Riding while old

[Red 250]

I have been back at riding for about 7 months. After an almost 30 year layoff. I am 50 this year. I ride mostly woods but on a track once in a while. My problem is basically I feel I am not connecting like I should be. I have improved but a just feel like I have lost a step. And I want to regain that feeling of confidence that I had when I was young and just went balls out all the time. I never fell back then or if I did I just dont remember getting hurt a lot LOL.
I ride with my nephew who is 20 and a good rider very fast and just bombs through a lot of stuff that seems to give me trouble.
I just feel as if I am very unbalanced sometimes like I'm not really connected with what the bike is doing.
Any suggestions with ways to help?? I love the sport and really enjoy the time I get to spend with my nephew. We have a great time and I don't want to have to stop just because I fall now and again. But I don't like getting hurt either LOL
I have already broken my arm right below the wrist( both bones 5 months ago) and this past weekend I fell hard coming down a steep incline. No major damage but I got some good trail rash that is pretty painful. And I hit my hip pretty hard so there a big bruise as well. I use my riding gear every time I ride. So even though my skin in still on the trail no broken bones or anything serious.
Any help with things I can do mentally as well as physically to improve my riding so I can feel confident again would be great
Thanks............................Red

 

[Daf]

Hi Red,

Same deal here. As a kid I rode balls to the wall, now in my 2nd incarnation as a rider - with a similar 20+ year layoff - I find that the biggest difference is this.

At some age - between 20 - 50 I came to the realization that I'm, in fact, mortal! And with that realization came that nagging new voice in the my head - caution.

Daf

 

[Red 250]

Hi Red,

Same deal here. As a kid I rode balls to the wall, now in my 2nd incarnation as a rider - with a similar 20+ year layoff - I find that the biggest difference is this.

At some age - between 20 - 50 I came to the realization that I'm, in fact, mortal! And with that realization came that nagging new voice in the my head - caution.

Daf

Rofl I was afraid you would say that ...
yeah I just cant put my finger on what it is that just makes it harder to become more comfortable while riding.. I have always been very competitive and so when I see myself not being able to do the things I did as a kid it doesn't make it any easier.. Thanks for the input.... Oh by the way I hate that voice....

 

[XRpredator]

I've heard of this phenomenon. I experience it myself. I was recently informed tha the way you roll the jumps nowadays instead of flying across the 40 foot chasm has been termed "The Mortgage Roll".

Don't feel bad. At least you're riding and not just sitting on the couch.

 

[Red 250]

I've heard of this phenomenon. I experience it myself. I was recently informed tha the way you roll the jumps nowadays instead of flying across the 40 foot chasm has been termed "The Mortgage Roll".

Don't feel bad. At least you're riding and not just sitting on the couch.

LOL "The Mortgage Roll"......better than the roll over my belt. I have no plans to give up riding I just was hoping that there would be a magic pill or something ..... Thanks again all for your responses.............................Red

 

[dirt bike dave]

After a long lay off, I think you need to gradually rebuild your confidence.

IMO, riding with the 20 year old nephew could be hurting your confidence. Take the pressure off yourself and find some slower guys to ride with until you get comfortable again. Then it will be easier to keep up with the faster guys.

Also, proper set up of the bike FOR YOU is critical to feeling comfortable. Trusting the bike to to what you want it to is key.

Something as small as too much air pressure in the tires or the wrong tires for conditions can lead to not trusting the bike's handling. When the bike is not set up well for you, you will ride tense, make mistakes, etc....

Proper suspension set up is vital. If you have been out of action for 30 years, you have probably never set up a modern bike. I would highly recommend doing some research on suspension. Or maybe find an experienced riding partner that can really help you dial in your bike for the area you ride.

 

[Ol'89r]

Prepare for the crash.

Crashing is part of riding Red. Prepare your body before you crash. Buy and wear all of the protective gear that you can afford. It's amazing how hard an old body can hit the dirt and get up and ride away when you are wearing all the right stuff. I've got a few years on you and I wear a good helmet, neck roll, chest protector, elbow and forearm guards, gloves, knee braces and good boots. I usually have to take a nap after putting all of that stuff on but it pays for itself when you do hit the dirt. :nod:

Also, warm your body up before riding. Do stretching exercises before riding. This will help keep you from pulling muscles and tearing ligaments when you do crash. Makes you much more limber and less likely to break or tear something and you won't get as tired either.

Take it slow and easy at first until you gain your confidence back. It takes a long time to gain confidence and only one bad crash to lose it. When riding with the youngsters, use your head instead of your throttle hand. Remember, old age and treachery beats youth and exuberance.

Like Daf and Pred said, we have other things to think about when we grow older. Things like getting up and going to work on mondays and paying the house payment. When we are young these things don't even enter our minds. Listen to that voice. It will help you to see the age of 51. :cool:

 

[mx547]

your physical limitations at your advanced age (i'm 49 also) greatly slow you down too. don't deceive yourself into thinking that you can do what you once could.

 

[Red 250]

After a long lay off, I think you need to gradually rebuild your confidence.

IMO, riding with the 20 year old nephew could be hurting your confidence. Take the pressure off yourself and find some slower guys to ride with until you get comfortable again. Then it will be easier to keep up with the faster guys.

Also, proper set up of the bike FOR YOU is critical to feeling comfortable. Trusting the bike to to what you want it to is key.

Something as small as too much air pressure in the tires or the wrong tires for conditions can lead to not trusting the bike's handling. When the bike is not set up well for you, you will ride tense, make mistakes, etc....

Proper suspension set up is vital. If you have been out of action for 30 years, you have probably never set up a modern bike. I would highly recommend doing some research on suspension. Or maybe find an experienced riding partner that can really help you dial in your bike for the area you ride.

Great advice I have been planning to have the bike set up for me . It just wasn't on the front burner yet... LOL I don't really try to keep up with my nephew I know he is faster and a better rider. So I just try to take my own pace and leave him blow through the fast sections. Thanks
Ol'89r I do have most of the equipment I need. I do want to get elbow and knee protection. But I dont want to feel like a storm trooper or lose mobility while riding either. Have you noticed any issues with that with your gear??
mx547 I am learning I will never have what I used to but I don't want to hold my riding partners up either. I would love to find some other old guys around but by the time they get my age they are either "Hen pecked" or feel they are too old to ride. Very few of us old guys are independent enough to decide for our selves that we want to ride. I also worry that any new guys I hook up with will think I'm slow too. Then I wont have any excuses that my riding partners are faster than me........ Thanks everyone for the input......................Red

 

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

You did not get fast overnight before did you? It has never been proven that old guys are fast. 2 biggest issues, blasting the whoops and jumps. It will come, to some degree.

 

[_JOE_]

I only took 10 years off and it still felt new the first few rides. I spent the first season with my new bike getting it all set up and getting used to the handling and power delivery, which is way different than the 92 rm125 I grew up on. I was really scared to push it as I had 1 year old twins at home and a mortgage to pay. I spent the season in the woods for the most part, a little jumping. Over the winter I picked up some AFLAC disability insurance to cover my arse if I break a leg or something and went over the bike really well. That helped me get comfortable pushing it a bit. If you can get some peace of mind that your responsible adult life won't fall apart if you get hurt and can't work and can get the bike setup to do what you want all that's left is the confidence. I have found that my bike will do almost anything I ask it to as long as I commit to it. A great example is ruts. If you go in thinking "oh man I'm gonna eat it hard", you probly will. If you go in thinking " I can't wait to blast through this section so I can hit that sweet loamy corner up there", and put the hammer down you'll be surprised how well a modern bike can go through some of this crap!

As for the physical part of riding at 50, I can't help ya there, but I sure do get sore.

 

[Red 250]

You did not get fast overnight before did you? It has never been proven that old guys are fast. 2 biggest issues, blasting the whoops and jumps. It will come, to some degree.

No I didn't get fast overnight before but it just came naturally. So when it hasn't come so easily this time I have became a bit worried that it wont. I don't expect to become the next big thing. I just want to feel as if I am improving and riding safer and smarter as well as faster..

 

[robwbright]

I'm a "youngun" here at age 36, but I've been back to riding for 3 years after a 15 year layoff.

I could certainly ride faster than I do, but I don't like hitting the ground - and my wife and child (and my boss) don't like it when I hit the ground, either.

It sucks to be racing at 36 against 17 year olds, but you just kind of have to deal with the fact that they're usually going to beat you - even if you might be a better technical rider. The 17 year olds are also going to recover much quicker from injuries.

Having broken my wrist without even crashing (fork problem and my first serious injury in 30 years of playing sports) I discovered that I'd rather be on the bike at 80-90% of my potential speed than in a cast for weeks or months after riding at 100% speed.

And I always seem to land "nose high" since the wrist problem. Even with Flex bars, I haven't been able to stop the subconscious over-compensation.

At the county fair race Saturday, there was a jump - sort of a double-double or triple-single with the second and third jumps being progressively higher than the take off. (See pic link below - the guy on the right of the pic in the background is standing on the take off). I didn't step it off, but I'd guess it was 65 feet from take off to landing on the third jump. 20 years ago there's no question I'd have went for it. I didn't even think about it seriously on Saturday. I could have made it, but it's not worth the risk to me.

While I really enjoy racing, I'm getting to the point where I prefer to just go to the track for open practice and ride for 3-4 hours. I can get 2 hours of seat time in 4 hours of practice, but at the race I get 40 minutes of seat time in 6+ hours - and the racing costs 2-3 times as much.

Here are several other pics from the race. My results were terrible. Oh well. . .

Also check out these two pics from the race a month ago. . . A guy ran into me in the first corner and I had to pick up the bike and ride off the track before coming back on.

 

[jim f.]

When I ride with some one who is slower I feel like I am 30 again. But when I ride with someone faster I feel like I am riding over my head and then I fall.

 

[autodoc345]

to give you a little hope or despair depending on how you look at this, I have recently gone riding with "chainsaw bob" he took up riding 5 years ago at the age of 65 years young, our first ride he said he wasn't very fast but would go most places, well fast is different depending on your brain, everywhere we went he was waiting for us, making hills that I didn't with a "man that was fun" grin most of the day. He say's that he has had more fun in the last 5 years riding than the rest of his life combined.I would say just take time to become your bikes friend and learn what it will and won't do. most current bikes are far more capable than most riders can wring out of them.

 

[Red 250]

to give you a little hope or despair depending on how you look at this, I have recently gone riding with "chainsaw bob" he took up riding 5 years ago at the age of 65 years young, our first ride he said he wasn't very fast but would go most places, well fast is different depending on your brain, everywhere we went he was waiting for us, making hills that I didn't with a "man that was fun" grin most of the day. He say's that he has had more fun in the last 5 years riding than the rest of his life combined.I would say just take time to become your bikes friend and learn what it will and won't do. most current bikes are far more capable than most riders can wring out of them.

Yeah I have a ball when I ride mostly because I enjoy being out of doors and with my family. I will go almost anywhere so long as you don't expect me to get there fast. I have gotten better than when I first got back on a bike but I want to be able to ride clean and for the most part stay shiny side up. I just basically wanted to know that what I was feeling was normal and not something that was unique to myself. Thats what forums like this are for I think.
Its all a learning process and I hope that with time I will get better. Better being a relative term. I have the "You only live once" mentality and I don't want to be sitting around @ 80 saying "Damn I wish" I had done that one more time or to feel that I missed something in my life. I am a young 50 and want to hold onto the ability's I have ... Use it or lose it kind of thing
Thanks again all for your patience and kindness with your reply's.......................................Red

 

[Ol'89r]

Ol'89r I do have most of the equipment I need. I do want to get elbow and knee protection. But I dont want to feel like a storm trooper or lose mobility while riding either. Have you noticed any issues with that with your gear??

Red.

Quite the contrary. The gear gives you a feeling of confidence when you get used to it. The only thing that bothered me was the elbow and forearm guards. They kept sliding down on my wrists when I would land hard off of a jump or on a very rough track. If I tightened the straps enough to keep them on my arms, they gave me arm pump. I wound up attaching them to the shoulder flaps on my chest protector with nylon ties. Now I can leave the straps loose and they dont slide down.

When you look at the scrapes and gouges on the elbow and knee guards you will realize how good they do their jobs. I have a chest protector that I keep around just to show people how good they protect you. It was one that I landed on while coming onto a pavement section in a Grand Prix. Got pitched over the bars and landed on my back and slid about fifty feet into a corner on pavement. Got up and finished the race. If I hadn't had that chest protector on it would have messed me up pretty good.

It's all about having fun. Find your own pace and keep at it. You will eventually get your confidence back.

Where do you live? There are probably a bunch of old farts close by that you could ride with.

 

[Red 250]

Red.

Quite the contrary. The gear gives you a feeling of confidence when you get used to it. The only thing that bothered me was the elbow and forearm guards. They kept sliding down on my wrists when I would land hard off of a jump or on a very rough track. If I tightened the straps enough to keep them on my arms, they gave me arm pump. I wound up attaching them to the shoulder flaps on my chest protector with nylon ties. Now I can leave the straps loose and they dont slide down.

When you look at the scrapes and gouges on the elbow and knee guards you will realize how good they do their jobs. I have a chest protector that I keep around just to show people how good they protect you. It was one that I landed on while coming onto a pavement section in a Grand Prix. Got pitched over the bars and landed on my back and slid about fifty feet into a corner on pavement. Got up and finished the race. If I hadn't had that chest protector on it would have messed me up pretty good.

It's all about having fun. Find your own pace and keep at it. You will eventually get your confidence back.

Where do you live? There are probably a bunch of old farts close by that you could ride with.

Good to hear about the gear not being a problem. I live in a Northern California town near Clearlake.... I actually live in Lakeport.... There are a few large scale riding areas here so there are lots of people riding every weekend. Lots of trails and single track stuff..

 

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

My oldest son is very fast, mostly to the er, he has brittle bones, 20 something breaks. When I started back, the first thing he ripped on me was breaking too far before the corner, bike set up, thank you MX TECH! Fixed that! Then to my amazement he told me that I jumped old school? WTF? I can "scrub" speed off the face and in the air like nobody's business! Well yes, between the subconscious throttle chop on the face, and pushing down, I was capable of landing on the take off's of the jumps! He told me to just keep the throttle steady and let the bike come to me in the air, and flow with it. It took some time, and I stopped, again! My new plan, get a 250 and send it to Eric, or get a 500. The 4f's while being great while compensating for slow corner issues, really suck in the air. Riding a 125 was a lot more fun in the air, too much work keeping it going. The 250 was just right back in the day, so that is what I would really like. The 500 was way more fun than the 450 , in the air, but still a lot for me. When I was riding, the popeye arms came back quickly, but the weight dropping to 165 and a little below, the 500 was too much. Racing, where I live, I have 3 different districts at my disposal. Some do not have b or c classes for the older guys. I end up on the line with guys who had and have pro cards, real depressing! When I first buckled up a pair of tech 10's, I had a flashback to the scott boots. No way, them boots, when you get used to them give way superior safety! The same with the rest of the newer safety equipment. The full face helmets are great! I still hate chest protectors, but do not race against the thumpers without it!!

 

[XRpredator]

. . . I still hate chest protectors, but do not race against the thumpers without it!!

wussy

 

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

wussy

You have obviously never been pelted by a 450. The purple 4 inch welts are not worth it.

 

[XRpredator]

You have obviously never been pelted by a 450. The purple 4 inch welts are not worth it.

of course I have. By several. And by 426's, 525's, 400's, and 650's.

but you can't hurt steel ;)

 

[High Lord Gomer]

Pred soaks his chest-ful of man-fur with hair spray. 10 minutes in the sun and he has his own chest protector.

Besides, I'm pretty sure that he shaves with a 450.

 

[Ol'89r]

I live in a Northern California town near Clearlake.... I actually live in Lakeport.... QUOTE]

DAYUM! :ohmy: Clearlake. :yikes: Now I'm jealous. :fft:

That's some of the best riding in all of California. Go to the 'Places to ride, good people to ride with' forum and click on the 'Western Forum'. There are a few members up in that area that you could hook up with.

Organize your own ride. Post a time and a place. They will come.

 

[dirt bike dave]

I really miss the riding up at Stonyford and Middle Creek. I can take or leave Cow Mountain, but lots of good riding up near Lakeport, that's for sure.

If you are eventually interested in racing, you might also want to join AMA District 36, www.ama-d36.org They have excellent enduros up there, including 'family' enduros. A big cross country race series, too. You need to be a district member to participate on their website, though. Their website and races might be another resource to find 'older' riders or other riders about your skill to ride with, get local setup info from, etc...