Ouch!! That hurts!

We all hope it won\’t come to injury. Unfortunately, the risk of injury while cycling is always there.

Road rash and saddle sores. Overuse injury; and even broken bones.

They say that, especially for the cyclist who races often, it isn\’t a question of whether you\’ll crash; but when. Anybody who has watched the Tour de France, or viewed the online pics, is aware of that. When I see those pile-ups, I\’m amazed that they don\’t have to carry away numerous riders on back boards!

The commonest injury, according to the literature, is road rash. I cringe when I see those pics: torn-up Lycra®, and skin that looks like raw meat. I\’ll bet it\’s not fun for the rider to clean up such wounds!

Saddle sores can happen no matter how careful you are. Once a saddle sore develops, about all you can do is to keep the area clean. Try to find a way to sit on the saddle so as to avoid pressure on the sore. Take a few days off if necessary; and wait for the sore to heal. Products such as Chamois Butt\’r can help reduce friction reduces the risk of sores.

Overuse injuries are quite possible for the cyclist. After all, when we ride several hours at a brisk cadence, how many pedal strokes do we take? How many times must our knees flex and straighten to do that? Good form and proper bike fit go a long way in preventing overuse injuries.

Broken bones? Who likes to think of it? A fracture would likely keep me off the bike for a long time!

Prevention, they say, is the best cure. Let\’s all do what we can to prevent an Ouch.