My First Crash

Glad you survived and hope you heal quickly! This exact topic was discussed yesterday, and looks like it should help you: cyclingforums.comt249064 .htmlOpen ↗.

get on the bike as quickly as you can stand it (like, um, tomorrow). those sore muscles will appreciate it. check the bike carefully for cracks and missing parts. wear baggy shorts for a while. And, keep the tetanus record and date firmly in your mind, because next time it happens you can avoid another if you have that information. I'm sorry, but there will be a next time. Falling's just part of riding, occasionally. More than occasionally, if you race.

Thanks to Scotty_Dog for the pointer to the other thread and to luker for the suggestions. I had to take the bike into my LBS for some repairs, so it looks like I'll be off the bike until they are done fixing it up.

It did fix the front flat before I took the bike in and it turns out that the flat was cause by a thorn. After this experience I'm thinking about switching from Michelin Carbon to Specialized All Condition Armadillo tires (I seem to get a number of thorn flats with the Michelin, mainly in the sidewall area).

Once I get the bike back I'll probably put it on the trainer and ride to see how the wounds feel. I hate to get a good distance from home and then have things get really painful. If all goes well on the trainer, then I'll head back on the road.

Thanks again for the feedback!

Paul

OUCH!! You poor Guy!

I got to be quite and expert last September at treating abrasions when my Wife had a horrible crash, her abrasions were much more than yours, she was wearing a Cycling kinda strappy top, it was horrible..

But you need to go to the Pharmacy and buy some non-stick dressing pads, neosporin (with Anesthetic) or something similar, some crepe Bandage and dressing tape to secure it all...

Oh, and when in the shower, wash the wounds with anti-biotic liquid soap (I bought my wife the Shrek one), but there are plenty available...

Never let the wound dry out, you need to keep it slathered in Neosporin and covered for at least two weeks...

My wife would wake up in intense pain several times a night, so we had to take off the dressing, get her in a cool/coldish shower to cool the wounds down...then pat dry with a soft Towel and re-dress etc..always use the Neosporin....

But rule #1 is never let the wounds dry out.....

Good luck and get well soon!!

paulw9 said:

[font=Verdana]Well, I no longer need to worry about my first bike crash as I have now gotten it out of the way. 🙂
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[font=Verdana]Two days ago (Wednesday) after work I went out for my normal bike ride, and as I was leaning into a sharp turn at about 22 mph my front tire went flat. This caused the bike to slide out from under me and I slid quite a distance across the concrete pavement before ending up in the grass. I wound up with a number of cuts on my leg and road rash along my right hip, arm, and shoulder. In addition, a number of muscles apparently panicked and are sore from the excessive stress.
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[font=Verdana]Here are links to some pictures of the wounds for those of you who don't mind a little gore:[/font]

[font=Verdana]Arm and Hip

Shoulder and Arm

Leg

Of course I gently cleaned the wounds when I got home and I've been treating the hip and arm abrasions by putting down a layer of triple-antibiotic cream, followed by an Adaptic petrolium gauze patch, followed by a non-stick patch and then wrapping the whole mess in regular gauze and taping it.

I also went to the doctor who gave me a tetanus shot and a perscription of antibiotic pills that I have to take for the next 10 days. The doctor was not too helpful in giving me specific instructions about what to do with the wound other than to change the dressing twice a day and to come back in a week (she's not a sports med doctor).

I was wondering would anyone know about how long to keep dressing the abrasions as I described above, and when to change the dressing to something less complicated. Is there a way to tell when to go to a simpler dressing, and what would that dressing be?

Also, does anyone have any tips on keeping the dressing in place? The one on my hip keeps sliding down whenever I walk and I can't figure out how to keep it in place. Should I try omitting the outer gauze wrapping and taping the non-stick pad to my leg? The wounds are still oozing, so I think it would be better to use the gauze if there's away to keep it from sliding.

I was also wondering how long I should stay off of the bike and what to do about the wounds when I get back on. I'd hate to stay off too long as I don't want to lose too much fitness.

Of course the other bad part of the whole experience is that I was wearing my best cycling shorts (Castelli YPro3) and a limited edition Motorola Team cycling jersey when I crashed (both of which were shredded).

Anyway, if someone has suggestions on wound dressings or about when (and how) to get back on the bike, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

Paul
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velonews.com3909.0.htmlOpen ↗

Sorry about your hurt. Hope this helps.

Ouch! I'm glad it wasn't me. I'm yet to have my first crash. I've had a few near misses but nothing major, yet.

Thanks Jaguar27 and Rule62 for the posts! Based on your posts it looks like I'm doing okay so far: I've been washing the wounds daily and changing the dressings twice a day. For the dressing I'm using a layer of triple-antibiotic ointment, followed by an Adaptic dressing and a non-stick absorbant pad. I then wrap the dressing in guaze.

I've placed an order for some Tegaderm dressings which I'm hoping to use on my hip instead of the conventional dressing (I don't know if they will work too well on my arm). The Tegaderm dressing might make it a little more comfortable to cycle during the healing process.

Regarding washing, one thing that I read is that these types of wounds are sensitive to water temperature as the nerves are exposed. I didn't know this when I washed the wounds the first time and boy was it painful! Now I try to keep the water temperature close to 98.6 and it doesn't hurt as much.

Also, to help me sleep at night I've been taking something called "Equate Extra Strength Pain Reliever PM." It's a combination pain reliever/sleep aid that really works well (the sleep aid ingedient is not habit forming).

I guess I should just be glad that I eventually slid off of the pavement and onto the grass -- it could have been worse!

iax said:

Ouch! I'm glad it wasn't me. I'm yet to have my first crash. I've had a few near misses but nothing major, yet.

Thanks for the post, but if I were you I'd stock up on some wound care supplies now so that you have them on hand if (when?) something happens. I also recommend that you read up on wound care, or print some stuff out so that you are not scrambling if something happens like I was.

I did happen to have a "Brave Soldier Crash Kit" that I always carry in my back jersey pocket, but stupidly I had never bothered to look at it before the accident. When the accident happened I didn't even open it because I didn't know what to do.

When I got home my wife opened the kit and it turns out there's some really good stuff in there (with instructions) that really helped. I've ordered a replacement Crash Kit and now I'll be able to treat a wound right away after a crash (not that I'm hoping to have another crash, mind you).

Anyway, you might want to prepare yourself for a crash just in case it happens. If it does, and you're ready, it will make things just a little bit easier.

That probably would be a good idea. I like to think I have a reasonable medical knowledge and would know what to do (both my parents are doctors). However my knowledge probably wouldn't last when the time came. Sorry I couldn't offer any advice.