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When is it time to listen to your body and maybe back off a bit? When do you decide that ‘it’s time’ or ‘I’m too old for this shit??? I found myself in the recovery ward on Saturday night, coming round from a pretty gruelling operation to reconstruct my left ankle after it was comprehensively smashed to bits, leaving me stranded on the trail side at 6am for a leisurely 3 hours whilst emergency crews got themselves prepared to extract me. Chatting to the nurse who I barely knew I found myself saying, I think it’s time I gave this up...... and I think I meant it. Maybe I’m just unlucky - I had a decent stack at fox creek (south Australia - look it up) 2 years ago where I broke my thumb, hit the ground darn hard, but unbeknownst to me, also ruptured my carotid artery. I gradually went downhill over 3 months, Strava got worse and worse, couldn’t seem to hold a line... and then in early feb suffered a mini stroke. Lucky it was the dawn Of the ebike revolution, and once I had most of my marbles back together off I went again on yet a bigger bike, with more travel.... bigger drop offs... road gaps..... jumps ..... and more winch and decend focus. This took me to Friday morning, lying in the middle of the trail, desperately trying to realign my foot to some normal level of human anatomy whilst one of my mates looked on with horror and panic in his eyes. So, the question (I’ve got a long time off the bike to mull it over): is it time to give it up? And more to the point if I do, what is going to fill the planet sized hole in my life? Maybe I’m just a casualty of the all mountain/enduro fad, maybe I’m guilty for allowing myself to be sucked in to a growingly dangerous sport? Maybe I’m just unlucky. Maybe I just need to find a new love for a version of the sport I’ve loved since I first owned a Raleigh Maverick.
Do you feel the positives outweigh the negatives? Perhaps just back it off?
How about just easing up a bit so you don't crash so often and so hard?
Out of interest how old are you OP?
I am 59 and have absolutely no intention of giving up - but I have scaled it back and I very much doubt I will ever again do some stuff I did a few years back
44 🙁
44
You're probably the youngest person on here.
Maybe I need to learn how to love gravel 😂
When ambition overcomes skill...
Either get better or scale it back. There's no reason to give up cycling, no reason not to get a little thrill now and then, just accept the fact you're never going to be a DH god, stop watching Red Bull Rampage and enjoy riding your bike.
44 🙁
A youth then. Keep going for a bit I say, I’m 46 and still do the occasional daft think on my bike. Maybe not road gaps mind.
Have you thought about getting lessons?
Or a road bike?
with more travel…. bigger drop offs… road gaps….. jumps ….. and more winch and decend focus.
road gaps and jumps are not an enduro/all mountain fad - that sounds like "proper downhill" - we can argue definitions for years, but that stuff has existed since at least the late 90s/early 2000's.
Maybe I’m just a casualty of the all mountain/enduro fad, maybe I’m guilty for allowing myself to be sucked in to a growingly dangerous sport?
It's only as dangerous as you make it.
Buy a hardtail or short travel full sus?
The obvious choice is a BMX. I think it's impossible to injure yourself on one as they are smaller and therefore the ground is less far away when you fall off.
Physics.
Much safer...
There are many ways to mountain bike. They don't all involve danger and radness. If you don't want to risk injury, don't do the big stuff.
I don't, and I don't - never really have done.
I'm more a red sock rambler on a bike, rather than a "real" mountain biker. Quite happy with that, been great places, seen nice things, only one visit to hospital in 30 years
Morecash - me to. I named the subgenre "wanderingaroundthehillsbiking"
Another whose been wandering about on a bike on the South Downs since 1985. My wheels may have occasionally left the ground but not often. I’ve never been in it for the adrenaline I guess, just love riding about in the countryside and enjoy the the ups as much as the downs. I’m back on a rigid bike and have no need of anything more. Maybe a bike that will limit you might be worth trying.
Thanks guys, helped me out a lot here. I think the answer now I look at it is to re-find the ‘wanderingaroundthehillsonamountainbike’ sub genre. Now I think about it, it was only when I came to aus that things got more jumpy. It’s really a function of this country’s piss poor public access laws combined with an absence of pre industrial era roads and bridleways. Maybe I’ll buy a road bike too. 😀
Give up Strava and enjoy the ride without trying to beat your times and others.
I'm 63 and still riding the trails and downhill tracks....I have busted numerous ribs and bones over the years....I was once asked by an elderly lady at the top of Fort William downhill track "sheesh Lad, are you not old enough to know better?" , I replied with "Yes! but i'm still stupid enough to do it!".
It's all about how you feel when you're out on the bike, do it cos you like and enjoy it, not because a phone app tells you you need to go faster and harder at it... do it for the craic...you're not there to impress anyone. 🙂
wish you a speedy recovery buddy... and stay safe , listen to yourself and not your body.... 😉
Is my body trying to tell me something?
Nope but Borris had asked you not to put a strain on the NHS.
^^ I think he is in Oz but you could possibly argue similar I suppose.
Anyway, get well soon op. I wouldn't give up biking, just find the thrills from other forms of riding.
You're only 44, if you want move to other aspects of mtb, alternatively really concentrate on getting smooth on the the aspects you currently enjoy. A smaller travel bike may give the same thrills at lower speed, but it may just mean you get bucked off! Depends on your style.
If you want to do jump get a jump bike, smooth jump trails tend to be lower speed and once accustomed are quite safe
Aaaaah Mr Stell, you have sneaked back to the virtual UK whilst recovering I see 😀
I wouldn't worry too much about the future at the moment, specially if you are still as half baked on the pain relief as you were when I spoke to you t'other day (was laughing at how you faded out mid conversation!). You are going to need to take 6 months + off anyway so I would just take that as a time out and then come back slow - don't push things. See how it all feels on the flipside, and you will be 45 by then too 😉
What does your good lady have to say about you going back out on the bike? Has she banned you from all forms of 2 wheeled shenanigans yet (your track record is a wee bit chequered)?
Get well mate! Are you still okay for coming over this summer btw (assuming that flights are back on?)
Rob
I was meaning to say... but forgot (running a bit of a fever and sore throat here so wondering if I have the bat aids)... is it a result of your choice of steed? You switched to an eBike with ALL THE TRAVEL which is going to increase your speed and, thus, your crash velocity. Perhaps, so long as your previous injuries allow, going back to a normal bike with shorter travel may help bring the speed down? You can have more fun at slower speeds on something with a lot less travel!