Pinkbike Poll - Do You Have Any Rituals?

Sportsmen are notoriously superstitious; many participants from all walks of life who take part in everything from archery to wall-ball have some sort of ritual or habit that they associate with either a successful outing, or at the very least a good time. That is magnified ten fold when talking about professional athletes, a large number of whom have some sort of lucky charm that they either wear on them or keep close by. It could be those lucky boxers that they've been wearing for every important tennis match for the last decade, or maybe something as simple as a small charm that a snowboarder puts in his or her pocket the morning of a competition.

Not surprisingly, the habit often becomes more important to the competitor, as well as more involved, as the sport becomes more dangerous. Many professional Supercross racers have some sort of pre-race ritual that, if viewed by an outsider who had no idea that said racer was about to go into battle, might look absolutely crazy. The pinnacle of these "crazy" habits might be found in top level motor sports, an understandably intense scene where racers can have complicated traditions that some would say border on obsessive compulsive disorder, but that the racer would argue is one hundred percent necessary for them to not only perform well, but to survive. And while all the average observer might notice is them mounting their motorbike or entering their open cockpit car from the same side every time, that is only the final act in a scripted play that began as soon as they open their eyes that Sunday morning.



Sure, all that sounds a little far fetched, but you'd be wrong if you didn't think it also applies to mountain biking - the world's fastest racers in all disciplines have some sort of pattern for the morning of the race that has been burned into place after years and years of competing at the elite level. Ever see Fabien Barel visualize his race run before entering the start gate for his finals run? It's a sight to behold, and it oozes concentration and confidence. That very well could have been kicked off at 7am when he put his left foot on the floor before his right when getting out of bed... That's obviously pure speculation, but we wouldn't be surprised to find out that some pro riders are that "crazy".

But what about us, the more average riders? Do you have some sort of ritual or charm that you have deemed as a requirement for it to be a good ride? There are of course the more obvious things: that stretching session at the trail head, the "checking" of tire pressures with your thumb, or maybe you have to practice your wheelies or manuals in the parking lot before hitting the singletrack. I know that I'm not alone when I admit that I seem to always feel more confident when I'm wearing a certain pair of gloves - whichever paper thin version I can dig out of my gear bag - and that something just feels a bit off if I mess that one up. My most obvious ritual, and the one I can't do without, involves music. In my head, the ride begins at least fifteen minutes before the actual riding happens, with the van's doors wide open and some tunes cranked loud enough to have others at the trailhead wondering what I'm smoking. The answer is nothing, and I'm not trying to be obnoxious, it's just how I like to kick things off. These routines most certainly aren't limited to being pre-ride activities, either, because we as mountain bikers aren't known to shy away from a few post-ride brews if the opportunity arises. Or maybe it's burgers at the pub for you... After all, you earned it, didn't you? The trailhead bullshit session is one that we're all guilty of - chatting up our feats, or defeats, of the day, and talking about how our bikes performed.


Humans are creatures of habit, and that is especially true when talking about the thing that brought you here today: mountain biking. You might not think that you have a ritual to call your own, but that likely isn't the case. It's more probable that whatever it is you do repeatedly before, during, or after your ride, is so ingrained into your routine that you don't even notice the act anymore. Sit back, think about how your average ride day plays out, and you should discover that you have a "crazy" tradition that you'd be hard pressed to explain to someone who doesn't have a sport to call their own.





Let's hear it - what's your ritual? Do you have a lucky charm?