Mountain biking is becoming a popular sport among many people. It provides you with better sights when riding and an excellent way to work out. However, this doesn’t come without possible injuries. You need to understand mountain biking safety to keep you safe on the road.
If you want to prevent mountain bike injuries, it is excellent to understand your level, research your trails, wear protective gear, and practice often. In this guide, we will help you learn about the dangers of mountain biking you should be aware of before you hit the road.
How Dangerous Is Mountain Biking?
Mountain biking is an excellent outdoor exercise that helps you maintain a healthy body and have fun. However, it can also be dangerous since you can experience mild to severe injuries on the road.
According to research, 27% of mountain bike injuries occur on the lower leg while 21% on the forearm. Additionally, 21% take place on the knees. This shows the dangers of mountain biking, especially if you do not follow the right safety tips. Mountain bikers also have a higher risk of dislocations and fractures than road bikers.
Risks Of Mountain Biking
Several things cause mountain bike injuries. It could be the type of terrain, bike problems, biker’s mistake, or your level of cycling. Regardless of the cause, here are some risks of mountain biking.
1. Skin And Soft Tissue Injuries:
These can be lacerations or abrasions, sprains, and back strains, among others. You can also get some wounds or deep cuts. Depending on the severity of your injury, you can continue riding if it is not too severe.
2. Bone Fractures:
This is a serious condition that can halt your biking career. While fractures can take part in any of your body parts, they are most common on the upper body. These include the lumbar spine, thoracic, cervical, pelvis, and tibia, among others.
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3. Joint Injuries:
Joint injuries can occur as a result of poor control on the bike, skids, and falls. You can experience ankle sprains, write, fingers, or knees. This type of injury is common to riders who engage in competitive downhill riding. Riders can also experience elbow dislocation or acromioclavicular separation.
4. Face And Head Injuries:
This is another mountain biking risk, and the severity of the injury will be based on the level of impact. Severe injuries can lead to brain damage and cerebral concussions.
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5. Fatal Injuries:
Mountain bike injuries can be less or fatal. Some fatal injuries bikers can experience include chest trauma, a ruptured diaphragm, transected coronary and pulmonary contusion. These types of mountain bike injuries have a higher cause of causing death.
6. Abdominal And Chest Injuries:
These are most common in kids. Severe injuries in organs can take place when kids knock themselves on the bike’s handlebars.
Frequently Asked Questions - FAQs
Q: What are the dangers of mountain biking?
A: There are several mountain biking injuries you can encounter while on the road. These include scrapes, bruises, wrist injuries, and breaking your collar injuries. However, you can also experience severe injuries.
Q: Is mountain biking alone safe?
A: Lone mountain biking can be risky, especially if you did not prepare well. It is great to follow the right tips, prepare well, and use your brain.
Q: Is mountain biking more dangerous than skiing?
A: Mountain biking is dangerous than skiing because there are fewer chances of injuries when skiing. The snow is soft than rocks and dirt trails that cause severe injuries.
Q: Is mountain biking a good workout?
A: Mountain biking is an excellent work out because it can help you burn up to 400 calories per hour. Additionally, it will strengthen different parts of your body like ankles, legs, hips, back, and knees.
Q: Will mountain biking get me in shape?
A: If you need tougher workouts that train your upper body, mountain biking is a great option. It gives you a full-body workout, and you will get in shape if you ride at least 30 to 60 minutes in 3 to 5 days weekly.
Q: Is mountain biking good for abs?
A: Yes. Mountain biking needs balance to stay upright, which is a good way to strengthen your abdominal muscles. When you climb and maneuver the bike, you will engage your upper body to get a good workout.
Conclusion
Mountain biking is a great outdoor sport that provides many health benefits. You improve your heart health, increase brain power, better sleep, and full-body workout, among others. However, with all these benefits, the activity can also be dangerous.
The above are some common mountain biking risks you should know. It is great to take proper precautions when on your mountain bike to avoid such injuries. You should also wear protective mountain biking gear to keep you safe when accidents take place.
Hello Guys! I am John Reese, a professional biker and my hobby is biking! I have been biking for last 10 years and I love using bikes while outing as well. Based on my experiences with the different type of bikes (mountain bikes, road bikes and hybrid bikes); I am sharing my opinion about various bikes so that a beginner can get started right away. Happy reading!
