Fear after 30

MX265

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Jan 29, 2001
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Back when I was 17, I would jump anything, hold it WFO till the last minute, knock someone out of a berm without a second thought. I was clearing triples and flying through whoops with the front end flying high. I got my bike stolen when I was 18, so I have been without a bike until this year. I turned 30 last november. I look at all the jumps at the tracks and think, "They're not to bad. Should'nt take but a quick blip of the throttle in 3rd to clear these." Well, when I get up to them while I'm on the bike, the Fear Factor thing kicks in. Why is it so different now than it was back then? I am not used to dealing with this Fear Factor thing. My wife often reminds me, that I am not 17 anymore. But man I never thought that Fear would kick in after thirty! I thought maybe another 20 or 30 years it might, but not now! I guess I am going to have to find a way to overcome Fear after 30! :( Any one else have this problem????

Andy
 

BSWIFT

Sponsoring Member
N. Texas SP
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Nov 25, 1999
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Fear Factor or .....

I would call it the realization that you are not 10 feet tall and bullet proof. After your married and have a job and a family suddenly you take your risks a bit more seriously. Dare I say, Maturity?! This next spring I will be 21 with 19 years experience so I can definitely relate.
 

spanky250

Mod Ban
Dec 10, 2000
1,490
1
Wive's, mortgages, car payments, children...all these things have a way of making you think twice about doing something you wouldn't have hesitated to do when you were a teenager. I certainly ride much more conservatively now, because it would be a severe hardship to my family if I were seriously injured. I also have disability insurance, something everyone in this sport should have.
 

MX265

Sponsoring Member
Jan 29, 2001
238
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Reading some of these replies certainly helps. I went riding this weekend at Riverview here in GA. I watched this kid clear this triple every lap.I would double the first two every now and then. I thought a set of cohones had gone missing somewhere. I guess not, they are just hiding behind this protective barrier called fear and rational. I'll have to find a way to deal with it.
 

XRpredator

AssClown SuperPowers
Damn Yankees
Aug 2, 2000
13,510
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Re: Fear Factor or .....

Originally posted by BSWIFT
I would call it the realization that you are not 10 feet tall and bullet proof.
It only takes me a six-pack and a couple swigs of Ta-Kill-Ya, then I'm back in that mode!:p

Luckily, I've sense enough to not ride my motorcycle in that condition.:)

Now, my quad on the other hand . . . "Hey Bubba, hold my beer!":eek:

(just kidding! sheesh!)
 

BSWIFT

Sponsoring Member
N. Texas SP
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Nov 25, 1999
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RE: hold my beer, bubba

Seems "ta-kill-ya" has that effect on many people, funny, I resemble that remark!:p
 

Jon K.

~SPONSOR~
Mar 26, 2001
1,354
4
Maybe it's not fear; maybe it's smarts!
 

blackhawk468

President of Bling
N. Texas SP
Nov 3, 2000
698
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Something that helped me is once you jump something... jump it everytime! Even if you hesitate once, next time you approach the jump you will have that hesitant feeling again and fear will kick in. So if you are going to jump something jump it everytime and go into the jump knowing that you can do it (of corse don't ride over your head).
 

mx547

Ortho doc's wet dream
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Nov 24, 2000
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what scares me the most is the thought of not being able to ride for a few weeks/months.
 

JPIVEY

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Originally posted by mx547
what scares me the most is the thought of not being able to ride for a few weeks/months.

That's my biggest worry, thing don't heal as fast anymore:( . even the old battle wounds are starting to take a toll and I haven't done thing to them:( :(
 

stormer94

~SPONSOR~
May 30, 2001
597
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I cased a double I had been making, (ironically, I thought if I slowed down a bit, I would be safer). Bruised my collar bone, bunch of ribs, collapsed some lung sacs, tore up rotator cuff, my hip and my ankle... MAN, does it hurt to cough or sneeze or just exist. I'm 37, been about 2 weeks now since the 'incident' I've had to sneeze 3 times (you know the quick violent kind). The lungs inflate fast, I'm just about to sneeze or cough and it's like somebody stabs you in the collar bone with a knife... sneeze and cough never get finished. Instead you just wheeze and let your eyes water and hack a bit like your gonna choke... and your wife looks at you like she's pretty sure she better call an ambulance...other than that, it's a good time...:scream:

I don't think it's responsibility, I think you just realize that it's not that big a deal if you jump it or not... I mean who really cares? YEP, lotsa fun to catch some big air. When you're a kid, it's the most important thing you've ever done. When you get older, you just understand things more clearly.

Another example of 'what you don't know that you don't know'... is how some of these young guys think they got game with the ladies... Now that I'm 37, I'm almost embarrassed at how little game I had. Old guys like us have experience on our side!!!! We older guys actually have game, we can feel good about that, knowing these young 'triple making, no talent between the sheets, young bucks' are actually gameless when they aren't on the track... :)
 

Vic

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As the size of the intellect increases, the size of the gonads decrease proportionately :eek:. It's a scientific fact :D.Cheer up. Gain always comes as a result of sacrifice. :)
 

MikeT

~SPONSOR~
Jan 17, 2001
4,112
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MX, When it comes to riding I think it's better to ride another day then to risk not riding ever again. That is probably why you don't want to do that 60 foot double. You simply want to be able to come back and ride another day.....we all do.
 

KXKen

Member
Jan 6, 2001
535
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To me the ideal ride is when you feel like you've stepped it up a notch (I have many notches to go) and still walk away thinking that you didn't ride over your head. All in all I have to agree it's much better to walk away not doing that double (that you wheren't all that confident about) than making a trip to the hospital and risking all the things that have already been mentioned here.
 

XRpredator

AssClown SuperPowers
Damn Yankees
Aug 2, 2000
13,510
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Originally posted by mx547
what scares me the most is the thought of not being able to ride for a few weeks/months.
What scares me is that I may not be able to get out of bed the next morning!:eek:

I got mouths to feed, I don't need to be laid up so I can't work.
 

KawieKX125

~SPONSOR~
Oct 9, 2000
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Maybe it's not fear; maybe it's smarts!

Bingo!!! I don't look at the fear of jumping as being a wuss, but a way of preserving my well being.
I know I can jump, I am confident, but I stay away from the 70foot+ doubles for fear of getting permanently hurt.

If it is true fear though, confidence will only come with skill. Take it as a good thing. Your mind is automatically stopping you from jumping because you subconsciously(spelling?) know that you would not be able to make. When you have the skill, you will have the confidence to jump. All of a sudden it clicked for me and I had little fear of all but the biggest jumps.

BTW, I am glad I am 16. It sometimes sounds depressing to be old!:confused: :p
 

Strick

LIFETIME SPONSOR
Nov 8, 1999
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Built in Governor

I hate the fact that I back off more than I 'hang it out'. It is like I now have a 'built-in governor. Jumping, forget about it! If I jump more than 20', it was an accident!:(
 

holeshot

Crazy Russian
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Jan 25, 2000
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thirty?

.
When I go to the track, all the thirty year olds look like kids.:silly:
 

XRpredator

AssClown SuperPowers
Damn Yankees
Aug 2, 2000
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Cripes, Professor Gunby! I'd had 4 bikes before Aaron was born!:eek:

And he was 2 when I got out of high school!:scream:

Man, sometimes I really feel old!:silly: And I'm still not as old as a lot of the geezers on this site!
 

Rich Rohrich

Moderator / BioHazard
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Jul 27, 1999
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Originally posted by XRpredator
Man, sometimes I really feel old!:silly: And I'm still not as old as a lot of the geezers on this site!

HEY WATCH IT You'll hurt Twinspar's feelings :eek:
 

Jon K.

~SPONSOR~
Mar 26, 2001
1,354
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I got boots older than Aaron. High-Points. Heck the newest BIKE I got is a 1983 model.
And yes, Aaron it IS depressing to get old, but acceptable when the alternative is considered!
 

sfc crash

Human Blowtorch
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Jun 26, 2001
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xr predator wrote about drinking ta-killa first!:( that's totally wrong and irresponsible, jim beam is before riding, everyone knows that:D i have many jumps and rappells under my belt, but was scared everytime befor, kept me honest.i'm forcing myself to go over jumps now,built a little track here at home, but with out the fear, where's the thrill. i'm 38 and do believe maturity is a part of it,but life's experiences is too. you know now how many things can hurt ya( i just set myself on fire clearing brush in my ravine to make a track, got 2d deg burns on face and arm,i'm ok) i truly believe that riding is a strickly personal thing, it's for fun. hell if ya just put around and you're having fun, then that's what it's all about right.if ya ride to be faster than the next guy then can you imagine what's gonna happen when you get yer head outta yer but and figure out you're not, no more fun.
 
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