Injury Update: Mark Weir Fractures Pelvis and Sacrum

Update from Mark on Wednesday, February 19th, 2014:

This is best news I have heard all week.

The Doc said the most worrisome thing was that I don’t fall again for at least 6 weeks. I have a fracture that goes into spinal canal posteriorly and falling again would be really bad to say the least. He said I can anticipate 8-12 weeks of gradually decreasing pain. But no outside activity for 6-8 weeks to lessen the chance of me hitting the dirt.

I’m lucky to have such good friends that did not drop me while hiking me off the mountain, if they did this story might not have such a happy ending.

The way we moved the tree might have been poorly thought out, thinking that man power over comes safety came at a price. I'm glad the price was not too heavy and I was the only one that physically felt the pain. I felt that because I had been moving and cutting trees off trails for years and years that I was smart enough to anticipate the future. I was wrong and I apologize to my friends for putting us all at risk. I ride bikes for a living, and just because I am in the trees all day does not mean I’m a professional tree removal specialist. Lesson learned, never to be repeated.

Thank you to everyone that has sent me kind words of encouragement. At times it has brought me to tears, but sometimes it’s made me laugh and that was real painful but worth it. My wife reads me the comments from people and it's hard to hear. Feeling that what ever I have done during my time with this sport could not deserve this much love and support. You all have made me want to make sure I strive to be a better person, talking about off the bike mostly.

Thanks to my good buddies that pulled my body off the hill and all the medical staff.

Thanks to my Family for so much support and my wife who has to be an angel sent just for me.

I can't wait to be back in the trees and riding again. I’ll see you all real soon. - Mark Weir

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Below is the break down of his injury this past weekend:


Earlier in the week, Mark and his mustache were out on a ride and noted a large oak tree that had broke off several feet up (this was due to Sudden Oak Death) and was blocking a section of trail. A few days later he and a group of friends were back running shuttles on that same trail when they did what so many of us do on a daily basis and set forth to clean up the fallen and tangled piece of tree. This is where things turned for the worst.

Mark is no stranger to moving trees and cleaning up the trails and neither are his friends. In a pretty standard move they heaved up the portion of tree and started to push it over to the low side of the trail. That is when they heard a snapping and another portion of the tree came down from above. Everyone including Mark scattered, but the tree hit and pinned him to the ground - fracturing his pelvic bone in 3 places and his sacrum in a single place. Mark says it's all kinda like a slide show at that point - people scrambling to remove the tree, but to stabilize him. Knowing where the pain was they knew right away not to try to get him to walk or move for that matter. 6 of his friends went to the bottom and collected plywood to get him out of the woods on as a make shift stretcher. Medics were able to meet them shortly after and get him to a near by hospital.


Initial reports from the medical offices are that he's very lucky. That much mass and force in almost any other place on his body would likely have killed him - an inch lower and there was a good chance of paralysis, a head shot would have been death. Mark finds out more on the damage to his body tomorrow, but he's looking at 6-8 weeks off his feet and whether surgery is required or not thanks to the limited displacement of the fractured bones. As bad as this is for Mark, it couldn't have gone much better in this situation of dumb luck and Mark states that it was a fluke of the draw. From everyone here at Pinkbike we wish him a healthy and strong recovery and are looking forward to seeing him back on the trails smiling and enjoying it all again soon.


To everyone out there, play safe be aware of all your surroundings.