I know there's got to be a bunch of you guys that have families (wife & kids) and are the breadwinner. I don't know what happens the day you realize you've got responsibilities in life, but all of a sudden your nads shrink (at least mine did) and you're not as "brave" as you were as a teen.

How have some of you approached the tougher (mental) aspects of riding - jumps, whoops, etc.? I'll never ride excessively beyond my comfort zone, but I'm continually looking to expand that zone. The problem is, for example, that any given double has essentially (3) routes - roll it, make it or stove pipe. Rolling gets old, making is tough mentally and stove piping hurts.

I have a desk job and could probably "afford" broken bones and the reality is that many riders break themselves, but who wants to?

Any thoughts on the risk and how you deal with it?

125

Have you ever considered woods riding? I am strictly a mx rider and I am only 21 so I don't have a family and none of those worries. But I think if I did and I still wanted to ride without the fear of being injured I would try trail riding. Not that you can't get hurt trail riding but the chances are less I think.

The way I look at racing is it is not of matter of "if" I get hurt, it is a matter of "when" or "how bad". Not that I'm reckless or a daredevil but while racing [censored] happens.

To learn you must ride with someone that is faster, with bigger balls, and knows the "know how". This is how I did it 15 years ago, and I'm still learnng. Or you can ride trails and then jumps to follow. When are we going to ride? This is my last call to you Erik. .......................db

Shave your nads and ride backwards for a few laps!

No really, you are just wiser in your old age. Use it to your advantage! Take your learning of a particular section of track slow and deliberate. Watch those who are making it successfully very closely. Practice one section at a time till you master it. When you are in your zone and ready to go for it, follow the guy who always makes it and stay on his butt, do what he does! Dont let your brain over-ride your right hand!

Randy

Take an MX school.
It helped me alot. It was a three day school and by the 3rd day I was clearing all of the jumps exept the tripple......but I did get hurt.
I was doing great, and then I left the lip wrong on a 30 foot table and now I have a two piece collar bone (fiberous nonunion) . But I will get back at it.
I did not get hurt in the class, it was about 1 month later.
In the meantime I've been tearing up the trails. The risk seems slightly less, but hit a tree in the top of third and your going to have problems as well.

I know exactly where you are coming from. I'm 39 and just getting back into riding MX after an almost 10 year hiatus when the kids came along. Momma would no longer allow me to bolt out the door every Friday night/Saturday morning and be gone somewhere to ride/race until late Sunday night. I never sold the bike (92 CR500) and would fire it up and ride some trails for an hour or so every couple months but no MX from 93 until last year. Talked the wife into letting me get bikes for my 9 and 6 year old and we started riding together. Then I talked her into allowing me to upgrade my steed when I got an 01 CR250 (not enough gettyupango) and then my CRF. Now I'm back riding on the tracks and trying to get my speed/confidence back.

I was a local track, midpack B rider when I stopped. Man, have these guys gotten faster while I was gone. I think I'm close to being back to my former speed but have trouble finishing top 10 in the C class! Jumps are scary. Period. Because, at least for me, I'm thinking about all the bad things that could happen. But you know what? When I get the gumption to do a jump I haven't done before, 99 times out of a 100 when I do it, it feels easy. Then I wonder what had me spooked for so long.

Practice controlling the bike on takeoffs of jumps your comfortable with. Try to make it do different things. Jump front end high so you can practice brake tapping to bring it down. Jump front end low so you understand what "panic rev" means to pull it up. All these things will give you the skills you need to make corrections should the jump face ever throw you wrong. Now the only thing to worry about is correct speed to clear the jump without overjumping - that can be just as dangerous as coming up short. Find somebody doing the jump consistantly and follow them... get your pace off of them.

90% of it is mental. Once you clear a new jump, you will wonder what you were so scared of. Now, doing it consistantly with other riders all over the place is a whole different story! That's my biggest issue now. I would rather roll a jump because I don't know what the guy in front of me is going to do rather than try it and land on him, hurting both of us. But then I have to worry about the 15 year old on a 125 behind me doing it and landing on me!

Good luck and remember, the older I get, the faster I was.

Baddaytogo made some excellent points.

I'm in a little different boat as I did not start riding dirt bikes until 1998. When I got my first bike it was a 1998 CR500. I stuck to trails and hills for the first few years and got really comfortable on my bike. Then I got a CR250 and began jumping more. Finally late last year I switched up to the 450. I am now a top 5 finisher in C or plus 30 classes. Yes, the first 1-2 guys are much faster but Im getting better. I have found that it takes me TONS of time to go out and hit new jumps. Once I have watched my buddies and other riders make it look easy. I go out and hit it. I can tell you that my worst habbit is I line up and approach the jump several times before going for it..don't hesitate..once you know what to do..hit it. I can go out and hit a 90+ foot table top but as soon as I see a 60 + double I get nervous! Mental issues, which I am working on overcoming as well. Obviously, as badaytogo said you need to be comfortable with making corrections in the air with both the throttle and brakes. By the way..Im 32 and also have a family and a desk job.

I have thought about this myself. It must be a Utah thing...

The bottom line, for me, is who cares how fast or slow I am. At 37 I doubt one of the major factories is going to offer me a contract anyway.

This means I am doing it for fun. If I keep this in perspective i do a lot better.

I prefer to scare myself out at Skydive U by ceder fort. Why? I would only be able to make one mistake and it would be all over. No 6 week recovery!

Have you checked out the sportsman class racing at desert peaks. They do not allow doubles and allow only minimal air time.

This looks like a riot because I think a person would have to think to have a chance to win.

"I prefer to scare myself out at Skydive U by ceder fort. Why? I would only be able to make one mistake and it would be all over. No 6 week recovery!" !?!?!?!?!? I think I'll stick with the 6 weeks of recovery if/when I mess up, Thanks.

Spotted recently in the local classifieds "FOR SALE - PARACHUTE. NEVER OPENED. ONLY USED ONCE. CHEAP."

Bad, you make a good valid point.

Try a skydive. There will never be a fear of heights. Cured instantly!

Or in my case, I'd be so scared I wouldn't even think about standing up straight again much less leave the ground.

Im still a pup so i cant add too much imput (20). But my step dad used to ride a 3 wheeler and go sking and what not but one year my mom and him went out and my mom tore her ACL and began rehab(surgery and therapy). My step dad hasn't been on a 3 wheeler or skied since. He has a harley too and HARDLY rides it now, cuzz he is scared. He isn't the same and can really be miserable sometimes. just some input...

I have chosen to ignore my mortality.But I still hate doubles!

Im glad I am not the only one with the fear of getting hurt. When I was a teenager I could beat just about everyone. after 15 years off a bike my son started racing and I got back on a new 450.
I can double the small 25 to 30 footers but anything over that I just cant do it. I just had my back fixed and now my first race is in Pontiac Michigan in 1 month. I never done super cross but my son talked me into it. he is 13 and he is way faster than me on his KX 85..
I am in it just for a father son thing.Ride Smart...