Mountain Biking Injuries Introduction
Mountain biking injuries have increased with the rise in popularity of mountain biking. Competitive mountain biking involves off road riding over tracks with variable surface conditions. The high speeds achieved during downhill sections can lead to falls and serious injury. There are several published reports of serious head injury as a result of falls, which makes a helmet essential.
Thankfully, most mountain biking injuries are not serious – the majority of falls result in relatively minor cuts and grazes. Abrasions on the outside of the knees, hips and elbows are common when a rider falls, especially on a hard surface. The majority of mountain biking injuries occur during downhill riding, with the shoulder region, upper arm and wrist most often injured. A broken Collar bone and Acromioclavicular joint sprain (shoulder separation) are two frequent mountain biking injuries.
Not all mountain biking injuries are traumatic. Overuse injuries can occur due to the repetitive nature of cycling. If the bike set up is incorrect for the rider, then it is quite easy to suffer from back pain and knee pain. Some research suggests that 25% of cyclists suffer from knee pain that comes on due to overuse on a bike that is not set up properly.
