Coming back from injury can be difficult and very frustrating

At some point in our riding lives, there will be a time that we have to come back from an injury. These injuries can be self inflicted on the bike or caused by outside forces. You work up your riding skill and fitness and then…BAM…you are back at what feels like ground zero. Or worse…the injury changes your body to the point that you may never be the same rider you once were.

There Are Two Types of Injuries We Face As Mountain Bikers

Biking related and non-biking related.

I have had both in my life. I had lower back issues that were caused by multiple wrecks and too many drops to flat. Pro tip…if everyone watching flenches when you land…that’s not a good thing for the long term! I was able to rehab that back to almost near my previous fitness and skill level. It was difficult but doable and I really only had one person to blame…myself. Over time I have learned how to manage that pain and get to a point that I was happy with my riding again.

The second significant injury was not the same. It was not caused by my actions. It was caused by someone else. There was the hope that after multiple surgeries…we would get my body back to that point that I was able to ride close to my previous skill and fitness level. As the days go on…the scans and surgeries pile up…the reality is setting in that I’ll never be the same again. The damage to my circulation and nerves is proving to be too much to overcome. With the best people in the medical industry to lean on, I am having to accept the ”new normal”.

The Good News – Advancing Bike Technology

The part that is truly amazing to me is how the bike industry has progressed, in real time, as I have been going through this. Thanks to the introduction of the e-bike, I am able to join group rides with my friends again. Gravel bike? It opened the door to riding out of my driveway while being able to stay close to home for when my body just gives out. I am literally only on the bike currently thanks to two bikes that were not available just years ago.

Am I the same rider even with these bikes?

No. On the gravel bike, I am painfully slow. The blood flow in by body does not allow for enough fuel to keep speed for any stretch of time. I went from the patient that nurses used to love getting blood samples from to them apologizing after having to stick me 5 times just trying to get one vein to play along (one time they even had to get an ultrasound machine just for a blood sample). The damage to my system is permanent. But…I don’t have to worry about being in traffic and I can go my own speed. I am also lucky enough to have friends that don’t mind towing me around at their slower than usual pace.

It is better to be on the bike with limitations rather than not being able to ride at all. If this was 10 or more years ago when I was riding…that might not be an option. Today I get to still see my riding friends and ride with my son. I think a lot of times the industry can be hesitant to new options that change the outlook of mountain biking and road biking (I am often in that group as well). That said…I can’t tell you how many stories I hear from riders now similar to mine. With advancements in bike technology, they are still able to get out and ride.

You will still have the group of loud spoken riders that will post all over social media with nothing nice to say. They probably even have a friend that they tell ”no…it’s different for you.” while they blast anyone else that owns an e-bike saying its a motorcycle. The reality is that these advancements in biking technology are helping out a lot of people and that is a good thing.

There will be idiots and assholes in every group. There will be that guy trying to steal Strava segments on an e-bike but that small percentage of selfish riders should not ruin it for the larger number of people they help. I was even one to make fun of gravel bikes until it fit into the perfect scenario I needed.

One last small point…

For those of us that have centered a lot of our friend group and free time around riding…it can be really hard coming back from injury or not being able to ride at your previous capacity. It can feel very isolated. Your friends don’t stop riding just because you can’t anymore.

If you have riding friends that are going through a situation like this, it may take extra effort to check in…hang out…and keep those friendships going. Your default way of hanging out is no longer an option. Take that time to reach out, have lunch or go on a slower, shorter ride than you normally would. We can get so singly focused that we can sometimes forget about the other side of the story. I know I have been guilty of this in the past as well. You suddenly find yourself in the situation where you don’t see your friends socially as much as you used to because the circumstances have changed. We can use social media as a good band aide to stay in touch but that is obviously not the same.

Bike technology has opened the doors for a lot of riders to continue riding in injury, age and other factors when they wouldn’t have been to otherwise. The social aspect and the friends you meet through one of the best sports and recreation options out there can not be replaced by technology.

My hope was to buy a regular bike after this last surgery but that is looking to be a pipe dream at this point. Luckily, the industry is making some killer e-bikes these days. Coming back from serious injuries can be very difficult and frustrating but with progressing technology in cycling…the road to recovery…or even just riding again…is getting easier than it used to be.