Is it time to retire my Jersey?

[dirtbikedad]

This weekend I collected the second serious injury this summer. A broken scaphoid in my left wrist on Memorial Day and on Labor Day, a broke shoulder and torn rotator cuff. I rode for 35 years before this without any injuries worse than bumped knees and scrapes. The only significant difference this year is a new WR400F.

I'm 44 now, should I retire to the golf course?

 

[Fleshwound]

No.

I wouldnt want to see a man with so much experience in riding give it up. I would say go to a smaller, and slower bike maybe stick to slower riding, and not out there wiping guys like me on the weekends. just my 2 cents.

 

[VintageDirt]

You should do what Malcolm Smiths said, "ride your age." I know it's hard to accept, but injuries are worse and heal slower when you get long in the tooth. Sad but true. If you want to keep riding, ya gotta ride smarter and humble yourself when it's hard to be humble.

Sorry.:)

 

[fatty_k]

My dad is 45 and he still rides even with really bad shoulders and knees and other joints. He just bought a xr 250 a year ago and he says its the perfect bike for him. He just takes it fairly easy these days. Stick with it:)

 

[mx547]

my recommendation: don't ride on holidays.:D

 

[Okiewan]

Leave it to an Okie to express the logic.... :)
MX547 hit it.

But hey, ride at a level that gives you the rush you need :) ... not the rush you needed 20 years ago. You'd be surprised, you'll still spank a bunch of the young ones :)

 

[Jaybird]

I think Malcom Smith too rode for nearly 40 years before he broke anything.

Get well soon, dad!

 

[Senior KX Rider]

You should do what Malcolm Smiths said, "ride your age." I know it's hard to accept, but injuries are worse and heal slower when you get long in the tooth. Sad but true. If you want to keep riding, ya gotta ride smarter and humble yourself when it's hard to be humble

Words of wisdom from Vintage Dirt. You don't need to give it up, just adjust your speed and riding style to fit the age. It is something most of us over 40 guys have had to do. Good luck. :)

 

[RM_guy]

Keep riding!

These guys are right. You don’t have to ride on the edge to be having fun. Remember, youth has nothing over age and treachery :p

 

[Vic]

Don't stop riding, just stop crashing. :)

I know how you feel (sort of). The worst injuries I've had on a dirt bike have come in the last few years. Torn ligaments in my thumb and strained (stretched?:think) ligaments in my shoulder. I'm almost 41 and have been riding since I was nine (with a 15 year hiatus:) ) and have not yet broken a bone riding, but I'm not completely comfortable talking about it:eek: .
I agree with taking it down a couple notches, but I must admit that if I were in yor boots, I would probably also be thinking about giving it up. The problem is, in a few years, when you're all healed, you'll be back. Then, you'll have to start all over again.:cool:

 

[84XRGuy]

Your WAY too young to give it up:)

Last year I was being pushed down the trail by a rider on a KDX, I blew a corner and he passed. We took turns leading all the way back to the staging area where I found out that he was in his mid 60's :scream:

Here I thought I was getting too old at 38, but with any luck, I'll still be enjoying this sport for many years to come. Sure I have slowed some but I enjoy riding too much to hang it up completly.

I just live vicariously through my son:p

 

[XRpredator]

Originally posted by VintageDirt
You should do what Malcolm Smith said, "ride your age."

Can I ride older than my age?:confused:

I've been slow my whole life, but I still seem to get injured. :think I'm pretty sure I don't ride over my head, so I usually blame it on the bike. ;) Maybe that's what I need to do to convince my little buttercup that I need a new one! :cool:

 

[380EXCman]

Oh man..... You gotta stay on the bike..........

Do what you heart says.......

 

[JPIVEY]

Originally posted by dirtbikedad

I'm 44 now, should I retire to the golf course?

I've been riding since I was 13, I have never broke a bone but have manage to put body parts at some pretty wierd angles. I will be 48 next month and just treated myself to a 520 mxc,so I have not slowed down that much, just ride alittle smarted.

So don't retire anything just ride smarter, you'll have more fun and I bet you'll still be faster than half the field, which is not to bad for an old fart

BTW, we flip a golf cart last week and my partner broke his finger, next time I'm taking my Helmet.

 

[txvintage]

I have recently had these same thoughts, evil as they may be. I'm recoveing from shoulder surgery as a result from a less than perfect landing, errrr crash.:think

Having had back, a knee, and now shoulder surgery in the last three years I had to ask myself the same question. My answer, "Hell No!"

I am, however, basically done w8ith anything other than the ultra slow vintage "competition" ride. Put an orange triangle on my back and call me slow moving traffic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :confused:

 

[JPIVEY]

Besides, Okie hasn't finished the GolfCartRider.NET site yet

 

[MxKid512]

I say keep riding. Just ride smart and most importantly, have fun!:cool:

 

[yzguy15]

Yea, sure, retire your jersey. Just make sure you buy a new one :silly:

 

[cr250john]

Don't give it up

I had two hard crashes last year and thought the same as you.
I'm 49 and didn't break anything in those crashes but I swear one of them felt like it should have. Rehab took care of the shoulder problems.

I ride with my two sons (12 & 14 years old) and we always have fun riding together. Since last year (when I bought my '00 CR250) I have learned MUCH better bike control.

Riding is TOO much fun. Turn it down a notch. We have bills to pay and a family to keep but you can still have a good time riding.

Heal quickly.
Good Luck riding!

 

[Patman]

Maybe do as most have said and turn down the volume a little, I know I have and while it's hard let a challenge go it only hurts for a shot time while bronken pieces of me hurt much longer.

Still looking for some competition? Trials. (it's cooler than most people think):cool:

 

[berm buster]

Its not time to retire

Hey, dirtbike dad

Its not time to retire, its time to "ride smart" that can mean a lot of things
to differnet people. What I mean is this. Last year I crashed bad on a double
totally incorrect landing, but lets not talk about that now!.

Every since that crash, I tend to really look at the track, especially the jumps
I look at the takeoff ramp, the angle of the landing face, does it have a lip,
is the landing a tabletop or a sloped landing face. In other words, I just
analyze the jump until I have figured out everything I need to successfully
complete and land safely.

If its a new track, that I havent seen before, I will watch some of the other
riders very closely, to watch their approach speed, what gear, what part of
the power band, body position before, during, and on the landing.

The thing about jumping doubles or triples is this, your either really jumping
it, or you are rolling it. You really cant do half of this and half of that, I have
already tried, it does not work! Thats a great way to get hurt or severely
injured, because you are not carrying enough speed to safely jump.

Any way, just wanted to give you a little different perspective on another
members experiences. But dont give up riding, before you even THINK about
that, just remember, that practically every body on this site has had those
exact same thoughts, AFTER they crash!
Dont give up, we hate to lose anybody that way, just ride "smarter"
Have fun and ride within your abilities.

bermbuster:cool:

 

[Rattletrap'83CR480]

I'm just on the short side of 40 and have just recovered from a painful hip injury. It took months, and I thought that maybe I could not hack it anymore. I had never taken this long to heal from any other injury. But now I'm "All Better" and I can't wait for a little bit of rain to soak the ground so that I can go tear it up again (am I crazy? Hell yes!). I look forward to getting back up on that old horse and beating it, instead of it beating me. Heal fast and get back up on that horse.;)

 

[spanky250]

Originally posted by dirtbikedad
I'm 44 now, should I retire to the golf course?

They might take offense to that WR 400 ripping up the greens...:confused:

I'm not quite in my 40s yet, but there does come a time when you simply have to turn it down a notch or two, especially after the kids and mortgages enter the picture. I don't blast through terrain like I did when I was a teenager, but I still ride a quick enough pace to have fun, and riding a little slower doesn't take any of the enjoyment away from doing something you love.

 

[70 marlin]

My god I'm a 100?

at least that what spudric's say I ride like© XR250 man I hope I never get that old© keep your hot $%%#@ bike just don't twist that right grip so far©

 

[smilinicon]

I could relate to your situation - briefly - I had the same thoughts for a few minutes after breaking my first bone at 40 (shoulder). I love it too much to stop and riding again gives me the focus to do what many cannot do... stay in shape. Quitting riding may be the easiest thing in the world to do now, but good things are worth working for, so keep working at it.

P.S. the same time I was hurt, a friend-of-a-friend was hit in the head with a golfball and was in the I.C.U. for three days.