Did you become more of a wuss as you aged?

**Whiteroom_Guardian** · 08-30-2015, 08:30 PM

Shit, I look back on some of the stuff I used to do and I am amazed I didn't get seriously injured or paralyzed or something.

Maybe it's because I am not half in the bag all the time anymore? Maybe it's because injury recovery takes longer now? Maybe I ate too much soy?

I feel like a little wuss not sending the biggest park jumps. I mean I just started riding DH/Park like 2 months ago, so maybe I just need to be patient?

Basically, I spend most of the day at the park trying not to die, when 6 or 7 years ago I didn't think about that stuff and I think it helped me not psych myself out (when I used to do bigger shit on skis)

**Doremite** · 08-30-2015, 08:33 PM

Yer still in the park... You aren't old yet.

**jono** · 08-30-2015, 08:41 PM

^^This. Guy I work with noticed a still-slightly-bloody elbow a while back. I admitted to having wondered if I was done going over the bars not long before it happened; he just says "You're still riding."

Snow is soft, rocks and dirt not so much. And everything is steeper on a bicycle.

But to address your question more directly, no, I think I scared myself worse when I was younger: in my early days on a mountain bike I glanced down a hill from a trail I was riding and charted the path I'd take straight down as I'd do with bumps. Scared me pretty thoroughly when I realized what I was doing; couple decades on I'm over bumps but I have more faith in my bike skills--as well as more respect for their limitations. Now if I can learn to stay behind the handlebars I'll be happy; can't afford to just give up riding to recuperate anymore.

**Eluder** · 08-30-2015, 11:02 PM

If you're in your 30's even late 30's yes you're a giant vagina. If you're in your 40's you're still a giant vagina for second guessing yourself. If you are any older than that I suppose mid life crisis age is variable these days.

**gravitylover** · 08-31-2015, 06:09 AM

No. It's more like now I have a solid grasp on my abilities and what's fun for me and what isn't. I can ride/ski right to my limit, maximize the fun factor and hopefully not miss because missing sucks more now.

A few days ago I was ripping an almost flow trail and had the bike leaned way over through a twisty section really taking advantage of all the traction a 4.6" tire has to give. Doesn't it figure I hooked the handlebar on a tree

If I was being a wuss I wouldn't have been leading a group of 6 and catching a bit of air on each direction change.

**Mr. Toad** · 08-31-2015, 08:12 AM

It only appears that way because all the ADHD kids get weeded out in their 20's.

**eldereldo** · 08-31-2015, 08:45 AM

My knees tell me not to keep going like I used to. I get frustrated sometimes that I can't seem to get my nerve up to try going off of some things in the Park that I think I want to try hitting, but I have to much evidence that if I screwup, it isn't just going to be a week of being bruised, or a couple months for a bone to heal anymore. And I have mostly been lucky in that the biggest injury I have had, was a torn ACL. But 6 years later that knee is maybe 50% of the other, I really don't want to risk being able to continue to ski and bike in the future,just for a momentary thrill. So if I can work my way into something bigger in stages, I will, but I am not going to try to turn off my brain,and just 'go for it'.

But I am 56, if you are younger, suck it up you pussy

**kidwoo** · 08-31-2015, 10:20 AM

I don't ride any differently now than when I was in my 20s.

I wasn't an idiot in my 20s either though.

Part of what keeps me on bikes is that with skateboarding as my standard for two decades, there's not a whole lot that's going to happen on a mountain bike that scares me too much.

There's a big difference between calculated risks and just being a dumbass though. I think everyone gets more calculated but that doesn't mean the end result needs to be any different.

**Danno** · 08-31-2015, 10:21 AM

Yes, I think so. When I was younger I was always pushing because that's the way you improve. Now, I am not really concerned with improving and more to the point, the wrecks that come with pushing hurt more and last longer. So I ride within myself and don't try to push things as much.

**grskier** · 08-31-2015, 10:26 AM

I still push, but not nearly as hard.... probably somewhere between Kidwoo and Danno.

**Conundrum** · 08-31-2015, 10:27 AM

It's time on task, not age. Our local DH area closed a few years ago and I would have to drive a long ways to ride stuff like that. Consequently, when I end up some where with that kind of riding, I'm pretty tentative but I'm not practiced up, nothing more than that.

**dtown** · 08-31-2015, 11:07 AM

Fall in the mid 30's range so call me a pussy but my push has transitioned from technical ability to endurance. Felt like I hit a ceiling in technical ability and the time I have to ride (weekend warrior w/ 3 young kids) I want to make the most of...basically cost/ benefit.

Man that makes me sound soft...

**roadgap** · 08-31-2015, 11:32 AM

Late 30's, don't have kids. On skis, I push way harder now than I did when I was in my 20's. Mainly for 2 reasons:

1 - I'm looking back at about a 20 year stretch of skiing a fair amount every winter, with zero breaks (although this last 'non winter' really cut into the days). Most guys I know who were ski bums in their 20's either don't ski at all anymore or are lucky if they get more than 4-5 real chargin' days a year. Either it's kid between the legs or not gettting out at all. When I was in my 20's these guys would completely smoke me. Now I'm almost at their level skill wise due to me getting better and them getting worse.

2 - I'm way fitter than I was in my 20's. Endurance and strength. I can charge with more confidence when I know I have the strength to power through stuff instead of getting bucked. 10 years ago I never really prepared for the season and spent my first 5 or so days skiing my way into shape. Now I go into day 1 feeling awesome and it just carries on from there.

On the bike I'm a noob so I don't go very fast/hard mainly due to lack of skill, but I do take some chances because YOLO as the kids say. Been lucky so far to not break anything. Coming from a road background, crashing at 45mph in a road race usually sucks a lot more than any OTB in the forest. But I am in North Van so I go pretty slow on all that tech.

SB · 08-31-2015, 12:26 PM

My riding is fine four me, always has been. I do ride a lot smarter than 30+ years ago.

**joetron** · 08-31-2015, 12:44 PM

Rallied and progressed right up until about 36. Then I started going to bike parks less frequently and haven't had a DH bike for about 3 years so I'm hitting far fewer jumps than I used to. I wuss out on things a lot quicker now and I'm totally cool with it...except when Woo heckles me.

**kidwoo** · 08-31-2015, 01:15 PM

Glad I can help!

**detrusor** · 08-31-2015, 01:54 PM

As washed up XC guy, I'm still trying to climb hard, going down has gotten faster as bikes have gotten better. Mind you I was never one of those pathetic dudes from the crash filled XC video, ride all the trails now just faster down.

On skis I almost never find myself in no fall zones. Too much to lose.

I'm almost 50. Boo

**zion zig zag** · 08-31-2015, 02:12 PM

I'm having an existential crisis reading this thread.

**Stonepa** · 08-31-2015, 02:14 PM

After breaking, tearing, or dislocating just about everything, after 6 severe concussions, and after having had 2 kids, yes, at age 48, I am now a wuss.

**Lindahl** · 08-31-2015, 02:25 PM

I also went from doing all sorts of shit on skis to being 'new' on a bike. Yeah, you feel like a gigantic pussy, especially if you ride with people better than you. Its wierd having to progress from the very bottom. But you're only 2 months in, so give yourself a break. Progressing on a bike feels slower to me too - probably because consequences are higher? I feel like I really need to be nearly 100% on a feature everytime before I push on or progress - which is very different from skiing. Falling hurts and avoiding it is generally a good idea.

**chatton18** · 08-31-2015, 05:39 PM

Originally Posted by Whiteroom_Guardian

Shit, I look back on some of the stuff I used to do and I am amazed I didn't get seriously injured or paralyzed or something.

Maybe it's because I am not half in the bag all the time anymore? Maybe it's because injury recovery takes longer now? Maybe I ate too much soy?

I feel like a little wuss not sending the biggest park jumps. I mean I just started riding DH/Park like 2 months ago, so maybe I just need to be patient?

Basically, I spend most of the day at the park trying not to die, when 6 or 7 years ago I didn't think about that stuff and I think it helped me not psych myself out (when I used to do bigger shit on skis)

I'm assuming you're riding creek. Have you hooked up with anyone to follow around and push you a bit? Have someone show you the speed into the drops and you'll be amazed how easy they are...

Start on the u kicker then pipeline then deck drop, on off, fluke, then covenant and finally the covenant pipeline combo. Some new shots been added but that's the normal progression at creek. Most guys I know who have a bit of mtn experience get there in a season. Learning to jump a dh bike...or any bikes for that matter is a bit harder.

**Whiteroom_Guardian** · 08-31-2015, 08:23 PM

Originally Posted by chatton18

I'm assuming you're riding creek. Have you hooked up with anyone to follow around and push you a bit? Have someone show you the speed into the drops and you'll be amazed how easy they are...

Start on the u kicker then pipeline then deck drop, on off, fluke, then covenant and finally the covenant pipeline combo. Some new shots been added but that's the normal progression at creek. Most guys I know who have a bit of mtn experience get there in a season. Learning to jump a dh bike...or any bikes for that matter is a bit harder.

I have ridden 3 times at Creek and about 5 times at Blue. I rode Pipeline and was clearing the doubles on the second day.

It's weird. Its almost like I am more comfortable on the bigger jumps because I have more time to setup as I go up the kicker. Still, my consistency is shit and find myself getting pitched forward if I don't launch perfectly. Other times its like I don't have to even think and I feel great in the air.

I like the Empire freeride section at Blue the best. The jumps just feel right. I also love Blue because there will literally be 40 people riding the whole mountain on a busy Saturday. Creek can get real busy.

I definitely need to follow someone around to get the correct speed, etc. Been riding solo only.

**Powder Ho** · 09-01-2015, 07:34 PM

I

Originally Posted by Lindahl

I also went from doing all sorts of shit on skis to being 'new' on a bike. Yeah, you feel like a gigantic pussy, especially if you ride with people better than you. Its wierd having to progress from the very bottom. But you're only 2 months in, so give yourself a break. Progressing on a bike feels slower to me too - probably because consequences are higher? I feel like I really
need to be nearly 100% on a feature everytime before I push on or progress - which is very different from skiing. Falling hurts and avoiding it is generally a good idea.

I'm right there with you. I've skied my whole life and after 30 years on the the road I thought it would be fun to take up mountain biking when I turned 50. My roadie skills will translate right? I quickly realized how wrong I was. It was fun to learn/progress in a new skill set, but really frustrating because every mistake resulted in a big owie or injury. A separated pelvis a few years ago, that took almost a year to heal, made me realize that it's better to survive to fight another day. Sadly, I still feel like a big f'n puss when I walk a section of trail.

**joetron** · 09-01-2015, 07:59 PM

If I wuss out on something I know is within my ability on a different day/situation I just make the call, "Not happening today. It's a great reason to come back (to this probably awesome place) another day."

Sometimes you just gotta watch someone else rally through/over something to really visualize it. That's the best way I've found to make it to forty with relatively few injuries after 30 years of doing dumb shit on bikes.

-typing this with a 5 day old plate in my wrist earned while riding something blind, stupid and alone. D'oh

**gravitylover** · 09-01-2015, 10:19 PM

^^ Add another 13 years of doing dumb shit on a bike and then we'll talk

I didn't have training wheels but I had a cul de sac with fresh pavement. Just the other day I was remembering the day I learned to ride 43 years ago and the scar I got the next day when I hit the same telephone pole three times in a row. Even then I was sessioning shit on the street apparently

The scar is still visible! Tonight while I was riding with my daughter she was saying how I'll just roll into things smoothly and confidently when the consequences are too severe for her (at 16) so at least I'm still a better rider than a little girl