There are very few sports you can perform without picking up an injury of some sort. Even from the safest appearing sports like golf, you can suffer from debilitating repetitive strain injuries.

It comes as no surprise, therefore, those injuries are commonplace in the sport of mountain biking. If you’ve ever taken part in the sport, you’ll have likely picked up one of these. If you’re thinking about dabbling in mountain biking, then here is a list of potential incidents to come.

Of course, we’re not trying to put you off the sport at all. We believe that if you have a passion for thrills, speed, and challenges, you should definitely give it a go. Simply, it’s good to be aware of the road ahead.

Cuts, Scrapes, and Abrasions

By mountain biking, you’re taking a risk. The ground is uneven and there can be unexpected dips or obstacles. Because of this, it can be fairly easy to come off the bike. This can result in a variety of skin abrasions, from pretty insignificant injuries and a funny story to tissue and nerve damage, possibly rupturing major blood vessels.

You can help to prevent serious abrasions by wearing proper protective gear, especially on your knees, elbows, and hips.

Carrying a first aid kit will allow you to treat scrapes and abrasions effectively, reducing the risk of infection and excessive bleeding. Too much bleeding can end up in dizziness and loss of consciousness.

AC Joint Sprain

The AcromioClavicular joint is a part of the shoulder, at the outer side of the collar bone. AC joint sprain usually refers to an injury to the ligaments caused by falling onto the top of the shoulder or falling with your hand stretched out.

One of the best ways to attempt to prevent this is to avoid going over the handlebars. Of course, nobody intentionally does this, however, if it happens, it is often on a fast downhill.

Broken Collar Bone

This is one of the most common bones to break when mountain biking and can happen in a similar way to picking up an AC joint sprain. You’re far more likely to break your collar bone on a downhill, perform what is known as an ‘endo’ – going over your handlebars.

Keep an eye out for any objects that might cause you to take a tumble over the handlebars and aim to keep your weight balanced equally on both pedals.

Knee Pain

This type of injuring isn’t necessarily caused by coming flying off the bike. More likely, it’ll be a repetitive strain injury, causing inflammation, similar to ‘runner’s knee’. Preventing knee pain can be fairly impossible for some, however, many people suffer needlessly.

Simple tricks, like making sure your saddle is at the right height, picking the correct size of bike and your riding technique can all help to reduce the risk of this kind of repetitive strain injury.