Mountain biking is often seen as a risky and intense activity by the general public. Determining how prevalent the injuries are compared to other sports makes Mountain Biking harder than other sports and hobbies.
Due to this reason, we have decided to dig into it, and the results may surprise you. Reading this article will help you better understand the risks and injuries involved with mountain biking on trails. Still, the essential knowledge you will gain is how to prepare to reduce the likelihood of suffering an injury. Walkabout the neighbourhood and take in the sights!
Stay focused until the end to solve any question about mountain biking and its difficulty.
Is Mountain biking dangerous?
The question, “Is mountain biking dangerous?” As a beginner mountain rider seems too scary if you are willing to go for a first-time ride as a mountain biker.
To answer this question, it is necessary to have a thorough understanding of the hazards associated with mountain biking, as well as how to avoid accidents that may occur from carelessness or a lack of essential trail-riding abilities.
In general, mountain biking is a risky sport. Injuries, falls, and bad situations can happen if you are unprepared or experienced. However, that is not bad if you follow the safety rules with the appropriate gear.
Mountain bikers are harmed on average once per 1,000 trips, according to the American Mountain Bike Association. A significant majority of trail riding mishaps are caused by carelessly rushing down a hill without having developed proper trail riding abilities in preparation.
Lower leg injuries account for 27 per cent of all injuries sustained as a result of slipping off the pedal, followed by knee and forearm injuries, which account for 21 per cent of all injuries.
How common are injuries in mountain biking?
Let’s get right into it with an injury rate per 1000 exposures for various sports. When the phrase “rate per 1000 exposures” appears, it means “rate per event” or “rate per hour.” In measurements, the word “per hour” is more often employed. It is unclear from the graph how many reported injuries or how severe those injuries were in the first place.
The rate, on the other hand, cannot be disregarded. Compared to mountain biking, a person is roughly ten times more likely to get injured when playing basketball. Since mountain bike accidents tend to be a bit worse (for example, shoulder dislocation or concussion) than broken fingers, they tend to be more severe. Rugby, on the other hand, is both frequent and dangerous, and the injuries sustained are not insignificant.
As a result, mountain biking has a lower incidence rate when compared to many other popular activities. Mountain biking is not as harmful as most other everyday activities in this regard, according to experts. Just remember to take care and wear safety equipment, particularly a sturdy helmet, at all times.
Notably, these statistics for mountain biking, which show 1.54 accidents per 1000 hours of riding, cover both day and night riding. Mountain riding at night poses additional risks in addition to those encountered during the day. Yet, night biking is widespread because of the reduced amount of daylight available during the winter months.
Only a few research have collected data on fatalities associated with mountain riding. According to research by journals.lww.com, just one mountain cyclist died out of 399 patients during a 10-year study conducted at three trauma clinics in the Greater Vancouver region, resulting in a case fatality rate of 0.25 per cent.
Is mountain biking one of the most dangerous sports?
What are the dangers of mountain biking?
Like any other sport or outdoor activity, mountain biking entails several potential dangers. When mountain riding, there are three primary sorts of hazards to consider:
- The most common cause of injury is falling off the bike, which can occur when you ride beyond your ability level or do not pay attention to the route.
- Body temperature management problems are primarily induced by extreme weather conditions, such as log rides in extremely hot or cold temperatures.
- Mountain bike failure: The most common cause of mountain bike failure is a lack of or insufficient bike maintenance. That is one of the many reasons why mountain bikers wear long socks.
Conclusion
After considering all we’ve mentioned so far, we can conclude that mountain biking is just as dangerous as any other outdoor sport and that adequate prevention of the primary dangers to which you are exposed when riding on trails can help to reduce the likelihood of harm. If you are considering embarking on a mountain bike adventure, don’t delay any longer and have a great time on the slopes!