Levo Gen 2 Got mugged with baseball bats Broke 5 ribs Need an answer

[Rick53]

Well this thread got sidetracked lol My fault

 

[Pdoz]

Well this thread got sidetracked lol My fault

Does it still hurt to chuckle over bad puns?

I remember my " mates" calling when I was recovering with a flail chest / punctured lungs. They're old motorbike riders so know all about broken ribs. I'm pretty sure the jokes were not about making me feel better.

 

[John Rogers]

If you broke a heap of ribs at your age, you should watch out of the development of scar tissue in your chest around the broken ribs impeding your breathing. At about your age I fell and ended up with 10 fractures across ribs 2 - 6 plus a punctured lung. The whole right side of my chest started to get 'frozen' by the scar tissue. It took a good physio to break up the scar tissue. As well, I used a cream that is called Hiridoid here in Australia that contains heparinoids - it loosens scar tissue and breaks up bruises. In my case it contributed to preventing the scar tissue from forming over the subsequent couple of years.

 

[steve_sordy]

Temazepam is a benzodiazepine, not morphine based. Benzos are brilliant drugs when used correctly and very nasty when abused (see: Valium, 1970's). They are also a muscle relaxant, so high doses can make you struggle to stand!

A muscle relaxant? That would account for why they were prescribed, because my back was in spasm. But they relaxed my brain as well!

 

[Rick53]

If you broke a heap of ribs at your age, you should watch out of the development of scar tissue in your chest around the broken ribs impeding your breathing. At about your age I fell and ended up with 10 fractures across ribs 2 - 6 plus a punctured lung. The whole right side of my chest started to get 'frozen' by the scar tissue. It took a good physio to break up the scar tissue. As well, I used a cream that is called Hiridoid here in Australia that contains heparinoids - it loosens scar tissue and breaks up bruises. In my case it contributed to preventing the scar tissue from forming over the subsequent couple of years.

That's exactly why I want to get back on a bike . Thanks for the cream suggestion . Obviously you can relate Thanks

 

[Rick53]

very few bars are made with more than 40mm rise these days. and what is available tends to be destined for dirtjump/slopestyle bikes.
so take a look at Deity and NS bars for something in the 50-80mm rise range. (NS still do their high rise bars in 25.4 but can be run in a 31.8 stem with a shim.
Shouldn't be too difficult to sell them on when you're fit again

Actually II found a set of Diety being sold on the Electric Bike forum run by Court . The guy was asking $30 . The color doesn't exactly match but for $30 who cares . I also ordered a set of Spank Spike bars in 50 MM to try. They were $100 But free returns .The NS you suggest I don't see a Source for in America . If you have one that would be great. Although I did search many pages , Thanks Man

 

[Rick53]

I appreciate the input on bars etc. I also learned Steve's Concerns would only effect someone who had formed an addiction . MS contin isn't codeine it's Morphine . If taken short term as prescribed is one of the few drugs that is not harmful to one's organs Where Motrin/Ibuprofens thins your blood . It's an inflammatory . It's harmful only thru long term use of many years . Plus you would have to be abusing the dosage Oxy's again are Morphine based opioids, oxycontin and oxycodone are the same thing just difference dosage pattern. All opiods have a Time released and immediate release option . There biggest danger is long term addiction . Plus you can over dose like Prince did . These are nothing like fentanyl . Which usually doesn't constipate you . Because Self Administration of it will likely kill you pretty quickly .

 

[steve_sordy]

I appreciate the input on bars etc. I also learned Steve's Concerns would only effect someone who had formed an addiction . MS contin isn't codeine it's Morphine . If taken short term as prescribed is one of the few drugs that is not harmful to one's organs Where Motrin/Ibuprofens thins your blood . It's an inflammatory . It's harmful only thru long term use of many years . Plus you would have to be abusing the dosage Oxy's again are Morphine based opioids, oxycontin and oxycodone are the same thing just difference dosage pattern. All opiods have a Time released and immediate release option . There biggest danger is long term addiction . Plus you can over dose like Prince did . These are nothing like fentanyl . Which usually doesn't constipate you . Because Self Administration of it will likely kill you pretty quickly .

I sure hope that you got your drug knowledge from your job and not from a painful need!

By the way I suspect that you got a typo in there. Ibuprofen is an ANTI -inflammatory. Or were you referring to MS Contin?

 

[Gary]

The NS you suggest I don't see a Source for in America . If you have one that would be great. Although I did search many pages , Thanks Man

No worries. I hadn't noticed you were in the US.
There used to be a pretty healthy amount of small US dirt jump bike companies around some sold frame only but others did a small range of components aswell. not so sure what the situation is these days but might still be worth having a search.
Also try Dartmoor bikes. They're a Polish brand but have a US distributor. You'll find them on Dartmoors website

 

[Rick53]

No worries. I hadn't noticed you were in the US.
There used to be a pretty healthy amount of small US dirt jump bike companies around some sold frame only but others did a small range of components aswell. not so sure what the situation is these days but might still be worth having a search.
Also try Dartmoor bikes. They're a Polish brand but have a US distributor. You'll find them on Dartmoors website

I posted a very similar Thread over at the Electricbikereview forum. Almost everyone suggested a longer adjustable stem. That seems to me it would put you farther away . Unless you flip the stem to 90 Degrees . I already tried a Ritchey adjustable : At 60 degree angle it made teh bars higher . But pulled them farther away . Kinda defeats the purpose . Am I wrong ?

 

[Gary]

No. Those folk seem like idiots

 

[Jeff McD]

Hey Rick, there is definitely the potential for disabling scar tissue as these injuries heal, but it's important to understand how scar tissue matures. So a much slower process than you are thinking it seems. The body lays scar tissue down at the injury site progressively more and more until it reaches its maximum size at about six months post injury. This scar tissue is pinkish in color from inflammation which peaks at six months also. In the second six months that swollen scar tissue reverses direction and gradually shrinks down to its final smallest size at 12 months and loses all the inflammation. That' why on the skin you will see a red, raised, ropy scar on a skin laceration at 6 months, but at 12 months it has shrunk down to a thin white line as it has fully matured. So, here's the problem your face. You may experience increased symptoms from the enlarging inflamed scar tissue that will peek at six months post injury and it's important to be prepared for this so that you don't get discouraged. You will feel it, but don't give up hope, you are just reaching the peak. Then the second six months you'll see gradual improvement in these symptoms as the scar tissue swelling/inflammation decreases to its final size. So you got to give it a full year.

Stimulating your circulation to the lungs by vigorously using them while letting pain be your guide to make sure you're not overdoing it is important to speed the healing process and to minimize the amount of scar tissue that is laid down in the first six months. The more blood you pump into those bruised lungs and damaged chest wall structures the less scar tissue you will form in those first six critical months, which will also determine how much residual scar tissue you are left with at 12 months. And that's what will determine your capability for the rest of your life, what you are left with when the whole process has reached the stage of maturation.

The non-athletic people who just lay around have the most scar tissue. Your circulation is the key and you must stimulate it often. It carries the most important chemical for healing, oxygen, to the damaged tissues as well as all the antioxidant/anti-inflammatory nutrients from your diet, and the blood cells that will do the healing.

The breathing exercises are indeed valid and must be continued for a long time, but vigorous cycling will do this automatically for you far better than any little gizmo the hospital gave you. That little gizmo is OK I guess for the little old 80 year old lady who never exercises but you want more than that. Just because you can't fall doesn't mean you can't do speed work after the initial 6 to 8 weeks. You will have to build up to this very slowly and HIIT is the ideal work out initially rather than going long, but at your age I would not try one minute sprints. Rather just keep it to 30 second sprints and build up to this gradually as well. Your first sprint may only last three seconds ha ha but that's OK you can build from there. The chest wall flexibility and lung tissue flexibility will benefit from the deep breathing that comes from vigorous cycling. You just won't achieve your potential if your heart rate never gets above 120 bpm in your cycling for the next year.

It is important to maintain a good working relationship with your Physio during this time to monitor your progress and try to look for where you might be going wrong. It would help to have one that is knowledgeable in deep tissue work to mobilize some of the chest wall scar tissue if needed. I believe in chiropractic as well. I would be visiting my chiropractor periodically as well for flexibility of the chest wall throughout the first year during the scar tissue maturation process. This of course is after you are given the go ahead by your Dr. that your bone structures are healed enough to be able to take the manipulations, starting gently at first of course.

Remember the basic physiological principle: what actually stimulates healing of musculoskeletal injuries in the human body? Most athletes do not understand this. None of the passive techniques will do this, which includes almost everything: complete rest, ice/heat, braces splints wraps, anti-inflammatory meds, and then the heavy hitters, massage therapy, acupuncture, acupressure, and chiropractic adjustment. These are all helpful temporarily, I would use them as part of my treatment program in your place and I am not disparaging these disciplines, but they do not actively stimulate healing. Healing requires stimulating the nervous system in the damaged tissues, and only active therapies do this: strengthening and stretching exercises for musculoskeletal tissue and intermittent deep breathing at race pace for the lung tissue. And unfortunately if the local nerves are killed off by the injury your shit out of luck. Limited ability to recover.

What can happen initially without an active program is the local nerves in the injured tissue get stuck in an endless loop of "pain-swelling-more pain-more swelling...". When you begin active therapy the master nerve, the brain, sends a message down to the local nerves "hey dufus stop your whining and do your job-he wants his strength and flexibility back so get cracking". This also limits the amount of scar tissue that forms.

Finally, nutrition is important as well. Science has proven that animal foods are pro inflammatory and plant-based foods are not. Paleo and keto or not based on science, period, end of story. I'm not saying be a total vegan but you got to emphasize your fruits and veggies and limit the size of your animal servings, all processed sugars/processed foods, if you want the ultimate outcome. A pro inflammatory diet will lead to more scar tissue being laid down.

So you gotta be patient and not get discouraged. Celebrate after six months and start looking for faster improvement. Understand this will take a year. Be disciplined and hit the weights and stretching like Tahnee Seagrave. That girl showed the world how to come back from a severe injury by embracing her rehab enthusiastically. Hope this helps.

 

[John Rogers]

Hey Rick, there is definitely the potential for disabling scar tissue as these injuries heal, but it's important to understand how scar tissue matures. So a much slower process than you are thinking it seems. The body lays scar tissue down at the injury site progressively more and more until it reaches its maximum size at about six months post injury. This scar tissue is pinkish in color from inflammation which peaks at six months also. In the second six months that swollen scar tissue reverses direction and gradually shrinks down to its final smallest size at 12 months and loses all the inflammation. That' why on the skin you will see a red, raised, ropy scar on a skin laceration at 6 months, but at 12 months it has shrunk down to a thin white line as it has fully matured. So, here's the problem your face. You may experience increased symptoms from the enlarging inflamed scar tissue that will peek at six months post injury and it's important to be prepared for this so that you don't get discouraged. You will feel it, but don't give up hope, you are just reaching the peak. Then the second six months you'll see gradual improvement in these symptoms as the scar tissue swelling/inflammation decreases to its final size. So you got to give it a full year.

Stimulating your circulation to the lungs by vigorously using them while letting pain be your guide to make sure you're not overdoing it is important to speed the healing process and to minimize the amount of scar tissue that is laid down in the first six months. The more blood you pump into those bruised lungs and damaged chest wall structures the less scar tissue you will form in those first six critical months, which will also determine how much residual scar tissue you are left with at 12 months. And that's what will determine your capability for the rest of your life, what you are left with when the whole process has reached the stage of maturation.

The non-athletic people who just lay around have the most scar tissue. Your circulation is the key and you must stimulate it often. It carries the most important chemical for healing, oxygen, to the damaged tissues as well as all the antioxidant/anti-inflammatory nutrients from your diet, and the blood cells that will do the healing.

The breathing exercises are indeed valid and must be continued for a long time, but vigorous cycling will do this automatically for you far better than any little gizmo the hospital gave you. That little gizmo is OK I guess for the little old 80 year old lady who never exercises but you want more than that. Just because you can't fall doesn't mean you can't do speed work after the initial 6 to 8 weeks. You will have to build up to this very slowly and HIIT is the ideal work out initially rather than going long, but at your age I would not try one minute sprints. Rather just keep it to 30 second sprints and build up to this gradually as well. Your first sprint may only last three seconds ha ha but that's OK you can build from there. The chest wall flexibility and lung tissue flexibility will benefit from the deep breathing that comes from vigorous cycling. You just won't achieve your potential if your heart rate never gets above 120 bpm in your cycling for the next year.

It is important to maintain a good working relationship with your Physio during this time to monitor your progress and try to look for where you might be going wrong. It would help to have one that is knowledgeable in deep tissue work to mobilize some of the chest wall scar tissue if needed. I believe in chiropractic as well. I would be visiting my chiropractor periodically as well for flexibility of the chest wall throughout the first year during the scar tissue maturation process. This of course is after you are given the go ahead by your Dr. that your bone structures are healed enough to be able to take the manipulations, starting gently at first of course.

Remember the basic physiological principle: what actually stimulates healing of musculoskeletal injuries in the human body? Most athletes do not understand this. None of the passive techniques will do this, which includes almost everything: complete rest, ice/heat, braces splints wraps, anti-inflammatory meds, and then the heavy hitters, massage therapy, acupuncture, acupressure, and chiropractic adjustment. These are all helpful temporarily, I would use them as part of my treatment program in your place and I am not disparaging these disciplines, but they do not actively stimulate healing. Healing requires stimulating the nervous system in the damaged tissues, and only active therapies do this: strengthening and stretching exercises for musculoskeletal tissue and intermittent deep breathing at race pace for the lung tissue. And unfortunately if the local nerves are killed off by the injury your shit out of luck. Limited ability to recover.

What can happen initially without an active program is the local nerves in the injured tissue get stuck in an endless loop of "pain-swelling-more pain-more swelling...". When you begin active therapy the master nerve, the brain, sends a message down to the local nerves "hey dufus stop your whining and do your job-he wants his strength and flexibility back so get cracking". This also limits the amount of scar tissue that forms.

Finally, nutrition is important as well. Science has proven that animal foods are pro inflammatory and plant-based foods are not. Paleo and keto or not based on science, period, end of story. I'm not saying be a total vegan but you got to emphasize your fruits and veggies and limit the size of your animal servings, all processed sugars/processed foods, if you want the ultimate outcome. A pro inflammatory diet will lead to more scar tissue being laid down.

So you gotta be patient and not get discouraged. Celebrate after six months and start looking for faster improvement. Understand this will take a year. Be disciplined and hit the weights and stretching like Tahnee Seagrave. That girl showed the world how to come back from a severe injury by embracing her rehab enthusiastically. Hope this helps.

Jeff, thanks for adding lots more detail to my initial post. My scar tissue kept re-appearing for at least 2 years after the accident, so yes, recovery is a long term process that you have to keep at.

 

[Rick53]

No. Those folk seem like idiots

Seem? You mean are ? LOL I have to agree . Check out this video : There was a dissuasion how older guys can't swing their leg over a mens bike , Some wanted the VADO SL . So they were discussing how they could mount the bike .This guy posts a video and they all praised his great idea. CHECK IT OUT :
I commented that looks unstable. Many attacked my post as I was jealous LOL

 

[steve_sordy]

Seem? You mean are ? LOL I have to agree . Check out this video : There was a dissuasion how older guys can't swing their leg over a mens bike , Some wanted the VADO SL . So they were discussing how they could mount the bike .This guy posts a video and they all praised his great idea. CHECK IT OUT :
I commented that looks unstable. Many attacked my post as I was jealous LOL

I have arthritic knees and left hip, so swinging my leg over the saddle in the traditional fashion is becoming a bit of a lottery. Sometime it's easy, if I happen to be stood on a clump of grass that puts me an inch or so higher. But mostly (because I forget after a lifetime of the usual leg over method) it is a sudden shaft of agony in my hip that drains the blood from my face and takes me a minute or so to recover. However, because pain is such a good teacher I am quickly getting the hang of always mounting from the left and dropping the saddle first.

Sometimes I do it the way demonstrated by the guy in the video, but for the life of me, right now I can't work out the rationale why I would choose that method over dropping the saddle.

 

[Mikerb]

I posted a very similar Thread over at the Electricbikereview forum. Almost everyone suggested a longer adjustable stem. That seems to me it would put you farther away . Unless you flip the stem to 90 Degrees . I already tried a Ritchey adjustable : At 60 degree angle it made teh bars higher . But pulled them farther away . Kinda defeats the purpose . Am I wrong ?

I have arthritic knees and left hip, so swinging my leg over the saddle in the traditional fashion is becoming a bit of a lottery. Sometime it's easy, if I happen to be stood on a clump of grass that puts me an inch or so higher. But mostly (because I forget after a lifetime of the usual leg over method) it is a sudden shaft of agony in my hip that drains the blood from my face and takes me a minute or so to recover. However, because pain is such a good teacher I am quickly getting the hang of always mounting from the left and dropping the saddle first.

Sometimes I do it the way demonstrated by the guy in the video, but for the life of me, right now I can't work out the rationale why I would choose that method over dropping the saddle.

My wife has a Cube Access whichhas a reasonably low top tube but it is not a step through. She recently had a hip replacement and whilst riding the bike was therapeutic she did struggle for a while to get on the bike even with the seat slammed. I showed her an easy way. Just lean the bike towards you. Provided you do not go to the point where the weight of the bike makes it difficult to right the bike, the "leg over" height reduces radically. If you have the strength the ultimate " no leg over required" manoeuvre is to stand astride the bike when it is lying on its side on the ground.......then lift the bike.

 

[Tubby G]

Or, just do the cardigan …


Simple

 

[steve_sordy]

My wife has a Cube Access whichhas a reasonably low top tube but it is not a step through. She recently had a hip replacement and whilst riding the bike was therapeutic she did struggle for a while to get on the bike even with the seat slammed. I showed her an easy way. Just lean the bike towards you. Provided you do not go to the point where the weight of the bike makes it difficult to right the bike, the "leg over" height reduces radically. If you have the strength the ultimate " no leg over required" manoeuvre is to stand astride the bike when it is lying on its side on the ground.......then lift the bike.

Yep, done that too, but it is not as elegant.

 

[Rick53]

My wife has a Cube Access whichhas a reasonably low top tube but it is not a step through. She recently had a hip replacement and whilst riding the bike was therapeutic she did struggle for a while to get on the bike even with the seat slammed. I showed her an easy way. Just lean the bike towards you. Provided you do not go to the point where the weight of the bike makes it difficult to right the bike, the "leg over" height reduces radically. If you have the strength the ultimate " no leg over required" manoeuvre is to stand astride the bike when it is lying on its side on the ground.......then lift the bike.

Great suggestion LOL Seriously ??? Obviously you'd have to have been there to get why I am LOLing . I suggested this same idea on the Other forum . 3 commenters (MEN) all said that was a stupid idea . That the weight of the Bike would over power you :

 

[Mikerb]

Great suggestion LOL Seriously ??? Obviously you'd have to have been there to get why I am LOLing . I suggested this same idea on the Other forum . 3 commenters (MEN) all said that was a stupid idea . That the weight of the Bike would over power you :

..........well of course it will if you lean it too far, however righting the bike, just like lifting it onto a work stand or into a van/car is more a matter of using the right technique than brute strength...........in this case using the top tube provides the best leverage.

 

[steve_sordy]

I have just watched the guy demonstrating "the cardigan". It looks alarming, but fascinating at the same time! I will give it a go on my emtb. I suspect that I will need to drop the saddle first. A&E here we come!

 

[Tubby G]

I have just watched the guy demonstrating "the cardigan". It looks alarming, but fascinating at the same time! I will give it a go on my emtb. I suspect that I will need to drop the saddle first. A&E here we come!

Best of luck. I’ve never actually tried it but Tom Cardy makes it look easy (he makes most tricks look easy!)

Probably much harder on a 25kg emtb but the principle should be the same. Let us know how you get on

 

[Grannyjones]

a stem raiser or super high bars pretty much ruins most bikes off-road handling and make cornering grip shady AF. even on gravel roads.

Definetely, I used to ride a bike with a stem riser for my first 2-3 years of MTB and it explains why I utterely sucked at descending for my first 2-3 years of riding.

 

[Rick53]

I took ownership of some lightly used Spank Spike handlebars with a 50MM Rise . For $25.00 . Can't be that . Not that Vibrocore . I don't need that anyway for the type of riding I'll be doing . Plus they are RED!!!!! . For $25 so what .

Best of luck. I’ve never actually tried it but Tom Cardy makes it look easy (he makes most tricks look easy!)

Probably much harder on a 25kg emtb but the principle should be the same. Let us know how you get on

At my age you've bit it enough times you are more cautious . Although Riding Dirt Bikes and 3 Wheelers for 40 plus years . Makes Bike riding easier . Same for electric . When I was most of you guys age riding bikes in the trails was just our Schwinn Steel framed bikes Modified the best we could . I remember a Bike I had called the Coreless that I stripped down and put whatever we could find at the bike repair shops on it . They used to tell us this will never catch on When E-bike came out it was like going from DOS to Windows . In the last 6-8 years technology has exploded . But IMO it is sorta topped out . All that's left is to discover a way to make the battery even smaller . Or find a New Metal that's weightless.

Having all this rib and lung damage has made me realize my wife is probably right . I may never get back to the riding I was doing . Buttt That's ok . I can still do wheelies

 

[Rick53]

..........well of course it will if you lean it too far, however righting the bike, just like lifting it onto a work stand or into a van/car is more a matter of using the right technique than brute strength...........in this case using the top tube provides the best leverage.

Awhile back there was a 3 page thread discussing how to get a 60lb Vado onto a Bike rake or work stand if you weren't strong enough . Apparently it didn't occur to anyone commenting to remove the battery first and lose 10lbs . LOL .

 

[Mikerb]

I took ownership of some lightly used Spank Spike handlebars with a 50MM Rise . For $25.00 . Can't be that . Not that Vibrocore . I don't need that anyway for the type of riding I'll be doing . Plus they are RED!!!!! . For $25 so what .

At my age you've bit it enough times you are more cautious . Although Riding Dirt Bikes and 3 Wheelers for 40 plus years . Makes Bike riding easier . Same for electric . When I was most of you guys age riding bikes in the trails was just our Schwinn Steel framed bikes Modified the best we could . I remember a Bike I had called the Coreless that I stripped down and put whatever we could find at the bike repair shops on it . They used to tell us this will never catch on When E-bike came out it was like going from DOS to Windows . In the last 6-8 years technology has exploded . But IMO it is sorta topped out . All that's left is to discover a way to make the battery even smaller . Or find a New Metal that's weightless.

Having all this rib and lung damage has made me realize my wife is probably right . I may never get back to the riding I was doing . Buttt That's ok . I can still do wheelies

With the 50mm bars you can play around with their position. If you adjust the bars with the rise vertical to the ground, you maximise the rise. However if you rotate the bars towards you you reduce reach.....albeit you lose some of the vertical lift. Small adjustments can make a big difference.