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I have managed to fumble my way down Ridge Run on a hardtail so I think your lad will find it technically easy. Should think there will be lots of speed for these young guys on it!
I suspect what gets some people backs up is that you dismiss some stuff out of hand as rubbish from watching a you tube video, when actually some variation in what you both ride would probably be a good thing. Not saying Antur is the be all and end all and its a right trek from your place, but to just dismiss it as “rubbish” is silly. Antur trails are about 5 times longer than stile cop and a lot more technical (on the blacks) and much steeper – I’d be very surprised if there wasntt some benefit to be had from riding there – along with many other places
WEll without having been to them, it's hard to gauge it from anything other than watching videos. Some places look better/easier/harder in videos... but neither of us looked at it and liked it
Distance i don't mind, time out is OK too.. we've got allowance for that from MRs Weeksy.
Variation we do though, or we certainly try to. But of course there's limits, we're away 4 weekends on the trot at the moment and can't really add in 'more' as school and work gets in the way of that. We've tried to get to other places this year too, but of course there's time, life and family in there. Places like FoD, Rogate etc we can do in a morning start and get home before tea... The places that we've not tried are more 'adventures' and weekends away. But with racing, our weekends are often full anyhow.
"but use your weekends to go to different places instead" i hear you say... However, as i've said, the lad loves racing.. it's what he enjoys, so i'd be taking that away. MAy be the wrong plan as some are saying.. but it's our plan.
As i say though, the 'race' course isn't really significant in whether it's the same, different etc as anything else we can ride, there's only certain tracks and dates events are and it's quietening down as winter kicks in. So we do the races, get the experience of different races, different places and having fun... Then when winter comes in, we can try some 'other' stuff too.
The thing is though, it's still all about the fun, the laughs, but also it's a little bit about me. I'm putting in long days, nights, trips, time and money, for very little in the way of riding time. So sometimes i need a little bit for me too, this weekend for example if we end up at Rogate or at Stile Cop on Friday, i'll be taking my bike and riding, same as if we hit FoD or BPW, but some other places we may hit, are potentially out of my depth and i wouldn't get any riding then.
It's as always, slightly complicated.
I actually think you would like Antur - its decent, and a lot of fun. That video you linked didnt really do it justice.
I think the worst trail there is scrubadub, because its smooth, bmx style berm,table,berm etc. The blues are a bit flat and pedally -would be a bit of hard work on a downhill bike. But the other reds and blacks are pretty good, and deffo technical.
I actually think you would like Antur – its decent, and a lot of fun. That video you linked didnt really do it justice.
That's often the case yes.... Videos are notoriously bad at giving a good representation of things.
it’s still all about the fun,
Then I’d be looking at the venue/trails first, and if there was a race on second. I’d rather ride reds and blacks, than race a blue. Especially if I was looking to gain experience.
Videos are notoriously bad at giving a good representation of things.
I went up to ride the SDA course at Glencoe on the strength of a YouTube video about 10 years ago. Looked tough but doable. 😂
Didn’t even get close to riding all of it, never been more scared riding a bike and still broke a rib or two.
Then I’d be looking at the venue/trails first, and if there was a race on second. I’d rather ride reds and blacks, than race a blue. Especially if I was look to gain experience.
There's the rub... you're not him... or me... What ticks your boxes doesn't necessarily tick his.
Don't make the mistake here of thinking i make all these decisions. I give him the choices "do you want to do this race... " etc... He gets the options, from a day at BPW, to a day racing Southern Enduro, to a day racing a 417... Don't forget, he's a small boy... they get their kicks in different ways.
I could easily see the argument for someone saying "Ride Risca instead of racing 417"... but in a youngsters mindset, he's getting a chance of a decent finish, on a track he loves to ride... it's easy to see why he'd pick the racing.
Just for info, as of next year he won't race 417 again, which is a shame... The rules of the organisers is that if you race Nationals, you shouldn't race the 417 races, which is completely fair and whilst we'd possibly get away with it, we wouldn't do that, we'll pick something else instead.
WEll without having been to them, it’s hard to gauge it from anything other than watching videos.
It's pretty easy to gauge really.
As you've told us all multiple times he wants to ride BDS races.
Ask yourself if they have ever held a BDS race there'
If the answer is yes there's a pretty good guide for you.
To say Antur looks rubbish is laughable when you tell us you're going to Cannock.
It's like groundhog day on this tread.
Everytime someone gives you some good advice you have a flounce then return half an hour later.
Serious question here.
He seems to like jumping right?
He seems to like smooth flowy trails?
He doesn't seem to like big hills or rough steep trails?
Have you though about BMX racing instead?
Seems to tick all the right boxes.
He doesn’t seem to like big hills or rough steep trails?
NEver once has that been said... He seems to go less well on some stuff than he does relatively on fast flowy stuff. But to say he doesn't like it is completely wrong. He loves steep and rough tracks.
Rhyd-Y-Felin he thought was epic and had plenty of steep, so was Caersws. Berwyn had tonnes of tech in it along with the flow stuff. Ski-run V2 at FoD has steep sections and that's one of his favourite runs. So to say he doesn't like that type of trail is completely wrong.
I just noticed, for people who get accused of not trying new places, with the list above we've not exactly done badly this year 🙂
Have you though about BMX racing instead?
No
To say Antur looks rubbish is laughable when you tell us you’re going to Cannock.
Shall i repeat it... we're going to Cannock (Stile Cop) as that's where the race is... we've been there once before as it was 2 miles from where Mrs Weeksy was buying a car.
Everytime someone gives you some good advice you have a flounce then return half an hour later.
Sure.
my lad has the pace in some ways, but clearly not in others. So we need some thinking on what, where and how.
Followed by:
I’d rather ride reds and blacks, than race a blue. Especially if I was look to gain experience.
There’s the rub… you’re not him… or me… What ticks your boxes doesn’t necessarily tick his.
Can you not see why people feel like you're ignoring advice?
If his goal is KOM at 417 then that's fine, but if he has ambitions of racing anything beyond that then you need to start listening to the riders on here that have that experience.
so it’s steep up, then horrible descents”
Tell you what, I won’t bother writing again.
Your own words...
Your own words…
Well i'll admit yes, he's not keen on pushing his DH up some stuff 🙂
Horrible descents was more my description than his 🙂 , as i said earlier, sometimes i need to ride too, i can't just send him to the top of an unknown location and say "see ya, good luck". Hence why for example we'd rather do BPW than that. That was he can do a black, i can do a red and we meet at the next fire road. This would obviously be a lot easier if i was somewhere near his level.. but sadly i'm not. So it needs consideration at times. He may race, he may jump, but he's still only turned 14 a couple of months ago, i have to take a certain level of care before launching him down things. Some of the stuff at FoD he can ride that's outside of my depth, but i know where he will end up, so again, that kinda works, so over by the Quarry we play at times and it's accepted he'll ride some things alone.
That's also the great thing about racing, i can send him up in a van, he either rides down, or comes in the back of a van.. They've got marshalls, medical staff etc, so he gets to ride stuff i cannot.
Can you not see why people feel like you’re ignoring advice?
Sure, but advice is surely that... advice... to be given or accepted as needed/wanted. It's not mandatory. I listen and read all of it... but some is more or less practical than others.
For example, if it were just me this thread was for, "go to Risca and ride XYZ" that's one thing... but as my previous post, doing that with a 14 year old kid is a completely different thing.
Like I said groundhog day.
Like I said groundhog day.
Is it though ? Earlier in thread "You need to ride and race more techincal stuff", "You need to ride and race the harder events"
Is that not exactly what we've done this year with National, Gravity and Pearce ? I don't see how we're ignoring all the advice... Sure, we're not doing each and every aspect asked... but to say we're ignoring it is not correct.
Is it though ?
Yep.
Yep.
YOu know the simplest answer fella... don't open the thread. Plenty of people seem to be enjoying it.. So just don't open it, ignore it...
It's good for a bit of light entertainment while I'm waiting for the car to be serviced.
Ive not looked at it for a while TBH but just thought I'd dip in to see if anything had changed.
Predictably it hasn't. It still seems to be a give me attention type thread...
It’s good for a bit of light entertainment while I’m waiting for the car to be serviced.
Then lets keep it as that hey 🙂
HAve a nice pic of a daft kid on the last jump to the finish line
https://www.rootsandrain.com/photos/9144664/rider/111960
LOL see... you started off the post, wrote it, posted it and then edited it to be a dick once again.. why couldn't you leave it without the dickish comment ?
It still seems to be a give me attention type thread…
You say that as if it is a bad thing...
Looking at the cycling threads on STW I reckon there are only a few types of thread off the top of my head:
1) technical, how do I...?
2) Route info, where do I...?
3) Blingporn, look at this bike, tyre, chainset etc
4) Look at me, my weekend, route, holiday, son etc
There's nothing wrong with type 4 threads IMHO. The weekly pictures one is a staple example of this.
I post a few type 1 threads, loads of type 2 threads, which frequently morph into type 4 if I've had a good time.
Nowt wrong with that is there?
Weeksy and Son are doing some biking. He regularly posts on that biking.
That is so much better than all the tedious dull Blingporn threads that seem to be the alternative.
Look at me, we went biking again, and we learned this, that the other, he won, he lost, he DNF he crashed, he broke his arm, he's recovered, he's happy, I love biking with my son.... etc
I've realised im getting quite pissed here... 🙂
WTF shouldn't weeksy post that on a mountainbikING forum?
( PS . I totally understand your frustration that he isn't acting on your advice, but let's not let that morph into " having a single, easily identifiable thread to celebrate that I love biking and encouraging my son to race is a bad thing" thing)
Last post needs a like button
@weeksy I don't know you, nor have I ever commented on this thread, however I just felt the need to say I enjoy reading the progression of you and your boy and good luck to him for his future endeavors.
He's a lucky lad to have you provide what you do, but equally I see a Dad invested in spending time with his boy and enjoying that time in a hobby you both enjoy.
If that leads to more in the form of racing then good on you, ou've provided an amazing platform for him.
Life's to short and at the very least you have given your son amazing memories of time spent with you that he will cherish for the rest of his life.
That's a very kind post..thank you.
I love the "type 4 threads" on here they're awesome and if I lived in the UK, I'd probably be dragged around to the same race venues by my girl so I can relate to many of your thoughts, @weeksy.
If I were to start a thread it wouldn't be all that different, just generally a bit more mundane. There would be less fettling and certainly less bike buying, but that's half the charm of this thread and it's interesting to see how other parents in the same situation operate.
Getting sucked into the purchasing is very easy. But it's mostly been for sizing reasons over anything else. The Sworks was sold for a DH bike, but it was 50-50 on getting a DH bike as it's more suited to DH tracks and 50-50 for getting it bigger than the Sworks was, which was getting too small.
The 2nd DH was a complete extravagance of course, i'm the first to admit that... but it was a £0 cost swap from his 'trail' bike that didn't get used. I know one of the posters was commenting that he should be using that to ride different locations, but it simply wasn't happening... it wasn't getting used and i don't think swapping that bike for anything other than a 2nd DH bike would have meant it got used more often.
I’ve realised im getting quite pissed here…
Weird time of day to be drinking! You may have an issue 😛
I enjoy the thread, too. Tend to skip over the "dickish" (Weeksy's word) stuff (it's easy to spot and I'm not sure why some of it is even engaged with). Be great to see how the lad progresses over time.
The 2nd DH was a complete extravagance of course, i’m the first to admit that… but it was a £0 cost swap from his ‘trail’ bike that didn’t get used. I know one of the posters was commenting that he should be using that to ride different locations, but it simply wasn’t happening… it wasn’t getting used and i don’t think swapping that bike for anything other than a 2nd DH bike would have meant it got used more often.
I was one suggesting getting an Enduro bike. I will admit that this came from a position of ignorance in not knowing just how many DH races were available to you! I thought you would soon be lamenting being unable to go to an enduro race (or buynig a new bike to do so).
But it seems you have enough of a race calendar to suit your budget and travel radius with just downhill.
For my own curiousity, at the "easier" end, like 417, FOD etc, how many of the top riders, both in youth category and overall, are racing downhill bikes?
I’m quite liking this thread, watching your lads progression is great to see.
It was early in the early pages that you need to be careful not to be a pushy parent and make it a misery for him…it’s clear that you’re not. You’re listening to what he wants to do and responding appropriately.
I feel some people maybe forgetting that all of this is for fun and enjoyment, not an all out push to be as close to the top spot as possible.
For my own curiousity, at the “easier” end, like 417, FOD etc, how many of the top riders, both in youth category and overall, are racing downhill bikes?
417 is 25% DH bikes
FoD maybe 50-50
Pearce 95%
He may not be the fastest on the planet.... but he looks bloody stylish to me
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52403515556_4ccd46d6c1_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52403515556_4ccd46d6c1_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2nQHHsU ]2022-10-04_08-21-25[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/152318156@N08/ ]Steve Weeks[/url], on Flickr
Smooth.
What's funnier, admittedly in my head alone, is knowing that I would not have made the 2nd jump. I would still have others picking my teeth out of the ground somewhere on the face of the landing of the first jump 😳🤣
You're far from alone fella. There's another line next to it with 3 much less brutal gaps, still 10-12' gaps but less severe consequences if you're short, they're the one I was doing. His gaps, I stay way way way away from.
Recovery day for both of us tomorrow and early start of 6ish on Sunday for Stile Cop race.
Good luck for the race. Hope he enjoys it. (You are permitted to enjoy too 😉)
I always enjoy it. But my enjoyment may go up or down depending if I rode. Lol.
That may depend on his legs as it's a non uplift race, so we're considering taking the ebike to uplift him, which woul of course mean I'm not racing.
That’s a great photo up there weeksy
we’re considering taking the ebike to uplift him
Please don’t be that guy on a sub-1min course at a grass roots type race. Would it not be better to have a relaxing time pushing up chatting to other riders and sectioning anything that’s worth sectioning?
Please don’t be that guy on a sub-1min course at a grass roots type race.
When was the last time you went to one? There'll be literally dozens of people being ebiked up.
Firstly, respect to all the effort, support and chance you are giving your lad.
Perhaps your lad needs to have a think and be more honest about what he wants from riding and racing, and adjust his expectations to match.
Does he enjoy racing because of the atmosphere and buzz he gets whilst between the tape? Or is he more competitive and want to improve and climb the results?
If he just enjoy riding his bike at races, then keep cracking on with what you're doing, but be realistic that he may not progress as much as he could and may not get the results he thought. Race for the sake of it, enjoy it and almost ignore the results.
If he wants to race to be competitive then unfortunately he will need to "train" and ride tracks/places that are not his first choice (it's so easy to choose to ride places which play to your strengths). Racing varied tracks isn't enough to be competitive, he won't get enough runs or enough time to session his weaker sections over a race weekend. Be more selective about what races you go to, and spend the other times at varied tracks with the intention of sessioning tracks that he's weaker on (it may be that he only rides the same track all day).
Riding full laps of longer tracks with no stopping or resting to build endurance
Also don't neglect pedaling, spend time building sprinting power and stamina
I used to race in my 20s (Dragon, Pearce 1or2 NPS etc) and was a mid pack rider, all my non racing was steep and techy tracks local to me and I rarely practiced my jumping or berms, as result I always lost time on the berms and jumps in races and didn't progress very far up the tables.
Updates on the above will become more forthcoming in the next weeks and months regarding next years plans.
But I don't disagree with you at all.
The one thing you do need to keep in mind however, is time, money, expense. There isn't a completely unlimited budget to allow weekend after weekend with 2 uplifts @ £50 each, a hotel at £90, food and drink at £50 and petrol at £100. That's a £350 weekend with only one day of uplift, but with the places generally being further away often necessitates an overnight stay. There's limited places closer by of course, but as I say, details on that will come to light in due course we hope.
Regarding what we want from it all, it's impossible to say. We'd like to progress of course, but not at the expense of enjoyment. I don't want to make it a chore for him to get on the bike, I want the excitement of getting up pulling on the full face to remain.
He's got a new membership at a place with multiple circuit type classes to work on fitness, core, strength etc
Along with an additional cycling plan for 2023.
When was the last time you went to one? There’ll be literally dozens of people being ebiked up.
Well that’s the saddest thing I’ve read in a while. People really need to calm down and let kids play with the kids
Well that’s the saddest thing I’ve read in a while.
Kids don't necessarily always mix in that sense. Last weekend my lad made a pair of friends on the uplift though, one of them broke his brakes and I invited them and their parents to out gazebo where I removed a brake from the spare bike and fitted it to his so he could get out and race. He finished lady, but he was beaming. On Monday, they came to our house and I repaired and bled both their brakes, but due to the span adjusters being broken, I fitted them a brand new set of brakes I had in spares instead.
But that's not always how things are, the lad generally meets and befriends someone each race, but it's certainly not because they necessarily walk up together, they spend a lot more time at the top chatting due to delays etc.
Of course his enjoyment has to be the priority and if he enjoys racing then keep racing. It's how much he races and where he rides between the races that can lead to bigger improvement and potentially "better" results. Would he enjoy racing more if he was more competitive?
On the money side of things race weekends are terrible value for money compared to uplifts/bike parks. More riders to share the track and uplift/bike park with and race day usually 2 or 3 runs tops. But if the races are more local than the uplifts/bike park then that does alter it slightly.
Whatch some YouTube videos of what the pros do in the off season, lots of varied riding: structuted training, pissing about in the woods and everything in between.
Good luck with it all pal
On the money side of things race weekends are terrible value for money compared to uplifts/bike parks. More riders to share the track and uplift/bike park with and race day usually 2 or 3 runs tops. But if the races are more local than the uplifts/bike park then that does alter it slightly.
That depends though, Pearce and Gravity are say £90 for Sat and Sun, last weekend he got 9 runs of practice of the Sat and 3 (could've done 5 but was tired) on the Sunday, plus 2 races.
But I'll agree that on a non uplift race day there's a lot less.
The pros are not 14 and need daddy to drive them places lol. We've got 2 race weekends left and then playtime begins. We'll be getting plenty of winter fun in. But there's also school, homework, GCSEs etc, along with night coming earlier, then just general fatigue and seeing friends in the park. It can't be all about the racing or riding. Sure, you need complete dedication to make it, we get that, but that's not how we see the world.
Would he enjoy racing more if he was more competitive?
I think that's a given, but that's why at times we cherry pick events too, right or wrong, it's nice to see the pointy end of a race every now and again.
Don't know how to use the quote function 🙄.
Absolutely he still should race and ride the tracks he enjoys the most, just don't neglect to work on tracks/terrain he's weaker on.
Again maybe be more selective with the races he enters alongside the ones he enjoys. If he has aspirations of national level racing or even international, then focus on races that emulate those tracks as best as possible
After a season of racing you'll both have a good idea with what his weaknesses are and he can work on them over the winter. That may mean riding his weaker tracks more than his stronger tracks... But still riding what he enjoys.
It's bloody difficult even with enough cash, time and access to varied tracks. Again it may come down to managing expectations
Again maybe be more selective with the races he enters alongside the ones he enjoys
Aye, that's next years plan.
This year was always about trying new series, new places and new groups.
So we've raced this year
417
MIJ
100%
Southern Enduro
Woodland Riders
Pearce
National
Cornwall cycling project
Gravity DH.
It was learning which type of series we want most and both what our strengths and weaknesses are, but where we sit in the grand scheme of the game.
Several of these organisations will be dropped for us next year and we'll be focused on 2 DH series rather than a scattergun approach
I can tell you where his weaknesses are and the plans we've already got in place to work on them both on our own and with his coach, tech. That's what he needs to work on. The main issue, that's not as much fun as launching into space with a whip lol.
Knowing them and focusing on them are not always easy ha ha.
Sounds like you have a good plan in place, just stick to it over the winter. Good luck.
No matter where your lads racing takes him, as long as you both had fun then it's been worth it 👍
I was always, and still am, the opposite, happier with tech and terrible/terrified in the air.
Thank you. We are massively enjoying it and have a bond I think many parents don't quite manage. We spend pretty much all weekends together and never have a cross word with eachother. We get the good days, the bad days, the podiums and the crashes.
Today, we rode Rogate together all day, he taught me a little on how to jump less badly, then home for Chinese and Zombies lol. It's not everyone's idea of paradise, but it's pretty damn close in my book.
Sounds great, race results are secondary to all that
Imagine an E Bike uplift being the saddest thing you’d heard recently 😀
We had guys uplifting with mopeds on a 30 second BSX track in the 90’s and early 00’s FFS. It’s just a way to get racers to the top of the hill and not be knackered. People really do need to get over themselves.
Early coffee, race day for the boy. Load car and then off out for the day. He's still snoring.
pimpingimp
Free Member
Imagine an E Bike uplift being the saddest thing you’d heard recently 😀
We had guys uplifting with mopeds on a 30 second BSX track in the 90’s and early 00’s FFS. It’s just a way to get racers to the top of the hill and not be knackered. People really do need to get over themselves
If you’re knackered from pushing up a 30s track people need to have a look at themselves 😉
Also, context, yes there are sadder things happening elsewhere. This is about racing
Maybe, but you can practice a 30 second track a lot. All those push ups add up over a weekend, especially for younger kids.
Can you not see why people feel like you’re ignoring advice?
Maybe he isn't asking for advice? I see this as a sort of personal blog of a dad and son doing stuff together, not a place where they are asking for others to tell them how to live their life, that's how I see it, others maybe see it differently including the OP 🙂
FWIW I failed with both my teens in the biking area. At 14 they both just stopped riding as I had not considered what they wanted, I had just assumed they wanted to do what I was doing, turns out they didn't. Fully understand the fine balance Weeksy is working with here, teenagers are hard work and it sounds like he is winning at the moment so doing a lot right.
Practice done. 6 runs. Ebike paid it's dues as most got 3 runs, a couple got 4.
The lad needs a purple lid to complete the look 😉
The lad needs a purple lid to complete the look
His one makes him easy to spot.
3rd after run1
2nd. 0.03 off;!!!
Nice one 👍
There isn’t a completely unlimited budget
says the guy with a spare race bike
Top result
Ditto. Well done that lad! 🙂
Just a minor apology to anyone who posted in the last 12 hours. The subject raised i have to wait a little bit longer before going into details, so if we can keep it on just the current racing stuff for a little bit longer that would be appreciated. I know that's going to be a little cryptic to some reading this but all will come out in the wash soon enough.
Here's a post-race mess about video to make up for it.
HAhahahaha, i just found this.
This was 2017 in Sept.... the difference is fairly marked 😀
MAybe this is the sort of video you only find funny if it's your own kid, a bit like boring people with holiday snaps... but hey... it made me smile 🙂
MAybe this is the sort of video you only find funny if it’s your own kid, a bit like boring people with holiday snaps… but hey… it made me smile
Nope, I have the same with one of mine. Kids on bikes rock. Even when they are grown adults.
I have just looked - this is first off-road ride I have a picture of that is not local park.
From 2008:[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/3221/2781134677_f77d2c0ad5_h.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/3221/2781134677_f77d2c0ad5_h.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/5eL3rT ]100_5790[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_outandabout/ ]Matt[/url], on Flickr
to
Sat at the Tunnel. Earliest on my phone is 2006
Morzine
[img] 
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Verbier
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Epic..... someone should start a thread of these, it's a shame to have cool stuff like this lost in another thread... they deserve a place of their own 🙂
Could have a then an now for everyone
SO it's a new weekened and yup, another race. This weekend is Forest of Dean. MIJ racing and a course we both know well. So not only is he racing the purple one, but i'm racing the blue one. That's now re-sprung to my weight and ready to roll.
The lad wanted to do this one as it's a fun course, along with being the last ranked event of the season (potentially) so his last chance to score national ranking points. We have 2 other events booked for the remaining months of 2022 at Tidworth (never been there, so good to see) and 417 which if it's raining we're staying at home lol.
We've then got so so many plans.... some of the pretty big/amazing... but currently i've got to hold my tongue, which as you probably know is not my strong point 😀
But as part of them he's now started a Young Athlete core conditioning course, which will help with strength, conditioning and overall fitness... 2 days a week, to get him fitter for next season.
We’ve then got so so many plans…. some of the pretty big/amazing
@weeksy jnr & snr putting in guest appearances at the DH WC in Fort Bill??? 😉
weeksy jnr & snr putting in guest appearances at the DH WC in Fort Bill???
LOL apart from the fact he's nowhere near good enough for a WC attempt, he's too young currently to do so. I've not actually checked in depth yet as he's only just 14, but i think it's 17 you need to be for entering the juniors at that level. So a pretty long time yet before anything like that would ever become anything more than a random dream, let alone a remote possibility.
I did send you a private message though... not sure if you've seen it.
I did send you a private message though… not sure if you’ve seen it.
I did cheers :). I wasn't going to spill any beans though haha. All very exciting for you both. Love the race pictures, though anything wheels-off-ground still scare me hahahaha - says way more about me than anything your lad has the skills to do
It's funny seeing the pics as we all look at them from our level and think "wow"... but the truth is, in a jump context he's good, but not like a Jackson Goldstone good...he's just a good club level DHer...the reality is, there's 50, 100, 1000 others out racing each and every weekened who can jump and rail berms as well or better than him. But i do absolutely LOVE watching him as the one thing you miss in the pics is just how smooth and effortless these guys make it look. It's just 'big jump, nail it' time and time again from them all. It's an absolute wonder to watch...
I guess though where he kinda wins is levels of support he has in terms of family, time and i guess to an extent finances... He's properly lucky of course that MTB is my passion too and most importantly at this stage of his teenagerness, he's a genuinely nice lad (parental bias here of course).
I’ve read this thread but not commented before. Weeksy seems to get a lot of stick for how he goes about taking his young lad racing. So many people missing the point and I think it’s a credit to weeksy that he keeps it all going.
Reminds me of when I was that age. Me and my twin brother did schoolboy MX. Initially we shared a bike but eventually we had one each and could go together. So every other Sunday or thereabouts we would have a day out with dad (he had to milk the cows first so we couldn’t do overnights) and mum would have some piece and quiet with my younger sister.
Then when I was 14 dad got cancer and died and it all stopped. So you keep going weeksy you are giving your son something incredible. Of course it doesn’t matter if he never makes it to the top of the sport. He’s getting something money can’t buy (although it’s costing you an arm and a leg!)👍
So many people missing the point
In their defence 'the point' has changed quite a bit in the course of the thread... Sorta.. well.. the potential goals etc have changed, but the point has always been, me and the lad out riding.. But obviously the themes within that have moved over time, from XC racing when we started it all at 8, onto Enduro and then onto DH.
I can completely see what some are saying at times and in the coming weeks, some people will see that things have not been quite as ignored as they thought. I know some of the comments come over as harsh and come over as ignored... but i don't think that's often the case, they just get a little frustrated as i don't do what they say. But as someone earlier stated, i'm not always looking for answers or advice and some of my questions are more questions to myself rather than 'them', but i put them down here as it gives me a little insight into my own brain as well at times as getting a little insight into others brains.
Things are getting interesting here, times are changing. First step which i can talk about currently is the lad is signed up to a 'young athlete conditioning program' at a local training facility, where they take youngsters and give them training, conditioning, strength, core, stretching, flexibility etc.. He's now got that 2 evenings a week for the forseeable future. DH is a tough sport and having more strength will be massively important to him, as well of course as more fitness needed, which again we're working on.
Fair play to you weeksy for supporting your boy, I know how you feel with a boy in a similar position. I don't always love the way you present everything as I wouldn't feel happy putting everything I do with him on social media to a bunch of strangers, but that is just me (he races BMX at a pretty high level, top 20s nationally, regional number 1 or 2, and just qualified for the UCI world champs next year in Glasgow of which I'm super proud, but absolutely no chance of going anywhere seriously in the sport).
We seem to be coming to a point in the road now though and that's why I'm posting here now. I love supporting him in his riding, and will always take him to regional races as long as he wants to go (where he can be competitive without a massive time commitment), go to the dirt jumps and bike parks on his mtbs.
But now he's 13 I want to see a bit more commitment from him on the training side. That means full laps, sprints, gates, block starts etc. etc. and off-the-bike conditioning too (he's also 'sponsored' in that he gets sessions from a local conditioning guy who specializes in children's strength training (the brilliant Youth Exercise Centre in Portishead)). A national season costs me £5K+, and all his competitors are working and training *really* hard. I'm not sure he wants to put in the graft necessary, or really sees the link between work done and results - he'd rather stand around on the track and do some jumps, or go to the DJs! It's super important to have those fun sessions, but if he doesn't knuckle down a couple of days a week I'm reluctant to take him to the nationals where 1) he is going to get killed unless he trains and 2) I spend a lot of money. It seems that this is the point where he has to understand the value & necessity of hard work to get the best out of himself. I'm reluctant to take him to the hard races if he doesn't put in the work, but he has only just turned 13! In mumsnet style, AIBU?
I’m reluctant to take him to the hard races if he doesn’t put in the work, but he has only just turned 13! In mumsnet style, AIBU?
You're not being unreasonable no.... but as we're (myself and you) both finding as parents here, it's an incredibly tricky time and a very tough line to draw between fun and not fun... But to move onto the next levels they need to train, because the fact is, if they're not, someone else will be.
As with yourself, I see some 'fun' days as being just as important as the training/tech/coaching days, because they're still very small, small ones need fun and stimulation in their lives... so we've got to do our best to find a level where they get both.
The above bit may potentially mean that both mine and yours never make it to a high level... but that's their burden to carry as much as yours and mine mate. We can't give them the drive, the push and desire.... but they may well find that themselves in the coming year.
We're going Nationals next year, with the expectation of not doing particularly well, but treating it once again as a learning and adventure experience. The 'target' is to move into the better positions within Pearce next year, inside the top 15 should be realistic i think, esepcially as he'll know a couple of tracks and we'll be doing the open/uplift days.
Whilst i post about our exploits, i don't think i give anything more away than his name (which anyone could get from Instagram etc) and how the racing is going.