Anyone old geezers still jump regularly? Do you approach it the same way when you are young or differently? For those who decided to stop flying, what was your decision point?
Jumping and getting old
Gumby_rider
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Anyone old geezers still jump regularly? Do you approach it the same way when you are young or differently? For those who decided to stop flying, what was your decision point?
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i still dirt jump, albiet i stopped trying spinning or release tricks a few years ago. now i'm just about flowing and keeping the rubber side down. i can't say there was a noticeable pivot point, it just happened over time...
At 60 years old my jump skills are actually improving. I've never done a lot of jumping, but over the past couple of years I've been working on developing my skills and confidence on jumps and drops.
I don't do really big jumps, though, and I don't do gap jumps because I don't want to take the risk.
I don't do really big jumps, though, and I don't do gap jumps because I don't want to take the risk.
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I actually started jumping when I turned 50 (and a park opened 1.5 miles from my house). Now 4 years later, my knees are much worse, but I still jump when I can. Smaller lines where I know I can stick the landings. Been grabbing my trail bike (160/150) more often though to keep from getting too beat up. But its a lot harder to make it fly than my DJ which feels like it has wings in comparison...
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I'm still sending it. As evidenced by my send it Sunday thread.
Send it Sunday | Mountain Bike Reviews Forum (mtbr.com)
That said, I'm doing it in a much more precise and considered way than back in the Day. I will only send it when I feel good. If I'm having an off day or don't feel it I don't do it. If something is going to push my limits I will build up to it by doing smaller features of increasing size until I am confident that I have the ability and zen to complete the send.
I raced hard out in my 20's and 30's (90's and 2000's) Then got a bit soft in my early 40's. I underwent a process to retrain my brain to cope with fear better. Now I have more control over fear than any other time in my life. Almost to a point that I have shut down fear too much.... Fear is what causes doubt and which drives hesitation which leads to crashes when sending it. If you can control that fear then you can remove the biggest potential of crashing.
That said, I am not chasing massive sends and fast riding, In general terms, I am chasing steeper natural technical trails rather than high-speed machine build bike park jump lines. What is driving the move back into bigger jump lines is my 14-year-old son who is all about jumping. I've got a slither of time where we are at a similar speed before he surpasses my aging ability. So I am stepping up to sending it on bigger jumps and drops while he is keen before he leaves me in the dust.
Send it Sunday | Mountain Bike Reviews Forum (mtbr.com)
That said, I'm doing it in a much more precise and considered way than back in the Day. I will only send it when I feel good. If I'm having an off day or don't feel it I don't do it. If something is going to push my limits I will build up to it by doing smaller features of increasing size until I am confident that I have the ability and zen to complete the send.
I raced hard out in my 20's and 30's (90's and 2000's) Then got a bit soft in my early 40's. I underwent a process to retrain my brain to cope with fear better. Now I have more control over fear than any other time in my life. Almost to a point that I have shut down fear too much.... Fear is what causes doubt and which drives hesitation which leads to crashes when sending it. If you can control that fear then you can remove the biggest potential of crashing.
That said, I am not chasing massive sends and fast riding, In general terms, I am chasing steeper natural technical trails rather than high-speed machine build bike park jump lines. What is driving the move back into bigger jump lines is my 14-year-old son who is all about jumping. I've got a slither of time where we are at a similar speed before he surpasses my aging ability. So I am stepping up to sending it on bigger jumps and drops while he is keen before he leaves me in the dust.
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If your self-preservation hasn't kicked in by the time that you are 50, you probably have some cat DNA and/or you are living on borrowed time! I have 11 and 13 year old kids at 52, so I gotta keep it rubber side down as much as possible. I sent it big on everything that I could find on a bmx bike as a kid, but I ride a light cross-country full suspension bike now. I already broke one rear triangle going big for a 45 year-old a few years back. Finding a replacement was dumb luck. I may also be put out to pasture if I have to be operated on again.
Absolutely agree with the sentiment -- it's always dangerous to hit features when you're not fully committed. Scope stuff out (preferably, with advice from someone who's done it before); do run-ins; and finally, pick your point of no return and stick to it!
Though not sure I'd say fear is always the "biggest" factor in bad outcomes. I've had a few occasions when I was comfortably, confidently certain I had the speed...moments before hearing my rear wheel exploding as I cased the bejeezus out of the landing.
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that was said 'fear' keeping you from properly sending it...
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I jump better now at age 55 than I did twenty years ago. I continue to improve each season as I do it more. What do I do differently now? Mostly I just feel like I'm doing it with more control than I was before.
A couple of things I really improved upon this year have been to:
1. Not panic when I'm landing nose-heavy. If the front end starts diving I have been able to keep my cool and not stiffen up and blank out or grab the front brake. I think you feel like you're angled more forward than you actually are. I can almost always ride it out if I stay calm.
2. Intentionally use the rear brake to level out the bike mid-air if I'm nose-high. I can now purposely tap the rear lever mid-flight, which will rotate the bike forward to bring the front end down. I kind of love being able to do this.
A couple of things I really improved upon this year have been to:
1. Not panic when I'm landing nose-heavy. If the front end starts diving I have been able to keep my cool and not stiffen up and blank out or grab the front brake. I think you feel like you're angled more forward than you actually are. I can almost always ride it out if I stay calm.
2. Intentionally use the rear brake to level out the bike mid-air if I'm nose-high. I can now purposely tap the rear lever mid-flight, which will rotate the bike forward to bring the front end down. I kind of love being able to do this.
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I guess there is also overconfidence too. Where you think you are good enough but you aren't.
You probably fell into that category..... However, at some point, you have to send it and take a punt on the speed. That speed is either right or wrong! the jumps/drops of a similar nature you hit the more your eyethometer can judge the correct speed. That's all part of the build-up.
There are jumps i'm bypassing at the moment because I havent built my eyethometer up enough for that size or style feature to confidently hit it. So ill work on the eye and skill set on other features and when I'm ready.... it's full send.
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Labor Day of 2021 I was riding alone in the backcountry of Idaho and I had a nasty crash. Ultimately, head first into a fallen tree. 5 hours later I was airlifted out. After the helicopter ride and then an airplane ride, I had emergency surgery, they rebuilt my Cervical spine as I was literally 1 mm away from being a quadriplegic. Very similar to Christopher Reeves' injury except I was a lot luckier. 3 months later I was biking again. A bit slower, a bit more cautious but I can WALK let alone ride.
In the wise words of Ferris Bueller, "If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
Scariest time of my life.... As I laid there, alone, for 5 hours wondering... Puts things into perspective and I'm still a few years away from 50.
Stay safe.
In the wise words of Ferris Bueller, "If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
Scariest time of my life.... As I laid there, alone, for 5 hours wondering... Puts things into perspective and I'm still a few years away from 50.
Stay safe.
Nope. 99% of the time when it's fear and not just misreading speed, I'm looking down watching the landing disappear as I overshoot the sh*t out of something.
I agree! Now help me explain that to my wife the next time I replace my rim...
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Speaking of which, I've learned that it's often better to overshoot than undershoot a jump. I've learned that even if I land on the flat after the jump, my bikes take the hit pretty well and don't totally crumple. I thank the suspension for that.
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Ask the missis how much her hair and make up cost and compare costs for a fair comparison.I agree! Now help me explain that to my wife the next time I replace my rim...
Hehehehahahahahaheheheheahahahahahah
Then when she gives you that look, drape a towel over her back to make it look like a cape and proclaim... there now you are Super angry.
She will laugh and throw a frying pan at you.
By this time you are past the point of no return and you might as well throw in a few more components that need to be purchased because you are already in the dog box! so you might as well get some good upgrades out of it!
On a serious note. Anything you say during an argument with a woman is the start of a new argument!
I went to a bike park for the first time (52) this summer. Endoed on a tabletop jump. Funny I used to do paint and plywood jumps no problem on my Team Murray in 1978. Did I somehow forget?
Anyway I got fairly messed up (still sore back). My self loathing motivated me to (re)learn how to jump. Now I can negotiate small jumps by “standing up to them” and I’m having more fun than ever. I can’t wait for my back to stop hurting.
Anyway I got fairly messed up (still sore back). My self loathing motivated me to (re)learn how to jump. Now I can negotiate small jumps by “standing up to them” and I’m having more fun than ever. I can’t wait for my back to stop hurting.
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Argh, that is nasty.
Were you sending a feature or was it an unexpected crash?
Part of my mental rationalization for still doing the features is that most of my worst accidents have not been on the really hard stuff. They have been on faster, easier tracks and I've clipped a tree while riding or something similar.
So the actual risk is really no different from general riding to doing advanced features. I actually find I crash a lot less when my skill is up and I'm committed to hitting the lines than backing off and being conservative. I also need to ride that fine line between riding with commitment and being overconfident.
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