Mountain Biking Is DANGEROUS!

From: "Pete Rissler"
Newsgroups: alt.mountain-bike
Subject: Diskectomy/Laminectomy recovery anyone?
Date: Fri, 7 Jul 2006 14:39:48 -0700

wrote in message
oups.com...
No, disk, not dick....

But seriously, anyone out there still riding after something like an
L4/L5 diskectomy? I had one last September and can't seem to get back
into riding. Every time I try, even going out super easy just on the
road, it feels great for a week, then I start a slide back into
painkillers and it keeps getting worse for weeks after I stop again.
I was riding 4-5 times a week, probably around 10 hours a week. Then
came the sore back on long climbes that kept getting worse. Next was
the series of MRI's and epidural cortizone shots.
I sold my coiler as it was getting too heavy for me. Plonked down the
$$$$$$ for niota Ti frame. Even with a 24 lb rig I still couldn't cope.
Last was the surgery. A "minimally invasive laminectomy", translation:
"Maximally screwed up". I've spent almost a year doing PT and stupid
recovery excersizes that don't feel like they do anything. My surgeon
says, "Well, I would have expected faster recovery, but we (ME you rat
*******, not you) just have to wait..."
I didn't think I was ready to make the transition from hard core mtber
to fat old fart, but I guess we don't ever make that choice willingly.
I got on a scale the other day. I though the effing thing was broken,
30 friggin pounds since I quit riding.

-Bruce

P.S.Niota Ti, barely used for sale....

About 5 years ago I fractured a lumbar vertebrae (crashed on the MTB)
and
for the next two years my back hurt like **** whenever I rode. The
pain got
so bad that I finally went to see a chiropractor. First thing he says
is
you have one leg shorter than the other and then you have almost no
flexibility. He worked on me for a couple of weeks but it didn't
help. I
finally went to see an orthopedist. I got an MRI and found out I had
two
ruptured lumbar disks, these were not just herniated but as the Doc
put it,
they were fully extruded. The extruded disks were laying on nerves,
one on
each side. He says "no wonder your back hurts, I can't believe you
can even
ride a bike" then he gave me some free prescription strength Viox, all
I
can say is they sure did work and look no heart attack. Just an
aside, he
wanted to make sure that there was no nerve damage, so he hooks me up
to a
machine that sends a electrical current through my body. After
flopping
around on the table a couple of times he hooks me up one more time and
sends
another good jolt through and says "Huh, you're wired backwards, let's
try
this again." Well I guess if you've been "wired" backwards your whole
life
then "you're really not wired backwards" you adapt. Anyway after one
epidural (cortisone shot) and a shot of "I don't know what the hell it
was
but it sure made me sick " and 3 months of physical therapy (hint:
find one
at your local Universities Sports Complex, these guys deal with
sports
injuries all the time, and if you can scheduled it during the women's
track
team work out, mine had a view of the weight room, nothing like
watching
sweaty women pumping iron to pass the time). At the end of 3 months
my legs
were the same length. I was given a stretching routine to do twice a
day
and was told to try some yoga. Now after 5 years my back still hurt
after I
ride but not as much, in fact I'm used to it but extended hillclimbs
can
put a good hurt on the back. So my advice is to do a lot of
stretching,
find a good yoga class and try do things that will lessen the strain
on your
back, i.e.. higher position on the bike, get out of the saddle every
now and
then, stop and walk around. It's either that or as you found out
become a
couch potato.

--
Pete

Date: Thu, 8 May 2008 14:08:52 -0700 (PDT)
From: Thayne Bolin
Subject: Race for Tara Llanes

Hello, I was searching the internet for bay area mountain bike clubs
and you showed up. Last September 1rst. Pro Downhill racer Tara Llanes
was invoved in a career ending crash during the Jeep King of the
Mountain series in Colorado. The crash has left her with no feeling
from the waiste down. I got a bunch of local racers together as well
as industry support and put on a benefit race at Sandhill Ranch in
Brentwood last November. When I was at the Sea Otter this year the
Giant bike people (Her sponsor) approached me about running another
race. I am just now starting to contact anyone and everyone in the
bike industry to make this one off the hook. Last year we raised about
$7,000 that went direcly to Tara's road to recovery fund. She is
pushing her limits everyday in an effort to not only walk again, but
to get back on a bike. At this point she has some leg movement and is
allready doing things the doctors told her she would never be able to
do again. we are looking for volunteers to help with track
prep,donations and getting the word out about this race. Last yaer we
only had six weeks to pull it off and we did very well. We had support
from Santa Cruz Bikes, giant, fox Shox, Fox Racing, WTB. Mtbr.com,
Michellin, Kenda and huge support from Redbull. They all donated items
for a raffle and we sold over $3,000 in tickets. All totaled, we
accumulated about $15,000 worth of stuff including a fully built
Superlite bike from Santa Cruz Bikes. I'm not sure how involved in the
sport you are, but if you could help spread the word it would be
greatly appreciated for sure. The race will be sometime early to mid
October and we will be running a four cross event and we also have a
dual slalom course and hope to run that as well. Feel free to contact
me via this e-mail if you have questions. Best regards,
Thayne Bolin.

From: "Terri Alvillar"
Subject: Today's press democrat
Date: Sun, 4 May 2008 06:26:21 -0700

Injured bicyclist airlifted at Annadel
May 04, 2008

An injured mountain biker was airlifted by helicopter out of Annadel
State Park on Saturday afternoon after he crashed on a trail.

The Sonoma County Sheriff's Department said it used the department
rescue helicopter to locate the injured mountain biker, drop off a
paramedic and then lift them both out of the woods using a long
evacuation line.

The man was identified as Dan Kimble, 41, of Berkeley, who was being
treated at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for serious injuries.

The man apparently crashed his bike on South Burma Trail, but
emergency ground crews responding to a call for help had difficulty
finding him in the thick trees and rolling hills.

The crew of the Sheriff's Department helicopter, Henry One, located
the injured man in a remote area, but wasn't able to land. Officials
said the paramedic was dropped off nearby and tended to the man's
injuries while the flight officer prepared for a long-line evacuation.

Using the line and rescue basket, the injured man and paramedic were
moved to a nearby field, where the helicopter landed and later
airlifted the mountain biker to the hospital trauma center.

-- Bleys W. Rose
--
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of!

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande

On May 26, 8:59*pm, Mike Vandeman wrote:

snip stuff no one cares about


I just bought a new bike.