# Ribs ribs .. ouch



## mtbdudex (Jan 13, 2020)

I hate all injuries, but man rib injuries just take long to heal, sleeping is a PIA. 
Yesterdays ride was going perfect, 4 miles in then a pedal strike on leaf cover top of downhill section, as I was picking my line, it’s one of those slow motion things as your in the air trying to minimize the impact, push away bike, etc.
Ended up sliding on right side, scraping forearm, ribs, hip against the roots and ground.
Get up, assess nothing broken, breath in, feel the hurt.
Finished the red loop, did the yellow just for the miles then called it a day.
Driving home was brutal, every bump in car was groaning. 
Last rib injury was May-2020, during the whole Covid19 shutdown, that one also broke my right clavicle.
This time badly bruised but no clavicle injury.
Fwiw, bikes fine 










That’s thru jersey , it’s fine.










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## Prognosticator (Feb 15, 2021)

That looks painful. Good luck.


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## yzedf (Apr 22, 2014)

Cracked ribs twice last year, I feel your pain.


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## Spec44 (Aug 17, 2013)

Yeah, I had a pedal strike that dumped me on the ground yesterday, too. My wrecks never seem to be slow motion, though. Thankfully didn't do any rib damage. Will be later today or tomorrow before I know the full damage (50+ delay thing), but have a couple scrapes, a couple bruises, and stiff neck/jaw hinge. Something going on in my hand or arm..I can do pushups, so I think it's ok,


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## kosmo (Oct 27, 2004)

Yup, ribs suck. Typically nothing tragic, but they sure take their sweet time before fading into the rearview mirror.


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## SteveF (Mar 5, 2004)

Pedal strike crashes are the worse, they come out of nowhere and you usually are moving at a good pace. Heal fast! (not easy at our age)


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## natas1321 (Nov 4, 2017)

I busted a few a year ago, live and learn. But yeah it can be annoying when trying to sleep, sneeze, breathe so I get it. 

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## Offspring (Jan 29, 2006)

Yeah pedal strikes. I've had more in the last 2 weeks than I've had in years after stepping up to the 29 world. Gonna play it safe to avoid what happened to you. Heal up!


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## mtbdudex (Jan 13, 2020)

Thx gang .. 

Monday’s post 48 hour update: laughing hurts, using core muscles to sit up hurts, 800mg ibuprofen seems to not do much .. fortunately work from home M & F, in office Tu thru Thur.

Re-thinking things .. I upgraded both my 29’er and fattie cranks to Carbon @ 175mm length .. gosh going 170mm would have given me 5mm more clearance … who know if that woulda made a difference 


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## ddoh (Jan 11, 2017)

Hopefully the ribs are bruised, not broken. I've done both and the pain is the same at first. The big difference is that bruised heal up sooner. Still takes a while though.


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## EJC (Sep 23, 2009)

Might want to look into kinesiology taping for ribs
Breathe in when going from lying to seated
Good luck


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## mtbdudex (Jan 13, 2020)

Saw doctor Thursday 11/3, as pain was so bad . 1 broken rib, badly bruised rib guts / stuff. On prednisone and methocarbamol.

Laughing hurts so bad, when I sneeze I cringe in a 9 of 10 pain level afterwards. Coughing same, ate French fries Saturday, a piece went down windpipe, and natural coughing it up hurt so much. F pain.

Either my memory is bad, or this rib injury is more severe than May 2020. 
Oh, on the X-rays she saw that healed crack also. 

It’s embarrassing, as went to work in person Wednesday .. and I groaned at every step. 

Dopamine withdrawal kicked in .. I’m so itching to ride again, even basic suburbs flat spinning. Will wait 6-7 more days before trying the flat safe stuff.


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

Broken ribs three times, it sucks without doubt, but the worst was on the McKenzie River Trail, I crashed hard in the in the first few miles, no cell service, had to ride it out to the end: Broken rib, broken finger, smashed up knee. I spent the rest of our week long vacation drinking coffee and trying not sneeze!

Fortunately ribs heal pretty fast and you'll be back riding soon enough


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## ddoh (Jan 11, 2017)

"Either my memory is bad, or this rib injury is more severe than May 2020.
Oh, on the X-rays she saw that healed crack also."

A lot depends on where the break is. First time I broke my ribs I finished the race I was in (slowly and in pain). The second time I was taken off the trail in a stretcher. So much depends on where the crack is and how much it messes up your insides.


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## dysfunction (Aug 15, 2009)

We also forget pain pretty quickly, thankfully. So all sorts of things could be at play. In any case, I hate rib injuries thank god they get a lot of blood flow.


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## milehi (Nov 2, 1997)

I cracked mine last year exiting a secret trail entrance. Brake lever caught a branch and I fell over sideways at a standstill onto a rock, still clipped in.


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## mrdimi (Oct 26, 2020)

Yup. Had a drop that I misjudged about 3 weeks ago and ended up hitting a log and going OTB. Got stabbed by handlebars as I went down and hurt my ribs and left wrist. Still painful moving around and sitting up from a lying position.


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## mtbdudex (Jan 13, 2020)

2.5 weeks / 18 day post crash check in:
Recovery is slow and taking longer than I’d hoped. Have not ridden a bike yet, heck I’m still hurting if sneezed or cough. Laughing is tolerable. 
Driving .. hurts but less and less, turning where the rib cage shifts hurts, bumps still hurts. 
Can finally have right arm itself up / down range of motion, but can’t even use right arm to remove item from fridge , pain.
Did not go to work physically at all last week, this week Tuesday and planning tomorrow Thursday.

Back to sleeping in bed after too many recliner nights .. 


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## mtb128pedal (Oct 30, 2020)

It will heal and feel fine. Just takes time. And ibuprofen.


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## KThaxton (Jun 4, 2009)

Cracked mine going up a slab on Bull Run in Moab. Son was watching.....but I didn't tell him to film it. Darn it. 

Painful time.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Last time I did such a thing... Going through a curve at moderate speed and about 60% through, hit the throttle wide open, shifted a couple times and pedal found a rock hidden by plant growth alongside the trail. Ejected straight up, came down, left side onto the end of the bar sticking up, wind lost, hit the trail, wind lost again. Took a few minutes to get up and going again. After that, we hit another trail system around Fruita. The next morning was agony... 5 fractured ribs... Long healing time and then the dislocated ribs reset, whadda relief that proved to be!


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## mtbdudex (Jan 13, 2020)

4.5 weeks / 31 days check-in:
Took thru 3.5 weeks before I could ease into bed w/o bad pain, still sleep on back, at 4 weeks could sleep on left side but not right side. 
Did first MTB ride 4 weeks in 11/24 Thanksgiving morning, a test ride of 6.5 miles 55 minutes .. felt the ribs but pain was not so severe.
Saturday did a longer ride 12 miles 1hr 20 minutes .. driving home felt rib "hurt" when hit bumps in the road ... 
From here on out will take longer rides, re-building up cardio fitness level and strengthening the muscles.


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## davidmilesvt (2 mo ago)

Good luck with the healing man--you are getting close!!


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

mtbdudex said:


> 4.5 weeks / 31 days check-in:
> Took thru 3.5 weeks before I could ease into bed w/o bad pain, still sleep on back, at 4 weeks could sleep on left side but not right side.
> Did first MTB ride 4 weeks in 11/24 Thanksgiving morning, a test ride of 6.5 miles 55 minutes .. felt the ribs but pain was not so severe.
> Saturday did a longer ride 12 miles 1hr 20 minutes .. driving home felt rib "hurt" when hit bumps in the road ...
> From here on out will take longer rides, re-building up cardio fitness level and strengthening the muscles.


Just wait til you dicover the relief that resetting dislocated ribs can bring. It is indeed, instantaneous and you'll think you're a new man the moment they pop into position.
I did that part at ~5 weeks post argument with my bike... Was delightful, actually.


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