When you ride and race bikes in your teens and early twenties, the adult world largely grants you a pass. You‘re still a kid and society accepts that you might occasionally hurl yourself down a hill on a bike, racing a clock that only you and a handful of other misfits are watching.
But as you get older, and especially after you get married and have a kid or two, you may notice that the neighbors will whisper as you hose down your bike in the driveway for the third time that week. Or that passersby might stare as they see you wielding a spade amongst a crowd of 14-year-olds at the dirt jumps.
And God help you when you show up for work with a cast or any other sign of bike-induced trauma. The respectable types at the office never get tired of posing inane questions like, “Getting a bit old for that, aren’t we?”
I didn’t foresee this, but now that it’s upon me, it makes me worry. I suspect this is because, somewhere deep inside, I realize that the distraction of bikes has probably cost me more than the hours or dollars I’ve spent riding, racing and digging.
When you have kids, your race bike may take on unexpected roles.
If I spent as much time trying to improve my career as I’ve spent trying to improve my turn-exit speed, I’d probably be typing this in a corner office. Except I wouldn’t be typing this - I’d surely be working on some more profitable project, the likes of which I can’t imagine because I have such a hard time concentrating on things that aren't riding fantasies.
Riding has surely taken a toll on my family life too. My wife didn’t find it hard to cope as I raced motocross for years, but by now even she is a little tired of my endless fascination with tire pressure, results sheets and far-off racetracks, which has remained the same even as I’ve exchanged combustion engines for pedals.
Even my five-year-old daughter understands my weakness. “Look, daddy, a free mountain bike!” she’ll shout when she wants to divert my attention so she can grab a handful of Oreos from the cupboard.
It all makes me think that I should shift my focus and stop dreaming so much about next weekend’s riding trip, stop spending so many hours scouring the Internet for the best deal on a set of Ruffians, and stop letting my daughter make off with so many Oreos. If I could only temper my obsession with riding, I would surely be a better earner, citizen, husband and father.
Same goes for your gear.
But there is a snag, and it involves the time I've spent injured and away from my bikes. Being hurt forces one to temporarily experience the world as a non-rider, and sadly, I’ve been forced into that role plenty over the years.
My brain has a trait that bumps up anxiety production when I’m not physically active enough. When I am not forced into confronting a starting line or sketchy double on a regular basis, my brain begins producing its own worry over much less pleasant topics: nuclear war, violent crime, infectious diseases, economic turmoil. If I’m not riding, I am soon a ball of anxiety, obsessing over things that I usually have little control over.
Luckily, when the distraction of riding comes back into play, I am somehow able to shelve those worries and go back to meditating on the merits of spray chain lube versus the drippy kind. And while that may seem like a form of avoidance, it sure beats the hell out of lying in bed and contemplating the national debt or the weapons' arsenal of Kim Jong Il.
So I’m not sure how I could give up riding without replacing it with some other distraction. I suppose that compared to the time-honored gentlemanly pastimes of drinking, watching TV and shooting pool, racing a bike down a hill isn’t the worst form of medication to rely upon. If it weren’t for the occasional highside-to-concussion, I’d even say it’s one of the healthiest coping mechanisms around. And before anyone suggests that I look into a safer sport, such as golf, I say to them: Stop. I am being serious here, and absurd suggestions like that are of no help.
One perk of getting older, however, is that you can eventually teach your kids to shred.
Still, I’m likely to remain conflicted as I grow older and the pressure for me to leave racing behind increases. It may be difficult for awhile, but I am hoping I will eventually find peace in the grips of a sport that most of the world assumes is for kids. Otherwise, I may end up in that corner office, obsessing daily about nuclear proliferation and spending my evenings at the pool hall.
I think my wife and kids would prefer a bike racer any day.
Don't give up your passion, dude. F*ck the haters, if mountain biking makes you happy and keeps you in shape, keep shredding the trails until you cant walk anymore. And pass on that joy you get from riding to your kids.
On a different note, a third of adults in the US are obese (BMI of over 30). Only 1 third of adults are of a healthy weight. Just think of what those numbers would be if more people were into bikes...
To now a fast DH racer ... The time I spend riding with him is the best. I'm 52 and he is 18.
More good time coming! Whistler this weekend!
This is just a what-if, but am I the only one that wonders if there will ever be a day when everything is powered naturally? Could we have bicycle trains to pull a tractor trailer's weight of goods?
I was in Leadville Co last year [Over from NZ] and I got passed up a hill by a local guy in his mid 60's. Some lean, leather tanned hardcore dude who's going to ride till he dies. I want to be that guy.
Keep riding hard and don't stop. Here is the video for some peoples enjoyment: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYaTBWVmwR8
The Office comments...the wife getting angry 'cause I can't stop watching videos, looking scores, news, and everything that relates to bikes....even my boss (and he races XC) thinks I spend a lot of time hallucination about the ultimate ride I would love to do on the coming weekend...
I thinks this is the perfect "manifesto" for the married man (and not married) but are in the 30's up that people look at as "weirdo" because we love to go out ride a bike with a bunch of guys half our age hitting jumps bigger than the neighbor's car lenght...and jumping off drops higher than their roof tops...
But at the end....I believe, as I have told my wife, this is much better for every human being than just sitting your ass in front of the TV getting old and cranky as your body gets more damage than a broken collarbone...
At what age is one at risk of parodying himself? The answer for many is, likely never; because, in order for one to feel he is a parody, he must actually care about what others think. Act your age? Although no one has said this to me yet, I feel acting ones age is something that happens by default as well as something that is impossible to consciously do. Weird, I realize. Parody? Never. Instead, I feel like I've always felt, and always do feel, when riding a bicycle...I feel pure joy.
Everyone gets old; riding never gets old. Keep on shredding on, everyone.
still doing the occasional DH race when I can be bothered to spend the $$$ and lose a weekend
still having alot of fun riding bikes - its all good!
H.G. Wells - Every time I see an adult on a bicycle I no longer despair for the future of the human race. Cycle tracks will be abound in utopia.
John F. Kennedy - Nothing compares with the simple pleasure of a bike ride.
Mark Twain - Get a bicycle. You will certainly not regret it, if you live.
Albert Einstein - I thought of that while riding my bicycle (on the theory of relativity)
William Soroyan (Nobel peace prize winner) - The bicycle is the noblest invention of mankind.
Ernest Hemingway - It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.
Now granted, when these fine gentleman think of a bicycle they probably didn't imagine in their wildest dreams what we are doing now. But that is the beauty of it. So let the squares of society tell us we are childish, and getting too old, and all of the above. Let them go play golf, and suck the dick of ESPN, and the NBA, and the NFL, and the MLB. I'll stick to my childish bicycle and playing in the dirt, and I hope you do the same. Nothing can compare to the simple joy of riding a bike, your daughter will learn this very soon. I am sure she will love it just as much as any of us on this website do, shes got your blood after all. Enjoy it with her.
To Mr. Beaupre, my thanks for your sharing your thoughts on how you juggle your passion for biking along with your "normal" life. I empathize with you on a lot of points. I certainly hope that you never give up biking. (Maybe you'll have to give up the extreme stuff someday, but hopefully not biking itself.)
Myself, I'm a bit worried about the age thing. I'm turning 40 in half a year; I'm starting to feel knee pains & back pains whenever I do long rides; chances are, I have patellofemoral arthritis & a few degenerated intervertebral discs already (MRI scans pending -- I'm an orthopedic surgeon, so any pain that pops up tends to get medical attention quite easily ^_^). Yeah, I'll keep on cutting down the intensity of my biking as health & age-related changes take their toll; but I hopefully won't ever abandon cross-country & trail biking. It's been such a positive thing in my life though the years (been biking since I was 15, used a BMX back then until it got stolen on hospital grounds in '9 that to totally give it up would be like killing a part of who I am.
- Nah... Still not as fat as you for it.
hope i can hook up with you for a ride with you one day...you go girl !
I'm turning 30 soon as well and while I was into skateboarding in my late teens, I only got into Freeride mountainbiking like 3 years ago. And I have no intention to stop that anytime soon! I have had a broken elbow, sprained ankles, badly hurt shoulders etc.etc., but never did that keep me from getting on the bike again.
I work in an office, typical full time job, and I must say that I enjoy being the oddball that does this sort of stuff and comes into the office on occasion with a limp. I have a photo of myself doing a drop as the desktop image and people ask me in wonder "is that you?". I show them my video's and they gaze in amazement at the (relative small) stuff that I do.
I think when people come up to you and say "getting a little old for that eh?", they actually say is "Gosh, I wish I was more like you, but I have lost that free roaming spirit of youth somewhere between these grey office walls and don't want you to have more fun than me".
They are jealous of you. Jealous of the sporty lifestyle and the places you go. Jealous of the experiences that you gain. Jealous that you managed to hold on to your childhood enthusiasm!
I"m as well in an office all day long and I feel like I"m in my own sphere when I ride, just feeling well, not stressing about anything, protected from this crazy world.
BTW becoming a better citzen, father or/and husband is not incompatible with our common passion
Riding a bicycle has made my life so much better. In High School I was overweight; since riding I have dropped over 60lbs. I can eat anything and everything, I sleep much better, I enjoy the little things in life more. I don't think I'll ever stop. Heck, I'll throw on some slicks and ride my all-mountain bike to work 25mi round trip.
Man, when I have some kids, can't wait to go ride with them!
When I lay in bed before I fall asleep, I used to think about work. Now, I'm visualizing how to whip or scrub better or the run I had the last time I was able to ride. My girlfriend of 7 years doesn't quite understand the extent of my love for riding and how it's all I want to do when I have free time – don't know if she ever will. Most people can't. But that won't change me.
Good article. Enjoyed the read. I have to wait until holiday Monday to ride. So far away.
A friend of mine once said "You don't stop riding because you get old, you get old because you stop riding."
"Get out of the stands and in the game"
Old Guys Rule!
BTW who are you trying to kid here? I see you still have 2 mx bikes in the garage! LOL
I'm not stopping... Its about balancing; looking after yourself so that you can look after your family.
And it's pretty cool when my teenage son who doesnt ride tells me, "Dad, you (& mum) are pretty cool... not like most of my friend's dads who are fuddy duddy and have a huge belly... "
Great read, i feel all you guys... we're not alone, we're rare, we're different ;-)
ride till u die dood. Craig. 40. england. still pushin uphill ridin downhill diggin jumps railing berms.. smilling in the woods.
I was injured badly a few years ago (torn acl, mcl, cartilage displaced, broken tibia, shattered foot... in one crash), and was unable to ride for almost 2 years because of it. The time off the bike made me realise what I was missing.
Never giving it up. Might slow down a little over the years though..... maybe.
Never too old - or too busy - well, sometimes.
Ride on... and smile.
"If you don't grow up by 40, you don't have to"
40 years old, and still given 'er. Good article and comments.
Seriously, live to ride ride to live.
'Nuff said...
On the other hand, when you make choices like owning a house and having kids, you gotta put your money where your mouth is.
Sucks.
But it doesn't mean having to give it up completely, even if you don't compete anymore.
You could train the young and upcoming racers. You could direct a racing team. You could be involved in track building.
Go for that once-a-month epic ride in the wilderness, and use that time to build up a nice huff about all the things that Need To Change if you want to continue enjoying our favourite sport years from now... ;-)
once said to me (as i passed up on a large step up gap) "f*in eh man, riding is about having fun and being able to do it for a long time, like i wanna teach my kids to ride one day! "
wicked good!
I'm now 38 and have had my ride life suddenly curtailed by a 7 month old boy (future world champ), I'm lucky enough to live in the counrty side by our main riding spot but this is a double edged sword.
I have permission from the Boss (read Wife) to go into the local woods as I can be there in 2 minutes and be ripping by 3 minutes, which is good but my routine of going further a field has been lost, a day away is almost impossible, where i used to be a regular at Wharncliffe and cannock chase, even a 5 miles down the road at Ambergate may as well be the other end of the country. When winters here and the nights are dark I don't know what I'm going to do.....HELP!
Like you I feel slighty meloncolic when I don't get the chance to buzz myself on the bike and in my view that makes me no use to anyone, they have to let me ride.
The pre nup I mentioned to the Mrs seems to have been forgotten.
Did you race the first 'Kill the Bill' at Fort William and did you have your kid in the cart thing attached to an older Giant Glory and end up rolling the cart over while cornering in the carpark?
Because that was quite funny to see
I borrowed money from my dad for rent a couple months back and he said: "People who have to borrow rent shouldn't be running off to bike parks to go riding!" He thinks I need a second job and to sell the bike to pay for stuff.
I look forward to graduation and tell myself it will all be all right when I have a steady income and the girls are in school so I can take a bit of time for myself. But then, we want another kid. Maybe when the kids are older and I am in my 40s I'll be that young rider again. Midlife crisis is fine with me. I just don't ever want it to end.
The diablo trip was a little gift to myself after a year of being stuck at home all day and then doing work at night when my wife got home from class. Turns out though it was bad budgeting, not that my ticket would have payed the rent but it is the principle of the thing. Turned out to be a good investment in one way though. My buddy who was lukewarm towards came along and loved it. he bought a better bike afterwards and he's paying for another trip out for my birthday.
It makes him happy.
You could just tell when he was in his element. And lets face it, truly happy people, not rich/successful/high status people are the ones that we remember. We all see the older guys at the skate parks or the bike parks. For me it includes the RC tracks as well and for me, I want to be like them because they have not lost that child like wonder and excitement over the years. Only if we all could be so lucky.
Don't ever let people tell you what you *should* do or how you *should* act or what you *should* be into because in all honesty, people like that *should* take a long walk off a short pier.
I realize I'm not 20 something anymore and I don't send it huge like someone who is but I'm not ready to give up DH yet.
I have a wife and morgage which are always a consideration before I attempt anything out there but I'm riding better now than I ever have and I'm still progressing.
I even got inspired by the whip footage from Crankworks to go out and try a few of my own.
Almost ate sh*t on one attempt but pulled it back in.
Is there risk mountain biking?....Sure.
Broke a bone in my foot last November in a rocky section of trail.
In my down time I got the usual coments "You're getting a little old for that aren't you?"...."Is mountain biking really worth the risk?"
My answer was "Is sitting around watching reality TV or hanging out in some pub drinking and playing video slots worth the risk?"
Think about that while I'm out riding/living.
The longer the gap between rides the more tetchy I get - nothing beats a good old thrash down a trail to clear the head and get the much needed adrenaline fix. Just got to keep doing it - there is no viable alternative.
anyways, fast forward a bunch of years. I am now in my mid 30's I have a good job that allows me the freedom to have some decent bikes...but what do I have in my garage right now? a 1977 norco/nishiki monterey 12 speed....yup, from the dump and I am thrilled to be building it up to get some training rides in on a pure steel vintage road bike..I also have two 8 month old twin boys...that I cannot wait to get on to bikes. I am so excited to ride with them. to help them work on their bikes, to help them pick out their first bikes etc. to hear the stories on here of fathers riding with their sons is awesome....kudos to all those dads out there that have looked past the mainstream sports (they are not bad..and I played them all too..) and have recognized not only the skill and talent it takes to do well in this sport, but have also taken up the torch themselves and jumped at the chance to build a better relationship with their sons/daughters. I hope it goes that well for me with my sons.
PS. my usual riding partner is my 58 year old father in law....he road rides 35 miles a day rain or shine and kicks my butt on any trail we ride, he is the carrot I chase!
Ride on, young feller.
Bikes may change, and the riders may seem to get younger and younger, but the great feelings that riding give me will never change. Now that my 9 year old son is wanting go out riding with his dad... it's just going to be that much cooler!
As was said in this thread before... growing up dosen't mean growing old!
Then I read this article, and I realize how many of us are out there wrestling with these conflicts. And fortunately, it seems many of us (myself included) have wonderful families who support us in our "childish" endeavors. Well written, wonderful, and inspirational. Thanks man.
I do think the world would be a much better place if more people rode bikes.
At the age of 20 I didn´t had 5 bikes at the garage and did not had the money and enough life experience to travel from Portugal to western Canada "just" to ride my bike. Sometimes the dreams can turn real, my dream now is BCBR.
I've worked in the bike industry most of my life and even at my office I get the "Oh man you're too old to be doing XYZ." Or after an injury "Wait until you're in your mid 30's, you'll need a walker to get around." I find most of these statements are more projections of their shortcommings and fears than what really happens. I think it's also an indication of the aging bike industry population. My coworkers don't go on group rides anymore, they go GOLFING. Seriously WTF?
I'll admit I'm a little slower now. I've spent a lot of time on the injured list and you totally nailed the effects off being forced off the bike and the anxiety it induces. Anyway, I'm 40 now and I don't feel like I'm gonna be done anytime soon. Thanks for the great read.
1) Life doesn't end after your twenties.
2) No one considers riding a bike for kids outside of perhaps some towns in Bible Belt America.
3) People with corner offices generally don't hang out at pool halls.
4) Given the high obesity and fat butt syndrome rates in America, your office co-workers are in the wrong, not you.
5) I'm quite sure your wife and kids are much more supportive of riding versus idling the rest of your life away with watered down swill while armchair quarterbacking whatever crap happens to be on ESPN that weekend. Those glory days of JV football are over my friend.
Last, as the illustrious Ferris Beuller once said: "Life moves pretty fast...", so go out, ride more and quit lamenting. Bike for life.
And as for being antsy to ride, I'm right there with you. Tomorrow's a race day and I'm ready for my run right now.
Come on, how many people simply envy you because you have something that drives you through life? I definetly disagree with that! People get into stereotype thinking too easily, like "getting a bit old for that, aren't you", "look at that that dude, he should be at his office working nights, not riding a bike and fooling around with childish smile". What an empty world this is! If there wouldn't be passionate people, we could be still living in caves, chasing wild animals, called lunch
I have the same with that "what is going with this world" growing concern like you said, riding is that thing for us that makes us forget about the daily crap we see and absorb.
You seem to be a very dedicated guy, thorough and meticulous in your passion. Not to worry about a career if you have a hart full of love and your head filled with dreams. People press others nowadays to go big with their life in therms of career. Leave that to the people who:
A. can combine a great life with a great job and passion for their hobbies
B. people who are stupid and empty with no idea of what they could have as a hobby.
If you would give up riding, you would probably get your focus on something else, as you are of that kind of people who see more than just the daily routine. People will pressure you, mainly because they feel inferior compared to you. In their eyes a human being past he's 30's should do what? Raise kids, pay a kid to mow his lawn? Complain about how they've been fit years ago? How they did ride their bikes as kids? I'll leave that for you to conclude.
I loved your write up, thank you for that!
don't accept the compartments others try to squeeze us into.
just look at the numbers entering seniors and vets DH in the UK... even local mates races are oversubscribed.
4 kids, 60 hours a week job... so what... we are only here once.
Interesting to read the threads from the US... I agree with what was said above, that there seems more social pressure / a view of social oddity to those of us middle aged still riding. I only started at 32 ( 10 years ago), though admittedly the health care system / sickness rate from work is perhaps better in the UK ( more tolerant of smashing yourself up on occasion). I now manage 100s of staff and take the view I'd rather have a cadiovascular fit workforce that get bust up once in while than have couch potatoes with no stress outlet who then keel over from heart attacks / strokes who take for ever ( if ever) to come back to work.
as for this "It all makes me think that I should shift my focus and stop dreaming so much about next weekend’s riding trip, stop spending so many hours scouring the Internet for the best deal on a set of Ruffians, and stop letting my daughter make off with so many Oreos. If I could only temper my obsession with riding, I would surely be a better earner, citizen, husband and father."
You would probably be a less happy human being if you didn't ride and therefore not as good an earner, citizen, husband and father. Kudos for a well-written article
I've never been scared at being different of other people, and receiving comments like ''Aren't you getting a little old for that'' is never gonna put any doubt in my mind that i'm a DH mtn biker. This is what i am before being a worker or other any ''normal'' shit.
What is a normal man today anyway? Boring quiet life in suburbs? Overweight? Need to stay inside with air conditioned? Spend your money on a nice car or fashion clothing? Beeing tired on daysoff because of job? Play golf?
Then i don't want to look like these that judges us anyway, so who care at what they say!?!?
I'll only quit DH when my body will need to, and then i'm gonna start XC and try to find the biggest descent around!
On a professional level I do worry somewhat about my riding lifestyle. I want to be a physiotherapist and if I get injured I will simply not be able to perform my job which would be extremely detrimental to my practice and my credibility....
Either way, I'm not stopping, regardless of the costs. I feel as though some people (such as the author of this article) may benefit from taking a break from racing and rediscover the simple joy of riding a bike smoothly without having to worry about a number plate or a timer. Riding is the most fun thing ever. I ate shit yesterday and am icing my shin as I write this... I'm going to work in an hour and am going to get berated by my colleagues for being a "crazy mountain biker" but hell... I don't care. They'll never experience the pure enjoyment I get from railing corners and shredding trails. Don't stop biking.
My fave quote: How old would you be, if you didn't know how old you are?
One thing is for sure, I'm not giving up riding.
In the meantime I've been trying to sell my older frame since I already got a new one hahahhahaa!!!! and looking for good deals to replace some of the parts. And yes, corner office too.
Great article!
Cheers from Costa Rica.
Soon your daughter will be yelling at you to "hurry up old man", and it will be the best mock of your life as you hammer down the trail to catch up to her on her bike.
Ride on!
To those concerned that age issues might eventually get me down on riding, don't worry much. While I like to contemplate the "stigma" of being a full-grown man who still loves bicycles, it's never going to dissuade me from horsing around on two wheels (though my mother still argues that it should.)
Thanks again.
is it bad that i am counting down the next two years for when i will be 30 and can race in vets??