First ride back after an injury is always a blissfully painful experience! But, just one day short of six weeks I’m back on the trails! I’m not actually supposed to be riding yet, but with the Revs on the Mule wound all the way up to 130mm and set soft I figured it was just as comfy as the turbo and a lot less boring even if I only rode up and down the lane.

Of course I didn’t ride up and down the lane, I rode down to Rochechouart. It was a lovely sunny day, just right for rolling easy and enjoying the ride. Yeah, but I didn’t do that ‘cos I wanted a work-out. So, once the initial shock to the system had gone I rode fairly briskly. It was just great to be back.

After 20 minutes I started to get back ache, shoulder ache, and was a little uncomfy. Only to be expected. After a brief rest in town, I stormed gently back along the Biennac road before sprinting gingerley up out of L’Age for a well earned cuppa. Just one blissful slightly painful hour on the clock.

I’m not supposed to be out on my bike just yet. At my last visit to the Hospital in St Junien I had a new X-ray taken, including one of my chest. The consultant confirmed that I had in fact broken three ribs! No wonder it had been so damn painful. He told me that my collarbone was joined, but that the join would be ‘soft’, I should begin to use it normally, but nothing strenous. Maybe wait another couple of weeks before riding. When I asked him about mountainbiking he just shook his head and laughed (whatever that means). 🙂