Quitting Downhill?

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Quitting Downhill?
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Posted: Jul 23, 2016 at 16:26 Quote
Anyone else considering it? This hobby is legitimately dangerous. I'm the type that wants to be better with every few passing months but with adulthood kicking in between me and my friends, it's difficult to find the time to ride. Everything is a drive and schedules are in constant conflict...being rusty sucks and wanting to push through that can result in serious physical consequences that one must consider! The fear of eating shit holds me back and that threshold of what looks like it might cause me to eat shit, is lowered, every few months due to how little riding I get.

Not getting enough riding in to feel comfortable on the gnarly stuff and the thought of my bike and hobby growing stale in the garage really frustrates me.

Getting older is one thing but I'm not old! Just not getting the time in that is necessary to stay in tune and keep progressing with this hobby. Riding in my shadow makes it hard to have fun. This sport was very adrenaline based for me and the other stuff was just a compliment to that. Without it, it feels empty.

I'd love to hear people's thoughts on this. Can anyone relate? Is the struggle to find the time to ride taking away from the fun or interest in this hobby for you? I'm considering selling the bike and moving on...just reaching out to see what others have to say or are feeling in their own world.

Posted: Jul 23, 2016 at 19:45 Quote
After some BAD crashes on the DH track and also riding motorcross I too thought of hanging up the DH bike. I don't have a go slow gear and always ride at the top of my ability, thus simply slowing down to avoid crashes simply is not going to happen. So I sold my motocross bike, bought a 6" travel all mountain rig, hung up my dh bike for a while and had at it. Well, guess what, I still push just as hard on a trail bike so that did not solve my problem. The next season I sold my trail bike and bought a motorcycle trials bike, which turned out to be a load of fun. The only problem with that is the feeling of flow that you get on a dh bike can be found when you are nailing big walls on the trials bike, but it only lasts for such a short amount of time. After a season of riding trials and only getting on a mtb twice, I now find myself back on the DH bike full time, riding faster and harder than ever before, and totally addicted again. The trials bike has seen about 5 rides this year and is now for sale.

If it is really what you love doing there is no escaping it. Until I am forced by injury to slow down I simply won't, and I've proven that to myself several times over now.

Posted: Jul 23, 2016 at 22:20 Quote
know the feeling.

I quit mtb'ing for a few years after I broke my collarbone for the second time in a year. Took up paintball, joined a team, played in provincial tournaments. Was alot of fun and just as much of an adrenaline rush as mtbing.

Now I tend to stick to enduro and downhill, I ride tight technical single track mostly on the enduro bike. It's challenging/rewarding. I still push it pretty hard, but its proven to be safer than mtbing for me.

I just want to survive the bike park for a season, ended up washing out 2nd day and really spraining my thumb. Shit happens I guess. I tend to push a little too hard, but at the same time it could happen to anyone.

Posted: Jul 23, 2016 at 22:48 Quote
I appreciate your input, guys. I just don't want to risk serious injury anymore. Really never was comfortable with that but I am less so now than before. I'd be able to ease my way into something with a lot of practice but I don't get that practice like I used to so I'm less comfortable. Can't push yourself in this sport without taking that risk and it's getting more risky or more boring...those feel like my choices now.

Thankfully, I have other hobbies. Tennis would be my similar substitute. Been progressing much more in that than with this and the adrenaline is great! But it's not an outdoor adventure like biking.

I love mountain biking and I would love to get back into it but I just feel it slipping and what I have with it now is just a cock tease.

Posted: Jul 23, 2016 at 22:57 Quote
I guess if you feel concerned about crashing while you are actually on the bike, and riding is not your main hobby then perhaps slowing down and hanging up the dh bike for something else might not be such a bad idea. You sound like the type of guy that enjoys riding for the time you get to spend out of town with your friends having a blast. If injury is a huge concern and you have other ways to fill the void that riding would leave then I don't think you need to really consider it a loss. Have you thought about just switching to a trail bike and getting into more pedally and less demanding riding? If you ride for the atmosphere if you will then you would probably love a trail bike. If you ride to be on the edge all of the time then you will probably never find anything to replace riding dh with, at least without having equal risk.

Posted: Jul 24, 2016 at 0:10 Quote
jonbikes wrote:
I guess if you feel concerned about crashing while you are actually on the bike, and riding is not your main hobby then perhaps slowing down and hanging up the dh bike for something else might not be such a bad idea. You sound like the type of guy that enjoys riding for the time you get to spend out of town with your friends having a blast. If injury is a huge concern and you have other ways to fill the void that riding would leave then I don't think you need to really consider it a loss. Have you thought about just switching to a trail bike and getting into more pedally and less demanding riding? If you ride for the atmosphere if you will then you would probably love a trail bike. If you ride to be on the edge all of the time then you will probably never find anything to replace riding dh with, at least without having equal risk.

I don't have much fun on the bike without the adrenaline inducing stuff. Big jumps...crazy rock gardens. I used to hit some really big/sketchy stuff but only because I had places to work my way up to it. I was comfortable on the big boy things but I'm less so now. So that's where the fun was lost. I don't get much of a rush out of the pedaly stuff alone, just good exercise.

I am indeed addicted to that rush of being on the edge but the edge is dull if you can't keep pushing it or when you're riding in your shadow. I either need to find a way to that edge again or put the bike up. I'm in between and I hate being in this place. I'm not satisfied. Hard to imagine I'll find people in my area that ride frequently at my skill level or a bit above but that's what I need!

Posted: Jul 24, 2016 at 0:44 Quote
Yes and No...

Im at that point in life where I cant afford to have a big crash and be away from work... BUT I still love DH and a few other sports that might kill me. I just dialed it back a few notches. I still get most of the enjoyment but the risk is much lower.
The one thing I decided on was no racing, it was taking too much time away from family and I was pushing too hard, it was costing too much money in broken levers and bruised body (in reality i was never quick enough so i pushed harder and harder!) Now i just ride with guys and gals who have gone through the same thing, we are slow and goofy, but we have a great laugh!
My suggestion is replace the adrenaline with laughter and enjoyment!

P.S
At times you will still do dumb ass things that you shouldnt anyway! Wink

Posted: Aug 1, 2016 at 16:39 Quote
I'm at exactly this point!
used to ride all the time, big jumps, DH, loved it!
But now the time is not there and like you say it's hard to enjoy when your riding in the former shadow of yourself.
I've had an awesome bike sitting in the shed that hardly gets used.
I've gone back to my hardtail days now, get up early to ride through the local trails to work, granted it's not DH like it used to, but getting a good hardtail that you can thrash is good fun.
After a while the fitness builds up and then it's more enjoyable.
It does suck sometimes getting up early but I've had to adapt, riding bikes is something I love

Posted: Aug 2, 2016 at 3:57 Quote
There's an unwritten rule in the dirt world,DJ,DH,MX. If you think you shouldn't be ridding....then you should stop!
If you want to get back on you will when the time is right.

Posted: Aug 2, 2016 at 4:17 Quote
I'm not a DH rider but hear me out!

The suggestion of getting trail bike is one worth pursuing and may be what you need. They're incredibly capable nowadays but even so the limit will be much lower than DH and so you'll get the adrenaline at 'bruising' or 'spraining' rather than 'bone breaking' speeds.

I ride a 120mm Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt and during the BC Bike Race this year I found myself riding and hitting things harder than some guys on 150 / 160mm bikes. Find a local club with a mix of fitness and abilities so you can socialise with the more relaxed riders on the climbs (I am assuming a lack of endurance / pedalling fitness here) and then hammer the downs with the more adept riders. If you keep your DH bike then obstacles will be much less scary when you go back to it as the capability will be some much higher than your trail bike.

O+
Posted: Aug 2, 2016 at 21:01 Quote
I've toyed with it. My Jedi is dust collector/ cloths hanger.

Posted: Aug 3, 2016 at 23:10 Quote
What about wearing more armor? I've had some bad dh crashes. No broken bones, but I had to sit out for about 3 weeks while my bruises healed. I went to a motorcycle shop and bought some mx armor. I wear that for dh and it seems to provide a good amount of protection.

As for not getting enough time on the trails, I'm lucky to have good mtb trails 10 minutes from my work. I also found a nice dirt jump park a few miles from my work, and maybe if you can't mtb all week long, look for some places near work to do dirt jumps or bmx, and then on weekends do dh riding. Maybe that'll help.

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