thing happens in whitewater kayaking... only issue is that in a river when you fall down, you can't breathe. The two most dangerous points in any dangerous sport are when someone is starting out (don't know better) and when they are very experienced (should know better). Seen plenty of mtb related Kodak Courage and now GoProHeroism that resulted in trips to the hospital and months of recovery. In other words, know your skill level and understand the risks of any feature your hitting, then ask yourself if you or your buddy does this drop/etc and craters... will I need to call in a rescue crew to pull your/his broken body out? If you want to ignore this advice, go do a little search and rescue work and see how you feel about this subject afterward.
@@MILTONATOR when that little voice starts tugging at the panic cord, you are doomed!
When I was stationed in Korea and somewhat new to riding, I always found myself trying to keep up with the experienced guys. We went to a downhill bike park and I was riding a borrowed trail bike. Again I was trying to keep up when I took a decent spill.
Went off a 15-17 foot cliff and rolled a couple of times on some boulders until I was stopped by a tree. I broke two ribs, punctured a lung, broke my tail bone and tore my rotator cuff. That put me in the hospital for two weeks with a tube in my chest.
During those long two weeks, I contemplated if I really enjoyed mountain biking enough to ride again. After I got out of the hospital, my only means of transport was my mountain bike and about a week later, I knew I still wanted to ride.
Went back on the same trail 2 months later, but went at my own pace. A couple of months went by, riding almost every day, I found myself starting to keep up with these guys! We rode almost everyday until we all were sent somewhere else. Still meet up and ride with them every now and again!
Moral of the story: riding fast will come with experience. Learn at your own pace and enjoy the ride!
Very true. Skill will come to you slowly. you have to earn it, practice will make you a better rider
Oh your command must have loved you. Destruction of government property (you) is very much frowned upon, especially when it causes you to miss duty.
Do you ride for the adrenaline high? Or to increase your skill? Get out in the woods, enjoy. I bought a new bike with 29" wheels and caught my new longer handle bar while passing a familiar tree on a trail I know very well - how dumb is that? I'm 79 and been on green and blue for years, but forget the rocks and cliffs. My shoulders got torn and still a year later with some muscle reattachment have two painful shoulders to live wth. You just can't shake it off as you age. Now fun for me is getting outdoirs and staying off that dangerous stuff.
I’m in my 40s, love mountain biking. I have a career, a girlfriend, and a kid to watch out for. Ergo - I like to go out on trails, and gently come back down those trails. Ain’t doing tricks, ain’t flying over stuff, ain’t going off ramps and all this other stuff. I still love it, I just don’t have an appetite for injuries or the time to be seriously injured. I use my brakes probably more than 75 percent of MTBers, ha.
I was on a trail the other day and saw a guy that had to be 55ish years old flying super fast down hills and jumping in the air and what have you. In my head I’m like it’s awesome you can do that but ho-lee hell those aren’t risks I want to take. I actually walked my bike down trails he was flying over.
So, I am 55. I switched from MTB to road due to a skiing accident that resulted in 4 surgeries and a partial fusion of my wrist. I enjoyed road riding but my family was not happy with how long I was gone on my rides. Then one day while sprinting down a hill gaining momentum for the next climb, I was taken out by a large mule deer. I don’t remember anything except the deer. Then, 3-4 hrs later, I was home. I apparently got back on my bike and kept going another 17 miles back to my house. Result was a massive TBI and months of recovery. I bought a new MTB during recovery and now just ride cross country trails. A couple of blacks but mostly blues. Where I used to look for the most technical and challenging trails, multiple runs through the Portal in Moab. Now I know that I am not that same person. I have just adjusted my style of riding so I can still get out and enjoy it, but not give it up. Nothing is more therapeutic than being on my bike outside in the beautiful Colorado Rockies. Don’t give it up, just know your limits. :) I have chosen to take a few battle scars from getting outside and living over a bad neck and poor posture from staring at a computer all day.
It’s not just “part of the game” I just seriously injured my back for the rest of my life in a spill no worse than the ones you showed here.
my mate did the same. he WILL NEVER work again
MTB is inherently dangerous and getting fucked up is most certainly part of the game. There isn't a rider in the history of the sport that hasn't crashed. So how is it not a part of the sport?
@@jonnie2bad Never say “everyone”. I’m 43, been mountain biking for 25 years, and never crashed. In fact I’ve never even wore a helmet on a ride. I know my skill and don’t take unnecessary risks. Ride trails of all difficulty and my friends have crashed countless times and broken bones.
@@phoenixrising441 Well, so you're riding off-road, not mtb'ing. As someone already stated, wearing no helmet IS taking unnecessary risk.
@@phoenixrising441 yes show me riding leogang worldcup downhill or hotshots trail with no helmet, you wouldnt even start rolling on to there :D
Thank you for being honest about your experience, and I hope you make the right decision.
I am 54 years old and just recently crashed at Spyder Mountain (DH trails in Texas), and dislocated my shoulder. after my fall y decided that I was going to completely quit MTB, but instead I decided that I was just going to do green and blue trails. No more gnarly trails for me. I am just going to be safe, have fun, and get some cardio. Peace
Thanks man
Hola Abraham! Qué sorpresa verte por aquí, buena rodada el domingo! échame un grito cuando vengas a Houston e irnos a rodar 👍
@@alexanz2101 ya dijiste! Gracias!
@@boblatkey7160 I actually had an EMTB for a week. Didn't keep it because it was either EMTB or my Meta Sx. I chose the SX. But soon enough I hope to get an EMTB
@@boblatkey7160 or get a dirt bike
I'm one of those guys who are doing statistics, models etc. for insurance companies and such and i'm pretty shre that no one wants to hear it, but mountain biking is terribly dangerous. The risk of getting paralysed or getting killed is absolutely ridiculous.
Hi and glad you’re ok 👌 my 2 cents. I’m 63 and have threw myself uphill and down since my teens, including rock climbing, mountains, mtb, scuba, ice hockey etc. My knees, back and shoulders remind me every day of what I have done. It didn’t matter, until, KIDS!!! I now know fear. Not for myself but because I have dependants who need me to be around. Personally, I believe you’ve been given your message. After a few nonsense moments I stopped and re-evaluated, I still have fun but it’s at a much easier pace with less catastrophic potential. You need to be a provider not a burden, it’s not just about you anymore. Take care.
I'm 73, I was hard riding MB's before they had shocks. Lots of crashes over the years (only one broken bone).
Sometime in my late 50's I had a crash and that was it. Wasn't my hardest crash or worst crash but it was the one that put doubt in my mind. That's all it took.
I continued to ride but a lot less aggressively and on a lot milder trails.. I discovered safe thrills were more than thrilling enough.
With each passing year the trails I ride have gotten easier and easier (I'm guessing in a year or two it'll be the equivalent of a Sunday morning stroll trail) but I'm still having fun and still in one piece.
Nice response. I'm 54, riding since 20s. Lots of crashes. Last couple of years 2 concussions and a broken finger. I did the www.transnz.com 2 years ago and signed up for a repeat. Was a bit relived when it cancelled to to Covid. Most of the days fine, but one day was just v really bigger then my comfort zone, and racing it. Time to tone it down.... I'm a doctor age see the injuries... Happy to ride, but nothing to prove
I am older too, and I bike a couple of times a week. At my age I don't want to get racked up for a lengthly recovery, and maybe even limit my mobility in the future. I do some off road because it is actually safer than being on the road in some cases. But those dirt roads are easy and present just enough challenge for me. Good judgement on your part. It's smart.
Started at 56, now 64 and loving it. Some of the initial crashes I'm VERY lucky to have escaped with only bruises. I thoroughly enjoy the physical and technical challenges, but there's enough sanity to avoid pushing it too far. The real potential problem for me, and anyone for that matter, as Miltonator said: "Third lap and feeling confident"
@@JohnSaccoccio Good for you. I can understand pushing one's body. I love to get on my bike, but no way am I doing that kind of riding. The big thing is that at my age I don't want a serious injury. My 'off road' are dirt roads and farm access paths. There are some moderate ruts and gravel, but that is it. Good luck and keep riding.
I had a crash that broke my clavicle and scapula a couple years ago, it got in my head bad. I had an epiphany during my healing though, I have literally invested blood sweat and bones to this hobby, I’m not going to quit or regress. The next season I went out and hit that feature that fucked me up three straight times and now I know to just trust my skill, it was a fluky crash and it happens. Im still out here chasing my next thrill and pushing harder and harder trails. Just need to work on my jump confidence.
After 40 years of MTBing and multiple accidents, I had a downhilling accident last year which resulted in a subdural hematoma (brain bleed) that caused multiple physical and mental issues for me. Recovery took over four months to be back on my bike. Only into trailing these days...And, still love the sport!
40 years? MTB barely existed 40 years ago. Were you one of the Mt. tam originals?
@@blurglide clunkers pal, look em up!
@@blurglide Not an original. They started in the seventies with Klunkers; but, I joined in soon after production mtbs became available in 1983. My first mtb was a Ross Indian; but, all my race bikes were by Tom Ritchey.
Mid 40s and started riding 4 years ago. I don't do jumps or massive drops. Have had my share of spills and a few crashes. Nothing broken, thank goodness. But hell, I still love it.
Glad you were okay.
🔥🔥🔥
🤘🤘🤘
Great video, solid edit! As a guy who has hit the ground, really hard, several times, and even had surgery that kept me off the bike for nine months, I can attest the mental struggle can sometimes be very difficult to deal with. My advice is to go with the flow, some days you’ll feel like sending every feature in the park and other days not so much. Rely on those instincts, take it easy when you feel like it and don’t beat yourself up over not joining your mates on the black diamonds if it’s just not your day. 🤘
Solid and practical advice man. Thank you.
I have been mtb for about 5 years,I started at 61, I swear it puts a smile on my face from ear to ear. After crashing many times and getting hurt I started to take lessons and I have gotten pretty good. Another thing I learned is when your tired and had enough, it means your tired and had enough, it's the best time to stop. He (or she) who puts their bike away has a better ride another day. Keep riding. Cheers.
I started Emtb riding at age 63. Last year I rode 2100 miles and 230,000 verticle feet (I did the math and Strava had it right). I can think of a time or two when I knew I was getting way too tired or should have paid more attention. It ended badly those days. I now slow way down at those times and make it home just fine. BTW, IF you get tossed on the top of your femur, the hip breaks. (That one took me out for 12 weeks) and you are NOT a pussy for wearing safety equipment. Shit happens and it allows you to walk away unscathed.. Still riddin'. I liked the "Ride like Lightening, Crash like Thunder" comment.
As you get on in years, as am I, look at some of the electric bikes, they're a little heavier but the suspension is all made for them, it let's me play longer before i get to that "I'm too tired ' phase. And F all the people that think it's cheating.
Exactly sometimes you're body doesn't react the same after so many miles and you don't realize it since you're having so much fun
@@jwall62 cheating? Against who? Everybody thinks something anyway.
It’s all about your own joy that you put in your hobby on your own terms.
I crashed recently as well (61) not on those trails but just on a flat pavement.
I decided to wear a full face mips helmet and extra protection for knee and elbows. But my face and neck was pretty messed up for a while. Now everything is ok again on my electric MTB. Will do my first ride after the accident soon again. But only on forrest routes. I didn’t liked the close up study of the pavement for the 3-4 seconds of scraping.
Dude. That’s a gnarly trail. Thanks for sharing. Definitely puts things in perspective for us 40+ youngsters
🤙🤙
For me it’s always worth it! Just always progress within your means. To me, those moments where you lose control are so exhilarating, everything goes to slow motion and you quickly choose the best possible move to protect yourself as much as possible. Living on the edge is what makes life meaningful to me, the rest of the time I’m just waiting to get back to the hill, or track, or rink or field or whatever it is.
Also get you some pads dude!!! Motorcycle jacket, padded shorts, they make padded shorts for hockey that go under the bigger padded hockey shorts, and they work really well for other sports. And knee pads and some actual mountain bike gloves that are padded.
Most importantly, know when to quit, or when to go for it. When you get caught in the middle, that’s a crash every time. Confidence is key!!!
If you start thinking, don’t crash, what do I have to do to not crash, your brain is just hearing, crash, crash, crash. But if you think, stay on top, adjust, get to the next flat section, control the chaos, things of a positive nature, your brain will tell your body how to make that happen.
That is what I do for all sports, riding, hockey, skating, and my new favorite, downhill, off-road skating!!!
You’ve got it dude!!!
When you bought your bike the salesperson said, " the question is
Not if you're going to crash the
Question is how hard and how many times". Right? Mountain bikers and
Motocrossers and off road enthusiasts all face injury and death every time they ride. You're alive,
You not paralyzed from the neck
Down. You're one of the lucky ones.
God bless.
I‘m 58 and started MTB in 1996. my summary so far: scattered collar bone, broken wrist, left knee injury (legaments) and shoulder surgery. Will I quit-never. I ride about
3000 - 5000 (approx 1800 to 3000 miles) km a year, so you need to put this in context. And I live in Switzerland there‘s some tricky trails😂 Live free or die as one says in New Hampshire…
You may want to limit your injuries from this point on. I'm 70 and all my old injuries are coming back to haunt me. I slowed my speed a little bit to stay under control. In the last 5 years of riding under control - one sprained finger.
@@thelakeman5207 thanx for your advise -I know that you‘re probably right. But is is in my genes to live life to the fullest and I guess therefore will have to pay my dues sooner or later. Take care buddy!
As i turned 60 this year and retiring, I came to the realization that even some of the smaller crashes could do some serious damage to me now. I do a lot more hike a bikes than I would have even 5 year ago. Now, my decisions to ride trails are ones that if I crash, it's because the bike fell apart and not because of a skill issue. I enjoy the scenery a lot more and 'full send' happens infrequently. Better to be smart and safe and pedal another day than to risk it. Also, my 30 year old nephew was in a MTB crash 2 years ago and is now paralyzed from the waist down.
So said for your nephew. Really sucks. There is light though. If he is bright and astute the science is progressing and he may walk again before to long. Perhaps pursue the science and research and discover a way to re fire and grow those neurons.
@@Rzagski He’s actually taking it quite well, started his own business and is a rep for a company that specializes in motorized mountain bikes and three wheelers for handicap people. He never once let it get him down, As soon as he got his halo off he was doing pull ups with his wheelchair attached to him, getting ready for whatever came next. He actually made runs down Whistler on his motorized bike, he hasn’t given up MTBing, just does it differently now.
@@jwall62 I’ll look out for your nephew next trip to Whistler with my grandkids👍👍😄
@@psoon04286 he just finished a 3 day 37 mile 8000 foot elevation gain trek on his new hand pedaled 3 wheeler. No motors, no electric, all arm powered.
@@jwall62 I’d have a hard time keeping up, but it would be exhilaratingly to photograph his trek. It would be an inspiration to lots of other folks struggling with similar physical impairments👍😃
I was going 35 right after a trail couldn't stop, went over my handlebars and slammed into a tree on the side of the road. Ever since then I stopped show boating and am more careful. Trail riding is where its at, tempting fate on rock doesn't seem like a long term plan.
Been there. My most severe crashes were when I was pushing my limits, when I was trying to learn something new. This is an extreme sport, and lets not lie about it. We tend to go over terrain that no one in their right mind would attempt, and keep calling it a normal Thursday. After crashes - I get up, get down and if I can, ride the rest of the day. Then when back home - I put the damn thing into the garage all dirty and leave it there for a week, not getting near. Then I get to terms with the bike and service it, clean it and go back on trails. Once I start going down I get this feeling of bliss and notice how I missed it all.
Funny thing is - I ride a hardtail trail 29er with 140mm travel up front on most of the trails, including black ones. This bike doesn't give me a false sense of security and lets me know when I screwed up. It humbles me in a way, making me reconsider taking the trail and if I dare to do it, forces me choose my route carefully. I will eventually upgrade to a full sus bike, but only when I feel I mastered this one.
At 59 I have transitioned (several years ago) from weekend racing taking risks that push my skill level to simply riding for the cardio. This decision came after two collar bones fractures and the big downhill race wreck where I fractured by L2 vertebra, cracked three ribs and collapse a lung. I have decided that racing places me mentally in a dangerous mind set so no more racing and no more down hill riding. I live in the Blue Ridge mountains and a typical ride is 8-10 miles with 1000 ft of climbing a few time a week which is all I need and no more fractures...the older you are longer it takes to heal which is also a larger percentage of you remaining years.
So well said. At our age, time takes on a whole new dimension. I am 61
Your naked elbows tell the whole story here, at least in my opinion.
After breaking my ribs racing dual slalom a few years ago, I got some real protection - troy lee padded top (shoulders and ribs too), and padded shorts, as well as dainese knee and elbow armor. The terrain you just hurt yourself on is unforgiving, and why you aren't taking advantage of the protection available is the real question. Sure, I typically only ride with my knee armor (sometimes also elbow pads too) for my local trails, as I don't always wear my full armor kit (a bit ridiculous for amped up xc trails), but save the battle gear for when I'm really going into the octagon. If you're going to ride these technical trails, with big error consequences, wearing armor at least gives you a fighting chance of showing up for work the next day........Shuttle required trails typically are a red light that I might wanna wear my full protection kit.
Agree 💯
Great advice, I thought watching that video to. The bloke in front was wearing all the kit, FF , vest -back and shoulders and elbows (can see it under his shirt)
Was wondering the same. I never ride DH without proper protection. Maby i wont need it but i dont want to be in a crash and wish i had more protection to prevent the outcome. Its a cheap insurance. To each his own.
Agreed.
What I got from the vid (and I struggled through annoyance and boredom to watch the whole thing; a 12 minute vid painfully drawing out a leadup to the actual incident) is
- after the incident he never mentions anything about considering more body protection, or his skill level or if a track is beyond that level.
- I think he's taking tracks too advanced for his skills. I cringed as I watched his hesitance and thus hindered relaxed stance and riding, and I was thinking, oh, this is obviously where he'll fall off...and sure enough, that was the spot of his fall that has him rethinking MTB riding.
Nope: I doubt rethinking if he'll continue riding is the answer. He has to rethink many other aspects...
- his skill levels and what tracks to try, and in relation to increasing his body protection in proportion to each track.
- also his fitness level: after his fall, it sounded like he just did a 30 minute CC ride, for surely one doesn't become so out of breath from the body's reaction to a mild fall, including the couple of minutes of DH he was doing before it.
I've never done any difficult tracks, but if I ever chose to start doing so, elbow and back protection would be my first purchase. I enjoy riding in the bush, but wouldn't enjoy damage to both my bike and myself.
I'm aware that if I want to try harder tracks, the only way to increase my skill to effortlessly enjoy such tracks, is on such tracks, for that's where one develops the skills, thus prangs will increase during the development stage, thus it's a no brainer to increase my protection when doing so, and slowly increasing the level of difficulty of the tracks.
If I feel unconfident about a particular section, I have two choices, try it or come back to it after more experience. At the end of the day, it makes more sense to me to back away from a section, thus avoid spoiling my whole day with a prang...and I can come back to it another day.
It's not my nature to go way beyond my current level. I prefer slow and steady increases in skill.
I totally agree. I have been through some stuff that if I hadn't, I wouldn't have upgraded my gear. The comment I made yesterday pretty much sums up what you said here.
I know some some of us let our self consciousness override logic and choose to wear less gear, but after some bad crashes, I couldn't give a hoot what anyone thinks and gear up as I need to. The medical bills and time from work isn't worth it.
Most of my rides are on Sunday mornings, where I have to work the next day and they were quite a few times I was unable to work the Monday or even the Tuesday.
Little late but I'm happy to see you're still at it! I had a bad off a while back (Toro Crash on my channel) that left me with severe nerve damage and took PT and time to heal. I've also had many broken bones in motocross. Much as others have said though, if MTB is something you love doing, stopping altogether is no good. We need our enjoyments in this life, and MTB is far from an unhealthy one. Do what you love, smartly. My humble opinion is to scale back, work on your skillsets as a rider, then get back into the tougher/more fun trails. Ride safe and have fun!
Thanks for sharing your ride and thought process. I started mountain biking in the early 90's. Where I lived, it was pretty much all flat and the trails were smooth. I also was a road rider and racer and competitive runner. The fun of mountain biking to me was being away from the roads, challenging myself on the climbs and going long distances. I never really got into the thrill of going downhill fast or overcoming very technical terrain. As I got more skilled, I definitely liked to challenge myself on intermediate terrain for short periods. But I was (am) mostly into endurance and fitness. I never enjoyed trails like in your video. I recently upgraded to a carbon fiber 29er bike with dual suspension from my 26" hardtail. With that, I felt pressured to ride more technical terrain and faster than I had ever done before. Well, I pushed myself beyond my skill level and crashed pretty hard in June. I was shaken up, and went through a similar soul searching experience. We all need to make our own decisions about what we enjoy, how big our ego is, how much risk we are willing to tolerate, and how much time we're willing to dedicate towards improving our skills. I personally decided to go back to riding my hardtail on the easier trails that I know and enjoy. I can push myself with endurance and fitness, but not so much with technical finesse. I'm at peace with that.
Just getting into MTB and took my first fall a few days ago.
I think what I took from it is, just be cautious when it’s a steep trail and wear knee/elbow pads and maybe a chest protector for those harder and faster trails where a fall could spell an injury.
Should've definitely been wearing a chest protector down this trail.
Sometimes those pads and helmets make people feel indestructible, so be careful with that! Definitely wear them, as they prevent the common but small injuries, but the really big injuries are to the spine and there's no protection for that short of thing short of common sense.
And don’t go too fast….or too slow!
The crazy thing about the sport is that sometimes a perfect storm of random things puts you on the ground. It's so weird. I have had a few spills where I never figured out exactly what happened. I think this is more of an issue with the longer travel FS bikes.
@@robertgraham3559 bikes are getting to big imo i would not trail a 29er myself i ride a 26er but getting a 27.5CF Trance 😎
Thanks for the video. 48 years old, crashed at a cross country mtb race on April 23, 2022. Nothing hard about the course, just clipped my handlebar on a tree and went down knee first into a rock that broke off inside my knee. Two knee surgeries, a serious infection, a week in the hospital and three weeks of IV antibiotics. I'm just now able to pedal a bike on a trainer and still have problems walking 8 weeks later. Hoping for a full recovery by late August. Already had to cancel one family hiking vacation at Glacier NP, probably another in late August with a friend. I'm still thinking about what I'm gonna do as far as mtbing in the future is concerned.
Did you wear knee pads?
@@HarryKuloh No, I didn't.
Bro bpc 157 look it up
my gosh, all those injuries caused by an XC race?
as a downhill rider this scares me damn
@@rafael_13 Well, you guys tend to wear more padding. A simple pair of knee pads would have saved me a lot of trouble. I"m back to riding, but with knee pads!
I think it's worth it. The happiness it brings is important to me. The people I know who've had bad accidents, have it happen when they're going down too fast on a trail they're unfamiliar with or aren't fully committed. You have to earn the trails you ride through practice and repetition. You have to step outside of your comfort zone, but only when that step is the smallest step possible under perfect conditions. Do this consistently and the difficult stuff today, will be easier in a few months.
If your still riding when you are over 50, your young man comment will not be the same.
@@mountainbikingfortherestofus Haha maybe so!
@@Ryancady010 The real problem is that ten or fifteen years after an injury, you start feeling the pain. The older you get, the more pain you feel from old injuries, so be careful.
This is partly why I've been riding rigid almost exclusively for 5 years plus: fun, cheap, and you are not often going the sorts of crazy speeds at which a crash can maim you for life
Thanks for sharing. I separated my clavicle and it kept me off the bike for a long time. I like you have a family and questioned continuing. I made a decision if I continue (which I did) I would only ride trails within my comfort zone and be content with that. Features on new trails that seemed too crazy I would often pass. I want to progress, but if the risk is too high, the progression is not worth it to me. Hope this helps and God bless.
It does help. Appreciate you taking the time to share from your experience.
100% with you on this. That’s my approach too.
Same! Family and livelihood are very important and if you work on your feet and with your hands it has to be a factor!
Spot on.
Did the same thing about 10 years ago on a jump staged three’d it, completely blew the ligament to pieces. Ended up having to have surgery to hold it together was off work for nearly six months wasn’t nice. Don’t do jumps anymore just trails with hops and stuff.
Oh man, so glad you’re okay! And I think you’re right… it’s not about IF you should ride, it’s to what degree you decide to push your own limits. ✌🏼🤟🏼
Thanks Adam
Looks like a great trail! It appeared you were riding near the edge of your capabilities and maybe even a little spent after now being on a third lap. All things that lead to nasty crashes. I’ve been in similar circumstances many times and the two things that helped me were 1: learn how to fall. It’s natural to reach out to catch ourselves but that’s a quick trip to the ER- glad you didn’t break anything. There are ways to tumble that allow you to disperse that energy and get back up with minimal issue. I liked to have basic chest and back protective gear with a backpack (holding gear, water, etc.) to help take the blows. 2: keep building muscle. Not sure if there’s science behind it, but I sure noticed a difference in injuries (lack of) when I lifted regularly. I ate dirt a fair share and could take the hits a lot better.
I agree with this assessment. It looks like you were getting tired there towards the end. Gnarly tech sections require you to be at your best lest you pay the price. Glad you were okay.
been there the other day, still thinking what should I do. my shoulder still hurts very much. thank you for sharing. wishing you fast healing.
Thanks and all the best to you
I’ve been there. I questioned myself the same question after having rib fracture, and both arms fractured on different occasions in my 40’s. I’m now 50 yrs old. The answer to your question is, it’s not worth it esp when family and work comes into play. It’s being selfish. However, I still ride my bike responsibly by riding to easy trails and not taking risks.
I've been riding mountain bikes for almost 30yrs & I can say that I had my share of crashing but none of them have ever taking me out of the game. But last October that changed. While riding back to my car after awesome shuttle laps all day I took a nasty fall & tore my MCL and fractured my tibia & it put me out of action for about 5 months & I'm just now getting back on the bike again. It's not about if you fall but when you fall because you are going to fall again. I'm 51 & I don't plan on quitting mountain biking anytime soon but I'm definitely changing my game when out on them trails. I don't know what that will consist of but I'll be a little bit more chill while playing with my bike. Keep shredding my dude🤘🏿
Oh man, on the ride back to the van. That blows! Hopefully you’ve healed well. Appreciate the encouragement 🤘
were you riding with clip ins pedals or flats?
@@AM-yb1ez I ride clipped in. But when I tore up my knee I was unclipped & off my bike when my leg hit the ground. Funny you ask because my orthopedic doc ask me the same question😅
@@AM-yb1ez Flats. Don't even wanna think how this would've ended had I been clipped in.
The older we get , hopefully the wiser we get. Us older guys don’t heal as fast. Don’t stop riding but be smart!!
This wisdom make me wanna fart loudly in harmony.
What a cool video thanks tons for sharing it!!
You were so calm cool and collected when you crashed!
Thanks man. Appreciate the feedback
I remember my last nasty crash. It took some time to regain confidence. It was a sobering reminder to just have fun and be safe. No need to impress others as they're not paying those hospital bills
“Are you paying my hospital bill?”Thats gonna be my answer to the next person who yells out just send it! On a sketchy feature 😂
I think you have to try to think what memories you’ll have when you are older. A lot of what most people do in life is building memories that you look on fondly when you are older. Call it reminiscing.
Personally most of my great memories don’t involve huge risk, it’s more about being in fabulous remote scenery or overcoming the elements, ideally with a bunch of great guys for company. Riding a really technical difficult trail doesn’t do it for me, so I don’t do it, or if I do it I’m slow and very careful. Everyone’s different, but adrenaline is a short term effect drug.
I think you’re spot on. A short thrill for the price getting hurt, limiting your health, your ability to earn, to care for your family, is absolutely not worth it. Life is short, so don’t spend it recovering. Just enjoy the opportunity to ride. Not everyone can.
Very good video, thanks for sharing. I'm over 50 and am an old XC guy. I've crashed more times than I can count. My legs have numerous scars on them, I still have bits of asphalt embedded in my arms from road crashes. I'm no tough guy, at all, but you're right, it will happen. You'll crash. I'll only say this one bit of advice to anyone reading: When you get into your 40s, 50s, it takes a lot longer to heal from a crash. That's something you really need to be aware of when your mind still wants to go, go ,go, and feel like you're still 15 - your body simply can't take nearly as much.
Have fun everyone, keep riding for as long as you can, just be safe out there.
Thanks! The healing process definitely takes longer once over 40 or so
Advice from an almost-60 rider: never stop riding. Sure, you slow down, take fewer risks and learn to listen to that voice in your head that’s saying, “nope, not that one” more. Fact - it takes a RIDICULOUS amount of time to heal from injuries that wouldn’t have even sidelined us in our 30’s (I’m still feeling an ankle sprain from a crash that happened in July of 2021).
But…if you quit, you’ve given up and stopped living. You’ve reserved your spot on the couch for the remainder of your life, and have punched your ticket for obesity and hypertension.
Rest, recover and heal, my friend - but never, NEVER quit. I look forward to riding with you when I’m in my 80’s!
Rest, recover and heal. Appreciate the encouragement David. Making adjustments but not quitting 🤙
@@MILTONATOR +1 on that from a 58 yr old rider who broke his collar bone in early 2020. Dial it back a bit, but never stop. I still jump and ride some blacks, but riding doesn't have to be at full capacity to have a great day.
Roger that. I'm 59 and planning to keep riding - road and MTB - as long as I'm able.
The couch is for watching Star Trek ... after you've been out for a ride!
Cheers
Glad you’re ok. As I get older I question the same things. I went OTB on a gnarly trail recently and landed softly but I cracked my new intense frame. I was following younger, faster riders on a blind double black trail I’ve never ridden before. I was caught up in the moment instead of riding sensibly and within my skill level. Time to be smarter now, but still seek out a challenge. That’s the hard part. Good luck in the future and I wish you nothing but safe fun rides.
Thanks John. Sucks to hear about your frame. Hopefully you got a crash replacement
@@MILTONATOR Thanks Milton. Yes, I'm using Intense's crash replacement policy but it's still going to cost over $500 and more importantly, time away from my new bike LOL
One of the biggest mistakes ive ever made was riding an intermediate trail as a beginner. I had a horrible crash back in 2012 at the white water center in Charlotte, NC going really fast down a hill. I hit a root and I rolled down the hill about 30 ft and reached the edge of the cliff that couldve have ended my life had i rolled further. Luckily I made it out with a few scrapes, but that event taught me a hard and valuable lesson. I learned early, and that crash gave me a completely new outlook on MTB from then on. I only ride flat trails now and I'm just as satisfied. Please assess the trail thoroughly before jumping into it cold turkey. Great video sir 👍🏽
At 56 with two kids counting on only me, your video made me pause for a moment. I had a Scuba incident a few years back too, in which I was seeing my kids and my life flashing before my eyes and that doesn't help either. I realize when you have children and people counting on you, it's time to check the ego, and take it a bit easier, but no need to quit. Thanks for the vid, it helped me put things in perspective too.
Over a year later I’m doing just that.. checking my ego while still having fun
I think we all get caught up on that "the gnarlyer the better" mind set, we can't go away from the good feeling of conquering those kinda of trails but when we find ourself on this kind of accidents we arealized that at our age, our families depend on us and 5 minutes of adrenaline rush can put all the people around us in a tough place.
Thanks for the video I glad you are ok and you walked away from that one. 🤙👍🔥
Thanks Daniel🙏
It's a fine line between pushing yourself to develop your skills, and riding in ways that are beyond your skillset. Don't ride sketchy stuff if you're not ready for it. Don't try to keep up with your friend who's been riding mtb since the age of 2...you won't have the skills to bail yourself out of situations like what happened in this video. Use caution ⚠️ when trying to build up your skills, be realistic about your abilities.
I used to ride some trails by mount Rainier and I always found I had the most fun on the smoother trails that I could just fly down, zigzaging through the woods like a fighter jet. That trail you are on had some good sections, but also a lot of boulders that not only beat on you and your bike, but would be brutal to crash on.
It's kind of like skiing, going down the easy runs are boring, the blue runs are the most fun because you can go fast, and the black diamond runs aren't very fun because you have to spend so much time on the brakes.
Great vid, good perspective. For me, I had a big crash a few years back that I separated my shoulder on. I wasn't able to ride for almost 6 months. Every since then, I still ride gnarly stuff, but definitely more cautiosly than I used to.
Thanks man. This crash of mine mentally shook me. Still riding and pushing it, but same as you… more cautiously
I cased a double at a bike park 3 years ago. My back end bounced me off the seat and I lost control. Basically hugging the handlebars as I headed toward the side of the trail. I ran into a big rock where my foot took the brunt of the impact. I was lucky nothing major happened, but it took me off the bike for 3 months. I told myself after the crash that it's not worth it. But, I was soon back on the bike , mostly trail riding, and of course as the years turn you go back to the bigger mountains. But, I don't take unnecessary risk now and haven't crashed since then. Knock on wood, but I have nothing to prove, just happy to be up there on the mountain.
My moto: When you ride like lightning, you crash like thunder!
Enjoy your video,but I think with family keep riding,but dont push so hard enjoy the ride
@@alfredot2739 That's the key, enjoy the ride. Why suffer and endanger your life. Take it a little slower and ride completely under control. Your body will thank you for it when you get into your 60's.
@@thelakeman5207 Oh my god, that's such a good line. I'm gonna steal that
I'm older and not willing to get hurt. My adult son was seriously injured after a failed jump with a broken rib, punctured lung and dislocated shoulder in his latest crash. So, yes, I agree with you that it's not worth that type of risk especially when family members depend on us to be healthy. I am more satisfied to do more cross country type of trails where it's less technical and if I do fall, it's not like falling down a set of concrete stairs with shards of concrete there to impale hips and bones. It's a great sport, but like Clint Eastwood said, "a man's got to know his limits." Stay safe.
47 years old here
Been two years working at a spine injury rehab Hospital for.
What I saw there just make me more aware of how quickly life can change forever.
Injuries don't give a shit about age, your skill, or how good it's your equipment.
It's not worth it but some guys
Love to die doing what they enjoy in life
Kudos for raising these questions, and having an honest discussion! This is not at all exclusive to mountain biking but relevant to so many sports. I changed from commuting my 30km daily round-trip from home to the office on a road bike, to riding a longer route on the river stop bank gravel trail, using a XC MTB, because I wanted to reduce the risk of being hit by a car. So I commuted along the river for over a year, until a neurotic dog shot across the track in the most unexpected way (usually dog behaviour is fairly predictable!) and pulled the leash taut across the top of my front wheel. With the dog holder attached to one end, and the somewhat strong and heavy dog to the other, this catapulted me over and forward... I ended up a bit bruised and battered, and my helmet in fragments. The bike hardly had a scratch as usual. Anyway, this could easily have ended in a wheelchair or on the cemetery. It didn't, probably because I put my right arm ahead and that took much of the impact. This was an eye opener, and I have been going through the same questions that you are raising here over and over again. In the end I have changed my riding around dogs, so that I am now more prepared in the event of that 1-in-1,000 neurotic dog - they do exist after all!
Totally understand where you're coming from. My riding has progressed a lot over the past 2 years since I got back to riding. After a couple of hard tumbles, with the last one nearly ending in concussion had it not been for a lucky water bottle bounce that cushioned my head from a rock. I had to re-assess my riding and dial it down a notch, especially where I am now with my career, a new house under construction, and a pre-schooler and a 1st grader I have to support.
Know the feeling man, I crashed up Greer 3 weeks ago and broke my collarbone. I’ve ridden some of the gnarliest trails over the years I’ve been riding and have came away with a few scratches. But this recent crash was purely from not paying attention and it caught me out on a trail I’ve ridden hundreds of times. I run my own company and it immediately made me think is it worth it for the risk. But it’s too hard to get a feeling that lives up to doing something so fun and yet so dangerous. A break from riding may help you and pick trails you are comfortable on and enjoy. That’s just my thoughts as I know I’ll never stop riding 😂
Oh man, that’s at least six weeks recovery. Heal well brother. I just finished my first recovery ride just now. Chill ride but it was awesome nonetheless 👊
I'm sitting here watching this with broken ribs, in complete agony after a crash on my KX250 dirt bike. Personally, the time riding before the crash was so amazing, the pain is worth it. I can't wait to get back on. :) I hope you eventually shake the anxiety and get back to riding.
Hope you heal well, man. Thanks and yes, I’m back to riding. Made some adjustments but I do love this stuff too much to let it go.
Great video. Thanks for sharing this. My eyes were starting to open on this subject and your video helped me reached a conclusion for myself: Mountain biking is worth the risk but, I don't have to prove something to anyone else or keep pace with the rider ahead (which is what used to drive me to push more than I might otherwise). I don't need to chase adrenaline on the trail the way I did in my twenties. I can just enjoy a chill ride and let those that want to push it ahead of me, do so with more power to them. As for me, I want to live to bike another day. Cheers!
Good stuff! I arrived at the same conclusion. Thanks
You get to a point in your life when you realize that doing a thing can take away a lot more than the thing itself. I ride for the fun of it, not the challenge. I stay away from big drops and jumps and just ride easy and that keeps it fun for me. You can be on a trail you've done 100 times and hit a spot that has never given you a thought before and suddenly there's a rock or tree branch or a squirrel or something you don't expect and down you go. A simple fall can be nothing or a lifetime in a wheelchair. I see guys taking dumb risks all the time, 10 miles from a trailhead and reasonable expectation of getting help...no thanks... If you want an adrenaline rush, take your 17 year old out with her driving the car. Stay safe out there!
z3ro panic bro u mentally screwed yourself
your a good rider dude u had it
My last 2 rides ended with 2 broken arms (the only broken arms I ever sustained on the MTB) and a head knock so bad that they put me in a coma. The doctors told me I had to stop which was super hard at the time, but I'm loving what I do with my time instead
@@gurusson That really sucks, sorry to hear about that, but glad you're recovering. As I get older, I take fewer risks, there are plenty of off road trails out there that aren't dangerous or risky, flow trails without jumps, etc where you still get a nice day out in the woods. You can still ride a bike, though maybe you need a motorcycle helmet :).
excellent response...i agree 100%... why risk what you enjoy and suffer downtown time and potential disability when you spend the rest of your remaining good time pedaling away?!
That trail is crazy. I went over the handlebars on a flat curvy trail 17 years ago because of a small root. That was enough for me to say I'm good with nice wide manicured trails.
That happened to me a couple days ago. Didn’t even last on my left shoulder but how I moved it when falling caused it to pop and it hurt quite a bit. Thought I tore something but feels fine today.
Glad you're okay. It took me an OTB experience through a rock garden to put things into perspective for me. I also think having a short-travel 29er has helped force me to ride more within my limits.
Thanks! Agree…Bigger bikes can mislead a rider into thinking they’re more capable then they truly are
Great riding. Those rocks sections are super tough. I have had similar experiences over the years. You’re a good Husband and Father to have those thoughts. Stay safe out there!
Thank you! 🙏
Really appreciated this vid. I took a really hard hit a few years ago that resulted in a complete change of my thinking in riding. I changed by switching to SS as it serves as a bit of a governor for my top speed, I have spent some time riding rigid as well for the same reason - it makes me think twice about what I am doing. In general, at 57, I am more interested in the "dirt therapy" and fitness aspects of riding now. "Progression" is something I enjoying watching on RedbullTV but I no longer feel the need to push my limits as much (either in airtime, or faster lap times) - the potential risk vs reward doesn't justify it anymore. I think of it as "live to ride another day". Much props for raising this issue here. I'm sure there will be some chest-thumping "Nah Dude - SEND IT" responses but time means more as I age so time wasted off the bike healing up, or time lost with my kids b/c I'm "too banged/stiff up today", or $$ spent on replacing busted gear - all of that makes me think from a wiser perspective. To each his own, but for me it's about riding for as many years and getting the max enjoyment out of it.
I've never been on these downhill rides, alway gone cross country, trails or loops. I know downhilling isn't for me, I'm risk averse. Some folks love the risk. It's a choice on what you think is more fun: high risk and high adrenaline, or low risk and just plain happiness and health from the ride.
I see the downhilling as rollercoasters where it hasn't passed the safety inspection, all the risks on are you.
P.s. I think some advice and practice on riding skills may give you more confidence in bike handling e.g. riding out of seat, brake application, etc to avoid these minor crashes.
Hey brother. I just wanted to tell that I found myself in a similar situation 2 month before yo posted this video, I went over my bar and landed on my hands, chest and hips, it was never confirmed it with a dr but due the pain on my ribs that I fractured a couple of ribs, also I got my both hands sprained, (wrists and fingers) I bruised my knees and hips and took me around 12 weeks to heal my hands and around 18 weeks to feel no more discomfort on my ribs. It was painful, I missed my bike so much and it never came to my mind to stop mountain biking but one thing is for sure, now I’m more careful and I’m taking it easy on the hard stuff cause I drive a manual 18 wheels truck for living and I have kids. So I’m still MTBking when im at home but more for the fun and exercise and not to prove something to myself or my buddys. I founded myself too confident and that’s why I crashed.
Glad you recovered well from what sounds like a really nasty fall. Appreciate you chiming in
@@MILTONATOR yeah brother. It was nasty, I hit my head against the ground too but helmet did it’s work and I was fine. My wife wasn’t happy but she helped me a lot on the healing but damn it sucked to eat, sleep and even to take a crap. But I always being doing exercises and sport and since I became a truck driver cause the pandemic I’ve been lacking on adrenaline and exercise so much that it was wearing me out mentally and mountain bike brought back up physically and emotionally, and that’s why I gave it a second chance even after that hard fail.
@@luismendez-tu7mr Yeah man. Riding bikes is a life! Be safe out there and have blast 👊
I’m 32. Picked up the sport about 3 years ago. I’m also a physical therapist, and have seen all the injuries you could think of. I love to ride, and usually sink about 20 hours a month into the sport. What I’ve come to realize is that I must manage my own expectations. Now, I can ride just about anything and have a wonderful time. I’ll rip black trails with friends and put myself towards the back, manage my speed, and find my balance between thrill and chill. Maybe I’m 10-30 seconds behind but I don’t care, I’m the one in the group that’s injury free. Looking at your experience, if I feel sketched out about something like your fateful section, I’ll take it slower every time or hit the work around so I can ride another day or lap. It’s too easy to get caught up in the RIP IT mentality, when, for me, consistently riding is much more important.
I ended up in the hospital with a sever concussion two weeks ago. I was on the street headed to the trail. Nothing fancy or technical. It just happened. The “Live to ride another day” idea is very important. As you said, it always has the chance to happen every time you get on the bike but working to keep the risk down and the severity low is the key to a long life of MTB enjoyment. I’m 62. My trail choice now matches my age. This needs to be the case.
With a helmet?
I can relate .I crashed my bike and ended up having rotator cup surgery .after about 3 weeks of recovery I fell again on the same shoulder .thought I reinjured it again but luckly I just bruised everything .starting riding again but now I look at riding as live for another day .I take less chances and enjoy the ride .for now its been working for me .no crashes so far .wife is happy and no doctor bills .👍👍👍👍
Secret to happiness right there: happy wife and no Doc bills 😅 Seriously though, glad you’re riding on and enjoy the rides.
I know this was 2 years back but just watching this now. About 6 months back I had a pretty bad fall coming out of a double tabletop followed by a hard left berm, I was carrying too much speed for my skill level and I instinctively braked way too hard while cornering, front wheel snapped sharply to the left breaking my right wrist and then on the fall I hit my head hard on a rock. I was unconscious for a few minutes and the rest was blurry until I got to the hospital. I've been riding again for a couple of months now but I have a much higher level of fear than I've ever had before, also my wrist is still pretty weak so taking it easy. Much respect for the message you've put out in your video, as you can imagine I have had similar thoughts recently.
I was 55 when I went over my handlebars and was pitched head-over-heels down a steep incline. It was very similar to your crash. As I tumbled, my chin was pushed into my chest and my upper back was tweaked. Even though I was wearing full-finger gloves, my hands had somehow gotten scraped enough to draw a fair amount of blood. Later, as my chiropractor worked to put me back in order, he reminded me of a woman that we both knew. She had a similar crash, but she ended up paralyzed. She was a very fit and active wife and mother, and she was so devastated by the loss of her physical autonomy that she somehow found a way to take her own life.
After I recovered from my injuries, I began avoiding the trail I had crashed on. That was a first for me. But during the next three years, I had more crashes, and I began avoiding other trails as well. I was really unsettled by my uncharacteristic apprehension until I heard a podcast from an older strength coach on aging well. He explained that the key was to maintain your physical autonomy for as long as possible. He said to weigh the risks versus the rewards of your activities. Realizing that I was only one good fall away from ending up in a nursing home, I finally gave myself permission to change the way that I ride. I’m almost 64 now, and I’ve become more of a gravel rider than a mountain biker. I’m much happier and healthier because of that decision.
Thanks for this. Glad to get the end of it and find you’re doing well. All the best.
I went down in 2014 and here is what happened, there was about 50 hikers on the trail and it was single track and there was no where to go. I had to go off the trail lost my line and flew over my handlebars and gashed my ankle pretty deep just needed a few stiches. I had gear , my gloves saved my hands and my helmet saved my head. Next time I will wear shoes protecting my ankles as this is the only part that got jacked . Moral of the story always ride with full gear you never know when your gonna go down.
Can definitely feel your pain literally!! I had a very similar crash 3 weeks ago. I was riding a trail that I know like the back of my hand with no problem, then I spotted my friend riding another part of the trail. That moment of inattention caused my to catch my left handlebar on a small tree. Basically I did what they call in motorcycling a "highside". Straight up into the air over the bike and smashed my whole right side into the ground. My arm was smashed into my chest instant searing agony, completely winded. I staggered up took about 2 steps then collapsed and passed out. Anyway we got it sorted, I fortunately didn't hit my head. I was able to SLOWLY ride back to the car with only the occasional hit of searing agony from my right chest area. The first week was a nightmare, searing agony every time I got out of bed or even moved in bed. Medical diagnosis was badly bruised ribs. Not much I could do other than painkillers and rest. 3 weeks later it still hurts like hell but I am getting there. I can do things slowly without major pain. It will be a while longer but I will definitely be back on the bike. I guess the main thing I will take away from this is CONCENTRATE on what you're doing and not what others are. I do try to ride within my capabilities (i.e. don't get sucked into racing people or trails that are above what I can do). I will also be upgrading my protective gear. I was wearing knee pads and my legs barely got a scratch but no Elbow pads and of course my elbow was a mess. I have fixed that up already with some new elbow pads purchased this week.
I can't wait to get out again, although I will wait till I'm ready. I love just riding the bike, being outside enjoying nature. Letting the kangaroos and wombats go their way when I come across them (yes I'm Aussie). Great being out there with good friends too.
Rest get over your injuries and get out there again. BTW I'm 61 so if I can do it you can too 👍😉
someone once told me this is a young man's sport, i recently feel really bad currently working on making a video on that accident. but i say it's not worth the risk you were definitely going to fast. it seemed like you were chasing your friend in the front. i'm glad you are ok. i broke a tendon on my pinky and it sucks i cant ride for 6-8 weeks thanks for sharing your experience. stay safe it comes with the sport i guess
I’m 49. After breaking my shoulder 4 years ago in a similar crash, I decided to take it easy and not be afraid to be the guy that takes things slow and careful. I don’t do the drops I used to. The adrenaline rush is no longer worth the potential weeks or months of rehab. I still ride but I have put limits in for my own safety and I make the people i ride with fully aware that I’m not going to “send it” unless I am 100% confident. I still have a great time.
I hear you completely. I have a few riding philosophies now. 1. No injuries 2. No air time. I. Ow ride a full suspension fat bike on XC trails because I figured that was the safest that I could get and still allow me to enjoy the forests and biking. Since my last concussion I realized that it is DEFINITELY not worth the risk to me. Thank you for the honest questioning.
Thank you for sharing you experience
Concussion with a helmet on?
@@LilyWillow22 did you really just ask that? 🤦🏻♂️
I'm really glad that you are essentially okay from this accident--your wife and kids need you. I'm an avid rider in my 50's and I'm going to tell all you other fellow riders out there: ALWAYS wear helmets, elbow pads, and knee pads. It's also a very good idea to wear a chest protector and protective shorts on trails like these.
You may be a world-class MTB rider, but you can still wreck. Do you want to shatter your elbow, knees, hips, or ribs? Gear up....better safe than sorry.
This. My rib/wrist/elbow fractures were on 'easy' sections and going slow. Now I wear better protection every ride, and would feel naked without elbow and knee pads any time I get on my bike.
@@jemez_mtn I also feel naked without my elbow/knee pads, protective shorts, and helmet! My Fox D3O Pro pads are so comfortable that I forget that they're even there. It helps me ride more relaxed.
What I also have in common with you is that I seem to be more likely to wreck on simple stuff. I guess it's because I get too relaxed and even cocky. I almost had 2 wrecks the other day on really easy stuff!
@@mesabmanyeah once you get used to it you don't even know they're there anymore, so why would you not. Like you said, more relaxed. I'll have to check out your pads, love my 7iDP shorts.
I’m a 58 year old female. Been riding since the 90s on the North Shore and Whistler in Canada. I’ve had some slammers, broke both hands, an elbow once, tore my UCL off my thumb which required surgery and lost a lot of skin on mountains. I switched to full upper body armour, torso, butt, hip, thigh armour, knees, shins and elbows. I still crash doing single and double black but I’m not flying. I go at my own pace, carefully and never ride alone. The full armour and full face helmet makes crashing a non-issue. I get up and get back on. Slow down, armour up, and enjoy the ride.
With ya man. I’ve chilled out quite a bit. I still love riding. I just keep it pretty mellow now and just enjoy the ride 🍻
Exactly the place I’m in now 🍻
I remember sending trail features and gnarly drops on my crappy hardtail in my early 20s that I would think twice about now with my $4000 dual suspension bike (15y later). It's not that I can't do it or haven't done harder trails since, it's just that I don't see a point pushing my luck anymore. Sometimes I'll do them, when I'm feeling good going up to it. If I'm doubting myself, I walk it. Looks like that's how you felt going up to that section, you took it way slower than your first pass when you cleared it, like you were already trying to avoid it in your head.
Edit: One thing I've noticed is bikes with long wheel bases and steep rakes have really clumsy front ends at low speed, the loss of control can really surprise you
I think there's an argument that most bikes are to slack, and over suspension travelled for what most riders need to enjoy there local trails
I feel you on this one. I spilled super hard last year and it took me a long time to get back that, “I can ride that” feeling.
Also, funny how the GoPro calms a trail down. All of my videos are the same, they look easy when in reality it’s gnarly!
Hopefully the GoPro Hero99 will won’t mellow out the gnar and show it for what it truly is 🤞 😅
@@MILTONATOR Between the shocks, your neck acting as a gimbal and the anti-shake tech in the camera, it is almost always going to look smoother than it actually is. A chest or shoulder mount would show is more accurately or rather more how it feels but with less control over where is aimed. A bike mount would be unusable.
First of all - amazing riding on amazing trails.
And hats off for openly speaking about this. I'm 43 and have been riding ever since I can remember. Sure, there were crashes but never with huge consequences ...up until last year. I misjudged a jump which was followed by a sharp bend and I simply flew over into the bushes. Apart from handlebar hitting my ribs, It didn't look serious. Problem was, that pain stuck with me for two months. It was then when I realised taking it easier maybe isn't such a bad idea. The problem is our perception - we keep reaching for more: faster, steeper, gnarlier, higher all that just so we can tap ourselves on the shoulder saying, yeah, I still got it. In some ways, this is like a drug. Once you get high, you want more. Stepping down a notch demands a firm character, a clear head and realisation, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. As you said, there are other things in life that bring you joy too - why sacrifice all that? Long story short, I concluded I'm not giving up on mountain biking but I'm definitely going to start taking it easier.
Thank you for posting this - stay safe!
Thanks man. I too, have arrived at the same conclusion. All the best
I’m 67 and have been riding mtn bikes for 15 years. I’ve had several accidents but nothing serious until 9 months ago. I had a reality check when I was catapulted over the handlebars, impacted on my shoulder, and cracked my helmet. I fractured my scapula and acromion, and severed 4 ligaments requiring surgery and 6 months of PT. I have accepted the fact that I’m 67, not 37! I’m back on the trails now but I’ve dialed it way back. Think smart, stay safe, and still have fun!
Smart, safe and still have fun. Right on, man. All the best
I recently quit riding in my early 30's after coming to this same realization. Don't be afraid to let go of it's in you. It's ok on the other side.
I got into mtn biking 20 years ago (age 40) and enjoyed it, trying to pop over logs, etc in the pacific northwest rain forests. Since then, as others have mentioned, the equipment has gotten very sophisticated. I ride a 27 enduro. It can do lots more than I can. Mtn biking, at the same time, has gotten BMX'd. Gap jumps, bridges, drops, huge berms that encourage ever faster riding, etc... I was riding with younger folks, and feeling like I need to learn this stuff too, until I shook my head and remembered why I got into the sport: fitness, fun. I don't need to risk my health to achieve either of those. My yardstick: if this goes wrong, will I be able to make my tee time tomorrow? If not, then nope. I still crash occasionally, it can happen at the stupidest times.
Thanks for raising this topic. At 59 I just hit a rock that catapulted me over a 10' cliff and I landed on a log with a branch sticking up. Fractured scapula from end to end and a couple of vertebrae. Worst pain of my life for 8 weeks! Four inches over one way and I would be in a wheel chair. No more black or blue trails for me. I recently also purchased a FULL set of body protection including ankle protecting shoes.
What is see you did wrong here (like me) 1. Riding a trail that was NOT a trail - it was just a bunch of rocks down a mountain. 2. Not wearing protective gear.
You can still ride, just buy full protective gear and stick to green trails only. Will there be adrenaline - no, but you also won't have the most painful injury of your life, or worse, a permanent injury that effects every other activity in your life.
Hey man! This sucks.
It's been awhile since you've posted this but I still figured my story could in some way shape or form help you a bit. My big crash happened in a road criterium so the setting is very different but I feel like even though it's in some way a different sport, bikes are still bikes. And recovering from a hard bikecrash will still require the same mental steps.
I was 14 years old in 2016 riding about twentieth position in a criterium and the peloton was singlefile, one guy overtook me and chopped right very quickly, leaving me with nowhere to go. My frontwheel hit his backwheel, which caught me off guard. I was only racing bikes for a year and had no sketchy moments up until that point. I got down really, really hard. Vomiting left, right and center. The whole left side of my body filled with road rash and I passed out a few times. Due to some poor first aid management, an ambulance stabilizing my neck wasn't called for, causing me to take a bumpy car ride even though I had serious neck injury. When I woke up in the hospital, after some very heavy checks with I believe no surgeries, it was mentioned that I was very close to a spinal cord injury. If I would have been in that car ride five minutes longer it could have meant that I could never walk again.
That got to me.
After weeks of recovery I hopped back into bike racing, thinking nothing had changed, but no matter what I tried there was no way for me to ride in the middle of the bunch. I was constantly scared of a rider chopping my front wheel and other riders' backwheels where the only thing I could look at in a race. I guess you could say I only realized I had trauma once I put myself back in the position.
To get back in, I decided to analyze every single moment of that crash, luckily the other rider had the accident on tape so I could watch it on youtube. I wrote down every single thing I could do differently if I would get in a scenario like that again. Training my reflexes, so I'd respond the correct way If I almost went down. Right when you're about to crash, you're body responds instinctively based on previous expierences with falling down, which aren't necessarily the best. So, training reflexes, when I rode home from school on a very cheap bike (in The Netherlands we cycle everywhere) for the entire winter, I used to ride against obstacles with my shoulders, my front wheel, or try to clip my pedal in a corner. This caused me to, at low speeds, with a very cheap bike, learn some skills to keep the bike upright. When I rode with someone I'd sometimes clip their backwheel on purpose at low speeds and try different methods to stop me from having to put my foot down. In 2017 I still had trouble holding position, but in 2018 I was finally back in the front off the peloton, with a lot more knowledge of bikehandling.
One race the same thing happened as in 2016, and I had nowhere to go. My reflex wasn't to go put my hands on the ground or something, my reflex was to pull the bike back. I stood up, out of the saddle, and dragged the bike back as far as I could without having to brake. I managed to escape the backwheel and I remained upright. Ever since my confidence on the bike is a lot higher.
Analyzing everything you could have done differently, and working towards doing those things differently, will definitely help you to f-ing nail this trail one day dude.