Posts
1377
Joined
7/19/2012
Location
Trussville, AL
US
Edited Date/Time
3/16/2019 5:42pm
(Long winded, sorry in advance.)
So ever since I got stationed here in AZ I've been a bit of a mental case with riding and all over the place. When I was stationed in NJ, I lived and breathed it, every weekend at the track with my buddies, though we complained about the lack of riding, I will admit I have a new appreciation for some of the amazing tracks that we had when I was there (Etown, FOD, SpeedCiti, Blue Diamond).
Moved to AZ and I'm finding myself in a whole new weird place. For one I'm in Tucson, the local track here needs some help, great people but its not the greatest (they dont even have a dozer for track prep) and moto is pretty dead here, think most people ride desert and its not the most wealthy place in the country. Sure there's the tracks in Phoenix but thats a 5 hour round trip for me. So with a lack of new riding friends and an unispiring / challenging track I found myself falling out of love with it and sold the bike and gear shortly after getting here in May of 17. Focused on some prereq work for grad school and deployed.
While deployed I found myself really missing moto, I was a late bloomer to the sport and it has done so many great things for who I am as a person and some of my fondest memories, relationships, it defined alot of who I am, I often find myself depressed or lost without it. So after some convincing from family and friends I bought a new bike when I got home from the deployment in August of 18. Ended up wadding myself up, feeling frustrated again with the lack of places to ride, riding friends and now an injury and just spending a good chunk of my savings to get back into it, I said f**k it and sold my one month old bike and gear.
Since then i've been trying to fill the time before I move back home to start grad school separating active duty in July but can't help but keep wanting to buy another bike and gear and ride again. Its so bad I'll go through spurts of negotiating on a bike, getting ready to pick it up and then back out and tell myself the cost, injury and just not being what it used to be isnt worth it, find a new hobby.
But I can't seem to shake moto, tried mountain biking, volunteering, it still lingers and torments me. My rational brain says stop holding onto what moto was, invest that money in your future, stop this financially harmful cycle, stay healthy avoiding injury and move on but my heart can't stop living in what moto was and the identity it created for me.
Anyone else go through this and how the hell do you move past moto or don't you? I just feel like giving up is just that and just another boring dude. I dont know. I usually have my shit together but this has been throwing me all over the place lately. When people say moto is a drug they couldnt be more right, this is ridiculous. Ready for the flaming. Happy Friday vitards.
So ever since I got stationed here in AZ I've been a bit of a mental case with riding and all over the place. When I was stationed in NJ, I lived and breathed it, every weekend at the track with my buddies, though we complained about the lack of riding, I will admit I have a new appreciation for some of the amazing tracks that we had when I was there (Etown, FOD, SpeedCiti, Blue Diamond).
Moved to AZ and I'm finding myself in a whole new weird place. For one I'm in Tucson, the local track here needs some help, great people but its not the greatest (they dont even have a dozer for track prep) and moto is pretty dead here, think most people ride desert and its not the most wealthy place in the country. Sure there's the tracks in Phoenix but thats a 5 hour round trip for me. So with a lack of new riding friends and an unispiring / challenging track I found myself falling out of love with it and sold the bike and gear shortly after getting here in May of 17. Focused on some prereq work for grad school and deployed.
While deployed I found myself really missing moto, I was a late bloomer to the sport and it has done so many great things for who I am as a person and some of my fondest memories, relationships, it defined alot of who I am, I often find myself depressed or lost without it. So after some convincing from family and friends I bought a new bike when I got home from the deployment in August of 18. Ended up wadding myself up, feeling frustrated again with the lack of places to ride, riding friends and now an injury and just spending a good chunk of my savings to get back into it, I said f**k it and sold my one month old bike and gear.
Since then i've been trying to fill the time before I move back home to start grad school separating active duty in July but can't help but keep wanting to buy another bike and gear and ride again. Its so bad I'll go through spurts of negotiating on a bike, getting ready to pick it up and then back out and tell myself the cost, injury and just not being what it used to be isnt worth it, find a new hobby.
But I can't seem to shake moto, tried mountain biking, volunteering, it still lingers and torments me. My rational brain says stop holding onto what moto was, invest that money in your future, stop this financially harmful cycle, stay healthy avoiding injury and move on but my heart can't stop living in what moto was and the identity it created for me.
Anyone else go through this and how the hell do you move past moto or don't you? I just feel like giving up is just that and just another boring dude. I dont know. I usually have my shit together but this has been throwing me all over the place lately. When people say moto is a drug they couldnt be more right, this is ridiculous. Ready for the flaming. Happy Friday vitards.
you bought a brand new bike to sell it one month later.. what's your problem..
The Shop
Riding moto is the best full-body workout I have found.
Riding moto is the best form of meditation I have found. (that is fully engaged mental and physical activity with no room for distractions)
Having a sound mind and a sound body will only help your graduate studies.
Maybe back it down a notch, though. Thanks for your service.
Moto is great, but you can also find the same therapeutic enjoyment off road too. Look up the AMRA (arizona motorcycle riders association). http://www.amraracing.com/
I moved to PHX at one point and found good dudes to ride and race with thru the ARMA. Eventually I joined the Rockstars MC and found lots guys to ride track and trail. Best thing I did since I didnt know anyone and didnt want to ride by myself.
Good luck.
Pretty sure you said you were getting out soon? Worst case you wait until you are in a better place to ride.
There are no mulligans in the game of life...
If you want to ride, ride!
As cliche as it sounds there is way more truth to the simple four letters. YOLO
I get it man, especially not having many people to ride with. I have times where I look at the bikes and I'm kinda meh about them, but after I haven't ridden in a while I chomp at the bit to ride. I had a 2014 YZ450 that spent most of it's life with me sitting. Bought it July 2013 and sold it April 2018 with 38 hours on it. Still looked as clean as the day I bought it. I hated seeing it just sit in the garage depreciating in value even though no hours were being put on it. At that point I decided it was time to change things up a bit. So I started searching for a YZ250. Ended up buying an 05 YZ250 from another Vital member(you can see the bike in my build thread or the thread about going overboard on builds) and it changed things. I still don't like that the bike sits, but I don't feel the same as I did when my 450 sat. It's fun to ride, easy to work on, cheaper and just badass to even look at. Coming from a 450, I feel like a champ riding my YZ250.
I don't know if you've thought about going that route, but maybe it will help change things a bit for you like it did for me. Not here to try and push 2 strokes on anyone, but just figured I'd give my insight on the subject having had the same up and down feelings with riding over the last few years.
I separate in July, but Joliet MX will be a 30 min drive from my house at home.
I definately feel the lack of riding buds doesnt help, I had a plehtrua in NJ and would constantly meet and establish new ones, here its tough, just a lack of people and lack of people wanting to socialize with new people lol. I think you nailed it with the 4 stroke vs 2 stroke. I had a YZ125 I bought as a 2nd bike back in 2016 and feel in love with riding all over again, never got hurt on it, never rode over my head and definately grew the most riding when I had that bike, been thinking maybe I need to move back to a 2 stroke, because its cheaper, easier to work on, less pressure overall to have sitting in the garage.
Thanks man.
Pit Row
You'll have a lot going on soon, get that sorted, get yourself settled, buy a 125 and have some fun for the next year or two and go from there. You'll be fine, don't beat yourself up too much right now.
Also, have you ever ridden Ocotillo Raceway? Is that place still open in AZ?
Post a reply to: Get back into it, then get out, then back in, anyone else this much of a mentalcase?