# bruised and/or broke ribs, how long before you could ride?



## jnails (Jun 1, 2009)

I'm headed to the doc today, but a bad crash on some stupid ass wet wood yesterday has me with at least some severely bruised ribs if not a small fracture. I was just wondering for those of you who have been thru this how long before you were riding again? I was hoping to get at least back on a trainer in 2-3 weeks.


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## Bob12676 (Sep 10, 2008)

It's all about your pain tolerance. I broke 2 ribs on Thanksgiving morning, fell off the garage roof in a horrific Christmas light disaster, and was back on the trail in 3-4 weeks (I ran a 5k 10days after the fall). I'm sure in some very extreme situations this may not be true, but I've always been told that you really can't do any more damage to the ribs than has already been done. The cool thing is that if you try to push it to hard your ribs will let you know it, with shortness of breath (can't breath too deep without pain) or shooting pain if they are moving around to much. Good luck with the healing process, I hope all goes well for you.


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## ImaFred (May 16, 2009)

Eh I've ridden right after I did it ... but they hurt for months .... seems to me it's one of the longest recoveries there is for an injury


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## Blister Butt (Jul 20, 2005)

The worst problem I found with busted ribs is they start to heal up nicely and then about four weeks later you manage to re-break them by rolling over funny in bed or by doing something stupid like playing tennis or riding. 

Like the guy said, it's all about pain management. I've found that riding is tolerable after about a wee or maybe two weeks. The issue is that if you ride with them still broken and then you fall on them again, you run the risk of driving the broken rib into your lung, a bad thing to happen if you ride by yourself as it's really hard to catch your breath when a lung is filling up with blood.

If you fall again and re-break it, you'll have to deal with over-calicification. I had one rib that I broke and re-broke a bunch of times. I've got a giant lump on one side where that one is. It makes me look deformed. The doc says maybe in 20 years my body will re-digest the calcium and I'll look normal again.

Good luck with your recovery!


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## ARCHAIC (Jun 4, 2011)

I broke 4 ribs when I wrecked my pit bike on a motox track, back to work next day. Racing again the following week. That was in 02 and to this day my ribs on the right side still crackle! Vicodin is your friend


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## xcguy (Apr 18, 2004)

Responses will vary from months, weeks, hey, I raced the next day! Your injury is not their injury. When I had cracked ribs it hurt so much I couldn't sit up from laying back on the couch, I had to beg my friends to stop telling jokes so I wouldn't laugh. It was months and months before it didn't hurt like a sum*****.

Don't assume that your need to ride will justify your ignoring super pain. Just take it easy. Riding will be still be there when you recover. Take the long view.


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## jnails (Jun 1, 2009)

9 days out and I rode today. Just an easy ride on the road, but at least I was pedaling. Turned out I have a hairline fracture that is not very bad, still a break, but not to bad. The ride actually loosened up all the tight muscles in my back and the rib didn't feel too bad once I was on the bike. Just getting on and off sucked.


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## FNG RIDER (Apr 2, 2011)

I crashed on some wet roots. Same roots I had crossed every week before on my weekly training ride. then got a cold, went to my lungs, every time I coughed it hurt like H. Every time i laid down and got up hurt like H. I was hurting for 3 months. missed may thru July! Sucked big time! Let your body tell you when your ready to go again. Take it slow!

My current bike i also much safer. take knarls in stride. Yeti 575!
It save my ass several times already.


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## jnails (Jun 1, 2009)

FNG RIDER said:


> I crashed on some wet roots. Same roots I had crossed every week before on my weekly training ride. then got a cold, went to my lungs, every time I coughed it hurt like H. Every time i laid down and got up hurt like H. I was hurting for 3 months. missed may thru July! Sucked big time! Let your body tell you when your ready to go again. Take it slow!
> 
> My current bike i also much safer. take knarls in stride. Yeti 575!
> It save my ass several times already.


Thanks for the advice everyone. Yeah, I'm taking it slow. Seems I can tolerate these easy rides right now.


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