How serious is riding for you?

[BikerGuy]

I don't know about you, but I ride for fun. You don't have to be super good in order to have fun. If you're not racing for money and only riding/racing for fun, it doesn't really matter what place you get and how well you do. When you're sitting at the ER you don't care about bragging rights either. I had to learn this the hard way. Was doing some practice laps where I was pushing myself pretty hard. Landed a table top and about 40 feet later ended up on the ground in a gnarly OTB crash. Broke my wrist and messed up my shoulder real bad. Might not even be able to have full function in it any more...which taints my future. Ruined my summer. Had many plans. Not anymore. Can't ride or do anything fun anytime soon. I'm pretty sure you get the picture. Sitting here, I only wish I wasn't pushing myself that day. I have come to a conclusion that if you ride for fun, it doesn't matter what your skill level is...as long as you're having fun. Spread out your learning curve. Learn through seat time that is in your comfort zone. Yes it will take longer for you to get better as a rider, but does that matter? To me it doesn't. Well not anymore. Don't wait for something to force you to realize this as I have. It might be too late. Luckily my incident wasn't as serious and I'll be able to ride again in the future. I hope. So again, go ride and have fun but don't push yourself beyond your limits. If you do, you might be the one writing this sometime later. That is if you will be able to write... So again and again, know your limits, ride safe, and have fun. I only wish you all the best and hope you learn something from my mistake. Rant over.

 

If you are a pro or seriously aiming to be one, you know your stuff. It's a different view point for you. But still, be safe. Getting hurt is tough no matter what. 

 

[High_OCTANE_HSV]

Yeah I agree 100%

 

I used to ride at 10/10 all the time, but then I crashed and broke my left wrist and both my ulna and radius in my left arm. 

 

Having a lot more fun now racing at about 8/10. Not fun sitting on the couch while your mates are out roosting!

[redwheeliemonster]

I race and ride for fun and no mx.

But riding is everything. The rest is waiting.

[SnowMule]

Bike?  Meh... It gets me through the summer, although it did turn into a little more than I expected.  Racing's fun, but I'd rather be in the backcountry.

 

Sledding's where it's at.  Summer sucks. ?

[itsallbizz]

Been injured before and it sucks. I was just like the op. always pushing, riding harder, faster, longer, then a acl/mcl knee injury benched me for 3 months. I had to take time off work, some without pay (side note: i am the sole provider for a family of 4)...after being off that long i had a lot of time to think about what riding ment to me and how I could ride safely and still have lots of fun. I realized that riding itself was way better than going all out and risking injury only to be back on the bench again...2 years later i ride just as much as i used to, i found that riding in the sand or woods or single track trails can be just as much or more fun as pounding out laps on the moto track....just enjoy any and all riding....you never know when it could be your last!

[gimped up]

I learned a long time ago, you're not going to make a living riding! (For most of us)

That said, how serious?

bwaaahhaaaahhaaaa!

I enjoy riding, "racing"

Not anymore. I don't have anything to prove.

I have fun. Pure and simple.

I've had the injuries.

That's when I learned this little life lesson.

I've spent almost a quarter million dollars, chasing a dream of riding pro in a period of five years.

It became a job, instead of fun.

Lmao, I'd rather have fun & Keep some money in the bank.

Life is short, live every day for all you can get out of it.

But enjoy the ride.

[downonmonday]

I like to race. I like the competition. I like to see where I stand as a rider, but with that said I don't care if I get dead last or first place. I'm 33 years old. I am not going pro any time soon, well actually never. I try and race as many series races as possible, but with my new job i can only race about 1 time a month. The job pays for the fun, so I should probably go to work. lol

[BushPig]

I learned a long time ago, you're not going to make a living riding! (For most of us)

That said, how serious?

bwaaahhaaaahhaaaa!

I enjoy riding, "racing"

Not anymore. I don't have anything to prove.

I have fun. Pure and simple.

I've had the injuries.

That's when I learned this little life lesson.

I've spent almost a quarter million dollars, chasing a dream of riding pro in a period of five years.

It became a job, instead of fun.

Lmao, I'd rather have fun & Keep some money in the bank.

Life is short, live every day for all you can get out of it.

But enjoy the ride.

 

On a serious note, how close do you think you came to achieving that dream. Its still good you chased it IMO.

 

What if you never did and spent the rest of your life kicking yourself that you didn't (although 250,000 bucks would be nice!)

 

But to be honest, you may have blown it on crack and hookers anyway! 

[ScootMcGoot]

Riding is not my job but it is everything to me.  My day to day life is incredibly monotonous and boring and I count the seconds until the next time I get to ride.  Riding is the first thing I think about in the morning and the last thing I think about before going to bed.  I have been riding for 7 years now and I dabble a bit in offroad racing but my favorite type of riding is just to go out riding for fun for hours on end.  The amount of time and money it takes to go to races for what amounts to a total of 1 hour of riding always leaves me feeling like I didn't ride enough come Monday morning.  In my 7 years of riding I have only had 2 major injuries that benched me.  First was a busted shoulder that I needed to get operated on and now I have a broken left foot.  Done for the summer just like you.  I don't think any amount of injuries will ever stop me from riding unless it kills me (literally).  I just love it too much.  

[Tryingoutdirt]

I ride strictly for fun in the woods .. I look forward to it and try to ride 2 or 3 times a week. I'd never stand a chance in any sort of race atmosphere.

[BikerGuy]

Been injured before and it sucks. I was just like the op. always pushing, riding harder, faster, longer, then a acl/mcl knee injury benched me for 3 months. I had to take time off work, some without pay (side note: i am the sole provider for a family of 4)...after being off that long i had a lot of time to think about what riding ment to me and how I could ride safely and still have lots of fun. I realized that riding itself was way better than going all out and risking injury only to be back on the bench again...2 years later i ride just as much as i used to, i found that riding in the sand or woods or single track trails can be just as much or more fun as pounding out laps on the moto track....just enjoy any and all riding....you never know when it could be your last!

 

That's another reason to ride safe. I'd rather be a slower rider and ride for a very long time than go all out and get seriously injured or end up passing away. But at the same time you need to get better because the lack of skill can be the cause of a crash. And as I already said in the OP, I'd rather take the slower learning process and be safe. 

[poconovfr]

On a serious note, how close do you think you came to achieving that dream. Its still good you chased it IMO.

 

What if you never did and spent the rest of your life kicking yourself that you didn't (although 250,000 bucks would be nice!)

 

But to be honest, you may have blown it on crack and hookers anyway! 

...quarter mil on crack and hookers? Now that's a kick ass party. lmao.

[Racerjoey1]

I still haven't bought another bike, been without one for almost a year and a half. I am also the sole breadwinner for my family of 4. I'm 30 and have two young kids. I can't afford to get hurt and miss work (who can?) and I sometimes question whether I should buy another bike. I've never been very good at riding but I have fun going at a slow pace. It's just fun to go ride and with my son at 5 years old it's something I'd like to be able to enjoy with him.

But anyway it's not serious for me, all of my friends have utility quads so I just like being in the woods.

[BushPig]

...quarter mil on crack and hookers? Now that's a kick ass party. lmao.

 

This is Ridingslikecrack we're talking about here....

[sdcfish]

I love riding……HATE crashing! One thing that I came to realize is the fitness part of riding.  I am nearly 50 years old, and still feel like I can crank it up like always, but after watching the Villopoto documentary about his fitness level and commitment, I also realized that in order to continue to ride at the level/speed I like to, it's gonna take a serious dedication to fitness in order to stay safe and ride in control.  It's been working the past year, and I feel great after each ride instead of sore as hell!

 

You are 100% right about riding at 8/10 instead of 10/10.  Be smart…pick your spots to open it up, and always ride for the enjoyment:)

[gimped up]

On a serious note, how close do you think you came to achieving that dream. Its still good you chased it IMO.

What if you never did and spent the rest of your life kicking yourself that you didn't (although 250,000 bucks would be nice!)

But to be honest, you may have blown it on crack and hookers anyway!

Not close. I blew a lot of money on Bikes every year.

Expense adds up quickly. Travel,vehicle maint,bike parts entry fees.

It was nothing back then, today, different story.

I'd rather keep my money.

Lmbo.

[gimped up]

I still haven't bought another bike, been without one for almost a year and a half. I am also the sole breadwinner for my family of 4. I'm 30 and have two young kids. I can't afford to get hurt and miss work (who can?) and I sometimes question whether I should buy another bike. I've never been very good at riding but I have fun going at a slow pace. It's just fun to go ride and with my son at 5 years old it's something I'd like to be able to enjoy with him.

But anyway it's not serious for me, all of my friends have utility quads so I just like being in the woods.

Come on over to the dark side, Lol

Just trail ride. Enjoy it.

Its all I do anymore.

There's nothing better than riding with a group of friends or family. Its the memories that last a lifetime.

[BikerGuy]

Bike?  Meh... It gets me through the summer, although it did turn into a little more than I expected.  Racing's fun, but I'd rather be in the backcountry.

 

Sledding's where it's at.  Summer sucks. ?

 

In my case, this summer in particular actually does.         ?

[avocasingletrack]

It's like skiing, horseback riding and many other sports. As much fun as they are, they are Dangerous. Racing is a double edge sword for me. Its easy to get too serious with it and forget the many reasons why I ride. Riding is so much fun that I start to take it too serious...then its not as fun and then its time for.a.priority and reality check. I also find I have just as many if not more probs riding less than 80% as I do if i ride on the edge at 101% . The 80% thing mentioned seems a good thing for us adult riders. ?

PoconoVfr and his crew have the right idea ! A fun crew of laid back good riders !

Edited July 25, 2014 by avocasingletrack

[Racerjoey1]

Come on over to the dark side, Lol

The dark side? You mean buy a quad?

I actually have had a 400ex and a z400 and had a lot of fun on them. My friends all have utility machines and they are fun for about 10 minutes. I just get bored on them.

I only have a 1 car garage though so that's my reason to want another bike. Especially if I buy a little 50 for my son.

Sorry to get off topic.

Edited July 25, 2014 by Racerjoey1