Posts
316
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Milton, WA
US
Osaka627
8/4/2015 3:58pm
8/4/2015 3:58pm
Edited Date/Time
8/6/2015 7:20am
Some friends were asking me last night how I manage to hold on to my bike so well despite lacking any feeling in my right throttle hand, and having a torn up left shoulder and clavicle from so many dislocations, breaks, and ligament tears along with the cortisone shots.... They aren't exactly 100% strength wise., . It's funny because I really haven't road in 5 years or so up until last weekend, and I've been so damn sore all week long I do not want to move. The last time I road or raced a bike on a track was at Seattle SX in 2010 and even then I was injured and hadn't road in 6 months. That was my last hurrah well... Up until last weekend. My back, neck, butt and legs are hurting!!! My hands are good, and my arms are fine! You would think after such time off my arms would be like rubber, and I was afraid I'd be able to hold on, but despite my lack of flow that I once had all was well!!
They laughed when I told them that I don't really hang on to the bike much at all, and let it do what it wants beneath me. I've been racing for 23 years, and can tell you what is going to happen in 99.9% of any situation so surprising me is difficult, and when I'm not tired, pushing, or training I'm well within my comfort zone, and within my safe bubble that wont pop unless something bizarre happens.
I think this is what separates a pro from a schmo after thinking about it. I believe in the 10,000 hour rule, and I know I've put in double that time on a bike in my life, but there is still much too be learned! I like watching the Vet Pro's ride who were blazing fast in their youth, but now have day jobs ride! They aren't pushing it, and are out just having fun! They're barely holding on to the bike! They aren't even really trying, and it comes with time, experience, knowledge, talent, and understanding of the way a MX bike works in general. I believe most of them hold on to the bike in a way or exactly the same as I do, but I've never asked the question to find out!
My index finger and thumb are usually not even locked while riding, and I'm using my knee's to grip the frame, tank, and seat to secure my position on the bike. That's what keeps me planted and seated in my riding position. Which for me is over the top of the bike. This also plays into why I don't need to hang on with my arms because I'm so far over the front of the bike that hanging on with my arms would be utterly useless and only cause arm pump. I keep my head almost parallel with my front number plate and I try not to let it drift behind it. If it does it means excess strength used to bring it back over the top, and that strength doesn't come from my arms. I'm using my knee's to keep me planted, and now I need to use my lower and upper back, neck strength, and stomach muscles to keep me in line rigid, over the top, planted, and loose all at once. That is what I"m really holding on to the bike with. I'm not holding on with my arms or hands I'm holding on with everything but them basically.
I guess that's why all MX racers that have been doing it for so long all have necks shaped like collegiate wrestlers, and the thighs of a slalom skiing sensations. I think people put to much emphassis on strength, cardio, and need to focus more on technique. My Dad taught me how to ride when I was 2 years old behind his Suzuki Dealership, and when I wasn't riding behind the store I was at home or in the Parts Department watching Gary Semic's riding tutorials, and one thing I'm happy I picked up from all that was good form, technique, and proper base. It seems as if nobody is teaching basic technique, form, or base anymore. From the trend in bar positioning, lever placement, and riding styles over the past 10 years it sure seems like we forgot the basics anyways. I've always believed in the idea that with proper form and technique your potential is limitless, but with bad form or technique you might be talented, but you will always be handicapped and putting a limit on your potential to improve.
So what are your riding form and body positioning things you do to stay on the bike without exerting all your energy through your arms and legs, and anything else you would like to add!
They laughed when I told them that I don't really hang on to the bike much at all, and let it do what it wants beneath me. I've been racing for 23 years, and can tell you what is going to happen in 99.9% of any situation so surprising me is difficult, and when I'm not tired, pushing, or training I'm well within my comfort zone, and within my safe bubble that wont pop unless something bizarre happens.
I think this is what separates a pro from a schmo after thinking about it. I believe in the 10,000 hour rule, and I know I've put in double that time on a bike in my life, but there is still much too be learned! I like watching the Vet Pro's ride who were blazing fast in their youth, but now have day jobs ride! They aren't pushing it, and are out just having fun! They're barely holding on to the bike! They aren't even really trying, and it comes with time, experience, knowledge, talent, and understanding of the way a MX bike works in general. I believe most of them hold on to the bike in a way or exactly the same as I do, but I've never asked the question to find out!
My index finger and thumb are usually not even locked while riding, and I'm using my knee's to grip the frame, tank, and seat to secure my position on the bike. That's what keeps me planted and seated in my riding position. Which for me is over the top of the bike. This also plays into why I don't need to hang on with my arms because I'm so far over the front of the bike that hanging on with my arms would be utterly useless and only cause arm pump. I keep my head almost parallel with my front number plate and I try not to let it drift behind it. If it does it means excess strength used to bring it back over the top, and that strength doesn't come from my arms. I'm using my knee's to keep me planted, and now I need to use my lower and upper back, neck strength, and stomach muscles to keep me in line rigid, over the top, planted, and loose all at once. That is what I"m really holding on to the bike with. I'm not holding on with my arms or hands I'm holding on with everything but them basically.
I guess that's why all MX racers that have been doing it for so long all have necks shaped like collegiate wrestlers, and the thighs of a slalom skiing sensations. I think people put to much emphassis on strength, cardio, and need to focus more on technique. My Dad taught me how to ride when I was 2 years old behind his Suzuki Dealership, and when I wasn't riding behind the store I was at home or in the Parts Department watching Gary Semic's riding tutorials, and one thing I'm happy I picked up from all that was good form, technique, and proper base. It seems as if nobody is teaching basic technique, form, or base anymore. From the trend in bar positioning, lever placement, and riding styles over the past 10 years it sure seems like we forgot the basics anyways. I've always believed in the idea that with proper form and technique your potential is limitless, but with bad form or technique you might be talented, but you will always be handicapped and putting a limit on your potential to improve.
So what are your riding form and body positioning things you do to stay on the bike without exerting all your energy through your arms and legs, and anything else you would like to add!
That's the punch line. Guy like Villo, zero basics. Dungey...all the basics. But Villo is so fast, its caused amateurs to want to emulate him regardless. Even if he is a poster child for sitting down too much.
It's the same with crashes.....I know I can't ditch the bike mid-air when shit goes bad because coming down on either leg could be disastrous, so I'm pretty much forced to stay with the bike and hope for the best. I'm like a cat in the air on the rare occasions when I do end up flying off the bike, I twist and turn....but so that I DONT come down on my feet. I've screwed myself up in other areas though when doing that. As for the barely hanging onto the bike, I learned a long time ago that the looser you are on the bike....the better you will ride. I barely hang on as well and just let the bike do what it wants underneath me....until a certain point though. It's much better than fighting it for control.....that's when you end up on the ground.
The Shop
Stupid blurry editing
I stand up too much too! You know you do when you don't even put your feet out in corners anymore! It's actually a bad habit because I wait too long to sit down sometimes and when I'm transitioning into exploding out of the corner I'm busy sitting down and making my pivot at the same time. That little error costs a few seconds a moto over the long run! There's no better feeling though than burying a 450 waste deep in a loamy sand berm after hitting it WFO third pinned both feet on pegs and dragging bars while standing up.
But besides all that , very cool to hear that you got back on a bike again! even though you're in a little pain , you gotta have a smile on your face , and enough ambition to maybe get back into doing some weekend warrior practice stuff? If you do and head south , hit me up. Great bunch of dudes down here , and it's what we live for.
TP199. After his spine got fused I think he lost a lot of the motion in his hips. Guy is stiff hipped and is knees don't bend anymore.
I'm just giving you crap though bud. Nice pictures form looks good. It's the Internet and sarcasm is necessary. In honesty though I haven't seen you ride, but if the pictures tell the tale. Quit riding in the arches of your boot, and get on the balls. It will make your knees drop forward in essence bringing your butt down and weight farther forward. Not to mention you won't need to replace the arches or soles on your boots every 6 months. What do you think about them apples?
Honestly I didn't even ride my bikes and it wasn't on a real track. I went trail riding for the first time in my life. We went on 120 mile ride through Mt Rainier. We parked at Green Water Snow Park and rode up to Whistlin' Jacks and made a few wrong turns and ended up in Cle Elum around 1:00 AM. Luckily we got fuel at Jacks and had Head Lights and Lamps. We made it back to the Snowpark around 2:30 AM, and where back in Enumclaw right by Devol extremely tired, slightly grumpy, totally satisfied, but long overdue for his bed time at around 4:00 AM. I was riding my bosses KTM 450 EXC 2014 with full plates, tabs, and lights. It was really fun!!! It was a great stress reliever. Never thought I'd go trail riding and enjoy it, but I did.
Pit Row
Also seems like your KTM may be flexing under your size and strength!! Personally I think big guys should ride either a KX or YZ. They're both straight line rocket ships that are extremely stable, but the young kids don't like them because their not exactly known for their turning capabilities. Also I've known everyone who has ever owned a KTM describes the Euro feel as riding on top of the bike and not in or within the bike. Maybe a change of industry colors and stripes is what you need!
This one is just embarrassing, but hey I didn't crash
I find this position works well for me?
You mentioned your elbows, and I see what you're saying. One thing you can try to help keep them up is only use your middle finger for clutch and front brake. The tendons in your arm will automatically raise your elbows if you only use your middle finger. If you use your index finger you probably don't even notice it, but the tendons in that finger seem to run under my forarm and tend to drag the elbows down toward the ground. When you read this pull your fake clutch lever in front of you with each finger and notice where the tendons push your elbow and you will understand what I'm saying. Notice in the pictures above how their elbows and arms almost make a horshoe like appearance? Try working on that. It will help you with side aches if you get them, arm pump for sure, and it will give you a much more centered stable and predictable approach. From the looks of things I bet you struggle with hard pack rutted corners with no berm and struggle even worse with ones without either a rut nor berm to put your front wheel against. By raising your elbows you will broaden your base strengthening it in entirety. It will grant you leverage, balance, flexibility , and strength. It will help your cornering a lot, your braking ability the most, and your ability to be photogenic ten fold. Some peoples drop wrists because of past injuries, bar positioning, and lever positions mostly are to blame though. Anything else is just an unharnessed action that isn't benefitting you. Practice doesn't make perfect, it makes permanent. Remember that when training technique. You're on a 125, and looks fairly sandy where you're. It's understandable why you're riding the rear of that bike! You need all the power and momentum you can get!
I never got a PM from you though. It always goes to the same place , so it didn't come my way. Just saw your post here and thought it was cool that you got back on a bike again.
Do the Semics tapes apply as much to modern bikes as much as they did back in the day? And have any other really tall guys had success with all of his techniques or do we have some special needs that require us to stray from the program?
I stand up all the time, really crouching, except somewhat in the corners. I say somewhat because often my butt is close to the seat, but I'm actually standing with the outside peg weighted, and just a bit of weight on the seat.
On straightaways I find myself weighting the back wheel a bit to keep it from wandering in the rough.
I try to move the bike separate from my body. The better I get at this, the faster I corner.
Elbows up in tight stuff, but down on fast straightaways. It feels more stable and that it would be hard to kick me over the bars.
I ride a 125. You have to adjust your body constantly.
Levers are pointed down so they're where they can be easily reached when riding standing up with elbows up.
Not riding, but I'm same height as you. I find I either stand or the time or sit or the time–and only transition often when i'm not exhausted!
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