[SirChomps-a-Lot]

i never thought I'd say this but I'm questioning whether it's all worth it.

i can't sleep

i can't crap

i'm in constant pain

i'm probably addicted to codiene by now

i've been chained to my room 20 hours per day for a month

if i had a job, i'd have been fired long ago

i have become a massive inconvienence to the people that care about me

i have caused the people that care about me tons of worry

i am costing the world tens of thousands of dollars in medical expense

i'm trying to justify this sport. i'm really trying. right now i just want my f****** life back.

 

[crono35]

try toning it down. instead of being so extreme, find a happy medium where you're riding and not getting (that) injured.

 

[Kornphlake]

Yeah it's worth it. Today I was riding my newish BMX bike around the yard when I think hey I'll bunny hop that thinggy that directs the water away from the house when it rains. It's on a pretty steep hill that's mostly decomposing granite so breaks are pretty useless because the wheels lock really easily but for some reason I felt like I needed to try bunnyhopping with my brakes on (probablly because last week riding under completely different circumstances I let go of the brakes to bunny hop something and because I sped up from letting go of the brakes I nearly crashed and died.) Anyways I endoed right into the ditch thing and bounced up smileing (SP??) and feeling pretty dumb for not realizing you can't wheelie with the brakes on and therefore can't j hop with the brakes on. See crashing is fun, you just have to make sure and do the bounce up feeling dumb thing, no more of this crash and get metal implanted in your bones thing.

 

[The Kadvang]

Word. Kornphlake knows where its at. Falling can be fun, I never feel more alive then after rolling down a hill and gettin up, scraped but unharmed. Get well soon bro.

 

[SuperSlow]

Originally posted by SirChomps-a-Lot
i never thought I'd say this but I'm questioning whether it's all worth it.

i can't sleep

i can't crap

i'm in constant pain

i'm probably addicted to codiene by now

i've been chained to my room 20 hours per day for a month

if i had a job, i'd have been fired long ago

i have become a massive inconvienence to the people that care about me

i have caused the people that care about me tons of worry

i am costing the world tens of thousands of dollars in medical expense

i'm trying to justify this sport. i'm really trying. right now i just want my f****** life back.

It really is worth it. Put yourself in my shoes. Ive been very seriously hurt 2x in my life. 1st was in mammoth. Front wheel sidehopped and clipped a rock folding at 50+ mph on the kamo. Results were compound fracture femur, broken neck broken back, torn rotor cuff, fractured skull ( through a bell ballistic) full tear on the calletral meniscis and acl was ****ed too. Was in a coma for 22 hours and on crutches for 13 months. after a full rehab, 4 years later, I was pulling out of an apt complex in my car and was hit head on by an 18 wheeler( operated by a driver under the influnce)

My point being- weather you realize it or not, you risk your life every day.........why not be injured doing something that you love?

 

[Ice Bullit]

Originally posted by Kornphlake
Yeah it's worth it. Today I was riding my newish BMX bike around the yard when I think hey I'll bunny hop that thinggy that directs the water away from the house when it rains. It's on a pretty steep hill that's mostly decomposing granite so breaks are pretty useless because the wheels lock really easily but for some reason I felt like I needed to try bunnyhopping with my brakes on (probablly because last week riding under completely different circumstances I let go of the brakes to bunny hop something and because I sped up from letting go of the brakes I nearly crashed and died.) Anyways I endoed right into the ditch thing and bounced up smileing (SP??) and feeling pretty dumb for not realizing you can't wheelie with the brakes on and therefore can't j hop with the brakes on. See crashing is fun, you just have to make sure and do the bounce up feeling dumb thing, no more of this crash and get metal implanted in your bones thing.

Wow

 

[MMike]

Actually no. It is not worth it. Because you know what, you're going to get old one day. And you think you hurt now? Just wait. Neither of my parents are in terrific shape right now. My mom has had two spinal fusions.

Your injuries with come back to haunt you in your old age. That's why I keep my riding well within my comfort zone. What do you win for riding beyond your limits? A whole lot of hurt.

Is it worth it? Yeah sure....when you're 18, you may think it is. But when it catches up to you in 30 years, will it still be worth it?

"Gotta go big. Life's too short not to go big". Dumbest ****ing thing I've ever heard in my life.

 

[TWISTED]

I get hurt alot, kinda goes with my job, I guess. Lately I've tried to tone it down a bit by riding urban and practicing manuals. Instead of downhilling with huge drops trying to break some kind of record or show what a badass I am, I've been doing more trail riding and shuttling more downhill xc type trails, keeping it smooth and under control. I'm 35 and still getting better as a rider but the crashes hurt more now so I gotta be smarter.

 

[Brian HCM#1]

Originally posted by MMike
Actually no. It is not worth it. Because you know what, you're going to get old one day. And you think you hurt now? Just wait. Neither of my parents are in terrific shape right now. My mom has had two spinal fusions.

Your injuries with come back to haunt you in your old age. That's why I keep my riding well within my comfort zone. What do you win for riding beyond your limits? A whole lot of hurt.

Is it worth it? Yeah sure....when you're 18, you may think it is. But when it catches up to you in 30 years, will it still be worth it?

"Gotta go big. Life's too short not to go big". Dumbest ****ing thing I've ever heard in my life.

Well put!!!!! You can still enjoy the sport, just take it down a few notches. I don't ride nearly as well or fast as I did many years ago. At 38 I can now start to feel all the years of sports my body endured. I wake up sore everyday, however i still love to ride. I now just stay within my limits as I have nothing to prove to anyone except to prove I'm the slowest on the hill. Who gives a sh*t, I'm still out there having fun and thats whats it's all about....................Having fun.

 

[Rip]

I say it is worth it. Getting injured is part of the sport/way of life, it might sound awful, but everyone has their dues to pay once in a while. I have and I still am paying my dues. If you can not accept the fact of knowing that you will be hurting in the future, you might want to stay in your comfort zone.

 

[Matt D]

Originally posted by MMike
Actually no. It is not worth it. Because you know what, you're going to get old one day. And you think you hurt now? Just wait. Neither of my parents are in terrific shape right now. My mom has had two spinal fusions.

Your injuries with come back to haunt you in your old age. That's why I keep my riding well within my comfort zone. What do you win for riding beyond your limits? A whole lot of hurt.

Is it worth it? Yeah sure....when you're 18, you may think it is. But when it catches up to you in 30 years, will it still be worth it?

"Gotta go big. Life's too short not to go big". Dumbest ****ing thing I've ever heard in my life.

I totally disagree.

What happens if you get paralized in some fluke car accident in 5 years? I'd be trying to kick myself wondering why I didn't go for the big jump, or try a big drop, or push myself to to go faster through a rock section. I'd wonder why I didn't take advantage of the time I had. Regret is a terrible thing. If I make it to 70 and can hardly walk, I won't regret it.

To be perfectly honest, I don't plan on making it to 60-70 when I'd get all decrepit. It's not that I have a death wish at all or anything, but I try to live life for the moment, not 40 years from the moment.

You can do what we do and push yourself while still not being out of control. Do it safely, and work up to it (don't go from 5 foot drops to 30 in a day IOW).

edit: Keep your spirits up man! And rant to us as much as you like until you get back in the saddle!

 

[gmac]

That Sux !

Is it your "good arm" ?

Don't feel too guilty. Everyone screws the pooch once and a while. Its expected and allowed. AKA= experience.

Also, if you get too bummed out. Just find someone much worse off than yourself (plenty of em around these days). Look at them and think. Then you'll probhably feel a lot better.

Proggression: Ride only what you know you can do safely.

Good Luck

 

[Ian F]

I agree with Mike and Brian. When my injuries from DH racing start to affect my ability to work (my broken hand from two years ago makes it very painful to hand-write on a job site), I know it's time to tone it down. I don't heal like I used to. I don't bounce like I used to. Like Brian, I get up every morning sore.

I'll still hit jumps and drops, but only within my comfort zone. I don't feel quite the need to push my limits any more. Been there, done that.

I've always considered myself a "cyclist" rather than a "downhiller" or even a "mountain biker." I enjoy a long, hilly road ride just as much as a day of DH runs - sometimes more.

I have no regrets, but when I am 70 I plan to still be riding.

 

[Ian F]

Originally posted by Acadian
I still take calculated risks now and then

Can you post those calculations?

 

[Ian F]

Originally posted by Acadian
Judging by:
1) the scrapes on my helmet (of # of helmets I’ve been through)
2) scabs on my body
3) list of injuries

you can tell I still haven't got the perfect numbers!

Damn... I hoping you had an equation I could use...

I agree, being hurt sucks... I don't have time to be hurt anymore.

 

[Russ]

This stuff about "hurting when you wake up" is an old wives tale. When you get older, you hurt when you get up no matter what you do, or have done. Actually my friendly orthopedic surgeon swears by the fact that the MORE active you are and the MORE things you do, the healthier and more able to recover your body is. I kinda agree with him. I just had one of my worst crashes - didn't break anything this time - but ended up with severe trauma on my hip, and a hematoma the size of a 7 month pregnant lady. I'm out for 6 weeks, but all I can think of is - I'm going to Whistler for the month of July!!!!! Oh yeah, I'm 55, and I DO hurt when I get up, but so do people that I know that don't do squat!

 

[Lexx D]

I don't know. What I do know is it keeps me going on a daily basis. Do you work everyday just to work more? I work so i can afford to do the things I like. I don't want to get hurt but it's part of the sport.
I agree with Matt D about the car thing. I see alot of horrible things happen and i would rather enjoy my time here to the fullest. If i ever get hurt I'll take up filming instead of riding . I don't want to be a bitter old man wishing i had taken the bull by the horns.
I do agree that if you question yourself try riding not racing. I go to the mountain and if i feel good I'll fly at full speed, drop, jump and if i don't i'll pedal along doing wheelies and try to find new lines.
I will not sit on the couch and be concerned with what could happen if I venture outside.

 

[Brian HCM#1]

Originally posted by Russ
This stuff about "hurting when you wake up" is an old wives tale. When you get older, you hurt when you get up no matter what you do, or have done. Actually my friendly orthopedic surgeon swears by the fact that the MORE active you are and the MORE things you do, the healthier and more able to recover your body is. I kinda agree with him. I just had one of my worst crashes - didn't break anything this time - but ended up with severe trauma on my hip, and a hematoma the size of a 7 month pregnant lady. I'm out for 6 weeks, but all I can think of is - I'm going to Whistler for the month of July!!!!! Oh yeah, I'm 55, and I DO hurt when I get up, but so do people that I know that don't do squat!

Its not a matter of how active you are or were, I will try to do DH untill I am phyicaly unable to do so, all my point is you don't need to push the limits to have fun. I never said he should give up DH, but you need to look into the future if you're young. You'll need to keep an eye open for mulipal concussions like a lot of these kids have. I too was invincible when I was 8-25 years old. Most of these guys/gals will have a long life and you also have to think about the future................Now I'm sounding like a father of 2 little kids.

 

[HTFR]

i have a friend who is about 50 and he can ****ing rip with us 20yos but he recently hurt his spine, but its the youngins who are trying to keep him off the bike!!!

sirchompsalot your situation really sucks. and if i where you i would think the same things my advise, don't make dessitions on an empty stomach (i think thats the/an expresstion). what i mean by that is, dont make and "rash" dessitions until your back on a bike.

and... are you sure that its TOO much codine or NOT enough?

another word of advise:
when taking calculated risks, NEVER forget to carry the one .

i appolijize for my choppy disjointed syntax.

 

[Repack]

What the hell did you do to yourself?

If the people caring for you know that you would do the same for them, than you are a good person, and have nothing to worry about, and should just look forward to getting back on the bike. Just keep pushing yourself, on crutches, whellchaor, bike, whatever... When your banged up, the little things can make you feel good.

 

[PoserNewbie]

I guess it comes down to choice at the end. If you like to push yourself to the limit everytime you ride, you'll increase your chance of getting injured. Of course you can say what if you get hit by a truck crossing the road tomorrow? Sure, that can happen but that's called an accident and you cant control that. However, DH riding and going balls out and hit the biggest gap jumps/drops you can find IS IN YOUR CONTROL. You do have a choice. I'm with Mike, Brian and Ian on this one because I want to be able to play with my son when he grows up.

 

[auntesther]

I have been fairly fortunate to generally not get hurt too badly. bumps, bruises, scrapes, etc. The worst up til last summer was a sprained ankle. I ended up shattering my wrist and the pain sucked, laying around sucked, nt being able to ride sucked but was the worst was not being able to play with my 2 little boys, pick em up, etc without alot of pain and discomfort. 2 year olds dont understand broken bones and dont understand why you cant pick em up when the day before you could. If you asked me right then if it was worth it I would have said nope. I was contemplating selling all my bikes and moving on. Then the pain went away, I healed, and all the negativity faded. I realized that sometimes things happen beyond my control. I can take precautions but I cant live in a bubble. So I went out a little urban ride, loved just being out hanging with my friends doing something active and fun. I realized I probably couldnt give up riding even if I really thought it would be better for me.
Now I just go and do what I am comfortable doing at my own pace. I dont pretend I will ever be fast, bust huge air, etc and I am cool with that. Just happy riding and happy not being hurt.

 

[kidwoo]

You'll know after your first 5 minutes rolling down a trail.

 

[MMike]

Originally posted by kidwoo
You'll know after your first 5 minutes rolling down a trail.

On a bike, or end over end?

 

[kidwoo]

Originally posted by MMike
On a bike, or end over end?

oooh, good point. nevermind. Play monopoly

 

[RhinofromWA]

My crash that stuck me in ICU for 5 days and general observation for another 5 was a wake up call.

DHing is a sport/hobby full of dangers. You can't avoid them all but you can avoid some. Choose to go big and win (face possible hospital stay) go a little conservative and get 5th place (and go to work on Monday).

Riding DH (or motorcycles or insert sport here) has a fine line between control and out of control. The fun is finding that line and pushing it (until you get hurt) At some point you stop chasing that 1st place(or glory) trophy and find comfort that you rode a clean run, and can do better next time. Racers that either get 1st or crash out scare me. DHing is a short sprint so that theory can pay off. Racing motorcycles offroad for 2-3 hours requires a little self preservation.

Mistakes will happen. I crashed in a slow speed get off a month ago and dislocated my shoulder. As I stood up I was telling myself to relax and just finish the ride to the bottom. A few limb checks later I realized I couldn't really move my right arm. Was I riding out of control? I didn't think so. It was a stupid mistake where there was no reason to fall.

My point you ask? You can't eliminate the risk of getting hurt but you can remove unnecessary risk (doing that big double when you aren't quite ready,etc) Acadian is right you take calculated risks....you weigh the benefits against the risk. That is something DHr's must do every time they take to their bike. If you deam the benefit (saving 4 seconds) over the rist (overnight in the ER) and all lights point "Do it!" than you have your deciscion. That is no garauntee it will pay off but you have accepted the risks of it not working out....so you can be at peace.

Can you still enjoy it when you don't push yourself at 110%. I have had that discussion with a friend. I can say I would/do still enjoy it...where he wasn't as sure. I do this because I enjoy it. I will not become rich because of it....it costs me a lot of money, so if I don't enjoy it I might as well find something else to do. No reason spending money on something this expensive if I am not going to enjoy it.

Just some incoherant rambling from a

Rhino
09/01 - badly spained ankle
11/02 - massive internal injuries(huge list I will not post)
4/04 - dislocated shoulder
my list is short but I had one hell of one in 02. The rest are fractured ribs bruises and cuts that I can accept and are not listed above.

 

[TWISTED]

I went out and bought a Playstation 2 and Downhill Domination thinking it would keep me off my bike so my wrist could heal. Turns out I got into the game too much and re-hurt my wrist trying to go big on the game, go figure.

 

[Matt D]

Originally posted by TWISTED
I went out and bought a Playstation 2 and Downhill Domination thinking it would keep me off my bike so my wrist could heal. Turns out I got into the game too much and re-hurt my wrist trying to go big on the game, go figure.

LOl!

 

[JeffD]

Totally worth it.

Don't know how old you are, Chomps, but I just hit 3-0 and am as young and willing as ever. Thing is to start introducing preventative maintenance into your lifestyle - lift weights, do calisthenics that hone your agility, go on recovery rides the day after a really hard ride instead of sitting on the couch, ice achy joints after riding, eat REALLY well, etc...I could go on but you get the point.

People take their health for granted and we don't do enough to safeguard it as we go bigger or get older. Riding ever day in a haphazard manner is for the really young and limber. As you get older you gotta start putting some effort in if you want the body to put out.

Heal up man.

 

[chicodude]

man, its worth it. ive broken lots of stuff, i just recently broke three ribs, a finger, a bad concussion, and blah blah blahhhhhhh. anyway, when i die (which i hope is no time soon) i want my bady to show sign of a life lived to the fullest, and signs of wear. live it up while you still can walk.

its really up to you if you want to continue though

 

[CyberJay]

To everyone saying "turn it down a notch" I'd agree. However, you need to find your flow and ride there. Forcing yourself to ride slower than you are comfortable with because you're worried about getting hurt will absolutely mess up your timing and get you hurt again.

I say it's worth it, and I agree with the calculated risk people. Try to ride smart, listen to your body.

Heal up man.. You'll feel better when you can get back on a bike.

-Jay

 

[Dartman]

Yes it's worth it!!!!

I went through pretty much the same self pity party that you're having. It was even worse when I got the cast off and couldn't bend my elbow more than 10 degrees (from the 90 it was stuck in) without excruciating pain. I was ready to sell my bikes and give up.

It'll all get better and you'll be back to it in a while. You can get messed up anywhere, shower, work, car accident. Might as well be on your bike doing what you love to do.

One thing that helped me mentally was returning to the scene and riding over the very spot I augered in.

Mike

 

[SebringMGB]

Ill steer away from saying wether its worth it or not, as that a personal choice, but one thing that can help, is learn to crash. The only problem is, the obvious way you need to learn how to crash. but you can save youself a lot of bs injuries by being able to overcome those stupid impulses, and do what its actually going to make the crash far less painful.

 

[beaverbiker]

yes. id rather die doing what i love than live doing what i hate

 

[Tashi]

I've been in bed 24 hours a day for the past 10 weeks so I've been thinking on this one for a while:

Is it worth it? Thats up to you. helpful I know but no one else knows your priorities like you do. I've had to revisit mine an make some changes personally. Some considerations I've gone through:

-Am I willing to be a cripple and not be able to fend for myself?
-What will this do to my relationship? What if it happend again?
-Why do I enjoy this type of riding? For the last few years I've been more and more scared before a big move and thinking more and more about aspects of mountainbiking that I've ignored for the last 6 years of trying to be extreme (or whatever). Having a history of being a "cyclist" before being a "freerider" has helped here 'cause I know that the non-gnarly stuff still rules.
-Is there a way to enjoy riding and not risk being almost killed again?

The list is endless really.
Some people think less about their future than others and this will have a huge impact as to how you answer the questions that you are asking yourself right now.

You could get run over by a truck. You could get paralyzed riding an easy XC trail. All I know is, if I wasn't doing a fast jump when my forks broke (they would have broken on something soon anyway, they were toast) I would have had some scrapes and bruises instead of two broken vertebrae. Once again, what level of risk you are willing to intentionally expose yourself to is entirely up to you. Some people never play any sport more dangerous than basketball. It likely suits them. Don't worry about it if you don't think it's worth it to be gnarley any more, just do what makes you happy.

That was a nice little cheeze break!

Try to wean yourself away from the painkillers and your guts might get better ( unless you've damaged them some other way). That helped me. Just get off them ASAP really, they really aren't good for you mentally either; they made me kinda depressed really.

GOOD LUCK AND TAKE 'ER EASY 'TILL YOU HEAL FULLY

 

[Zoso]

Is it worth it? Let me work it. Put my thang down, flip it, and reverse it.


I'm shocked no one else thought of this.

Back to the lecture at hand (yet another hip-hop reference), stick with it bro. Riding is so diverse, you can always find something to do that fits your allowed level of risk. So you don't go huge any more? Who cares? As long as you are having fun on your bike, that's all that should matter. I do a lot of cross country riding because you get to be on the bike for a long time. Its rewarding and is much better exercise than DHing. If I ride my DH bike too much I get bored. Keeping things fresh with different types of riding is the only way to fly. Just think of this as an opportunity to try a new style of riding. Maybe check out a road bike, or a SS hardtail.

If you don't feel the desire to ride DH, then don't. Just because other people think its cool to huck and drop, etc., doesn't mean its the only cool thing to do on two wheels. There are other ways to get your riding fix besides DH.

Good luck bro.

Heal up soon.

Adam