Starting again after a crash

After a crash back in April I decided to take some time out and spend time with my family.

Now I feel ready to start again, but have no idea where to start!

Any help/advice would be much appreciated

Chris:
What sort of injuries did you have and have you ridden with/amongst other riders since your crash?

@MainerBill, I crashed my cx bike on some single track. Injuries included cracked ribs, shoulder and facial abrasions.

Up until then I was going really well and was on course to build my best CTL.

Not really ridden much since, seem to have lost my mojo and don’t really know where to start again. Tried to keep ticking over with a bit of running etc

Chris:
Crashing hard/seriously is never just about one’s physical injuries. Cycling is dangerous in all of its forms and innately we all recognize that. It often takes longer to recover one’s psyche than for the bones and other tissue to heal. Years ago I had a near fatal crash (6 broken ribs, 2 went through my lung, broken sternum, broken clavicle and head injuries that required 6 months of speech therapy), it took some time to get comfortable on the bike especially in fast pack riding. My suggestion is find 2 or 3 ridemates and try for a conversational paced ride with them a few times a week. Don’t worry about any intensity and when your mind is ready for more rigorous material, you will know it and it will all flow for you once again.

@chriswall sorry to hear about your crash. I crashed back in mid-May when my CTL was ~100 so have recently been thru the healing and recovery process. I recommend starting back with some very easy recovery paced “joy” rides with no power or TSS goals. just turn the pedals and enjoy being outdoors!

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