Middle aged fear!

[Flynall]

M'Air,

I have had many friends die or be injured by being cheap.....BTW, I will be 50 next month. I started riding dirt about 4 years ago because my 13 year old son was given a Honda trail 90 (that she bought new in 1967!) and he really show a lot of skill and judgment even on that vintage machine. So 9 bikes and over 10,000 miles on dirt... he rides a KYM 520EXCL and I spend most of my ride time on a Z/WRY250f. Both are dual sported so we can ride down the street and onto the local trail network...

So...

1. Find someone that give riding lessons for the type of riding you care to do...

2. Spend whatever it takes to ensure that your suspension is setup "perfectly" for the type of riding you plan to do.

3. Keep fresh tires on your bike, especially the front!

4. Take all of the above and put it to use by spending as much time as you possibly can on the bike.

5. Don't take the bait when someone you are riding tries to turn your ride into a race.....let them go....

6. We practice alot of difficult single track that is more like trials riding than racing. It teaches balance and confidence when thing get really technical.

7. Practice all the basic skills, braking (front and rear), cornering, plus throttle and clutch control.

8. Take more lessons as you progress. It will make you safer, more confident and save you money in the long run.

RH

[timothypg]

i hear ya.i'am 41 now, used to ride an xr500. that little cliff you were talking about. ya lean back and gas it, that is what i did pre broken legs x3 and a tore up knee. i still ride but stear clear of cliffs nowadays. still haveing fun with no trips to the hospital.

[Trailryder42]

I'm 48, been riding about 10 years. I understand the techniques and can most of the time implement them satisfactorily. I think the most important thing I had to learn was, once you commit to an obstacle, don't ever give up until you're thru it. If you get stopped before then, be sure it's not because you quit in the middle of it. That uses more of your own energy and wears you out so fast, having to manhandle the bike around. And then you start making lots of mistakes and then, it's been my experience, you have a greater chance of hurting yourself. Clearing the obstacle, whether it be a hill, downed tree, etc., may not be pretty, but then that's not the object. You scope out your line, plan an attack, see its implementation in your mind, then hang on, pay attention to power delivery, be aggressive and dab when you need to.

Sure I've been hurt. This is an extreme sport. I'll tell you tho, of every group ride I've been on, there's always someone willing to ride your bike for you thru an obstacle if you're uncomfortable with trying it. No shame.

[941MXVET]

Thanks for bringing one of the most interesting threads back to the front page! Just glad we have the Vet class!!!

[RALLICTZ]

HAve always had a problem in the deep sand,OR SAND PERIOD/ANY AMOUNT IT SEEMS LIKE.used to ride 250 yamaha yz and still wasnt the greatest in the sand WITH THAT,now am on a XT350 yamaha for the practicality of getting to work and TO the trails and now have an even rougher time in the sand.Should I drop the front air pressure?always feels like the front end is washing out(taking me all over when in the sand)It is no yz,definately a compromise but love the bike.New tires also-any sUggestions or good articles pertaining to riding in sand?thanks,RALLICTZ

[Dwight_Rudder]

HAve always had a problem in the deep sand,OR SAND PERIOD/ANY AMOUNT IT SEEMS LIKE.used to ride 250 yamaha yz and still wasnt the greatest in the sand WITH THAT,now am on a XT350 yamaha for the practicality of getting to work and TO the trails and now have an even rougher time in the sand.Should I drop the front air pressure?always feels like the front end is washing out(taking me all over when in the sand)It is no yz,definately a compromise but love the bike.New tires also-any sUggestions or good articles pertaining to riding in sand?thanks,RALLICTZ

YOu need about 12 to 14psi in front tire and the same on rear. I usually run the same or 1 psi more on front.

Weight back and steer with throttle. You shut off throttle and the front end will plow.

Dwight

[harjp1959]

It's been a couple of months now that I've been hitting the dirt with my DRZ. I'm beginning to appreciate that having a light bike would be nice, but for now I'm going to stick with my big fat pig.

Johnny Welch's "dissertation" was excellent. I find that my attitude is everything. When I'm fresh, relaxed, and following a good rider, I ride really well over some tough terrain. When I get tired and start to doubt -- and whenever I start fixating on the ground or my front wheel I KNOW I'm in trouble -- I end up falling. I have to constantly force myself to look beyond the stuff I'm riding over and ahead to where I want to go. When I do this, the stuff that "scares" me is gone and behind me before I know it.

One of the things I've realized is that there is no substitute for time "in the saddle", which is something I've heard a lot of rider on here say. I've found a "jeep road" that's 25 miles long and has a lot of tricky sections and sharp turns which I'm going to use as a "workout" for the next several months. I'm just going to keep riding that sucker till it's a piece of cake. I've actually been out of some advanced trails with good riders and held my own -- for about 15 or 20 miles, after which I'm exhausted. I'm going to back away from that kind of riding for a little while until I'm stronger and have more time on dirt.

One advice I've neglected to follow is what Phreak and others have said is the FIRST thing to do: set up your suspension properly. For some reason I believed the stock suspension was fine, I guess because I had nothing to compare it to. I've finally come to my senses and have a pair of .48 kg springs from Cannon Racing and a .57 shock that will go on the bike this weekend. I can't wait to find how just how right everyone is on this. I mean, I'm looking forward to having a bike that's easier to handle. I also put some real tires on the bike: a Kendra TracMaster II up front and a sick Tera-Flex II 150 on the rear.

I'll be 46 tomorrow and I've never done anything as fun, rewarding, and ocassionally scary as riding off-road.

Here's a piece of wisdom from someone who's been riding for 2 months: when you're buzzing along a dirt road cut into the side of a mountain and you come to a sharp turn with a pure, naked 300 ft. drop off into a ravine filled with cactii and boulders, do NOT stare hypnotically at the empty space in front of you while imagining you and your bike falling to your respective deaths.

[ian crozier]

know the feeling my first dirt bike was a xr600r my mates were good and pushed me a little but let me go at my own pace and i learned. even 40 year old bones are harder to break than you think. just got a new klx400 and have never enjoyed riding so much. hang in and try to master one skill at a time. see each success as a trophy to be enjoyed. above all have fun and as long as you get home you can tell any story you want. every one else does

[Davet916]

RALLICTZ,

I read years ago that if you wiggle the bars a little while in sand that it breaks down the ridge in front and walls on the side, and makes it easier for the bike to move forward. Theory is the track is now wider than the tire.

I don't know if this is true or not 'cause I don't ride in sand and avoid it like the plague. I HATE SAND!

Dave

[mickey9]

well what can i say except i know what you mean,i just bought a wr426 my first off roader for 20 years my last was a yamaha dt 175 twin shock i`m 41 now and my first two rides nearly killed me although i only came off twice and soon got back into it i ached for days after but it was worth it to be out on the mountains again i can`t wait untill tomorrow:)

[BergArabia]

I am 49. I bought a 98 Husaberg FE600 1 year ago almost exactly and rode it a bit in the desert around here. I bought a new 05 YZ450F about 3 months ago.

First time I ever did a wheely or jumped a bike was when I was 20 years old and that was on my brother's Elsignor 250.. And I haven't ridden off road since then so I am pretty much like a start again newbie. I put a paddle tire on my YZ and now I do wheelies all the time only problem is I am not trying to do a wheely I am just trying to get up that sand hill..

But hey it is great fun and I love it.

Falling off. Well I go out weekly and usually the scenario is I ride around have a bit of fun for a couple of hours then think to myself wow this is easy I better try something a bit harder. Then I fall off..

I have every piece of protective clothing that I can buy and my wife says I look like Robocop. But I haven't hurt myself yet.

I commute on a bicycle to try and keep fit. I keep promising myself a big fitness program but I do get one hour of cycling daily at least.

It is great to hear from other older riders especially older newbies like me. Keep it up guys.. this truly is a fantastic and fun sport..

[scottmotox]

i hope i feel that way when i'm that age

[yz400fl1]

I rode a YZ400c back in the 70's but stopped riding in 80. Now at 54 I bought a 450 EXC to ride with my son and his 525EXC. I was pretty good back in the 70's but time has taken away my endurance and the fear of falling takes away more. The last time out I had to stop fast and missed the rear brake with my tech 8's so only hit the front and went down so fast I was down before I could blink. The high seat and stiff boots are not my friends yet. I will not give up till I get hurt bad. The bikes are great. I wish I would have never stopped riding. I guess I am just a little bummed about my lost ability. I hate to think that roads and easy trails are all thats left for me. Steve, Matt's dad.

[Knobbydude]

I raced pretty constantly until 2003, mostly enduros and hare scrambles. In '03, I endoed bigtime when I hit a stump in tall grass while tapped out in 4th. I was able to get up, get the bike going and finish the event, but it drove home the realization that I am nowhere near as good or as bulletproof as I used to think I was. I also have a wife, a daughter, and a mortgage, so I have scaled back to trailriding. I don't take near the chances I used to.

Nevertheless, dirt bikes will always be a part of my life. And like several posters have said, it's attitude more than anythong, added to that the school of hard knocks. A good friend of mine, when he hears someone complaining about how hard it is, how sore they are, it's too hot, it's too cold, it's too wet, et cetera, will say "Time to sell that and put the money into an aquarium".?

[yz400fl1]

One of the reasons I refuse to to stop riding is that at a meeting at work I looked around the room at my co-workers, also my age, and realized that most fo them had no life other that work. That's not for me. I will ride even if it is easy open desert. I will not allow myself to have a life that is work, mow yard, watch TV, and sleep. I am not as good as I was but I can still do it and that is more than I can say for a lot of guys my age. Riding gives me a reason to stay in shape. My kids are grown, wife is gone, and I have over 300 days of sick time to heal. I will stop someday, but untill then I can say I ride open desert making more memories that will last forever. Steve.

[MilleonAir]

When I started this thread, I was wondering if there were 2 or 3 people out there like me - 8 pages later and I'm thinking I'm not alone in balancing self-preservation with fun.

I just bought a KTM 200EXC and that's changed my world. I was seriously worried that I was buying a bike that I'd have to ride hard and take big risks on just to get up a hill but I was so wrong. It's got quite a lot of low-end power but just enough to encourage me to give it a little more without doing anything dangerous. Plus, it's so damn light i have to work half as hard as I did on the DRZ and I don't crash through fatigue any more.

I've just done an enduro and a hare scramble in the last two weekends and the KTM purred round the course, up hills and down. Weirdly, I was expecting to find the KTM scary on downhills but it's like riding a mountain bike downhill - pick your line and roll through it.

I'm commuting on the DRZ on 17" rims and loving it, plus I can always throw the dirt wheels back in if I want some 4-stroke dirt action again.

Cheers

Ian

[safety]

Ian,

I started riding this year, I'm 39 and I just did myself in, in an Enduro. But what little I do and what little I learn, I get better. I'm no quitter and you sound like no quitter as well. If I get to 60 years old and never finish an enduro, who cares, I love the sport more than I need to win. Pace yourself and have fun. I've faced it, I'm too old to be an MX'er or a pro Enduro guy, but it doesn't prevent me from having a good time every once and a while.

Remember, a winner NEVER quits and a QUITTER never wins. You determine what constitutes a WIN!

[nurooi]

Hi All,

I must say after reading all these postings I am relieved. I thought I was starting a mid life crisis or something. I have played golf all my life "every Saturday for the last 18 years almost" Last year I bought a CRF230F "for fun" with the theory that I would ride with the kids. Well I have know progressed to a WRF450. We do not get instructional videos where I am from so any links to useful sites other than these forums would be of great value. Its all about trial and error and where you think the limit is. I am now 38 and I can honestly say that with all the potential to hurt yourself I far prefer this to any other "sport" I have played or done. I guess for me it is the fact that once I am on the bike all the work / family pressures disappear for the length of the ride.

Thanks for some great postings

Nurooi

[Slowmotion426]

Nur,

What's going on in Zimbabwe? Is President Mugabe still in power?

[Johny Welch]

A few buds and I rode yesterday with a guy named Jerry who just happens to be 69 years old. He got around just fine, and considerably better than some guys less than 1/2 his age. And these were no easy trails either. Lots and lots of very tight and technical spots with plenty that left no room for mistakes. I was definitely impressed. He didn't go fast, but he surely wasn't slow either. Sure and steady is more the way to describe it. (Much the same way as how I try to ride.)

The only reason that I even mention it in this thread is as an example of what's possible. I hope that I make it to that age at all, let alone still being able to ride competently. Rock on Jerry! Here's to you continuing to ride into your 70s and beyond.