Bono, for his LITTLE BOOK OF A BIG YEAR: Bono’s A to Z of 2014, chronicled a number of events and people in the 365 days of 2014, including his own serious accident that has sidelined his work with U2.

Bono’s Cycling Injuries

“For the last few weeks I haven’t been able to move around physically so I have more than made up for it by leaving my mind to wanderlust, untethered except electronically,” Bono explained at the start of his lengthy post. “I have written words for new songs, but I have also had an opportunity to look back and review the year in a way I’ve never had time to do before… Edge says I look at my body as an inconvenience…The problem, as I see it, is that I think my head is harder than any other surface.”

Bono went on to call the result of his cycling accident “a massive injury I can’t blame on anyone but myself, mainly because I blanked out on impact and have no memory of how I ended up in New York Presbyterian with my humerus bone sticking through my leather jacket. Very punk rock as injuries go.”

The injuries Bono sustained while riding his bike through Central Park in New York City included a broken hand, shoulder, elbow and face. “The real injury this year was to my Irish pride,” Bono quipped. “As it was discovered that under my tracksuit I was wearing yellow and black Lycra cycling shorts. Yes, LYCRA. This is not very rock ‘n’ roll.”

“The consequences of this freak accident are significant enough that I will have to concentrate hard to be ready for the U2 tour in fitness terms,” Bono added. “As a result I have cancelled every public appearance and decided this missive is all the communication I can manage for the first half of 2015, beyond muttering and singing to myself of course.”

Bono went on to note that while he may very well be able to get his fitness where it needs to be for U2’s upcoming tour, playing the guitar on the tour – or ever again – may not be possible.

“As I write this, it is not clear that I will ever play guitar again. The band have reminded me that neither they nor Western civilization are depending on this,” the Irish singer wrote. “I personally would very much miss fingering the frets of my green Irish falcon or my (RED) Gretsch. Just for the pleasure, aside from writing tunes. But then does the Edge, or Jimmy Page, or any guitarist you know have a titanium elbow, as I do now? I’m all elbows, I am.”