The majority of off road cycling injuries are minor. Most bicycle injuries are due to off-road riding, and the majority of injured riders are male. Approximately 4% of off road injuries are serious. 12
Overall injury rates for XC racing is approximately 0.37 injured riders per 100hours riding time. DH riding has injury rates of about 4.34 injured riders per 100 hours racing. Note that although DH injuries were more common on a per hour basis, since DH races are much shorter, the chance of being injured during a race is roughly equal for DH and XC events, but DH riders are at greater risk over the long term. Women XC racers seem to be injured more often then men. 13
Women seem to exhibit a different pattern of off-road injuries than men. In general, women are about twice as likely to sustain a serious injury during a mountain-bike race than men, and about four times more likely to sustain a fracture. This is particularly true for Dual Slalom events. Women are also more likely to categorize the cause of injury as 'loss of control' while men are more likely to cite 'mechanical failure' as the cause of injury. In both sexes the majority of injuries occur while descending, regardless of whether the race is XC, DS, or DH. However, the overall largest risk of injury occurs among male professional DH races. Professional DH racers are 3.5 times more likely to be injured than amateur DH racers. 60
Athletes should work at least as hard to rehabilitate an injury as they would in general training. Rehabilitiation should never be seen by the athlete as "time off".
Before return to training after an injury, the following conditions should be met:
Full painless range of motion of the joint.
Full passive range of motion at the joint.
Adequate return of strength.
Sufficient muscular and cardiovascular fitness.
Return of normal movement patterns.
Psychological rediness.
Inflammation is a necessary part of healing. However, the body usually exhibits a degree of inflammation which is much more pronounced than necessary. Therefore, healing can be hastened by blunting the inflammatory response using the following well known 5 step program.
Protection:
Rest:
Ice: Ice has many beneficial properties. This includes decreased inflammation, pain control, and reduction of swelling. However, cooling alone is not as effective as cooling with compression. Cooling may be used in alternation with heat for stretching of a stiff joint.
Compression:
Elevation:
Non Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Medications:
Athletes who sustain one injury are predisposed to further injury, muscle weakness, and muscle imbalance.
Hypothermia is a common potential injury for cyclists. Particularly in temperate climates, cyclists are often faced with potential for cold injury. Hypothermia begins when the bodies core temperature drops below its usual temperature of 37.6c.
36c. Metabolic rate increases
34c. Amnesia and slurred
speech develop. Maximum respiratory rate
33c. Ataxia and Apathy
Develop
31c. Shivering Stops
30c. Cardiac arrhythmia develops
23c. No corneal reflexes
20c. Lowest temp for resumption of
cardiac activity
18c. Asystole
16c. Lowest accidental
hypothermia survival in an adult
15c. Lowest accidental
hypothermia survival in an infant
9c. Lowest therapeutic
hypothermia survival