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I’ve come to the conclusion that MX will end with a bad crash for most of us old guys…
Going to???? You have some catching up to do!
Maybe...as you age its all about riding within your means, and what your acceptable level of risk is.
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I'm dealing with something similar to you. I'm a 67 year old vet B. Last May I cased a double.
Ended up with a compound fracture of my tib/fib and a broken ankle on my right leg. Surgery, rod in my tib and numerous screws in my ankle was the result, 8 weeks non weight bearing.
Good news is I'm good to go now. I can run full speed and do my distance runs as well. Also riding my mountain bike with no issues. It still aches now and then and I'll have some athritis for the rest of my life.
At first I said I was done and selling everything, but as I went along I felt I should wait on that until I'm healed, and not make a decision I would regret. Ortho says I'm good to go. But the the thought of going over a jump is really f**king with my head. I just don't want another injury at this point in my life.
So I've decided to severely limit my jumping. I'm going to see if I can have fun just riding and not jumping and hanging with my riding buddies. But if it turns out I can't, I'll sell everything and call it good.
Sad fact is todays tracks have changed and are not as forgiving as they used to be.
Definitely plays a part….
Its over for you dude. Sell the bike and take up knitting.
Or maybe buy a cat and catch toxoplasmosis. Then you'll become a risk taker again.
Bro take your time - Vet and Triple in the same sentence can be hazardous! I’m 47 jump most things at the track, there are occasions I won’t jump something and it’s ok. If I have to second guess something I won’t jump it. Just because the B and A kids are smoking it, doesn’t mean I have to.
Second post I've seen from you wise sensei.
Dig it.
I analyzed what caused my accident and it wasn’t the tracks fault. Lol. I focus on not lettting myself get into that position again. When I got back on the bike 15 months post op I went to the same track where the accident happended and rode it as if nothing ever happened albeit with a different mindset. What I mean by that is in certain situations I just back it down rather than hold it on and see what happens. For example, there are times I can ride a track for weeks doing all the jumps and obstacles and some days if the lip doesn’t feel right or if there are slot car ruts I just don’t do them. To be honest when jumping along side someone (someone taking off just a wheel or half a bike ahead) 7 times out of 10 I’ll just back it down. I ride for smiles and not for anything or anyone eles. I don’t care what someone “thinks” about my riding. If that what you are riding for, you are riding for the wrong reasons. Have fun folks!
Every major wreck with injury I had took a little time to gain the confidence again and the older I got the longer it took. Just keep on keepin on and when it comes to the obstacle of the mental block? Hover around someone who is doing it well and focus on it. Next thing you know your confidence is back and your ripping like you should be again
Remember I grew up on a dairy farm. We try stunts with anything with an engine. Cars,pu, John deer 500 sled we pulled each other on a tobaugan trying to wipe each other out. Billy another farm kid , I gave him the high speed swing rt into a 8 ft drift. Haha . It looked like a bomb went off, we both were laughing so hard we almost peed. He says my turn I,m going to get ya back. I said it better b a good 1, hard to beat that. Neighbors calling the house saying Tony just went by ovr 120 mph past our house, trying to fly off the hill. In the dark on a xL100 wo I lost track of what hill I was on. Next thing you know I,m flying like Seth Enslow into a valley. But I couldn’t wait for daylight to do it. I broke a lot of rear spokes. Jump off the hay near the top of the barn into a pile of hay on the floor. Swing from ropes in the barn off the top of the hay. Climb silos & get on the roof, we got yelled at for that. A girl was killed on our farm doing that.
Good thing we're tough cause we were sure born stupid.
You know my story man. I started working as a 3 yr old on a farm, at 5 to 10 severe beatings, kicked & fly 20 yards, whipped with a metal rod, etc. that will toughen anyone up. At 12 I had the cash to buy my own rm80. My mom wouldn’t allow it & screamed you,ll get paralyzed ovr & ovr. She still says that or until 4 yrs ago she stopped talking to everyone. That gets in your head after decades. I blocked all that out when I started riding again. In 98 it was in my head pretty bad tho. Probably because my back was already broke.
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