Why do i suck a dirtbiking so bad?

[CR250_182]

even if it was a "bad time" at the time...i usually remember it as fun ? hahah anytime out is fun to me. Even if it was a PITA and difficult..it was still fun ?

Totally agree, there have been times on a nasty trail where I just can't get up a line, heart rate maxed, and all I want is to get back to camp, but once you get past it you get a sense of accomplishment.

[Slackkinhard]

you live on a farm....build a jump that you can move, then build a pile of dirt to land on.  Start small, work up.....if you're out there every day, at the end of two weeks you most likely will be able to throw a 'fat whip'.....be careful what you ask for though, lots can go wrong in a 'fat whip'

[not_again]

Being good on an MX track is 50% skill and 50% balls. If you suck it's because you are in lacking one or the other, or both.

 

Throwing a 'fat whip' sounds like a gay term btw.

 

Enduro is where the fun's at. Most jump monkeys end up riding off road once they have grown up.

[RockerYZWR]

I think it's actually supposed to be a "phat" whip, in the parlance of our times.  Or at least the parlance of the mid-'90s.

[DASFUEHRER]

You are only as fast as those around you. Maybe find some new riding buddies and those who are faster will push you in the direction you seek. ?

[JLB943]

Being good on an MX track is 50% skill and 50% balls. If you suck it's because you are in lacking one or the other, or both.

 

Throwing a 'fat whip' sounds like a gay term btw.

 

Enduro is where the fun's at. Most jump monkeys end up riding off road once they have grown up.

Being good on an MX track is 50% skill and 50% balls. If you suck it's because you are in lacking one or the other, or both.

I disagree with this 100%. If it is 50% skill 50% balls you just aren't riding enough. I am by no means fast but I can see a direct correlation between the amount I ride and how much better I am at mx. You have to be willing to put the damn time in during the week with fitness and then riding every weekend. Balls shouldn't come into the equation, when you ride enough you comfort on a dirtbike drives you to new skills and clearing new jumps because you have acquired the muscle memory in your brain to be like, oh this jump is just like the one at track A that I was clearing no problem. If you are not good enough of fast enough spend twice as much on the weights and cardio during the week and ride twice as much as you do now. After this report back......

[Rooster72]

My son after just 7 years of riding, me I can't throw a whip to save my life after 20 years!!

[not_again]

Being good on an MX track is 50% skill and 50% balls. If you suck it's because you are in lacking one or the other, or both.

I disagree with this 100%. If it is 50% skill 50% balls you just aren't riding enough. I am by no means fast but I can see a direct correlation between the amount I ride and how much better I am at mx. You have to be willing to put the damn time in during the week with fitness and then riding every weekend. Balls shouldn't come into the equation, when you ride enough you comfort on a dirtbike drives you to new skills and clearing new jumps because you have acquired the muscle memory in your brain to be like, oh this jump is just like the one at track A that I was clearing no problem. If you are not good enough of fast enough spend twice as much on the weights and cardio during the week and ride twice as much as you do now. After this report back......

Feel free to disagree. I called it 'balls' same thing as 'mental preparedness' if you want to be a pedant.

 

I rode MX for a long time and got tired of the injuries. I ride enduro now which you may have seen from my post above. I have found that it takes more skill to go fast in the woods than on the track even though the injuries are fewer. I have more than enough years in both to know what I'm talking about. 

Keep pumping the weights all you want and trying to clear that double.

 

I'll be roosting in singletrack.

[trailmeisterjoe]

Forget the track and head out to the Black Hills.

THIS

[bigbird192]

I tend to agree with sandlvr69. There are few substitutes for no fear, given you have the natural talent to back it up. But, that doesn't mean that you can't learn. I have neither of those qualities going for me, but I do alright by my standard) and have fun doing it.

A good example is the guy who is good at every "extreme" sport. I have a friend like that. He has no fear and does some crazy stuff. Almost always pulls it off too.

[Rooster72]

I tend to agree with sandlvr69. There are few substitutes for no fear, given you have the natural talent to back it up. But, that doesn't mean that you can't learn. I have neither of those qualities going for me, but I do alright by my standard) and have fun doing it.

A good example is the guy who is good at every "extreme" sport. I have a friend like that. He has no fear and does some crazy stuff. Almost always pulls it off too.

Not enough credit is given to natural talent, some guys struggle for years and will probably never get it. Cross training is great as well, grab a skateboard sometime!!

[philfell]

Too much credit is given to natural talent, and not enough given to desire and WORK ETHIC.

[bigbird192]

IMHO, the best combination for being a fast guy is natural talent, a certain level of fearlessness, desire and work ethic. Natural talent can't be learned. Fearlessness it's another inherent quality, more or less. So, all you are left with is desire and work ethic.

To answer the OP, get out and ride. Read about riding techniques. Practice those techniques very deliberately. Ride with people faster than you. They will push you and be able to teach you. Try to do something new or push the limit of a skill every time you ride. Most importantly have fun.

Edited December 12, 2014 by bigbird192

[philfell]

IMHO, the best combination for being a fast guy is natural talent, a certain level of fearlessness, desire and work ethic. Natural talent can't be learned. Fearlessness it's another inherent quality, more or less. So, all you are left with is desire and work ethic.

.

Well of course that is the best combo to get to the pro level, but we are talking a whip here, not the Nationals.

Most of what you listed is somewhat out of your control, although there are a few key times in your development that can have a big impact on you physical makeup.

Put your attention to the variables you can control, and stop dwelling on those that are beyond your control.

[bigbird192]

Well of course that is the best combo to get to the pro level, but we are talking a whip here, not the Nationals.

Most of what you listed is somewhat out of your control, although there are a few key times in your development that can have a big impact on you physical makeup.

Put your attention to the variables you can control, and stop dwelling on those that are beyond your control.

That is pretty much what I was attempting to say. I think we need to agree to agree on this one.

[BoxcarWilly]

One common point I seem to notice about the fast guys, they usually started riding as young kids.

Top AA rider in my series didn't touch a bike until he was 19! 

[motrock93b]

Learning to ride on bad bikes can be a real advantage.  The best rider I know once told me how he'd go to races when he was young and didn't have his own ride.  People would lend him bikes.  He said some were awful, but he learned to ride them and the process made him a better rider.  Some of my most fun days have been on my "girlfriend" bike.  It's really rewarding to put your head down and hold your own on a bike others are bagging on.  Riding a slow bike fast can really place your mind in a more aggressive mode. Conversely, riding a fast bike slow can work the other way around.  Some of my worst riding days have been on my best bike.  Obviously, it's mostly in the rider's mind.  I still suck on about every third ride, so I feel your pain.

 

I strongly suggest studying the sport.  My riding skills vastly improved once I obtained training videos and applied the information.  I learned techniques I never would have considered, and did the practice drills.  Working on one skill at a time, similar to batting practice in baseball can really improve your skills/confidence.

Edited December 12, 2014 by motrock93b

[Thinlineggman]

The best thing I ever did to improve my riding was to go trail riding with some hare scramble racers. They noticed me struggling to keep up, so they took turns riding behind me and giving pointers. I was beat by the end of the day, but I was faster and some bad habits went away.

Now I'm passing my riding buddy that was leaving me in the dust at the beginning of last spring. I did crash pretty hard last time we went riding, but I wasn't prepared for a long, steep, muddy downhill section with super deep quad ruts. Took it WFO in 3rd thinking it was an easy trail and ended up on my ass in a mud hole at the bottom after cross rutting

[RockerYZWR]

It's not fearlessness, it's the ability to control fear. And fear is relative - the better you get, the more it takes to scare you, surprise you, or make you wuss out. Me, I'm very easily startled.

[not_again]

I did crash pretty hard last time we went riding, but I wasn't prepared for a long, steep, muddy downhill section with super deep quad ruts. Took it WFO in 3rd thinking it was an easy trail and ended up on my ass in a mud hole at the bottom after cross rutting

This is EXACTLY what you should never do on an unfamiliar trail. It's a great way to hurt or kill yourself and someone else coming the other way. Go fast when you can see your path.