[TheInedibleHulk]

The most annoying thing about injuries is not riding during recovery. Im a bit timid when it comes to jumps and drops, relatively of course. Whenever I start feeling like a pussy for not trying somethign I remind myself that probably one percent of mountain bikers can do what im contemplating and almost all normal people wouldnt even think it was possible. I used to be a big trials rider and have since moved on to DH and jumping. It's weird for a trials rider to go off a drop at speed, we're used to spotting our landings before we take off and doing everything slow and methodical. In DH you have to just trust the bike and the trail and let it rip.

 

[ridecruz88]

broken bones are cool, promote DH riding (when you put all your bike companies on the cash), and chicks dig em

 

[ridecruz88]

I'm a wuss when I ride, I love to ride but don't push it to the limits. I have nothing to prove and I'm just out to have fun.

ya i noticed...a lot of my friends are like that. Then you figure out its all wrong when you REALLY push your limits for the first time. Its a thrill like none other...I remember when I first did that was probly when i was 12 and i took a 6 foot drop on my raleigh bike w/ like 80mm front travel, it seeemed sooo ****in huge to me...damn good memories, i felt like the king of the world after that....then i saw new world disorder for the first time

 

[lovebunny]

well... im a pansy. i hate hitting things 1st, and im deathly afraid of jumps. but i do the later at least any ways because u cant progress if oyu dont. just wear armor and dont go past your limits ant ull be fine. and you gotta remember for evrything worth having theres a risk. i love flying through the mountains as fast as i can and to me thats worth the risk of hurting myself.

 

[Toshi]

I used to be a big trials rider and have since moved on to DH and jumping. It's weird for a trials rider to go off a drop at speed, we're used to spotting our landings before we take off and doing everything slow and methodical. In DH you have to just trust the bike and the trail and let it rip.

me, too. getting used to the speed + drops took most of this season, but now i you'd have to pay me to go back to pedal kicking to flat landings

 

[DownhillnDunkey]

Crashing is always in the back of my mind.I'm mostly afraid of going over the bars. and everytime i've crashed ive gone over them and done flips bouncing around everywhere.So my advice is to just be aware and if you have that feeling your about to go down just bail or if you KNOW you are going down and have a bit of time to react just relax your body dont stiffen up its when you make your body stiff and tense thats when you break bones.Or just wear a pressure suit..

 

[scrublover]

At times, yes. Esp. since I see alot of f*cked up injuries at work (ICU nurse)sometimes, I'm a bit leery of the long term effects of hurting myself. I still want to progress to bigger/faster things though. I've done a lot of stuff in the last year that I'd have not even attempted two years ago.

As I've gotton to be a better rider, there is more that I'll do. The thought of being never able to ride/hike/run again keeps me from getting too crazy, or trying things too far beyond my abilities. Definately is a help for me, riding with better riders than myself.

So maybe not scared of hurt, but just a knowledge of the consequences of what could happen *after* the big hurt keep me in check at times. Sometimes a bit too much, but I'm workin' on it.......

 

[thaflyinfatman]

Yeah I'd say I'm scared. It's just instinctive, if you're not scared then something's wrong with you. I have never, and probably will never try anything I don't think I'm capable of doing. I'm the kind of person who can't make myself do something with the full expectation that I'll crash, if I want to try something I'll make sure that I think I'm up to it. I'm happy to fly down the side of a hill at mach 5 where crashing could mean paralysis or death or whatever, because I make sure I'm capable of staying in control.

Fortunately for my own safety, I am the kind of person where fear is *usually* the limiting factor rather than actual ability, it's pretty uncommon that I do something new and eat it in doing so. The downside to this is that I progress pretty slowly, but I can deal with that in return for not getting hurt too often.

Some people have a really good balance between fear and ability... those people are called "pros". The innate talent to say "yeah I can do that" then go and nail it, then say "I can't do that" and not be stupid enough to try it anyway is a winning combination IMO.

 

[Spunger]

I'm a wuss when I ride, I love to ride but don't push it to the limits. I have nothing to prove and I'm just out to have fun.

Ditto on this one, same here! I'm pretty slow but out to have fun.

You have to respect fear 100%. Fear will kick your butt before you even step on your bike. I think it depends what sports you do to have true "fear" such as surfing, rock climbing, something where the conditions change.

While I wasn't a surfer I did bodyboard for years. There were days when I thought I was litterly going to die on a wave. I'd be out when 2-3 guys were, all older guys, in giant storm surf and I swore to myself I'd die. I'd drop in to go to the shore because I would be so scared of a wave and in the end I was like "this isn't so bad". Next paddle out I tried a huge invert off a 14ft+ wave and came up in the flats. Knocked the wind out of me, rippled my board, and dislocated my shoulder. After that accident I respect everything I fear, knowing the fear will get to me.

But it's always going to be a battle with fear and demons. I've never broke anything but my ankle and a finger and I am scared to break a arm or leg or ribs etc... Part of it is because I have no health insurance (working on that) and part of it is just because I'm a wuss.

When it comes to riding, I am just out for the ride to enjoy it, be outside, and be away from everything that bothers me. That is the real bottom line.

 

[360]

If i have time to think i get scared, so Djing, big drops and some northshore type stuff scare me, but when im riding dh, theres no sitting about eyeing things up, so i cant build these things up in my mind i just get on with it.

I've done plenty of things on dh courses, that i'd never have taken on if i'd actually stopped to eye them up, i like to follow people i know down courses that i havent ridden before then i know my speeds good and i can hit whatever they hit.

 

[Darkreaper]

Heh, you guys scare me!

I'm not quite as 'hardcore' yet, NI doesnt have many trails and I'm just starting the offroad stuff. It scares the bejeesus out of me when my bike isn;t under my control - whether that's pulling a skid, launching myself off a jump, or trying a wheelie. I just keep going at it though, it works eventually!

On a related note, I performed my first front endo dismount tonight, landed on my wallet with the bike following right behind :S Aching leg but not even a decent bruise to show for it!

 

[Red Bull]

i think im just really scared of braking a bone because ive never done it before and dont know what to expect. Im the kid who alway hits ( i just accidentally wrote "****s instead of hits :love: ) stuff first, like honestly, all of my friends think im crazy and fearless, and i seem to be for the most part, until i walk out on teh 15 footer. I no i can do it, there is just 2 trees at the bottom, just off to the side, that scare the hell out of me. Cuase i know i can do teh drop, i know i wont nosedive or fall sideways, i just dont wanna hit that f'in tree. If i can find the link of my video i will post it

 

[Red Bull]

ok, i found it...


http://albert.washcoll.edu/~jhull2/Mountain biking/sponshorship.mov

 

[BigMike]

ok, i found it...


http://albert.washcoll.edu/~jhull2/Mountain biking/sponshorship.mov

If you can hit that ladder drop, I dont konw why you are scared of trees in a landing, there seem to be quite a few trees in that landing!

I like your jump line

 

[Red Bull]

i dunno if u can see teh drop next to it but if u can, yeah, SCARY :mumble:

 

[nickaziz]

That is a 15 foot drop?!

 

[Scurry]

What I am mainly afraid of is not being able to do what I am doing now. I guess just the fear of becoming a vegetable. I am not into hucks at all, but every once and a while a few nice drops are fun, they scare me the most though, other stuff I have more fun with. I still have yet to brake anything other than my pinkie finger though, I almopst want to brake something sometime, and I am sure I will, its just a matter of when, just so I know and wont be surprised of how much it hurts when something worse happens.

 

[mack]

The feeling i get frome hucking or dirt jumping is greater than anything i know, Its a feeling of severe pride and feel good. I find myself a better person when i ride allot, and jump. It better than the feeling when I ski, i dunno, i can huck 30 ft ski jumps and do 360's and all that crap, but its totally different with mountain biking, snow is fake, dirt is realit, when you crash, i means more.

every one is scared of getting hurt, but for me, i wouldnt be complete with out it.

 

[mack]

hey Red Bull, where in west hartford is that drop? ill come over therea and hit it, also, i know this killer 13 ft. youd like in Burlington. BTW, thats not 15 ft

I would like to hit it though, PM me.

always up for riding, assuming my bike works.

 

[k9handler]

fear keeps us going...but the pics posted in this thread scare me!

 

[BMXman]

I'm not scared of getting hurt. I worry more about my family...If I end up paralyzed or somthing of that sort...who's going to take care of them? Crashing and all that stuff doesn't scare me...it's the aftermath of the crash and what it could possibly put my family through that worries me more....D

 

[ChrisRobin]

I'll speak for the mature crowd:

Crashing is part of it but I try to avoid it if I can. I have two thoughts going through my head if I see something that I want to do but a little too scared or worried about it:

-Breaking my bike/parts: a lot of people here on RM have nice stuff...it would be a shame to ruin those things.

-Getting hurt and not being able to work: I'm on my feet all day walking around, dealing with customers. I don't need to be on crutches or in a cast or be at home lying in bed.

I like to go fast that's why I normally stay low to the ground. It's not that I don't want to take unnecessary risks, I just have a lot of other stuff in life to pay for and take care of.

 

[Red Bull]

hey Red Bull, where in west hartford is that drop? ill come over therea and hit it, also, i know this killer 13 ft. youd like in Burlington. BTW, thats not 15 ft

I would like to hit it though, PM me.

always up for riding, assuming my bike works.

I know thats not 15 feet, thats 9 ish depending on where you land. ( the actual drop- like you must clear it is about 8 ft ish...


Send me a pm if u wanna ride, lately i can only ride on sundays cause im on my varsity hockey team...

 

[ghettorigged]

I guess I'm lucky. I have broken quite a few bones and done some pretty big stunts in my small mtb experience, but I have a great group to ride with that never give me crap about going around something I don't feel good about. I get the occasional, "yeah, but you did that OTHER thing and it was MUCH worse" but then they let it go and we just ride. Am I scared? Heck yeah, I get scared of some of the dumbest crap, but you know, it's not worth it for me to try something I don't feel right about. I ride to have fun. If I am riding scared, it's no longer fun, so there's no point in riding.