Ryan Leech On How the Risk Paradox Affects Mountain Bikers
Words by Ryan Leech. Illustrations by @WAKIdesigns
We choose to mountain bike. It’s an awesome elective in life and it’s a risky sport on a spectrum from low to high. But, we can choose moment to moment where on the spectrum we ride.
Risk is a complex topic, it begs for respect, attention and honesty. How you experience and deal with risk is personal, and can be a powerful teacher not only for your approach to riding but for learning about yourself as a human navigating life.
If the signals that risk attempts to communicate are ignored then there is a big price to pay. In my experience, risk wanted me to wake up, not just for clearing a section of trail, but to understand who I was in a more intimate way. For me, I felt more real as a human taking risks, the social props and attention I received supported this but this appreciation [eventually] began to go against all the signs and signals my heart and body were giving.
All quotes are from students of my online skills coaching site.
"The risk drives a little nervousness before every ride and the associated excitement of being immersed in a zone where nothing else exists and all my stresses in the world fade away." SB
"Risk and MTB riding go together and risk is part of living and creating a meaningful life." RW
“I've realized that some risk makes you feel alive like you've accomplished something.” CW
“Can't help myself, apparently, I feel like I must prove myself." B.D.G
If you’re ready to dig into this topic with me then please proceed with caution you risk having your perspective shifted. And, like any crash, there’s no going back!
Mountain biking is rewarding, and how we experience reward is also on a spectrum that evolves with many factors, a big one is risk. The memorable reward that comes from successfully riding a risky bit of trail can have an influence on future risk choices - we downplay risk in favor of reward, often unconsciously, and this pattern eventually ends with a crash.
For mountain bikers, it is common for risk and reward to become codependent on each other. Untangling this dynamic through self-observation is essential for a long-lasting mountain biking lifestyle. However, to be clear, risk cannot be eliminated - it is an intrinsic aspect of our sport.
“I actually wish I was a little more comfortable with risk as I feel that at times my innate caution holds me back.” DT
“For me risk is an essential part of my learning process.” DG
“A little bit of risk is a big part of what draws me to mountain biking.” AK
We evolved from needing to take risks to gain the reward of food and security. Risk was required to be alive. Our modern society has now, thankfully, decoupled our need to take physical risks to survive.
Risk-taking still has the power to make us feel alive, though. A risk above our ability levels makes us think ‘thank God I’m still alive’, whereas a risk that matches our ability level provides a steady flow of conscious awareness. Most people in our society aren’t willing to truly expose themselves to physical risk so they rely on controlled entertainment and experiences, such as watching YouTube or going to an amusement park.
These activities have an opposite effect on mountain bikers - they insulate and soften our experiences which is why it’s so painful for mountain bikers to deal with an injury. They’re thrown into this massive entertainment culture and can’t wait to get their blood flowing again. So why is this risk-reward dynamic such a compelling force in the lives of mountain bikers?
Let’s consider the reward - engaging risk can bring about a unique and powerful high. It’s a temporary state experience that brings us out of the daily routines and stress of life, out of our heads, and into the moment.
“When I feel that it's been a long time since I've had that 'thrilled to be alive' feeling, nothing else can scratch that itch than mountain biking, and it grows stronger the more I disregard it.” ED
“The paradox is that to make myself feel fully alive I have to risk life itself.” DF
The rewards from riding go beyond just a high of course, such as being in nature, with friends and getting fit, but that’s another topic. It does appear, after much consideration, that the depth of the rewards that are directly related to risk taking are limited. Even pro riders who gain financial reward, praise, and status eventually realize that these rewards fall short of their promise, so we must look beyond the trail for insight.
To what life challenges or problems, new, old or ongoing, might risk unknowingly be bringing you relief? It’s not always obvious. This stuck energy needs to flow, and riding releases it but it’s a temporary fix. For example, many riders, like myself, often feel they need to prove themselves, whether to others or to themselves. Once I discovered why I thought I needed to prove myself and worked with this, my enjoyment of mountain biking went way up and the need to risk went down. I didn’t think I could love mountain biking more than I already did!
“In my head... I want to do flips and massive jumps, but I don’t want the consequence. The reward is small and failure could mean not being able to do all the other things I love in life.” JP
“The risk of the line forced focus and freed me from life's stresses. Unfortunately, it only lasted the length of the line. A time of life that I was the most unbalanced mentally was when I was the most balanced on my bike.” LC.
The flip side of risk-for-reward is hospitalization - a reality many of us experience over and over. According to the results of a recent survey I conducted on risk, age comes in as a massive factor and this is linked to responsibility in life.
You can’t take care of your family or earn money if you’re injured. Dealing with the yearning to ride-and-risk can be tricky for older people to navigate when the deeper lessons from risk are yet to be learnt. They’ll be caught in this dynamic where the attraction to risky riding is insatiable and impossible to moderate in line with life’s responsibilities.
“Because of a series of crippling concussions, I tend to avoid risks while riding. Yet because of this, I find it detracts from the joys of riding and reaping the rewards of conquering a challenge.” GH
“Risk is what reminds me that there is much more to life than mountain biking, and it's not worth risking those greater things for a momentary thrill.” AM
“Now that I have a family and a crap load more responsibility, I take risk and analyze it a lot more to assess if its worth it.” KH
“Anytime, anywhere..if you are not on it..poof..you broke something..With two kids, and a family to tend to, its always in the back of my head.“ AN
It is common for many ageing riders to turn to fitness-oriented riding challenges, as it is more socially acceptable and provides a similar escape and feeling of aliveness and accomplishment with less risk. But again, this is often fueled by unresolved issues in life and may end up adding to them.
”I like to aim for low-risk scenarios in my riding as I have a job and a family, but sometimes I feel as though aversion to risk holds back my riding.” RC
“Injuries can easily cost me a full year of riding or more - let alone I have a family that relies on me. I can't imagine putting my wife and kids in a bind if I got injured badly.” NH
It is important to understand that stress can influence your ability to accurately assess and manage risk. However, the release of stress is one of the reasons that people love mountain biking so much. This paradox creates an internal division and battle that calls to be reckoned with, forcing us to learn about ourselves which ultimately allows us to continue riding mountain bikes safely well into the future. Thus mountain biking has the potential to play a big part in the healthy evolution of our existence in this word.
I run an online MTB skills coaching website which includes a section on mental fitness with practices and discussion relating to the topic of this article. In my pro career, I performed thousands of live MTB trials and stunt demonstrations and appeared in classic riding videos such as the Kranked series and The Collective. My passion for the sport lives strong through my coaching website and community which offers hundreds of step-by-step video progressions with personalised coach feedback.
MENTIONS: @norcobicycles @shimano @MarzocchiMTB @LizardSkins @Kenda @RydersEyewear @WAKIdesigns @RyanLeech
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I shouldn't have typed that of course, I have now angered the crash gods and will certainly crash on the next ride.
Crazy. And I’ve endoed on a climb in Moab. Not sure how that happened at 4mph but it did.
Sorry for rambling, minor nerd over here...
I've been wrestling with this paradox a lot recently! I'm now approaching 60 so am firmly in the ageing riders category. Since getting my current Bike (Nomad 3) in 2015 I've pushed my riding into areas I never thought possible, learnt to jump and gained KOM's on my local DH trails. However this progression in my riding has come at a high cost, I have had the most sever crashes in the last 2 years despite riding for the last 25. I know that progression is what is so appealing to me in my riding, however my recent crashes have all resulted in lengthy periods of no biking or very little gentle riding. I've had to ask myself some though questions about how much risk is worth taking. I acknowledge that some risk is absolutely necessary so that our concentration levels are relevant to the riding we are doing. As others have mentioned, trails considered too easy often result in accidents as we are not concentrating.
For me though I've now decided that :
1. My body can't take many more big crashes, it doesn't heal 100% any more
2. I've limited time left to ride and 6 months a year off the bike due to injuries is not sensible
3. I will never ride at more than 80% ever again
4. I wont chase KOM's anymore
5. I will push myself hard on the climbs but not the downs (a massive shift for me)
6. I still love riding my bikes and any riding is amazing compared to sitting at home in pain healing slowly!
7. I still believe I will progress in my riding
8. I will push my envelope from the inside where its safer rather than at the edges
9. I will try to improve my skills so my 80% becomes faster but less risky than my old 100%
My broken ribs are now just a slight twinge and I'm back riding regularly each week, Risk v Reward will be a constant battle, Go Big or Go Home? na, I'm going riding and having fun, hitting trails and features that I know are within my ability, ill just be growing that ability a bit slower than I used to.
I've tried to take those lessons and apply them to my skiing and mountain biking, where the risks are a lot bigger because the impacts tend to be against something a lot less forgiving than water. Instead of going for speed or max air, I'm looking to maximize the vestibular input, to find a way to up my skills. And then I found, when riding with my kid, that you could actually find ways to make tame trails more challenging and more rewarding by looking for creative lines, turning harder and with more commitment, and finding ways to ride at a higher level.
I still think it's important to do things that stretch me a bit, and to scare myself a little. But I'm actively looking for ways to stretch my envelope in ways that are compatible with the whole living to fight another day approach. I want to have five excellent rides every week of the year for years and years, rather than a stupidly epic one followed by three months off the bike.
having said that, i have to admit something unrelated. the modern MTB makes the risk worse in one specific way. i don't crash nearly as often as i used to (i've been mountain biking since 1986). but, when i do crash, i'm usually going very fast. something that really didn't happen very often back when mountain bikes sucked.
My missus asked if I'd be returning to the park and the jumps when I'm fit again and when I said definitely she said good for you. She was more worried about me loseing my confidence than cancelling the road trip. So whilst as I have her backing I'll keep on trucking. Can't imagine life without it.
I like that. Words to live by even at 38 yrs old. Except, 95% instead of 80%. I still have 22 years before I'm 60.
And, nothing has helped my trail riding like all the time I spent trialsin!
I bought a bmx to hit the pump track and I can feel those learnings coming into play when I pull them out on the trails.
It’s just the workin man that has to pay!
I propose a 2 tier system that does not cover most minor illnesses, but does cover major stuff. Evidence shows that when people have full coverage in the USA they tend to go to the doctor all the time for every little thing. (the Oregon Study) but that the big stuff is what scares everyone the most. Cover "El Cancer", but take your common cold and stuff it.
There. World's fixed. Lets get back to bike stuff.
Yes I would like to see single payer healthcare but think it will be very hard to balance the system. Thousands die every year (worldwide) from not getting treatment for flu.
ho-lee f*ck
I had a conversation with some friends from a well - off state and well off region (Seattle, WA) and they were explaining concepts like "co-pay" to me. Then they mentioned paying 1400/month for a very vanilla plan. Certainly not as comprehensive as basic Canadian MSP. Then we started comparing property taxes, income taxes etc (we're pretty good friends) and we in BC were paying approx 3-5% more in taxes. This did not strike me as a huge difference. But perhaps WA is a high-tax jurisdiction? I haven't looked
No offence but conversations like that reminded me that even though Canucks and Americans are culturally very alike in some marked ways we are very very different
that's a bummer
I thought we had a whacky sys in OZ - there is the free public system that actually covers most things - you'll get better but could wait awhile and have to share room with the restof the great un-washed. Then we have the option for additional private cover. there is a tax incentive where if you take a basic package you get the cost back in tax. then from there its an open market to find what meets your needs but we're talking $2k per yr for average Joe in 20s to $5-6k for senior with know health problems.
thing is once you earn a given amount or reach 31 and don't take up private insurance they have this loading incentive to "encourage" you to sign up to prop up the system - for every yr you don't when/if you eventually do, you're slugged with an extra loading fee percentage - "If you don't have hospital cover before 1 July following your 31st birthday, you will pay an additional 2% of hospital cover premium every year you delay – up to a maximum of 70%."
With a single payer system where the hospital is owned by the payer they are trying to give the best possible care for the cheapest possible price as they have to stick to their budget. They will haggle, choose medication based on value rather than just which company offers the best margins etc. I pay less in taxes per month in total than Americans pay for health insurance alone and I know I can walk into a hospital and receive world class treatment without a bill to follow.
The only people who benefit from a system like the Americans are the people who run it and the politicians they pay to keep it going.
Keep demons on the leash, let them work for you, it's all too easy to invite the judgmental one: you should think of the consequences! For your family! Workmates you let down! And what happens when you do crash if you let that demon in? he will pound you with his fists: You terrible father! You terible rider, how could you try that or bail on such simple thing! He won't be done with you, oh no. At older age it is so easy to suck up to virtue of responsibilitiy. But is that you? or is it the voice of the society? What's the alternative? How about, your son hearing: I saw your dad at the pumptrack yesterday, he was ripping it! Your kids and wife admiring you for what you do. It's so easy to put it all down on ego, to degrade it to some unaccomplished male selfishness - but that's who we are, that's what drives us to great things. We bring meaningfulness to our actions.
Cheers Ryan, it's been a great read!
Your drawings are bomb.
Keep it real man.
When you have a smile on your face (at least in your mind^^) you are in your comfort zone.
If the smile disappears while riding you are either to fast or to slow.
Or disappears for a looong time if sth. goes wrong.
Less risk more fun! Enjoy being here and moving freely!
Seems like there are two categories of rider in this conversation: Those who push for the thrill and those who get their kicks more just from the ride.
I get most of my good Feelings by absolutely having a good flow, ne it in the trail itself or also the beautifaul Environment
I'm not an amazing rider. Blue square all the way. But the pleasure I've always taken from riding was finding that exact point where I can manage the risk and still feel a thrill.
I feel like there is a groove, that moment on a snowboard when you are on just the tail of the board in deep powder on a steep line, that feeling when rappelling when you are moving fast, kicking off the wall in control but fast enough to feel like you are flying. I actually find that point the easiest on a bike. It's the high point.
It is not usually the most dangerous point. I actually don't love being in the air, doing drops, or any of that. I mean I do it sometimes, and it is kind of fun, but it pales alongside the rush of riding down just the right trail at the right speed with the right lines.
That moment when you drop backward over the ledge isn't anything special. Just another hurdle.
It's probably why I don't care for rollercoasters. There is no pleasure of control. Just speed and fear.
The thrill isn't about fear for me. It's about something else.
And I would still bike.
I suspect if you could actually fly biking would not excite you as much because the risk is gone from every crash, right? Screw up a huge sender and catch yourself before hitting the ground. . .
For me it isn't about the risk. I'm not saying it's better. It is just a way to distinguish the difference. If I was invincible I think biking would not be less exciting.
That last sentence just hit me!
People don't undertand why I like "downhill" (in brackets since is what the average people think you are riding) but a the same time I fear rollercoasters. The same happens when I watch on TV someone been invited to an F-16 stunt ride, I think no way I 'm doing that but a the same time I would love to pilot an F-16 myself!
Heck no. Flying would be so awesome, I'd never get bored. Yeah, being in the zone is a great feeling.... But I also love most roller coasters, jump/drop stuff, etc. Adrenaline junkie, but play it safe. I'm complicated.
I do a lot of work on this stuff with kiddos who spend too much time in a place where there body is over-responding to the risk management demands of their environment. This is often due to early adverse experience such as trauma. The effects of this are that they can be very impulsive, at times overly aggressive, hyper-emotional and end up getting hurt or hurting others. I think the same applies to biking. More and more I am seeing the positive benefit of doing this work in a sports context and it makes a great deal of sense to those of us who nerd out on brain development and optimal functioning.
1.) adventure / leisure / relaxed
2.) stress relief, break up the week, get outside
3.) Puckered a*shole who is more insane
"Our modern society has now, thankfully, decoupled our need to take physical risks to survive." Or perhaps NOT thankfully. This lack of daily struggle for our necessities has lead to a raft of emotional/social problems--we have too much free time and not enough meaningful use of our lives. Maybe this is why so many people turn to a sport like mountain biking in the first place--to satiate unfulfilled needs. Unfortunately these are often ones that can't be satiated in our pseudo-civilized world.
Now I’m back on the bike. I’m not 100% physically, and I’m trying to force myself to ride at no more than 80%. But we can’t ride challenging things lackadaisically! You have to pay attention and get the adrenalin flowing. I am wrestling with how to tackle this as I continue riding. Avoiding risky obstacles is one thing, but there are also the obstacles that don’t seem risky and require extra attention. To get the focus, you have to be pushing a little bit. Hard to find the balance.
For me, now in my early 50's my risk aversion is definitely different. I still like to push the limit to a degree, but I am VERY keen on my skill level and can assess the "what could go wrong here" scenario at a much higher level. I like to keep things in the 80-85% zone. Pushed, but not on the limit. On the limit, the consequence of a mistake is instant. Giving one's self room for error gives a bit of breathing room when the mistake occurs. I think knowing your limits is critical to reasonable rick assessment. This takes time and mileage. I still live by the "go big or go home" rule, but "big" is a lot smaller than it used to be!!!
“The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over.”
“I’m the one that’s gonna have to die when it’s time for me to die, so I’m going to live my life how I want to.”
Hunter S Thompson & Jimi Hendrix.
There aren’t words to articulate the feeling. You either feel the need to experience what is past the edge or you don’t. Maybe it is neuroses, insecurity. I just accept that the only way I can be at peace is to confront the fear and follow my heart.
It’s worth the risk for those moments of peace.
It's the feeling we all chase & what makes day to day life so difficult to fully engage. Perfect description of a feeling I feel daily but can't explain to most people.
When something is a bit intimidating I usually ride it and think of him (obviously only more or less within my not that amazing abilities)
I don’t need risk to have fun.
In fact, I wish I could remove the risk entirely.
The risk is the necessary evil. It’s what I’m willing to tolerate in pursuit of fun.
There is no direct correlation between increasing risk and increasing fun.
Some extremely fun moments of mountain biking (i.e. riding a bermed-out flow trail with lots of G outs) pose really very little risk but are incredibly fun.
And other things, like riding elevated skinnies or high exposure lines, have tons of risk and I don’t find them fun
at all.
I enjoy CHALLENGING myself. Is that with many here are calling risk? I think that’s a mis-correlation.
If risk is the puzzle that unlocks reward when conquered, then just go ride with no helmet. There you go, your risk just went through the roof, did you have more fun? Of course not.
Appreciate the thoughtful article but I’m sorry, I’m just not buying it. If all the risk could magically be removed from mountain biking, I would enjoy it even more because I know I could challenge myself even further without the potential downside.
Everyone’s riding gets better to a point and as your level gets better risk is altered. Riding a flow trail with berms could be risky for someone but not for you and me who may smash through it. I agree you can have a hell of a lot of fun without taking too many risks but ultimately risk is there in some form it’s how you deal with it and how your skill makes that risk stay at bay. If we didn’t all take a bit of risk to improve our riding or speed then it would start to become boring so while I agree with you and have fun myself smashing laps that I know I can do….there’s still moments when I gotta challenge myself to do something new. Once that risk has been taken I can relax it’s the enjoyment of knowing I challenged myself and now that risk is lower for next time, meanwhile I’m on a high all week until I can ride something else.
To the right, keep freeriding and deal with the possibility of injury.
To the left, start coaching mountain biking... never really looked back.
I coach because it gives me great pleasure in seeing a steady progression through applied risk management. By empowering people to learn in a fun and safe environment, you can easily determine the next challenge for them.
The risk is not eliminated, it is mitigated. Don’t leave anything to luck. However, bad luck can still happened.
A different feeling knowing you have the skill and you make it vs making it it by pure luck. Guess which one will catch up to you quicker?
Send it!
This is a complex topic...
Life is risky and will result in death no matter what. Lack of physical challenge results in a fat, weak body that is MUCH more likely to be injured in daily life activities like walking down stairs... I knew an inactive woman who tripped down the stairs and nearly had a foot amputated as a result. I read a while ago about a person who broke their neck falling off their couch. Then there are the diseases of the fat and inactive.
I think it's helpful to remember that life IS risk. One way or another you're taking a risk. Mountain biking keeps me fit physically and emotionally and personally I'd rather break my neck riding my bike than getting fat sitting on my couch watching other people mt bike on youtube and having a heart attack or something. Choosing NOT to live life and ride a mt bike because you're afraid is not a valid choice imo.
Like most things in life a degree of balance is required and any choice we make will have it's set of associated risks, both physical and mental.
So I general we should be more tuned to avoid being a crumpled mess on the trail than to seeking the exhilaration hitting that drop you’ve been eyeing for months.
But in mountain bike loss and probability of loss is all relative. As many of the student quotes pointed out loss was gauged by potential for physical harm, not being able to be with or to support one’s family. As forty something dad of a 4 year old I can relate.
But in the midst of a ride and feeling the flow loss could be viewed as missing out or FOMO for hitting that gap, riding that rock roller or god forbid an elevated skinny (I hate them).
Loss is also relative between rides each time you clear that scary segment it decreases your perceived risk. But even though your skills get better and your muscle memory gets enhanced, a sketchy section is still a sketchy section and we’ve all had those bails that baffle us cause we felt we had the section mastered. To the other extreme a bad crash reinforces just how close we are true painwhen we hit the trail.
So I general we should be more tuned to avoid being a crumpled mess on the trail than to seeking the exhilaration hitting that drop you’ve been eyeing for months.
But in mountain bike loss and probability of loss is all relative. As many of the student quotes pointed out loss was gauged by potential for physical harm, not being able to be with or to support one’s family. As forty something dad of a 4 year old I can relate.
But in the midst of a ride and feeling the flow loss could be viewed as missing out or FOMO for hitting that gap, riding that rock roller or god forbid an elevated skinny (I hate them).
Loss is also relative between rides each time you clear that scary segment it decreases your perceived risk. But even though your skills get better and your muscle memory gets enhanced, a sketchy section is still a sketchy section and we’ve all had those bails that baffle us cause we felt we had the section mastered. To the other extreme a bad crash reinforces just how close we
High risk used to be restricted to technical trail features. Nowadays the trails are all flow and speed, so a bad crash could happen anywhere! So why do we wear less armour these days?
The funny paradox is I’m getting more fit, and able to ride harder and farther than I was before...
I also find that flow trails and tech trails seem to very greatly in their rated categories. I rode a bike park that offered a blue rated flow trail and a blue rated tech trail. I found myself taking much greater risks on the blue tech trail than the blue flow trail . I felt the flow trail was overrated.
This I assume is why the moto preride, reride, freeride is used.
What are your procedures for preriding a trail? To you guys get off and walk most sections of a black trail when preriding? I find this difficult on tighter trails or busy parks.
On a different note. How come on the posters nationality, the Scottish & the Welsh have their respective flags, but the English get a Union Jack, or is it something we can change but just don’t bother to?
Motivation to do things is an interesting thing. Why do athletes dope to win? For the average person cheating to win makes a win meaningless. Some might do it for money, some for the prestige and accolades much like a mountain biker riding a big jump or stunt. I recall the early days of freeriding in North Van. Before we all rode hard trails, but competition was just XC. Guys quit XC claiming it was too competitive but in reality they just weren’t doing very well at it. But freeriding was just as competitive but less obvious I suppose. It was a competition to ride wilder and wilder stunts and jumps. People were getting hurt pretty good too and not for profits that’s for sure. I never could do that and I don’t really understand it. But that’s my risk averse nature.
When I blew my knee skiing and needed ACL replacement guys in my office assumed I was going to quit skiing. I don’t understand that either. I do think risk taking is an important part of life. Without risk taking there wouldn’t be all kinds of things. Risk is a part of life. The important thing is to acknowledge and understand that risk so a person can take appropriate steps to deal with the consequences. That can be only hitting jumps in the bike park which well designed for that with help not too far away if you need it. Wearing helmets and pads, making sure you have health insurance, wage loss coverage and that sort of thing.
Good to see he’s doing stuff outside commenting 24/7.
Also it seems most comments here are from 40-50 year olds. I’m 42. Younger guys went sending
Do you even ride bro?