Cycling can be a thrilling and exciting hobby that is great for your health, but it can also be very dangerous. Time and time again, cyclists will make a misjudgment or misstep and hurt themselves. Although some of these accidents can be minor, other times they can be quite serious. In order to remain as safe as possible while bicycling, here’s how to avoid the most common injuries:
Lower Back Pain
One of the most common bike injuries is one that happens over time. Riding your bike more often means too much time spent with you curled over the handlebars. This can lead to intense lower back pain, which can often affect other parts of your body like hips and lower legs. One way to prevent this from happening is by always stretching before and after each ride with a foam roller, reposition yourself on the bike to alleviate pressure, and practice more core strengthening exercises.
Breaking the Clavicle or Scaphoid
When a crash happens, the two bones most likely to be broken or fractured are the clavicle or scaphoid, which are the collarbone and the carpal bone. These weak parts absorb the impact of a crash and can often be overlooked by riders when they break them because the pain can be so small. In order to avoid breaking the clavicle or scaphoid, try remembering to hold on to handlebars in the event of a crash. Doing so will have the rest of your body to absorb the impact instead of two weak bones which means you will be less likely to break anything.
Eye Trauma
Often times, while riding your bike, dirt and other debris from airborne objects can get in your eyes and create intense irritation. Many rookie cyclists will make the mistake of not protecting their eyes or taking eye injuries seriously. What could be a slight irritation one day can turn into a nasty infection the next. In order to prevent eye trauma while cycling, seriously considers wearing protective sunglasses or goggles. In many bikes and sports stores, you can find eyewear made especially to protect cyclists’ eyes.
Bicycle safety should always be a priority while on the road. Make sure to take the right precautions in order to be as safe as possible.