Training with a broken wrist... and no money! :)

citixen

Hi all.. long time reader, first time poster, and all that sort of lark...

So.. I managed to fracture my scaphoid riding (or rather, spectacularly failing to ride) a few weeks back, and I'm now going slightly crazy about not being able to get on my bike..

Anyone got any good tips on keeping myself in shape in the meantime, as I want to be out riding as soon as I get this damned cast off?.. I suspect I'm going to have lost a lot of fitness (and I didn't have that much to start with) from the beer and crisps diet I find myself drawn to during my time of inaction, and want to minimize that as much as possible so I can really enjoy it as soon as I'm back in the saddle..

I can't swim (because of the cast), can't stand running/jogging, and can't afford a stationary bike or turbo trainer. I walk quite a bit, but feel I need something a bit more, for the want of a better word, "intense"..

so.. I think I'm rather stuck... short of going and joining a local gym and sitting in a sweaty room on an exercise bike. And it seems an awful lot of money to pay just to use that.. But I think it could be my only route - unless the good people of the bike radar forums can come up with something I've missed?

Nik_B

I can sympathise with your plight. I cut my fingers quite baddly about 2 weeks ago and have really started to realise how much we take our hands and being able bodied for granted. It was my right hand as well which was a nightmare! I am in very much the same situation as you are.

I did get my bike out today to see if I would be able to ride but I cant grip or use the front brake but I recon I could ride on the road using only the rear brake as long as I am careful. Anoyingly I found I had a puncture and as I cant change the tire I gave up. Been meaning to teach the wife how to replace an inner tube for some time now

I Know its not tjhe same fun but how about getting out for some nice walks just to get out of the house?

Best of luck and I wish you a speedy recovery.

Northwind

You can pick up cheap used exercise bikes off gumtree for not a lot of money, £20-£30... They'll be rotten but that's all you really need. I road-rode when I broke my wrist, but then I was young and stupid, doubt I'd do it now. Squats are always a good idea, whatever the question is fitness wise for cyclists the answer is always squats

reckless_rat

there are things you can do (not cycling ) to help with fitness - jogging or skipping for instance low pressure on wrist and cheap - I know someone who had no money but decided to take up running all he had was a pair of work shoes and so began his training - now he does the London marathon - in a decent time with a pair of trainers given to him by a sports shop - had a tear in them

what im trying to say is to get fit doesn't cost money just the determination to get fit is all you need

look at youtube for vids on exersises not using your hands !

whyamihere

Freecycle.

Someone will have an old exercise bike that's just taking up space.

miss notax

Citixen - I have nothing to add to the good advice about training, but wanted to say PLEASE take it easy when you get back on your bike...!

My partner broke his wrist, arm and few other bits last year and - like you - was desperate to get back on the bike. In our usual sensible way, pretty much the first outing after the cast had come off and the all clear from the physio was on holiday MTBing in Verbier... :shock: Within an hour he had come off and landed badly because he was compensating for his wrist - and broke his thumb - in a cast - flight back to UK for surgery :?

Your body does definitely 'carry' itself differently after an injury, so just a word of warning to take it easy

Ditch Witch

You two don't do things by halves, do you

miss notax

Ditch Witch wrote:

You two don't do things by halves, do you

Me or the OP??!!!

But no - I definitely don't believe in half measures!!!

Ditch Witch

ride_whenever

Just go out riding but stay on the roads riding one handed... If possible stick the front brake lever on the hand side along with the shifter for the rear then go out spinning.

clu

I know it's really tough when you want to get out there, but let your body recover otherwise you'll prolong the injury or just cause another one.

A long story cut short: A couple of years ago I was out running and I collided with a cyclist who suddenly appeared from around a corner on a combined bike/pedestrian path, a hedge obscured the cyclist untill the last minute (I'm an avid cyclist as well).

Because bones are more brittle than a bike frame + wheels, I broke my right ankle, right foot, I broke my nose (blood everywhere), sprained wrist, bruised ribs, etc... I ended up in hospital and came out after a couple of days looking like I'd survived a major car accident.

At the time I was extremely fit and half way through my usual triathlon season and working as usual on my fitness, this accident stopped all that for quite a period of time. I felt exactly the same way, sitting down and watching daytime t.v. that's all I could really do. If I could put a new definition of frustration in the dictionary, a picture of myself at that time would suffice.

Anyhow, when the cast came off the leg and all the surface scars had gone I immediately tried to get back to training and tried using a running machine. When I tried at that point I thought I would never be able to run again, the pain in my leg was excruciating. That's it no more running, bike riding, triathlon racing, etc...

Gradually though with the right diet, physio and gentle steady excercise I returned to form and the next season I had the best triathlon season I've ever had. My running was faster, bike riding quicker, I finished each race with better and better results.

Your fitness will come back, I've demonstrated that to myself. Just stay active, even just walking helps. Try and lay off the beer and crisps for now, I know that's a tough call. So just listen to your body, it's broken at the moment. Give it time to heal and then you can get back doing what you love, that's being out on your bike like all of us.

wiltsforester

Hi Citixen,

I shattered my right wrist August last year and had the same dilema. I have only just started cycling again and didnt want to loose the fitness I had gained. I decided to join the gym at the local sports centre on a monthly basis until I was fit enough to get out on a bike again. The best thing about the gym is that there is a variety of equipment ao I didnt get bored just spinning on the exercise bike. Unexpectedly I found I really enjoyed the gym and I now go 2 or 3 times a week as well as the cycling.

I had complications when my plaster was taken off that meant that I had to have a second op to take out the pins holding the wrist together, but I was told at that stage, which would bave been around October, that I wouldnt be riding a bike again till christmas. Of course I saw that as a challenage and I rode as soon as the bandage was off, even it that was just up and down the road. But I couldn't ride without pain killers until Feb this year and its only in the last 6 weeks that I have been riding pain free (mostly).
Don't expect to be back on your bike as soon as the plaster is off, your wrist will be very weak, I was shocked at how weak mine was and what I couldn't do. I hope you are alot luckier than I was but it will take time until you get full strength and movement back. Its taken till now for my right arm to be stronger than the left again and I now have 95% of my movement back. Mine was a very back break so hopefully you will be alot quicker.

My next challenge is that I am booked in to have my Ulna shorted in September, so I will be out of action again for a couple of months. This won't be as bad as the initial fracture as its a controlled break but I starting to think about my training and how to adapt for it.

Anyway good luck and I do hope your back in the saddle very soon.

wiltsforester

ride_whenever wrote:

Just go out riding but stay on the roads riding one handed... If possible stick the front brake lever on the hand side along with the shifter for the rear then go out spinning.

Rear Brake on the hand side if you must - I'd rather skid than go over the handle bars.

Bad idea anyway better to wait a few more weeks than risk further damage.

Northwind

The front brake is what stops you, if you can only have one it's the one you want. Especially on the road.