Road cycling causes more serious injuries than MTB, according to this new study

Falls on asphalt are more serious than those that can be suffered when riding on trails, something that those who combine disciplines know empirically more than enough. However, now, a study published in the scientific journal Scientific Reports confirms this with numbers in hand.

The numbers speak for themselves: it is easier to get injured on the road than pedaling on trails

To support their claims, the study analyzed 149 cases treated in emergency services related to cycling accidents. The main conclusion of this study is that, while it is more difficult to have an accident in road cycling, the consequences are generally more serious than in mountain biking where falls are common.

Of the cases analyzed, 33% corresponded to road bike accidents but these obtained a severity score of 6 while the remaining 67% of accidents, on mountain bikes, obtained a severity score of 4.

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A score obtained by establishing a scoring scale for the different injuries reported by cyclists based on the affected body part, a traumatic brain injury is not the same as an abrasion on a leg, for example.

From the distribution of the analyzed injuries, the researchers specified that in road cycling they affect all areas of the body but especially the upper extremities followed by legs, face, chest, head, spine, and neck. In addition, the incidence of road accidents based on age is also analyzed, concluding that it is a risk factor, both in mountain biking and road cycling, with injuries being more serious the older the cyclist, something that is not surprising to those of us who ride bikes. Longer reaction time, greater bone fragility, or loss of visual and auditory skills associated with age may be behind this correlation between age and the possibility of suffering serious injuries.

Another factor to consider is that, while in mountain biking most accidents are associated with the cyclist losing control of the bike, those that occur on the road also see their severity affected by the involvement, in 30% of the analyzed accidents, of a motorized vehicle.

In any case, these are data that, as we explained at the beginning, will not surprise those cyclists who combine different disciplines. On the road, falls are rare, the problem is that when we fall, we usually do so at a much higher speed than when pedaling on trails and the asphalt is a very hard surface. Often the result is a slide that leaves our skin on the thigh, hip, shoulders, arms raw, the least serious consequence.

If we are not so lucky and the impact is hard, it usually results in the usual broken collarbone or a head impact that, if we are wearing a helmet, usually does not have serious effects. Finally, the worst-case scenario is a collision with a car, where the severity of the consequences usually increases.

Meanwhile, in mountain biking, although road cyclists trying out fat tires see it as hostile terrain, the truth is that, although it is not difficult to fall, especially if we like to tackle technical sections, it is common for these falls to occur at low speed and result in a simple tumble that barely causes scratches. Only if we are unlucky enough to fall on a sharp rock or fall down a slope does the severity increase. In fact, it is much easier to get hurt if we have an incident going down a fast track, which would be the equivalent of the road off-road.

In any case, as we have explained on occasion, fortunately in cycling, the cyclist's skill and mastery of the bike are often associated with the possibility of serious falls. That is why we insist on training technique, which ultimately means investing in our safety on the bike.