Editorial
Getting Better at Bikes
Most of us upright apes are trying to get better. At something that is. Maybe it’s just drinking beer, watching football (either kind), or achieving tryhard status at Fortnite, but we're also striving at even more monumental, historically significant and fundamentally important pursuits. Like mountain biking. Whatever the goal, why do we bother? What makes us put so much energy into these passions, however significant they are?
One very likely and, sadly believable theory, suggests we are motivated to improve our status in order to select the most genetically attractive mate, just like our primate cousins. Others believe that hella likes and new followers pushes us. Whatever it is that makes us dig deep, from where I sit, it's too widespread to be anything but primal.
Of the riders I know, I think there is only one who is pretty happy about where he is and not too worried about whether his skills are ramping up, staying the same, or sliding a little. He’s just happy to be out there riding with buddies, and he’s very good at that. I think he’s actually getting better at it in fact. He never has a bad day, even when he has a bad day.
I wouldn’t say I’m obsessed with becoming a better descender, which is where my focus lies, but when I get a taste of blood, and some strategy or habit I’ve stumbled upon begins to show results, I inevitably want more. There’s nothing like the feeling of becoming someone else; transforming from the rider you once were into a newer model; longer, lower and even slacker.
I was surprised when I found myself drawn the try this move. Conditions were slick and once you tipped in, the steep entry made stopping out of the question. There was also a sniper take off and missing it by an inch or two either way wasn't an option. There are legions of riders who wouldn't give this a second thought but previous, younger versions of me would never have tried it. 57 year old me dove right in. Photo - Jens Klett
Lately that's been happening to me again, after a fallow period that followed a similarly fertile stretch. There are times when lines that used to be terrifying and chaotic, feel comfortable and controlled. I get down and it feels like something fundamental has changed; the planets have realigned or a young, sensible and capable president has been elected. And I guess that makes improvement a safety consideration for me. I won’t talk about injuries or how many spills I’ve taken recently or otherwise, because I am superstitious about this (and only this),* but I have certainly felt safer on my bike recently, despite riding harder features and often going faster. Intermittently and unexpectedly that is. I can never predict whether it's going to be a good day or a bad day but the odds are higher if I'm riding the day after a good one.
*While on a break during a ride, I once told my riding companion that I’d never broken a bone while riding. I broke my wrist 20 minutes later.
Independent of the source of this desire within us, I sometimes wonder if there is any point in getting better. I’m going to keep riding regardless. Even when I start getting worse again, much of the experience of riding in spectacular forests, with the usual dodgy suspects, will remain undiminished and glorious. I suppose I’ll have to give it up eventually, assuming I live long enough, but if I make it to a crusty 80 or beyond, I hope to keep making marks in dirt with knobby tires. Improvement isn’t what keeps me going, but it makes the fire burn brighter and gets me on the dirt more often.
This is an example of a move I wouldn't have attempted a couple of years ago. It wasn't that hard but it was a little intimidating. I looked at it and was surprised that my inner gatekeeper said, "you'll be fine!" Photo - Jens Klett
Personally, I'm quite sure that part of this desire to get better is hubris. It feels good and burnishes my rusty self-image when I ride above myself, particularly when I ride features that I was once sure were permanently out of my league, which has been happening some lately. Another more pure motivation is the elation that accompanies new physical sensations; bigger air, speed or exposure, longer and more treacherous rock faces, and moving the bike deliberately, even ever so slightly, when it’s off the ground.
My favourite sensation usually happens by accident. It involves coming into a corner with more speed than I have before, either because I’m on a new trail, I’ve judged things poorly, or because I've lost control. The most recent occasion this happened was riding what may be the steepest and scariest line I've ridden. It's a long chute which has a sharp "don't miss" left hander at the bottom. Self preservation kicked in, aided perhaps by newer skills and body positioning, and I threw the bike over at an angle that I’ve never experienced. The sensation in that moment was indistinguishable from falling uncontrollably, and when everything worked out, I momentarily understand the rapture those televangelists can't stop talking about. It makes me think I’m feeling a tiny slice of what World Cup riders feel on a warm-up run. It also becomes clear that, over time, as we improve, we become desensitized, and what felt foreign, thrilling and frightening, begins to feel normal, resetting the cycle. The next time the same thing happens, it won't make the ground shake quite as much, which means only digging deeper will bring back that buzz. Which seems remarkably similar to what addicts say.
This would have been above my pay grade until a couple of years ago. Photo - Dane Perras
Another element that pushes me forward is existential. I have this feeling that if I’m improving, I’m moving further from death. How could I expire when I’m getting better? It has to be an immortality cheat code. Even if it's not, I'd bet a hundo that just believing this strategy will make me live longer, will make me live longer.
Improvement on my bike can feel transcendent and thrilling and also have me believe I’m capable of new things in other areas of my life. It gives me energy and inspiration that inevitably overflows. Perhaps not always in positive ways, particularly that hubris part, but it spills over nonetheless.
One of the great things about mountain biking is that there is always something you can work on. And, just like concert piano or vasectomies, you can get better through performing a task over and over again, if you practice deliberately that is. It can be something small, like figuring out a technical climbing section, or getting over a log, or something more consequential like getting comfortable with larger gap jumps and drops. Progress slowly and get comfortable before you move on, and you will inevitably improve.
I rarely watch how-to YouTube videos unless they are about fixing or building something around the house, but the Loam Ranger told me he had one tip that would take the fear out of jumping for me. I didn't believe him, but he was right. It's been revolutionary. He also gave me an incurable earworm.
The proviso to all this is, that I’m only getting better than I used to be; slightly less clumsy, and somewhat more proficient. I’m still a middle of the road Shore rider, but that’s one of the beauties of mountain biking. Even on days when I ride like shit, (and that feels much worse when I’ve been making small gains ride after ride), I never lose a mountain bike ride. Other riders can be faster and smoother and definitely more stylish but, as my buddy Craig put it, I can always rise to the level of my incompetence, and at worst, it's pretty great.
There’s nothing particularly noble about getting “better” from where I sit. It’s a fundamentally selfish endeavour, despite being generally harmless, but it’s the kind of selfishness humans falls all over each other for. In fact, it might be an essential part of taking part in “action sports” in this era of turmoil, along with imminent and seemingly irreversible global catastrophe.
It’s too late for me though. If this is a rut, I don't think I'll ever get out of it. But I may try to dig it a little deeper.
Height - 6'/183cm (mostly legs)
Weight - 165lbs/75kg
Inseam - 37"/94cm. (turns out I hadn't measured correctly previously)
Ape Index - 0.986
Age - 58
Trail I've been stoked on lately - Sam's Dad's Trail
Bar Width - 760mm
Preferred Reach - 485-500mm
Comments
Dave Smith
1 year, 2 months ago
I cranked over 50 this year and over the last while I've been focussing on fitness, smoothing out my riding and making better decisions like carrying less weight in the camera bag so my LB doesn't scream at me. I figure I'll ride and ski for as long as my body will let me.
Parellel sidebar:
Lately, I've been hanging out with a few friends that I knew from skateboarding back in my teens. They are a mix of 50+ year old vert enthusiasts and former pros who have a private mega ramp and get together three times a week. While I relegated my deck to leaning against the wall years ago, they never stopped even as they collected more responsibilities and time constraints - Too stubborn to quit and too much in love with the sport that has been their lives. It's pretty amazing to watch people who are casually good at something after a lifetime of dedication. Sure, the hits to their knees hurt more and they don't go quite as big as they used to but they are better at smaller tricks and grabs than they ever were - the beer tastes better afterwards too. They also think riding bikes where we do at our age is nuts but what do they know.
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Karl Fitzpatrick
1 year, 2 months ago
This.
A year ago I pinched a nerve in my neck that basically shut down the strength in my right tricep for 3 months which includes not one bike ride, even around the block.
Aside from the inevitable feeling of, will-i-ever-ride-again?, when it started coming right, I thought I'd have to crank my expectations of progression right back (like to nil). A friend said that the more you ride, the more normal it becomes and the more ride you ride the gnarly stuff you want to ride, the more normal that becomes too....
Trails are drying out over here in NZ and I'm so glad he was right. My filter for what is scary isn't as restrictive and I'm ticking off features and trails I wouldn't have considered before my nerve thing...
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Danksi
1 year, 2 months ago
The only bone I’ve ever broken was my C3 a couple years ago coming off a wet slab. Stupid lucky it didn’t kill me on the spot. Funny how something like that deprioritizes the need to progress to faster, bigger, gnarlier. Physical recovery was 12 weeks, confidence took a few more after that. I still do the same shit and try some new stuff but I’ll skip features if I’m not feeling good about it. I used a life that day. At 50 I don’t know how many of those I have left.
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Moritz Haager
1 year, 2 months ago
THAT is scary AF. I can handle broken bones, but the C-spine is a different animal.
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Danksi
1 year, 2 months ago
It was a line I’d ridden several times in the dry but this happened when it was wet. All I remember is the backend kicking up and around, then the ground coming up fast as I fell head first. Took me a few minutes to catch my breath and stand. I thought at the time I had a couple broken ribs, bunch of flesh wounds and some whip lash. I finished the trail, rode home, showered and then to ER. Ribs were fine, Stable fracture C3. I’ve not hit that line since even in the dry and I’m happy to skip regardless.
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doodersonmcbroseph
1 year, 2 months ago
That loam ranger tip is pretty much the only thing anyone needs to know to get better at jumping. There are so many useless videos with jumping tips but this is the one I always send people to.
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Frorider
1 year, 1 month ago
It’s too bad the Loam Ranger used the confusing terminology of staying “perpendicular to the ground”. I’ve had people ask ‘what does he mean by ‘the ground’ when you’re riding a steep slope with jumps? Unfortunately his video was only done in horizontal terrain.
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Dan
1 year, 1 month ago
I didn't find the terminology confusing, personally. I am just finding the guidance difficult to execute LOL
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Velocipedestrian
1 year, 1 month ago
I'm with you, I've enjoyed the improvement it's made in my general trail jumps, but the extra height it provides on steeper lips scares me.
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Kerry Williams
1 year, 2 months ago
You know, I was going to comment that after two leg breaks in my 50's, I had given up on trying to improve and started focusing exclusively on enjoyment. But, the further I read, the more I realized that it's not true, and at 54, I'm still trying to improve. But, the focus has shifted from trying to get better at manualing, jumping, and going as fast as possible, to being a better all around rider. Crazy thing about this sport is that there are so many ways to keep learning, and appreciating being out there, that once you're fully in, there's no quitting. Also, the drive to improve is something that is needed in all walks of life, from work to family, and definitely riding. Thanks for the editorial Cam. It's always good to read about like minded individuals.
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FlipSide
1 year, 2 months ago
I used to be pretty much only interested in super fast and gnarly stuff, or super steep and tech trails. Then, for the 2022 season, I built my dream hardtail and switched to flat pedals. The hardtail became my go-to bike for about 2 rides out of 3 and, on this new bike, my riding naturally became focused toward finding smooth and clean lines. I also started enjoying technical climbs, as well as mellower pedally trails. It turned out that these last two seasons were among my most memorable and I had a total blast riding this new hardtail on green, blue and black trails.
However, double blacks with big drops or compressions are no fun on a hardtail (especially when you're 47 years old), so I rode significantly less of those in the past 2 years and it is starting to show. Even on my big enduro bike, I ride these trails with significantly less confidence than I used to.
I feel this switch to the hardtail made me a better rider overall and really increased the fun I have riding, but this is at the expense of loosing some key skills for the super tech steep stuff, I assume by lack of practice. It sucks a bit, but I have absolutely no regrets. I have more fun riding overall and I feel this should be considered another way of "Getting better at bikes".
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Cam McRae
1 year, 2 months ago
Having more fun is absolutely getting better. Doing it Better maybe?
It doesn't have to look a certain way or like it used to as long as you are loving it. Thankfully riding at our level is not a spectator sport!
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SteveR
1 year, 2 months ago
Really enjoyed reading that, Cam! At 68 I've pretty much decided that progression to me, means working on the small, often subtle things that I could improve upon. Cornering better, pedalling smoother, finessing low consequence features etc...No more tough stuff, especially since cracking ribs in a fall (while riding an easy feature!) early this summer, and realizing how much longer recovery takes now. There's always something to learn!
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Deniz Merdano
1 year, 2 months ago
Well articulated Cam. Our buddy who has been away from the shore for six months was as nervous as they get going up the mountain to ride the trials HE BUILT himself. The fear that perhaps some of the muscle memory was gone or he has forgotten how his bike is supposed to feel. He didn't even reach for his fire stick with the intention to be fully present. Asked me if I knew the feeling....I told him every.single.time.
You know me, I am a sucker for progression. And that suck also is my achilles. It can be crippling at times heading up for a skilled descent. But I love it and the rut indeed needs to be dug deeper.
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Andy Eunson
1 year, 2 months ago
These days, as I just turned 66, progression, whatever that means, is more like refinement. I look to ride smooth, controlled and clean. I never really was a rider seeking adrenaline but I would slowly approach things until I was comfortable on similar but less risky things. I needed confidence before I attempted risky shit.
It’s not uncommon to hear people suggest that they will still be ripping when they get older but might need an ebike to get up to the hard descents. Sorry to break it to you, but you will be more risk averse and the old body that can’t climb probably won’t want to descend high risk trails.
I read that Bode Millar was motivated to have the perfect race run as much as winning. I’m kind of there with wanting to have "perfect" rides. Cleaning technical climbs and challenging descents. The day I finally cleaned It’s Business Time was the highlight of that season and maybe decade. That trail has really hard climbs and tricky descending too. Super satisfying. The stuff that takes more bravery than skill doesn’t really do it for me. My fear overwhelms my confidence.
I rode a lot of more intermediate and "light black" trails this summer. I had a lot of fun and no serious crashes. I did ride off a couple bridges though, no injuries, but I seem to have different balance.
I read an article last year sometime about thinking and how it changes as we age. When we are young we have better fluid thinking and typically people come up with brilliant ideas when they are young. During our fifties it changes to crystallized thinking where we know what we know but fresh ideas are harder to come up with. The writer pointed the Charles Darwin who’s best ideas were when he was young. Similar for, I think it was classical composer Bach? Who wrote his best music when young but turned to teaching in his fifties. Darwin felt like a failure when he got older whereas Bach did not. I see similarities with sports. I see my skiing skills getting better still but I’m not heading to Air Jordan anytime or even super steep risky lines. My Nordic skiing is improving too. Equipment improvements have helped my skill improve as well as progressing and changing techniques. Biking is similar.
I think it’s a mistake as we age to see progression only as bigger faster higher.
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Unkas
1 year, 2 months ago
One of the more entertaining (and insightful) books on this topic that I read recently was Steven Kotler's Gnar Country. It's basically a diary of a skier who decides to learn how to park ski at the tender age of 53. It's also a pretty accessible primer on the psychological concept of flow, which I am pretty sure has something to do with lots of us coming back for more pain and glory of so-called action sports. I read it at the same time as Cam's article on jumping and it felt like the universe aligned for a brief moment. The moment passed quickly though, and I still suck at both jumping and skiing...
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Perry Schebel
1 year, 2 months ago
an interesting topic of thought - esp for those of us of *that* age range. while i've always accepted that at some point, there would be an inevitable decline of skill and/or change of risk aversion, but had no idea when & how that would begin to creep in, and how my psyche would respond. as an active person whose identity is somewhat rooted in the outdoor activities that i love (or should i say, sanity is dependent on?), the specter of the descent into decrepitude is a looming fear.
that said, i'm (so far) happy where i'm at. while the (relatively) big consequence moves of the freehucking days are firmly behind me, i'm ok with that, and i feel i've improved in other facets over the years. so far so good? *knocks on wood*
neat discussion.
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cheapondirt
1 year, 2 months ago
This summer I rode a particular feature, Filthy Ape, that was really scary for me. Not highly technical, just blind and committed.
My level of confidence for a week afterward was addictive. I never thought I cared much about improving, but it turns out that was an old excuse not to do scary things.
The appeal back in September was to see if I could overcome the fear and roll in. Next park season I have to ride it properly! Improvement no longer feels optional.
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Cam McRae
1 year, 2 months ago
Nice work. I've never hit that, or looked at it from the top, but it looks very cool. And I'm sure it's way gnarlier to look at looking down from the saddle!
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cheapondirt
1 year, 2 months ago
Based on the pictures in this article, you're far better qualified to ride it than I am.
Next summer. If you want. :)
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Mark
1 year, 2 months ago
Cool article Cam, I've always fascinated by the psychology aspect of sport and it's great that you're willing to pull back the curtains on your mind and let us have a peek at what's going on in there. There are a lot of factors can influence our mindset and affect how we ride, somedays we get steak and somedays we get the horns. Something I've wondered about with my own riding is how much improved bike tech translates to improved riding. Does the confidence that comes from things like better tires translate into being smoother on tech sections and result in riding smoother/better? I feel like you flirted with this idea a bit when you said you feel safer on the bike, does safer translate to better?
One other thing I found interesting was your comment about getting better being a fundamentally selfish endeavour, care to share any more thoughts on that? I think that getting better can be selfish, depending on what one's motivation is, but I don't know if I'd label it as inherently selfish. I'd probably even go the opposite direction and say that a desire to improve is a fairly noble and generally intrinsic quality, rooted in our evolution of wanting to achieve more than just basic survival. At heart I feel like humans have an innate desire to see what we are capable of.
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Cam McRae
1 year, 2 months ago
I guess what I’m getting at is that the most unrestrained manifestation of what I’m talking about - the pursuit of improvement - is the top level athlete. There is a level of personal sacrifice required to reach the upper echelons of most sporting endeavours, but there is also sacrifice required of those around you. People will need to do things for you, tip toe around you when you need your sleep, pick up slack because you don’t have time to contribute to, for example, household chores. Selfishness is required. And a focus that is inward.
And I guess I see a parallel with the rampant, and often toxic individualism, which seems to be more on display in North America, than elsewhere in the world.
Of course there are ways to mitigate the egotistical elements of focussing on our individual performance by sharing knowledge with others and giving back in other ways, but this requires an awareness of the human flaws and the pitfalls of believing our own press. I guess it comes down to how rare true humility is among those who reach the pinnacle of their chosen pursuit.
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Mark
1 year, 1 month ago
Hmm. I see where you're going with the elite athlete thing and agree with the sacrifices needed, but then there are also rewards for those who make it to that elite level that are often shared with family. So is that selfishness, or shared sacrifice and shared reward? Typically those sorts of people tend to be high achievers - in all aspects of their life. For example, I have a friend who lives in Whistler and has competed as a Tri athlete which has required sacrifice from family, particularly his wife. Yet his drive is also what makes him a successful business person which has provided a high standard of living for his family. He's also been a great father. Achieving excellence requires sacrifice and hard work. Sure some people stumble ass-backwards into success due to sheer luck or by birth, but most people have to work pretty hard for it, so I'd question whether that can be called selfishness or not. Maybe we are just looking at selfishness a bit differently. I see selfishness as doing things for your own gratification and not having any thoughts/concerns about who or what gets stepped on in the process.
The toxic individualism is a different thing though, and there I think think there's a stronger case for the use of the world selfishness - even if it's ignorant selfishness.
Humility is one of those things that I think most people unfortunately aren't taught at a young age. It takes experience to learn about humility, and success at a younger age makes that more difficult. You bring up an interesting point about how rare true humility is with those who reach the top. How do we know if those people have humility? Most of us have to rely on the stories the media tells us so how do we really know what a superstar is like? In some ways I think we are also a part of that problem, as we tend to reward brashness and extravagance while tales of generosity and kindness don't get as much air time.
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Cam McRae
1 year, 2 months ago
This comment has been removed.
Justin White
1 year, 1 month ago
I don't know if safer translates TO better, but better usually translates TO safer. Hubris can always come in to push you beyond what's "safe" for your current level of "better", but this applies for all levels of betterness. Perhaps more better means the push needs to be further and thus more dangerous, less safe. However, when you're not pushing, more better means more capabilities to handle the randomness that unintentionally pushes you close to or beyond what you think are you current limits. Could be considered safer.
I like to get better because it lets me express what my imagination sees. Potential hip on the side of the trail? Get better at doing hip jump type stuff and make it happen!
I actually get better by riding often and trying new things. Might not be huge things, but it's why I think it's silly when people claim their trails are boring: just ride them differently! No-brake deathgrip a turny trail, realize how much comfort braking you do and do less! Ride switch foot. Make every turn a front-foot turn! Front brake only, rear brake only! Wheelie over everything! Manual over everything! Got that easy slab roller laced? Stoppie it! Get so much better that you can't get bored.
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Hugo Williamson
1 year, 2 months ago
I remember snowboarding with a Swedish sponsored rider, who had just dropped a very steep exposed Shute, I remarked that the buzz from that must be amazing, his reply was to the effect, to get the same buzz someone of my skills could drop 8 foot into powder, his would be 50 plus. The buzz factor being the same.
So even micro progressions at my age 68, coming back from injury give me a buzz, I guess that is what drives us onwards.
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Cam McRae
1 year, 1 month ago
We all have our own buzz. In the end, it doesn't matter what anyone else does. To have an 8 foot drop feel like 50 is only positive unless you are chasing a sponsorship.
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Nick Maffei
1 year, 1 month ago
Reminds me of a story the great Ed Coan, powerlifting legend, told about a young lifter asking him how squatting 900 lbs felt. Ed asked the lifter what his squat PR was, and remarked something like, well, 900lbs feels to me like 400 does to you. That story stuck with me and sounds pretty similar to yours! Thanks for sharing.
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Cam McRae
1 year, 1 month ago
That’s a great story Nick and a perfect illustration!
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ShawMac
1 year, 2 months ago
For the past year or so, I have been pretty much obsessed with getting better and faster. Perhaps it is due to (or maybe the reason for...) I have started racing as much as I can (when I can get a pass from family commitments). This is balanced at being in the age group where reaction time and muscle output is going through its natural decline (mid forties)
The downside with this obsession, is feeling frustrated or down when not seeing progression. For the last year I have been feeling a bit on a plateau, almost feeling like I am getting slower. To be clear, I am usually mid-pack joe average in the local racing but hitting the 50th percentile seems to be coming less frequently now, and the old Strava segment times aren't getting any better (I consider yself an ethical strava/TF junkie, I only compare to myself and no short cutting!)
I suppose I need to look for the bright spots; my weakness has always been jumping, especially gaps, but that has been improving a lot. Big booters still freak me out as professional dead sailor, but I am getting there.
I tend to really focus on one hobby or sport for a few years. Prior to biking it was sailing. I still race boats once or twice a year, but if I am taking the effort with a family absence, biking takes priority. I sometimes wonder when the biking obsession will be replaced by some other hobby (fly tying, music, who knows?)
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Cr4w
1 year, 2 months ago
For me it's a combination of curiosity (what if try doing this thing I do all the time a slightly different way and discovering a better way), being observant (oh look, they do it differently than I do I wonder if that way is better? Do you think that line is possible?) and sheer selfishness because the pleasure of doing something with a lot of skill is a greater satisfaction than when you're a clunky noob (especially if that skill requires humility, practice and balancing control with major risk anxiety i.e. riding the shore).
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Cam McRae
1 year, 2 months ago
Very well said sir! Thanks for sharing those perspectives and strategies. Curiosity is huge.
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Cr4w
1 year, 1 month ago
Ever go for a ride with someone who just refuses to ever take the new/unfamiliar line and always wants to do the same stuff the same way?
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Justin White
1 year, 1 month ago
Yeah, and they probably hate me because I'm always going on about "try this little option", "hit this side hit", there is a B/C/D-line that is super fun, too!"
But next to them is almost always someone who ends up following you and going "oh wow, I never tried that line before, awesome fun!" Or you end up following the other someone who takes those new lines.
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Kos
1 year, 2 months ago
Great article, and most of you guys live in an area that makes seeking out tech challenge relatively easy. I don't, so at 64, I'll echo pretty much everything Andy said.
So mostly these days, I'm stoked to be riding a curvy dirt path through beautiful scenery. But I still love ground-level tech riding, and was stoked to clean the Slickrock Trail in both directions at 64!
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Flatted-again
1 year, 1 month ago
3 things:
First, excellent editorial. You’ve captured a feeling I’m starting to experience as I enter my 10th year of actual mountain biking.
Second, I’ve found myself recently working on skills (like standing up to the lip- really the best jump video I’ve seen, as was the cornering silly fast one as well), so that I can keep ahead, and then up to my son as he grows on the bike. I want him to see that biking is a blast, and then I want to be able to ride with him as he rides in ways I can only dream of.
Third, I’ve reached a new level of biking and I think it is due to swapping from clips to flats. Changing certain pieces of gear (pedals, hardtail, 27.5, etc) has forced me to develop new techniques, and improve old ones, and I’m having more fun on the bike than I’ve had in a while.
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Skooks
1 year, 1 month ago
Riding with kids and watching them progress and eventually get better than you is the best!
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Cam McRae
1 year, 1 month ago
So good! Switching things up is huge. You can’t expect things to change if you don’t change anything!
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[email protected]
1 year, 2 months ago
Well said and inspirational. Thanks for this. Being only a 3year rider myself, hearing or rather reading about someone that has been riding much longer than I and still think he is middle row for the Shore is very encouraging. Thanks!
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JT
1 year, 2 months ago
Here! Here! Cam. Entering week two post surgery to fix a collarbone that's been busted for 20 years and I'm chomping at the bit to get out. The weekend before the cutting a pal and I went out to a relatively new trail filled with what all the kids want: jumps, drops, and flow. I wasn't hitting everything but I was hitting things I've passed up on a couple occasions. It was the kind of ride a person could use given the impending downtime from any saddle time aside from a trainer. I'm looking forward to healing up enough that I can begin yoga and strength training in earnest without having the ends of a busted bone clicking over each other, mostly because I want to get back to being able to pull full xups before I hit 51, something the two bits of bone wouldn't allow on bars wider than 720mm. I may never get 3s back, but that doesn't mean I can't try every so often. And I sure as heck can't let my ex pro roadie pal have all the fun on the jump lines. And tbh, if I can even get some fat bike time this winter I'll be a happy rider.
Here's to getting older, wiser, and potentially ((totally)) more stubborn about what we can/can't do on a bike.
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Cam McRae
1 year, 2 months ago
Killing it JT! And glad you’ve been patched up. That sounds life-changing after 20 years. Congrats!
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Andy Eunson
1 year, 1 month ago
Something struck me yesterday as I was walking around my living room stiff with a sore back from 16km of skate skiing. Sometimes our skills are more than what our bodies can handle. You have to creep into the seasonal changes in sports.
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Skooks
1 year, 1 month ago
I can relate to that after over doing it on a trail day today...
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Mario S
1 year, 1 month ago
Man this one hit me deep, recently I’ve been almost terrorizing myself with the features I’ve been hitting. I hope I get used to it soon lol
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Justin White
1 year, 2 months ago
I'm not superstitious.
But I am a little stitious.
I don't call "last run", but not because I'm worried something will happen, but because it just might not be last run. Mayne someone wants to crank partway back up that last hill to hit a couple things.
I'm also the guy doing wheelies and cutties in the parking lot instead of just loading my bike on the rack as soon as we're back. I'll still be one of the first to crack open a beer, but loading up, just like calling last run, is so final...
And, wow... that was a tangent and a half that arose from that dumb pun, oops!
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Justin White
1 year, 2 months ago
If you're not getting better, you're getting worse.
If you want to keep riding until 80, gotta be getting (relatively) "better" the whole time, or you'll be worse enough that it won't be enjoyable.
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Skooks
1 year, 2 months ago
Nothing wrong with that. I don't think I am "getting better". I'm definitely getting slower and more risk-averse as I age. And I am perfectly okay with that. I am having just as much fun and enjoy riding just as much as I ever have. Riding with friends, watching other riders progress, hanging out in the woods, and occasionally doing things that scare me never get old (unlike me). I know that one day I may no longer be able to ride, and this motivates me to get out as much as possible. Every day on the bike is a win!
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Justin White
1 year, 1 month ago
"I know that one day I may no longer be able to ride"
The the "worse" I was talking about. You might not feel like you're "getting better" on every ride, but just by doing it actively, you're automatically "better" than you would be if you did nothing, which enables those future days.
"Every day on the bike is a win!"
Hells yeah! To me, every day on the bike can even be a double win, especially __if you put something into it__: a direct win for that day, and an indirect win for whatever fraction of a future day that it enables.
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Brad Nyenhuis
1 year, 1 month ago
At 63 I live with the fact that I'll never be as fast as I was. After my third concussion in two years I mostly retired from enduro racing a couple years ago (Although I did race the Salida Enduro this past summer- I love those trails and couldn't resist).
However, while my speed may be digressing, my skills can continue to progress. I still ride proline trails and have have been getting more comfortable in the air, even learning to whip.
IMO, a big help in this is the quality of bike design. Bikes are so good right now and keep getting better. If there's one positive to getting old it's the ability to afford these amazing beasts.
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