Most Common Winter Bicycling Injuries And How To Prevent Them

If you love riding your bicycle in the winter, you’re among the brave few who want to battle the conditions to get the exhilarating ride of a lifetime each and every ice cold winter day.  It doesn’t take a Connecticut bicycle accident to get you injured though and it could just be the wear and tear of a cold winter bike ride that might sideline you so you need to be careful.  

Getting injured while riding your bike can be scary and also can be long-lasting, especially if you get injured while riding in the cold.  The cold weather has a tendency to make injuries feel worse and exacerbate certain issues that might arise that would otherwise just be a simple injury that you could either walk off or heal from quickly.  In the winter months though, there are injuries that are long lasting and can leave you without a good path to healing for weeks if not months to come.

Knowing what these injuries are and how you might be able to prevent them will give you the confidence to ride through the winter months without concern of getting hurt or hurting your chances of enjoying a rigorous winter bike ride.  Here are a few injuries to look out for and how to do everything you can to make sure they don’t happen to you or sideline you for any long period of time.

1. Tendon injuries.  One of the things that happens when the winter weather kicks in and you are riding in the cold weather is that your muscles and tendons tend to tighten up and this can lead to injuries.  The most important thing you can do to prevent an injury like this from happening is to have a proper warm up routine that you partake in each time before you head out on your bike.  Warming up your muscles and tendons will help combat the damage that cold weather can do while you’re on your bike ride.

2. Broken bones.  While out for a bike ride in the winter it can be common to come across a patch of ice or snow that can make riding treacherous.  If you are not careful this slippery patch can make you lose control of your bike and lead to a crash that can cause broken bones.  The best way to prevent this is to keep an eye on the weather forecast and try to avoid riding when the weather conditions are calling for icy roads and sidewalks.  While ice can be unpredictable it is important to take careful steps to ensure that you are avoiding it as best you can while you’re riding.

3. Eye injuries.  Riding your bike in the winter can be fun and exhilarating but it can also be damaging to your eyes if you’re not careful.  Having a cold, whipping wind blowing in your face can be damaging to your eyes, as can the snow and ice that may be falling at the time of your ride.  The best thing you can do to protect your eyes from this type of damage is to wear protective eye gear.  While you may not need to go as far as skiing goggles, a simple pair of heavy duty sunglasses may do the trick to keep your eyes protected while you’re enjoying the winter riding conditions.

Riding a bike in the middle of the winter can be exhilarating and a little treacherous.  If you are concerned that you might get into a Connecticut bicycle accident and end up injured, but you still want to ride, there are some steps you can take to make sure you are protected from the elements.  If you take these steps you will reduce the likelihood that you will get injured.

Of course, there are situations where protective gear and defensive cycling are not going to protect you from an injury, and you may need to speak with an attorney to review your situation.  An experienced attorney, like the ones in our office, can speak with you to hear what happened in your situation and work with you to protect your long-term interests.