Recovery - broken wrist

cruff

Had an off on Saturday afternoon (on the East Lancs road, descending at 50k/h so could have been much, much worse). I broke my wrist, fractured my jaw, smashed my front teeth, tore a calf muscle and got road rash all over the place.
I spoke to the consultant after they dressed my arm and he said that there is a small chance I could ride Mallorca in a couple of weeks - the break is a chip on the outside of the wrist and not involved in rotary movement, so I might be able to get a splint on it instead of the cast, after talking to the fracture clinic.

Has anyone else done something similar, and did you end up being able to ride a couple of weeks after it? I'd be devastated if I couldn't do the 312km, but obviously I'm not going to if I could do lasting damage to my wrist. I think the consultant might have beentrying to make me feel better...

leodis75

Bad luck hope you heal quick.

I personally think two weeks is not enough time, 4-6 weeks maybe but listen to the docs.

sherer

I had a chip on my elbow and was back on the bike a few weeks later, was either 3 or 4 weeks can't remember which.

Main thing to worry about is a second impact on the same place

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Not quite the same, but when I fractured two metacarpals; messed up the same arm's wrist (never regained original full motion since); fractured upper jaw and lower nose; knocked out and chipped teeth etc. I did not go near a bike for ~4 months.

But I did not have a pre-arranged plans when I decided to argue with the rear of a stationary dustbin lorry!

davep1

From my recent experience, and if your break is anything like mine, I don't think you'll be able to do it, and you probably won't want to.

I came off on ice at the end of Jan; very slow speed turning across a country road to open a gate through an estate. Went straight down on both wrists, left one particularly and also my right knee. Worked that day :roll: then went to hospital. They suspected a broken scaphoid bone, but this doesn't usually show up on initial xrays so they put a splint on it and got me to go back in 10 days. I then had an xray and then a CT scan, and was told I had a "intra-articular radius styloid fracture and undisplaced ulnar sided trapezium fracture" and put a cast on for 5 weeks. Rotating it and flicking it back (like revving a motor bike engine) hurt like hell, but I could push and pull like normal.
I didn't ride for 3 weeks, then did about 16 miles with the cast on. It wasn't great because I couldn't hold the bars or hoods like normal, emergency braking would have been a challenge, but my butt cheeks and thighs were painful, really not happy! I started running about this time as I wanted to do something to keep the weight off and the cardio system at least ticking over, and joined a gym. The exercise bikes are ok, and one of the programmes offered a cross country routine which felt like the kind of changes in effort you get out on the road, but the saddles are awful and I could only manage 30 mins at first.
I was then getting a couple of short rides in maybe twice a week, about an hour or 80 mins. I found my mtb with its bar ends more comfy for the wrist, the shape just seemed to work better with the cast.
Five weeks later the cast is off and I do a 72 mile ride which was so good. It was great to be out properly for a morning, and the fitness hadn't completely gone which was a bonus.
I rode through the winter as I have an endurance event in early June and although I am not as strong as I hoped I would be (who ever is?!) given the broken wrist I think I am in pretty good shape. It has got me thinking about next winter though, I will be spending more time on the mtb for sure and may invest in some kind of road bike that can take 32+mm tyres.
I hope your doctor is right and you can get back on the bike as soon as, I know how you feel. But as you said, don't do yourself permanent damage, Mallorca will still be there next year.

sherer

just to point out about my comment, I had no cast on due to where my fracture was so that made it easier getting back on the bike.

I was similar I was booked in to do ride 100 and as I had entered through a charity it was either pay and don't ride it then pay again for a guaranteed entry the next year or pay and ride it.