Sorry to hear it. Man, that sucks. A bad fall or being hit hurts in more ways than one for sure. I was hit by a driver 2 yrs. ago on the highway and, yes, it made me scared to get back in the saddle. Apart from the pain time will heal all. Before you know it you will want to go back, but the ride will be slow at first. Rest up and take'er easy for a while. The positive is that it took place during base. It could be race season :eek: Remember, these things happen VERY seldom. Look at all that biking you did before and it wasn't that bad. This and other things are part of what we signed up for, right? Stay here for inspiration and soon you'll be riding again.

All the best for a rapid recovery.
BBB

I don't recommend my route... crash so well there are 8-10 hours missing in your memory. I wasn't afraid to get back on 'cause I didn't remember the crash itself... However, I am still a bit scared if I think about it (it was just this last summer) while riding.

Hi Tbravo,
I'm really sorry to hear about your crash and hope you mend real quick.
I basically just love riding and particularly being out with my friends. Hence my advise is that when you feel ready to get back on your bike, just go out riding with one good mate and get some confidence and feel for being back on the bike, then hopefully you'll remember why you like riding your bike. Don't rush it - just ride with one or two people (whose riding styles you know and trust) until you feel comfortable. You said you had a 4 bike pile up, which suggests to me a group ride of some sort. As we all know, group rides can be a bit hair-raising, espeically with new people in the group who you aren't sure of. I've just finished my IM training, which I did predominantly with 4 people. We all know each others ride styles by heart and trust each other explicitly. For example, I know I can ride right on their back wheel as they won't jam their breaks on and they'll point out any hazards etc. Back in group rides again I find it very nerve wrecking and I'm much more tentative and leave bigger gaps than I have to, but its better to be safe than sorry.
All the best.
KB

Sorry to hear about the crash. Hopefully you will find out the extent of the injury isn't that bad. At least you can take a bit of solace in the fact that the crash wasn't due to anything that you did wrong or any mechanical failure of your own that you couldn't control. I was ran off the road a couple months back by a semi. Two lane "highway", fairly busy. Luckily I just did a superman over the handlebars with no real structural damage to the bike (or myself except for a ding in the helmet). I really did'nt give it much thought. I finished up my ride and was out again the next day. I'd start off with some un-threatening types of rides (less populated areas, little traffic, small riding groups @ lower speeds, etc.) until you start to "feel" more comfortable. As you get some confidence, those rides will quickly get up to the pace and intensity that they were before. Best of Luck

While I hae never crashed on the road, I ahev a few pretty bad MTB crashes. Nearly broke my leg on the last one.

It's tough to keep going, or to go back and face the scene of the crash (especially when its a REALLy knarly hill with rocks and trees that are waiting to knock you on your butt.

Sounds like in your situation, there was not much you could do. Those things happen, and are part of the risk of group rides. that split second you're given sometimes just isnt enough. Maybe when you heal, go practice some emergency braking in a field or something. Hard on brakes, butt behind saddle.

Bikes can be repaired. Wounds heal, and ego and pride do, too. What we do seperates us from everyone else, because of the risks we take, and that includes when you've suffered. Since you've suffered for your sport, now its time to step it up. Get better, ride harde!