# Broken Wrist - how long til I can ride?



## Jwiffle (Jan 26, 2004)

I crashed on my road bike yesterday morning, and managed to break my wrist. I'm in a temp cast from the urgent care until I see the orthopedist. Not really in much pain, but does hurt to bend wrist (can move fingers w/o pain). I actually did ride the 35 miles back to the car, figuring it was just sore since I could move everything at the time.

Anyway, anyone have an idea how long these things take to heal? I had signed up for a gran fondo that is in just 2 weeks, and I'll be really bummed if I can't ride it. I figure mtn biking will probably have to wait a few weeks longer road riding?

Thanks!


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## 3034 (Apr 12, 2006)

1 week


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## Jwiffle (Jan 26, 2004)

Got cast at the ortho's. Said I'll be in it for 6 weeks. I did, however, snag my mom's recumbent trike so I can at least ride outside.


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## Oatbag (Jun 25, 2010)

Was 6 weeks for my wrist and finger. They were in a splint.


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## One Pivot (Nov 20, 2009)

Give it a rest, stay off the bike. Its only 6 weeks..

I did the same stupid thing years ago and just wouldnt stay off the bike. My minor break turned into a major break.. My 6 weeks of downtime turned into *years* of pain. Seriously, just lay off the bike.


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## 98 special (Apr 10, 2011)

Wait til you see the Doc.I broke my wrist back in 2006,took 2 weeks before they found I had to have surgery on the scapholunate legiment tear.Took 4 months in a cast,4 pins and a lot of painkillers.I still wear a wrist bace,told me next time wrist would have to be frozen straight.:madman:


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## Jwiffle (Jan 26, 2004)

oh, man, you guys have some horror stories! Well, I'll stay off the normal bike til the doc gives the ok. I took out the recumbent yesterday, and I can ride it w/ one hand fine, so at least I have that.


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## techfersure (Dec 17, 2010)

I rode the last several weeks with the cast,also fractured one time and never stopped riding and racing DH of course I used a splint but gotta ride and have not had any complications because of.each to his own!


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## xcguy (Apr 18, 2004)

There are many types of "broken wrists". Your injury isn't like mine or his or hers over there. Me, six weeks in a cast, four months of PT just to be able to pick up a quarter off the kitchen countertop, two more months of getting to where I could turn the key in my ignition or unscrew the gas cap. Then, six months after I got my cast off, my first tentative scary ride on the easiest trail I could find with my right hand basically just coming along for the ride. A couple more months and I could grab a water bottle out of the cage and actually open it with my right hand.

The other guy? Heck, he was DH racing one week after getting his cast on. YMMV.


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## praivo (Nov 16, 2014)

Reviving this thread because I've just done *exactly* the same thing, just with less riding afterwards (x-ray shows a tiny bone fragment but the doctor has no idea where it's from). How long did you end up staying off the bike? It sucks, because I'm left-handed, broke my left wrist, and have four huge written tests in school next week...


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## Haroow (Mar 10, 2004)

Well damn. Im in the boat now too. Smacked the top of wrist on Otb with a dog used as a brake. Happened Sunday - Surgery set for Monday Am.
Currently i can move my fingers and thumb.. touch thumb to four fingers swelling is down a lot can’t touch pinky. In a removable splint. 
Im optimistic when the PA asked for grip strength and mobility and was able to squeeze the hand the reaction was excellent. 

What do i need to expect..


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## Tallboy723 (4 mo ago)

Well it sounds like a wrist is quicker then a ankle. Broke a bone in my foot last year and took me 3 months just to sort of normal walking. And I just had tendon surgery in September and it’s gonna be another 3 months to walk normal. Spring time before I’m riding. Feet just take so long to recover from.


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## Haroow (Mar 10, 2004)

I pray for speedy bit tedious recovery.. i have been able to move all my fingers, thumb has numbness off and on. Still wrapped in dressings, and see the dr post surgery later next week.. trying to ween off of the painkillers now.


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## wthomas (Feb 24, 2009)

I started riding with a splint about 8 weeks after my wrist surgery last January.


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## xcguy (Apr 18, 2004)

Everyone's "broken wrist" is different. I didn't get my cast off till 6 weeks after surgery and didn't ride for 6 months after that. Slowly


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## Haroow (Mar 10, 2004)

xcguy said:


> Everyone's "broken wrist" is different. I didn't get my cast off till 6 weeks after surgery and didn't ride for 6 months after that. Slowly


i see the Dr. on Friday morning . I


wthomas said:


> I started riding with a splint about 8 weeks after my wrist surgery last January.
> View attachment 2008840


I had surgery 2 mondays ago.. See the dr on friday this week. What type of fracture did you have? Mine was Barton Fracture it includes dislocation of the wrist from the hand.. I hope to to be back on Bike by Dec 30..that would be 8 weeks for me..


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## wthomas (Feb 24, 2009)

Mine was a Colles fracture.


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## Jwiffle (Jan 26, 2004)

I see the thread got revived recently, and realized I never posted an update way back then. I ended up in a cast 11 weeks, not just 6, ugh! And another week in a brace before I was able to start OT. It was about 2 weeks or so after the cast was off that I could be back on a road bike, another month after that before mountain biking. Really sucked!

I broke my collarbone last spring. I was back on a road bike in about 6-7 weeks, and a couple more before a mountain bike. Collarbone healed MUCH faster. Back when I broke my wrist, a lot of people said to me, "At least you didn't break your collarbone." If you're going to break something, though, it's better to break a collarbone than a wrist in my experience, lol.


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

Agreed about the collarbone.
I broke one -- doc said stay away from cycling for 13 weeks.
I did.
Took me a loooong time to come back once I finally got on the bike again.
Eleven months later I broke the same collarbone in the same place.
This time I stayed off the bike for 3 weeks.
Screw another 13 weeks!
Then got back on the road bike and made DAMN SURE not to crash.
Anyway, kept my legs moving.
My return to hard core riding was much quicker.
Moral of this story: ride soon but MAKE SURE YOU DON'T CRASH while you're getting back to it.
=sParty


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