Giving up the sport

[mrliquid]

this will be short due to the fact I'm typing with one finger.

yesterday while riding at an MX track I crashed, this was no normal crash. I'd been jumping this same 35' all day with great success, but from what people have told me is that I came up short and drilled into the face of the landing.

Bike is a little messed up as for me, I was out cold for 5 minutes and dont remember the crash at all, I also broke my helmet in two places, broke one wrist and badly sprang other wrist. Ripped left shoulder out of place and tore my right elbow. I was wearing full body under armor which still left me with one side of my back torn and burned. Both shoulders had first layer of skin torn off. My stomach has soft tissue damage and my favorite, left ass cheek has a 9" slice.

I'm 31 and I have a good paying job with 3 kids, I think it's time for me to sell my bike;)

for those that ride without armor, please go right now and buy some, because if I hadn't been wearing my gear I'd most likely be dead.

sincerely,

R.

 

[JST122]

Darn, man I am sorry to hear that. I wish you a speedy recovery it sounds like you got pretty banged up. This was only over a 35' Jump? That is some horrible carnage for such a small jump, it must have been pretty highspeed. Goodluck with your recovery.

 

[150rguy]

Dont quit. THat kinda stuff happens all the time to people. But most people dont care they just wanna ride. Just take it easy once your healed and get better then start tryin the jumps more.

 

[Okiewan]

. THat kinda stuff happens all the time to people.

Uhh... that's a LOT of damage, I guess that it doesn't "happen to people all the time", def not over a small jump like that, with full-on armor. That amount of pain sounds like a high-speed desert wad-up. If it happened that bad to me? Man, I might take that as a sign, lol. Can't bang yourself up so bad you can't provide for the family.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Matt 193]

I don't want to see you have to leave, but if it's in the best intrest of your family you should. I think that if something goes wrong I tend to try it again to overcome my fear.
Get well soon,
Matt 193

 

[oldguy]

I made the same decision 3 years ago after
DW03 blowing out knee and needing total rebuild
spring 04 came up short on a small double and busting collarbone in 2 places
DW04 first lap around track cross rutting and going over bars bruised ribs
then in fall of 05 having to have 20in of intestine removed
decided I couldn't keep getting injured and loosing work. Fortunately my son is rabid about MX and therefore I still get to enjoy it vicariously through him. Every weekend of race season I get to hang out at the track and feel the energy.
Don't sell everything off yet, give yourself time to heal before you decide and then make the decision based not only what is important for you but also for your family.
It is easy for 150rguy at almost 14 yrs old to not grasp the financial /health reasons (as he should be out there having the time of his life) that come with family responsibilities. Heal up quick

 

[Chili]

Sorry to hear you got busted up, I hope you heal up fast and completely. I rarely ride the track anymore or at all it seems, I've been planning to head out to the woods more often but it hasn't happened so far with the kid still racing.

 

[DougRoost]

Dang, that's pretty nasty all right. With a wife and 3 kids, I realized long ago that I had to do this for fun and stress relief, but I also needed to be at work the following Monday. That's why I ride woods and mostly stay off tracks. When I do hit a track, I roll anything that's not a table, even if I know I can do it, since all it takes is a minor bike malfunction or a small glitch just before takeoff. Thus, I agree with oldguy not to rush out and sell your stuff off yet, since it's not like it will be worth much less in a few months.

Heal up quick and be safe,

Doug

 

[150rguy]

I made the same decision 3 years ago after
DW03 blowing out knee and needing total rebuild
spring 04 came up short on a small double and busting collarbone in 2 places
DW04 first lap around track cross rutting and going over bars bruised ribs
then in fall of 05 having to have 20in of intestine removed
decided I couldn't keep getting injured and loosing work. Fortunately my son is rabid about MX and therefore I still get to enjoy it vicariously through him. Every weekend of race season I get to hang out at the track and feel the energy.
Don't sell everything off yet, give yourself time to heal before you decide and then make the decision based not only what is important for you but also for your family.
It is easy for 150rguy at almost 14 yrs old to not grasp the financial /health reasons (as he should be out there having the time of his life) that come with family responsibilities. Heal up quick

Im only 12 years old. I went back and re-reAD his post and I guess he got more hurt than I thought the first time I read it.guessd I should read posts more carfully ;)

 

[oldguy]

Im only 12 years old. I went back and re-reAD his post and I guess he got more hurt than I thought the first time I read it. Hueass I should read posts more carfully ;)

Not criticising you at all - see my note you should be enjoying the time of your life :cool:
I have no problems with your posts here or most any other place and now that I learn you are 12 :cool: :cool:

 

[FruDaddy]

Heal up and then do what's right for you and your family. It's good to see that your priorities are in order. You probably shouldn't sell everything off just yet though. You might later find that the decision was based on your anger about that left cheek.

 

[kawikiller]

As some of the other people said I would think about it first. You might want to just take it easy now and not ride tracks anymore. Maybe just go out and ride local trails or what not just for fun. Maybe take your kids riding? I just think that you can still ride, have fun, and be safe, and not get seriously injured if you just stick to the ground and have fun rather than push it and fly high.

 

[tnrider]

sorry to hear about your accident. i felt like selling the bikes after i was injured a few years ago - still occasionally think about it as i no longer ride with the same intensity but i still find it fun to take some limited risks... larger fear for me is that the kids still ride and with greater intensity today! they don't understand pain.

during your recovery, keep typing with one finger - this community was very helpful to me when i was injured a few years ago - giving me people to chat with that understood what it was like getting busted up having fun. i even found another rider with a similar injury on the other coast and we compared recovery for a time.

hope you are feeling better soon.

 

[lonewolf333]

That's why I ride woods and mostly stay off tracks. When I do hit a track, I roll anything that's not a table, even if I know I can do it, since all it takes is a minor bike malfunction or a small glitch just before takeoff.

this is a good suggestion. maybe if or when your kids are big enuf u can give them the bike :)

 

[fastwes]

I'm really sorry for your pain, my body remembers it all. I hope you can get control of the pain and heal well soon.

Guys, when the **** will we see the most common factor in getting hurt? It is DOUBLE jumps, or at least jumps that require timing to be precise! As Rich Daley at Dyno Port has said for years, get rid of DOUBLES! Why are we so stupid as to think MX has to have them?

 

[gwcrim]

Like they all said. Don't quit, just change your riding habits. Woods and play riding are great stress relievers. Get your kids involved. You'll be surprised how much it improves your family relationships.

 

[Philip]

Sorry to hear. Hope you heal up soon and I totally understand the finacial thing. I went through the same thing a year ago. I hurt my back at work (still getting therapy) and had to learn to walk all over again. I blew out L4-L5 and L5-S1. It made me realize from the pain I was in that if I hurt myself this bad riding I might be out of a job. We sold my sons bike b/c he is growing like a weed and had mine for sale. I had a guy ready to buy and he backed out at the last minute and I am glad. I have since learned that I can ride and take it easy and still enjoy myself. My friends think if you can't ride like a 20 yr. old its not worth it, but I disagree. I have recently realized that riding with my son is what gives me the most joy and not flying over a tabletop pinned. So for now we share my bike and he rides like a 14 yr. old and I ride like a 40 yr. old. Even with the damage in my back I can still have a good time and I don't have to give up the sport that I love so much. I am not trying to sway your decision, every man HAS to do what right for HIS family. Hope you get better!! :cool:

 

[mx547]

ask yourself this question, "will i be happy without riding?"

your answer will tell you what to do.

 

[squeaky]

I'm very, very sorry to hear about your injuries and I wish you the speediest of recoveries.

Like others have said - don't sell off right away. Wait until you heal and see how you feel after that. Play riding is always fun - I stay away from tracks at all costs, they scare me!

Good luck in the future!

 

[Tony Eeds]

ask yourself this question, "will i be happy without riding?"

your answer will tell you what to do.

Good point Jay.

I tore up my foot at DW02 and lost a good bit of income (self employed) as a result.

It slowed me down and I ride mostly dual sport now although a good run through the woods still gets me excited. I do not ride tracks as they are not designed with safety in mind. Even tabletops can be dangerous if the lip is messed up. I never learned to jump anyway, we learned to fly.

As others said, don't sell everything immediately. Wait until you are healed up.

You have your head on straight, thinking of family first. Trust your instincts.

Also, update us on your decision.

 

[kawikiller]

Like they all said. Don't quit, just change your riding habits. Woods and play riding are great stress relievers. Get your kids involved. You'll be surprised how much it improves your family relationships.

thats true. I havnt talked to my dad in years. I emailed him thinking it would be cool for me and him to go riding together. Borrow some of my buddies bikes and we could all go. I emailed him with the idea, but he never responded :| but it would have been fun.

 

[Matt 193]

Whatever your choice good luck and do whats best for you and your family not others.

 

[FruDaddy]

thats true. I havnt talked to my dad in years. I emailed him thinking it would be cool for me and him to go riding together. Borrow some of my buddies bikes and we could all go. I emailed him with the idea, but he never responded :| but it would have been fun.

I don't want to threadjack, so don't reply to this, but why not call him? An email is not the best way to rekindle a relationship, for starters, you can't be sure he got it. Pick up the phone, or drop by, it will mean a lot more to both of you.

 

[medwaste]

Sorry to hear of your crash and injuries. Take care of yourself and you will take care of your family. I put my roadbike away 23 yrs. ago to raise my kids, never had a doubt about that decision. Took up riding again last year, in the dirt. Enjoyed a season of unbelievably challenging and exhilarating experiences. Better late than never. Good luck to you.

 

[mrliquid]

Update

Got a called from the hospital yesterday telling me they found something in one of my lungs (a small mass) and they needed me to return asap to see a specialist. I’m a little worried and hoping that it’s only scare tissue from bad on set of pneumonia I had 4 years ago. I’ll keep everyone updated