# Too Old to Crash?



## 2021Mach6 (Jan 19, 2021)

I just got back from a 5 day trip to Killington Bike Park with my son. I'm 43, certainly not old, but I'm not 20 anymore so it takes a little longer to recover despite being in pretty decent shape for my age.

I started riding bike parks 3 years ago, and this year since I have my own FS, I went about 20 times since I don't have to rent anymore.

I'm just wondering, how much do you avoid getting into a wreck? I push myself harder than I probably should, but it's only cause I feel like I don't have too many more years sending 10ft drops and clearing 25ft jumps. With that comes the occasional spill, and while I obviously don't go looking to crash, I realize it's pretty much inevitable if I'm gonna try improving to get to where I want to be.

Last wreck though took a lot outta me, and I'm thinking it might be a good idea to take it a bit easier. No breaks or anything major, but went OTB and landed hard on my head. Cracked my helmet, gave myself a concussion, black eye (was wearing goggles), and my neck and jaw have been pretty sore for a few days.

Are you guys pushing yourselves too, to the point where you know crashing is just part of the deal? How often do you crash? And how much do you avoid trails, jumps, drops, etc in an effort to avoid taking a spill?


----------



## Smiles for miles (Feb 26, 2021)

I'm 45 and recent mtb injuries have convinced me that my goal should be to ride, period. That means I need to avoid injuries that would keep me off the bike for a long time. In turn, that probably means easing off the technical difficulty level a bit. The key is finding the sweet spot where it's still fun (which requires some risk) but is fairly safe. Fortunately I enjoy the challenge of technical uphills. Those require a lot of skill work but are not very dangerous. There's still a huge sense of accomplishment and improvement when I finally clear a technical uphill feature /section. Most of all, I keep reminding myself that I don't have anything to prove to anyone. I did a bunch of crazy riding stuff when I was younger and the peer pressure was strong. Now I know wisdom is the better part of valor.


----------



## Smiles for miles (Feb 26, 2021)

Also if you enjoy a different type of challenge: sign up for the free version of strava and chase your PRs on uphills and other less dangerous trails. If you're like me the challenge will keep you engaged and striving for improvement. Plus there are big fitness benefits. Lot of pain though!


----------



## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

All risk management dictated by individual skills and tolerance for risk


----------



## BadgerOne (Jul 17, 2015)

Agree with the 'sweet spot' comment above. Get out and ride. Stay within or at times even at the edge of your abilities and comfort level, and stay relaxed about it. If you start over-thinking, over-worrying, and generally giving too much to the thought you may crash and hurt yourself, you're going to suck the fun right out of your ride while also setting up mental conditions that may actually make you more susceptible to crashing. While I can be pretty quick, I'll never be the fastest guy on the mountain and I have nothing to prove. Enjoyment is key. I'm 47 and this approach works for me.


----------



## Blue Dot Trail (May 30, 2018)

I’m 50. Still crash pretty regular. In fact I’m still nursing my shoulder after popping it out of the socket in May. Pushing myself? Yes, but I’m not into bike parks or “jumps” in general so thats not an issue for me. I do like ”technical” trails, but more in a naturalistic sense. Regardless of age you have to have good judgement. I bike alone probably 90% of the time on trails deep in woods. A big part of what I like about MTBing is being out in nature. I’m not trying to film a Mountain Dew commercial. Also, I work a very physical job so that’s way more of an issue for me than MTBing.


----------



## nayr497 (Nov 9, 2011)

I spent the first 22 years of my life playing contact sports, taking plenty of abuse because I'm not that big and suffering a few major injuries. I'm still very active, still enjoy a range of sports/activities. Got a nice mtb bike last autumn, after quite a few years as an avid roadie/crosser/graveleur.

I have no interest in crashing, so push my legs and lungs, but not my non-Earth based skills. I'll ride over rocks, logs, up rocky patches...but I generally avoid the jumps and park-type stuff.

I ride a bike everywhere, so crashing hard while mtb biking on the weekend would be a major PITA. I hate being in a car, so being off my bike would be hell.


----------



## minimusprime (May 26, 2009)

I'm 40, been riding mtb seriously for about 15 years or so. I ride bike parks pretty regularly, ride 3x a week and I don't generally shy away from double black diamond trails but that doesn't mean I hit full send on all of them every single time I ride. I have had my share of crashes in my time, and I grew up on moto's... so maybe that gives me a bit more perspective on how things lead up to me going full blown yard sale. That doesn't mean that I don't ride hard... I'm typically in the top 5-10% of segment times when I actually care to look at that stuff and technical riding (more then jumps) is really my wheelhouse.

Now that the context is out of the way... the key for me is recognizing that this sport is all about how I'm feeling on a certain day. It boils down to confidence, setup and conditions coming together in a nice harmony, and that is my indicator that it might be a day (crap, sometimes it's just a few hour streak) to push myself and try something new. I do find that if I'm crashing due to lapses in concentration, that's generally a sign that I'm just not fully bought into the ride and I need to dial it back and re-focus or just admit that I'm a rebuilding phase and cruise for a bit. 

This is 100% a state of mind sport. You're either in the flow and on your game, or you're not from my experience, rarely is there a gray area in between. The important thing is to just embrace that and let your engagement flow in and out and recognize what sort of mode/state you are in. Each ride doesn't need to be uber shreddy and grow your skills... sometimes it can just be a great day in the bike park, and you have a handful of sections you did well, or corners you railed. Other times, it can just be about getting out after work and pedaling. The important aspect to embrace to do this a long time without breaking yourself off... is recognizing that it doesn't have to be any one thing, or type of ride to enjoy it.


----------



## NorCal_In_AZ (Sep 26, 2019)

I’ll be 40 in November, I crash about once a month. What’s funny is my crashes aren’t from pushing myself, it’s dumb stuff. Washed out on a turn and clipped my hand on a rock in August. Two weeks ago, I was ridding a steeper downhill, stopped looking ahead, and rolled into a 18” deep rain rut.

I don’t ride park, because we don’t really have parks to ride in Phoenix. But if we did, I would be pushing myself to do bigger and bigger jumps. To me jumps are much easier to bail on vs some of the techy downs I’ve done.

I agree with the post above as well, it’s a mindset for that day. I went on a group ride to South Mountain, and got into a few techy descents and told the group I was done for the day. I rode 18 miles of XC the day before and I was not on top of my game.


----------



## baker (Jan 6, 2004)

51 here. The older I get, the longer it takes to recover from an injury. However, I generally push myself and don't think too much about crashing. After a major back injury and surgery in my 40s, it literally took a couple years before I could ride without caution. Now, I am back to being an idiot, mostly. I do not and have never done big jumps or park riding, though. I do love very technical riding with crappy consequences for messing up.

Edit: oh yeah, i crash maybe once a month. a couple "bad" crashes a year. And, I ride a lot (185 rides so far this year, with over 200k in elevation gain, 0 gap jumps  )


----------



## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

I’m 54 and sending it harder than ever but I also use more protection than I used to: knee, elbow, shoulder, chest/back armor. I also bought a DH bike this year and it’s a lot more forgiving than my enduro bike.


----------



## d365 (Jun 13, 2006)

I think all adrenaline junkies eventually have a moment when they reassess priorities. How bad that moment has to get to change behavior is an individual thing. 

I've been mtbing for 30 years, and I'm really confident handling a bike in most cases, but after spending 3 years rehabbing a back injury... not knowing if I would ever be able to really ride again like I used to.... it's very humbling.


----------



## Mountainfrog (Mar 7, 2006)

I'm 67, started riding mountain bikes at 40 after retiring from amateur motorcycle racing for 20 years. I crashed my motorcycles maybe 250+ times in those 20 years, mostly when practicing for an upcoming event. I've crashed maybe a total of 13 times on a mountain bike in 27 years. The last crash was two years ago on my XC bike, broke four ribs. I practice my skills, ride within my limits, and minimize the crashes...because more down time healing as you age equates to less time on the bike.


----------



## 2021Mach6 (Jan 19, 2021)

Excellent feedback, thank you. Whoever mentioned the mindset and concentration thing is completely right. Now that I'm looking back on it, I've never crashed on a trail or feature I hadn't ridden before. Literally not once. A couple of my worse crashes came on green trails I've ridden 100 times. When I'm riding a new feature, I'm locked in, but sometimes my mind floats around and I'm thinking about everything besides what I'm currently doing. I think that's a realization that could be corrected. 

Someone also said that every ride on every trail doesn't have to be some personal conquest. THAT is my biggest problem. Since I've only ridden for 3 years, I feel like I have limited time to get to where I want to be, and that often leads to riding when my concentration and/or fitness level is less than par. Again, I think that's something that could be improved upon with my new enlightenment!!


----------



## dfuzz (Feb 27, 2015)

I'm 56, have been riding mtbs as long as they've existed in commercial form (1983). Also have commuted most of my life on bike and spent 4-5 years racing on road bikes.

I'm skinny and fit and pretty good at technical/park riding and technical trails and generally at going fast. But I want to keep going and not have to take time out because of an injury, so I take it easy-ish. Trees, rocks and compacted dirt are hard and will hurt you. 

I contrast my mtb approach with how I approach skiing, where there are fewer hard and sharp things to harm you in most situations -- I grew up skiing and ski racing and in that environment at 56 I still totally go for it (including racing gates in a beer league) and feel limited only by the forces my body can withstand...I don't worry about the consequences of falling at all.

On park/flow trails, broadly speaking, on green trails I rip as hard as I want and maximize all features...on blues, I flow and clear tabletops and such when I have the speed but don't push my speed to clear all of them...and I don't do black park/flow trails, esp. that require clearing any gaps. 

Out on real trails, I'll ride anything, just am judicious about speed and have no ego about walking certain sections. Xanadu trail in eastern Washington is a good example...no way am I going to try to clean the whole thing. 

I wear an XC/road helmet and no pads. Right now I'm riding a plus hardtail with 140mm of fab Pike travel in the front.

I quit road bike racing in my early-mid 40s. As the saying goes, it's a matter of when, not if, you have a big crash. Saw one or more in every race. Did not want to be on a couch with a broken femur (saw that happen more than once) for a year or more after the age of 45...just way too hard to recover and get back in shape. 

At the same time I stopped road bike racing I also stopped skating the bigger features at skateparks (i.e., pools/pool-like features). Somehow they are making the cement much harder now than they did when I was a teenager!


----------



## half_man_half_scab (Mar 7, 2006)

Not necessarily aging-related, but since becoming a father I've shifted focus from progressing technical descending to improving cornering speed. In my mind I tell myself this is safer, but who knows.


----------



## Tall BMX'r (Jan 11, 2021)

I never used to really think about the consequences of possible injuries, I just accepted the fact they they will happen. I've had bad crashes that landed me in the hospital numbers of times. Always BMX and skateboarding. Worn casts and been through the rehab phases. Just stupid I guess? I think it hit me about my mid 50's when I cracked my neck surfing. I landed head first onto a sand bar. I could have drown or been paralyzed right at that moment. I got lucky and never lost feeling in my arms or legs. I felt like I had whiplash for a few weeks and for about 6 months my neck popped every time I leaned forward. That morning pop in my neck when I leaned over the sink to brush my teeth was a constant reminder that I'm getting older and don't want to miss being able to do outdoor activities with my wife and adult kids.
Then a hard slam down crash on my bike about 4 months ago that sent me to the hospital was the apex of my 'going for it' career. My wife just look at me and said, "No more big jumps Old Man'." She didn't have to say anything, I had already realized my age had exceeded my ability's. I used to just dust myself off after a missed landing. There was no dusting off the blood in my nose and mouth, and the broken ribs, and sprained wrists. Even my whole torso was swollen. It was bad. I still haven't gotten completely over the jump jidders, but that's a good thing.
Last week my wife and I rode the Flow Trail in the Santa Cruz, Ca mountains. What an amazing trail. Miles long through the Redwoods with huge beams and flowing jumps. Hit it with speed and confidence and had a smile on my face the whole time. That's my kinda trail. I now have a built in limiter that allows me to just dial it back... a little.


----------



## fredcook (Apr 2, 2009)

I'm 60, and I'm guessing my ride/crash ratio is about the same as it has been for over 4 decades. However, as bike design and capability have evolved, my riding continues to become more aggressive. I now ride more gnarly terrain at higher speeds than ever. Drops, jumps, and gaps I take on are getting taller and wider. I _know_ this has more to do with new bike capability than it does about _my_ capability. I ride 4-6 times a week year 'round. Ticking time bomb? Maybe. All I know is I'm still having fun.

As for the question, *Too Old to Crash*? I guess I've never associated an age with crashing.


----------



## williamson36 (Mar 24, 2006)

I am 46 and have been riding for 25 years. I broke both arms in a crash a few years ago, since then I stay on the ground, no more jumping. I also learned to ride a dropper which I firmly believes makes riding safer. Instead of focusing on going faster, I am now focusing on building strength, climbing faster and overall skills other than jumping and flat-out speed. My goal is 3-4 two hour rides per week and I am in better shape than I was 20 years ago. I hope to be riding for another 25 years.


----------



## barndoor (Feb 27, 2020)

It's going to be a personal decision for everyone, but I can tell you that two years ago I had a non-biking injury that required surgery and I'm just now getting back on the bike. I missed out on SOOOOOO many rides with my two boys, who are now far better than me and I can barely keep up. But now it's more about actually being able to ride again, not if I can follow them on the jump lines I showed them 3 years ago. I'm 47, and I think with age comes the wisdom to know what's important. Take care of yourself and you'll ride a long time. I don't want to experience the depression of being unable to ride at all ever again. On the plus side now my wife and I are riding together again, just like we used to 25 years ago. She loves that I like easier rides now!


----------



## baker (Jan 6, 2004)

barndoor said:


> I don't want to experience the depression of being unable to ride at all ever again.


This is so hard to explain to someone who hasn't experienced it. I had serious issues during my major back injury/surgery/recovery. I don't want to experience that feeling again.

On the other hand, I literally had tears in my eyes when I finished 18 Hours of Fruita solo after my recovery. That was an unforgettable feeling of accomplishment.


----------



## .WestCoastHucker. (Jan 14, 2004)

i just ride and don't think about slowing down or being cautious. not saying it doesn't happen on its own subconsciously at times, but once i start thinking about things instead of just riding, that's when problems start to happen...


----------



## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Smiles for miles said:


> sign up for the free version of strava and chase your PRs on uphills


...he says on the Downhill/Freeride forum. Instant ban!

Just kidding.


----------



## SoDakSooner (Nov 23, 2005)

NorCal_In_AZ said:


> I'll be 40 in November, I crash about once a month. What's funny is my crashes aren't from pushing myself, it's dumb stuff. Washed out on a turn and clipped my hand on a rock in August. Two weeks ago, I was ridding a steeper downhill, stopped looking ahead, and rolled into a 18" deep rain rut.
> 
> I don't ride park, because we don't really have parks to ride in Phoenix. But if we did, I would be pushing myself to do bigger and bigger jumps. To me jumps are much easier to bail on vs some of the techy downs I've done.
> 
> I agree with the post above as well, it's a mindset for that day. I went on a group ride to South Mountain, and got into a few techy descents and told the group I was done for the day. I rode 18 miles of XC the day before and I was not on top of my game.


It's easy to crash in Phoenix though. I don't crash much, but did several times, actually several times sessioning the same spot at SOMO.

I'm 54 and still push pretty hard. Took a big hit in Eureka Springs at Leatherwood about a month ago on a relatively small double. Nothing broken but my rib cartilage is still knitting and I had a bruise on my left side from my knee to my armpit and bellybutton to my spine. Probably the worst mtb accident yet, definitely the most debilitating. I was back on the bike for some easy rides about two weeks later and am just now getting my confidence back for just regular riding. My cardio has suffered as well. That said, I still want to push but no interest in crashing like that any more. I'm kind of in a quandary.


----------



## DennisT (Dec 29, 2019)

I'm 64 and I've been downhill biking for (checks phone) 9 weeks now. I've crashed twice, although not at high speed. Wrecked a helmet sufficiently to need to replace it, although yours looks worse. I didn't shatter the visor, but I did shear the mounting screw.

I'm a great believer in 'incremental progress' to avoid dumbass crashes, but I don't think you can entirely avoid risk in this sport. You just have to pick your battles in terms of how much risk and downside you can accept.


----------



## VThuckster (Jul 10, 2010)

47 and still fine on every drop, gap and feature at Killington. I Ride with some dudes in their early 50’s in the same boat. I did come across a feature out at Crested Bute Bike Park this summer that I didn’t do though. It was a first for me, although I have not been to Thunder Mountain yet and by looks of the videos I may bow out of a few things there. Its funny my kids still give me crap about it, but they didn’t do it either. No one else there did it that day that I saw, and I could not visualize it, so opted out. 

A few buddies and I got called grey hairs when passing a group of Millennials on carbon bikes a few weeks ago on a climb. We were mostly all on alloy sleds and one them said “man the grey hairs can sure climb.” I retorted with a friendly challenge for them to try to keep up with the grey bushes on the way down. Which they accepted - but failed. Beers In lot were on them! 

Like many others my one crash this year was on trail I ride all the time. It was wet and I wasn’t paying attention. I go down on a rock and crack my elbow. Didn’t impact riding, just a month of bone pain. It’s always the easy stuff that takes us out.


----------



## 2sharp7 (Aug 29, 2013)

fredcook said:


> I'm 60, and I'm guessing my ride/crash ratio is about the same as it has been for over 40 decades.


Wow, you are super OLD!!! 40 decades is a really long life and you're still riding, I'm super impressed.


----------



## 2sharp7 (Aug 29, 2013)

Smiles for miles said:


> The key is finding the sweet spot where it's still fun (which requires some risk) but is fairly safe.


I feel like (for me) I mostly keep it in the sweet spot you describe. Everybody's sweet spot may be something different though. This past week while in southern Colorado on vacation, I crashed on my last ride. Wasn't going too fast but it was a very steep, rocky, and rooty section of trail, and I got just a little too much front brake and went OTB, which sent me tumbling down the trail a ways. Luckily I avoided the trees and big rocks for the most part, and escaped serious injury. Went home with a goose egg bigger than my knee cap on my shin, and had a few scrapes but otherwise I was good. Finished my ride and made it home in one piece. I'm 55 and definitely feel like I'm at a point I don't want to experience any serious injuries, but I'm still out to have fun and there is some element of risk with that.


----------



## shwinn8 (Feb 25, 2006)

it's not that I'm too old(39) to crash, it's that I financially can't afford to break bones.. so I puss out on pushing myself


----------



## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

Risk management. I rode Whistler for the first time a few weeks ago. I tend to ride pretty challenging terrain and I'd say many of the trails I did in Flagstaff earlier in the year were harder than the blacks and double-blacks I rode in Whistler..BUT, I'm familiar with those trails in Flag, not Whistler, so I was getting off my bike on some of the double-black features to scope the lines and decide which way I was going to take it. Riding that kind of stuff totally blind can be a recipe for a bad time. Sometimes when riding with other riders, you can take their cues. Sometimes when I'm doing an isolated ride in the wilderness and there's a really tough section I'll walk it, rather than take the chance of getting injured with no one around to help me. With other riders or in a group, then I'll do it a little different. Wear armor for the stuff I feel I need to wear armor for. Make sure to attack aggressively the aggressive trails, else they chew you up and spit you out. Takes fitness too.


----------



## Weinerts (Feb 3, 2011)

I just turned 51 and I took a really hard crash in 2007 - lost a lot of skin - concussion and dislocated my jaw (smoothies for 21 days). I hit a dried truck tread that went through some mud (which had hardened into concrete) and did not even get my hands off of the bars. It also broke my helmet. Bike was fine. 

I decided that my joy in riding is in the climb and the explore rather that the downhill scream. I stopped riding my 04 Heckler (such an awesome bike) and started riding a single speed 29er - and then built a pugsley. I will keep up with the kids climbing and not dabbing but let them rip to their hearts content on the downhill. I will get there. 

I have done the same thing skiing and snowboarding - where I don't try to keep up or go crazy - I enjoy the ride. I still lift weights 4 days a week - and I just hit a new PR in bench press!! So you can still do stupid stuff as you get older - (Attempting a PR in Dead-lift in a few weeks) - just be aware that the more you do the more time you spend in rehab. 

We call it the rehab corner - at our gym if you are hurt you still go and fix what is broken. You can still be stupid - but you have to go to the corner with a grin and get the bands out of the "I hurt myself" box.


----------



## .WestCoastHucker. (Jan 14, 2004)

Crashing sucks. One of the saving graces of it is that it always sends your adrenaline pumping and that really helps whether you think about it or not. 
Granted us older kooks don’t heal as fast as we used to, but that’s life. I’ll take crashing all day if the other option was to stay inside and never crash again..


----------



## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

Weinerts said:


> I just turned 51 and I took a really hard crash in 2007 - lost a lot of skin - concussion and dislocated my jaw (smoothies for 21 days). I hit a dried truck tread that went through some mud (which had hardened into concrete) and did not even get my hands off of the bars. It also broke my helmet. Bike was fine.
> 
> I decided that my joy in riding is in the climb and the explore rather that the downhill scream. I stopped riding my 04 Heckler (such an awesome bike) and started riding a single speed 29er - and then built a pugsley. I will keep up with the kids climbing and not dabbing but let them rip to their hearts content on the downhill. I will get there.
> 
> ...


The bike might be a bit of the problem, an 04 heckler was not a great bike and especially not a great bike for going downhill. The rear suspension was falling rate and "ok" with an air shock, except that type of design was very prone to sideways loading and sideways flex, so binding rather than suspension absorption was also a problem. Modern bikes with bigger wheels and slacker HTAs are damn near infinitely better at going downhill. It was a big revolution when 29er FS bikes started showing up and were able to go down stuff at South Mountain as fast or faster than our 26" DH bikes. Roll-over gets MUCH easier.

I'm not saying buy another bike or that you should start going downhill more, but even in that era and travel-class, that wasn't a great bike for downhill terrain.


----------



## Tall BMX'r (Jan 11, 2021)

I agree that the more capable your bike is, the more comfortable you feel riding riskier trails. Because my bike is getting more dialed in with upgrades, now I can easily ride trails that used to push my comfort level. But for me it's not the speed or rocky steeps that I'm overly cautious about, it's the big jumps. After a day of just hitting the smaller jumps, my wrists will swell up. Just age..


----------



## fredcook (Apr 2, 2009)

2sharp7 said:


> Wow, you are super OLD!!! 40 decades is a really long life and you're still riding, I'm super impressed.


 yeah, typo... make that *4*


----------



## SoDakSooner (Nov 23, 2005)

Jayem said:


> The bike might be a bit of the problem, an 04 heckler was not a great bike and especially not a great bike for going downhill. The rear suspension was falling rate and "ok" with an air shock, except that type of design was very prone to sideways loading and sideways flex, so binding rather than suspension absorption was also a problem. Modern bikes with bigger wheels and slacker HTAs are damn near infinitely better at going downhill. It was a big revolution when 29er FS bikes started showing up and were able to go down stuff at South Mountain as fast or faster than our 26" DH bikes. Roll-over gets MUCH easier. I'm not saying buy another bike or that you should start going downhill more, but even in that era and travel-class, that wasn't a great bike for downhill terrain.





Jayem said:


> The bike might be a bit of the problem, an 04 heckler was not a great bike and especially not a great bike for going downhill. The rear suspension was falling rate and "ok" with an air shock, except that type of design was very prone to sideways loading and sideways flex, so binding rather than suspension absorption was also a problem. Modern bikes with bigger wheels and slacker HTAs are damn near infinitely better at going downhill. It was a big revolution when 29er FS bikes started showing up and were able to go down stuff at South Mountain as fast or faster than our 26" DH bikes. Roll-over gets MUCH easier. I'm not saying buy another bike or that you should start going downhill more, but even in that era and travel-class, that wasn't a great bike for downhill terrain.





SoDakSooner said:


> It's easy to crash in Phoenix though. I don't crash much, but did several times, actually several times sessioning the same spot at SOMO.





Jayem said:


> The bike might be a bit of the problem, an 04 heckler was not a great bike and especially not a great bike for going downhill. The rear suspension was falling rate and "ok" with an air shock, except that type of design was very prone to sideways loading and sideways flex, so binding rather than suspension absorption was also a problem. Modern bikes with bigger wheels and slacker HTAs are damn near infinitely better at going downhill. It was a big revolution when 29er FS bikes started showing up and were able to go down stuff at South Mountain as fast or faster than our 26" DH bikes. Roll-over gets MUCH easier.
> 
> I'm not saying buy another bike or that you should start going downhill more, but even in that era and travel-class, that wasn't a great bike for downhill terrain.


For the time and for what would have been considered a mid/lower price point FS bike, for those of us that couldn't afford the then new VPP. I agree it definitely had it's shortcomings but a 5" travel bike with a 69 degree HTA(which at the time was pretty slack), mine served me well. However I do concur that the new stuff is light years ahead. BTW... I rode mine at SOMO a few times, did Downieville (both divides) with it and never had any issues. Sold it earlier this year and it lives on in Bentonville of all places. That said I managed to crash on it a couple of times in 13 years.


----------



## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

I really liked riding at South Mountain. The trails were super fun and there was some kind of fragrant foliage (creosote bushes maybe?) that I loved. Whenever I would crash though I'd get skinned up pretty good. It didn't seem to matter if it was a big crash or a small lay-down, my knees and elbows would take a beating. Here in Oregon if I fall it's usually soft dust and soil so I just get dirty but at SoMo I'd get abrasions. I loved the rock sections.


----------



## SoDakSooner (Nov 23, 2005)

Nat said:


> I really liked riding at South Mountain. The trails were super fun and there was some kind of fragrant foliage (creosote bushes maybe?) that I loved. Whenever I would crash though I'd get skinned up pretty good. It didn't seem to matter if it was a big crash or a small lay-down, my knees and elbows would take a beating. Here in Oregon if I fall it's usually soft dust and soil so I just get dirty but at SoMo I'd get abrasions. I loved the rock sections.


Yeah, the penalties are harsh for mistakes there. Still It is a blast and desert riding is completely different than what we have here. It is one of my favorite places to ride. I don't get to Phoenix that often but I try and ride it every time I am there. Last trip I rented a switchblade and it was a blast (and yes, I crashed...and skinned up knees and elbows)


----------



## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

SoDakSooner said:


> Yeah, the penalties are harsh for mistakes there. Still It is a blast and desert riding is completely different than what we have here. It is one of my favorite places to ride. I don't get to Phoenix that often but I try and ride it every time I am there. Last trip I rented a switchblade and it was a blast (and yes, I crashed...and skinned up knees and elbows)


We lived short-term in Ahwatukee a half mile from the trailhead during the month of September and got to ride almost daily. It was awesome. Most of the time I lived in AZ was down in Tucson so I'd trek up to Phoenix once in awhile. For some reason that 90 minute drive took _forever,_ like longer than other 90 minute drives. Not sure what it was about it.


----------



## dysfunction (Aug 15, 2009)

Nat said:


> We lived short-term in Ahwatukee a half mile from the trailhead during the month of September and got to ride almost daily. It was awesome. Most of the time I lived in AZ was down in Tucson so I'd trek up to Phoenix once in awhile. For some reason that 90 minute drive took _forever,_ like longer than other 90 minute drives. Not sure what it was about it.


It's because I10 sucks. Seriously. The vast wasteland between Tucson and Phoenix is bigger than it really is. It's like the tardis of roads.

It's also why I don't go down to Phoenix often.


----------



## SoDakSooner (Nov 23, 2005)

My brother in law lived in Tucson for a while while he was a professor at Arizona. I actually never had the bike when we visited. Knowing what I know now about the Tucson area, I wish I had. Ive heard fantasy Island is no great shakes, but would have loved to have shuttled Mt Lemmon (even on the Heckler )


----------



## r-rocket (Jun 23, 2014)

Successfully surviving crashes is a skill, and like every skill you get better at it through repetition. 

Foam pits and airbag jumps are good for that. When you crash, you get the benefit of experience on how to react and stay calm and loose while crashing, without the worst consequences of crashing.


----------



## 2021Mach6 (Jan 19, 2021)

SoDakSooner said:


> It's easy to crash in Phoenix though. I don't crash much, but did several times, actually several times sessioning the same spot at SOMO.
> 
> I'm 54 and still push pretty hard. Took a big hit in Eureka Springs at Leatherwood about a month ago on a relatively small double. Nothing broken but my rib cartilage is still knitting and I had a bruise on my left side from my knee to my armpit and bellybutton to my spine. Probably the worst mtb accident yet, definitely the most debilitating. I was back on the bike for some easy rides about two weeks later and am just now getting my confidence back for just regular riding. My cardio has suffered as well. That said, I still want to push but no interest in crashing like that any more. I'm kind of in a quandary.


When I did BMX and played hockey as a teenager, I remember bruising/breaking and tearing cartilage in my ribs at what seemed like a monthly pace. Hurt to laugh, but I was always back in my bike or out on the ice the next day.

Don't do it with as much frequency, but probably about twice a year a do something to my ribs. 3 weeks minimum. Hurts more and the pain lasts longer.


----------



## cookieMonster (Feb 23, 2004)

I’m 43 and have crashed about 8 times this season. Almost all of them were due to a sudden front tire wash out in the abnormally dry conditions we’ve had this year. Somehow I’ve gotten lucky every time.

I have absolutely no problem slowing down and riding at 80% when conditions are suboptimal. I really am not much of a risk taker (my wife would strongly disagree), even though I primarily ride double-black trails. I have to be 97% confident that I can do it or I’ll bypass it. I have cleaned every one of our double-black trails so at this point I don’t have any pressure to ride any of the moves if I’m not feeling them.

I did build a new “A” line option on our hardest trail. Haven’t hit it yet. Maybe never, haha. It is a very steep rock roll that is pretty long, and the runout is onto an also very steep chute with a 90 degree corner at the bottom. I normally have a little trouble making that corner even without the rock roll entrance.🤣. Being the first person to do it does have an allure though…


----------



## Christopher Robin (Dec 1, 2004)

I'm also 43 and have crashed only a few times since the spring. Once I crashed hard but I didn't have any lasting injuries. Although this season has been tough (work, life in general) so riding time has been limited. I crashed yesterday actually! The shitty part is when you crash on something you've ridden in the past successfully. I'm not sure what it is, but maybe age introduces a new level of fear of crashing?? I feel like I haven't progressed in a looooong time. But I believe that if I was riding more often, I'd be crashing less and more confident. I spend my season riding two different bikes (a DH bike and an enduro). I've tried to make the cockpits the same with stem and bar length but the overall ride characteristics are different. I think for me personally it's a question of not being 100% on either bike. I need to get that dealt with.


----------



## DennisT (Dec 29, 2019)

cookieMonster said:


> I’m 43 and have crashed about 8 times this season. Almost all of them were due to a sudden front tire wash out in the abnormally dry conditions we’ve had this year. Somehow I’ve gotten lucky every time.


The only two wipeouts I've had this year (both in the same day) were probably due to this. I can't think of any other reason, since I wasn't going fast or on a hard trail or anything. Just loose crap. Unfortunately it's made me a little tentative about sandy/gravelly stretches of trail.


----------



## milehi (Nov 2, 1997)

I'm 51 and still race gravity events. I ride alone on the trail and dial it back but recently hit a tree and severely bruised my patella. That healed then I effed up my Achilles tendon and am almost recovered but still have a slight limp. I have a DH race in 20 days and will be upset if I cant give it 100%.


----------



## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

42....I rode my best between 44 to 48......58 still riding stuff....just don't push boundries


----------



## 2sharp7 (Aug 29, 2013)

SHIVER ME TIMBERS said:


> 42....I rode my best between 44 to 48......58 still riding stuff....just don't push boundries


I'm 55 and riding my best ever, but did not really start mtn biking until I was 48.


----------



## 2021Mach6 (Jan 19, 2021)

THANK YOU ... First of all, it's been very inspirational reading how some of you in your 40s, 50s and even 60s are still shredding hard. You're all amazing and encourages me to keep at it.

Since my original post, I've dialed it back a bit, and not trying to turn every run into a competition. At the end of the day, I'll probably skip some bigger drops and features that make me uncomfortable. I used to, and still do sometimes, feel like I'm failing at something if I don't accomplish what I want to, but that's gonna have to be a habit and thought process I change.

Problem with me though, is I typically don't crash on anything difficult. It's that trail I ran 10 times in a row, or if I clip a tree cause I'm not paying attention on a green trail I've ridden a million times. 

Bottom line, sometimes I need to refocus and realize why I'm riding in the first place. Point is and has always been to have fun, get outside and stay fit. Can't do either of those if I'm in the hospital with a broken neck, so just not gonna do anything that makes me hesitate.

Again, very impressive you guys are still crushing it!!


----------



## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

2sharp7 said:


> I'm 55 and riding my best ever, but did not really start mtn biking until I was 48.


awesome....here is me @ 52


----------



## Igotsoul4u (May 11, 2019)

My crashes have mostly been avoidable. I am also feeling the mid 40s vibes and find that I am trying to "get it in." The reality is that mentality has been what has been getting me into trouble. Bike parks didn't exist when I was a kid (except in my dreams) and I have been pushing myself into situations to make up for lost time. Two concussions and a broken hand later I have changed my approach. Things I am trying to change

1. I never ride hard and blind. I was taken out by a small drop going from bright sun to dark woods all because I didn't slow down and take in the trail. Walk and session trails no matter what.

2. When its wet I try not to ride bike parks. It's just to dang slippery. Wood features are like ice.

3. If I am really tired I don't ride bike parks. My brain needs to be near 100% for me to feel safe. Little mistakes are magnified at bike park speeds.

4. Check your bike every single ride.

5. Some trails are just permanently out. As much as I want to hit Ft Hill at Thunder or Powerhour at Highland, any crash on those jumps will be too much for my body. I think I could do it, but those double black prolines are out of my league and beyond what my body can take if something goes wrong.

6. Wear all the pads. My pads have 10000000% kept me riding. I have had 3 bad crashes that I walked away and I fully credit the shoulder and hip pads for saving me. I wear a full Leatt jacket with elbow, shoulder, back, and chest protection. I wear impact shorts for my hips and knee/shin pads.


----------



## NWS (Jun 30, 2010)

I'm 49 years old and in the last couple years I finally I decided that I don't need to hit the biggest jumps in the park anymore. That's a decision I've been struggling with for several years, especially with snowboarding. I managed to stay off the biggest winter jumps at Stevens Pass for a couple years (the biggest was around 50 feet if I remember right) but then a friend of mine progressed into them and I couldn't let him have all the fun, so I was back at it again.... I never got hurt, but when I wasn't on the mountain I was constantly trying to make up my mind about when to quit. 

Last summer I broke some ribs mountain biking, with a jump that's about 25 feet, with some technical bits right before and after it... Being stuck in bed for a month changed my perspective a bit. Last winter stayed off of the biggest jumps (which are not even as big as they used to be) and this summer I stayed off the section of trail that wrecked me. I'm kinda glad/proud that I have some video of me hitting those jumps when I could, but now I'm just going to focus on hitting smaller jumps with more style. I'm sure there will still be some crashes, but hopefully not with the same consequences. And I know exactly which jumps I'm going to cross off the list next time I get hurt.

There's still a lot of fun to be had in the window between "big enough to enjoy it" and "small enough to risk it" but I know that window is only going to get smaller. That makes me a little bit sad sometimes. I understand the mid-life-crisis sports-car thing a little better now.


----------



## Weinerts (Feb 3, 2011)

Jayem said:


> The bike might be a bit of the problem, an 04 heckler was not a great bike and especially not a great bike for going downhill. The rear suspension was falling rate and "ok" with an air shock, except that type of design was very prone to sideways loading and sideways flex, so binding rather than suspension absorption was also a problem. Modern bikes with bigger wheels and slacker HTAs are damn near infinitely better at going downhill. It was a big revolution when 29er FS bikes started showing up and were able to go down stuff at South Mountain as fast or faster than our 26" DH bikes. Roll-over gets MUCH easier.
> 
> I'm not saying buy another bike or that you should start going downhill more, but even in that era and travel-class, that wasn't a great bike for downhill terrain.


I never blame the bike. Always blame the rider. I ridden the pugs and a single speed Mono-cog since I ditched suspension all together. 
I loved the heckler and it was amazing. 

I ride a surly Pugs for the most part now - and it does not get stuck on anything. Currently with an IGH hub and sunrise bars. I have a Vassago Jabberwocky - but my wife likes that bike so she can ride it. 

I hope to grow up someday and own a modern trail bike - but until I do I will be bunny-hopping horse poo (this mornings ride) and laughing like an idiot as we ride down a wash with cacti on either side of the trail (Cactus loop by sweat water).


----------



## Igotsoul4u (May 11, 2019)

Whelp. Managed to crash AGAIN on the last run of the year. Crashed on a wooden berm when my back tire slipped. I've hit this feature at least 40 times with surprisingly no issues until the other day. My left side is bruised up and somehow I escaped with tweaked fingernail but I am still healing up from a left hand brake in june and another bad cut that happened when I wasn't riding. Still I possibly stupidly pushed my self to get back out and see how it felt. Overall I took things slow and didn't hit anything huge. My hand and wrist were feeling pretty good and I think I was riding great up until that moment. I was absolutely in complete fear that I possibly re-injured myself or further damaged my left hand. I did my best to hang on to the bike as I slid down the wood in a kind of motorcycle slide. My handle bars and pedals took the initial impact thankfully. Pads again saved my ass literally. The impact shorts, elbow, back, and shoulder pads from my Leatt jacket literally saved the day for me. Decided to switch up my knee pads next season for marshmellowy coverage instead of my hardshells which again sort of showed their vulnerability to side strikes. The crash did spook me especially since my last two seasons ended with a crash, but I am hoping to ride a lot smarter and possibly slower next season. Maybe I can skip a few wall rides next season  One more bad crash and it might be over for me. The worst part about this summer was how my crash took away basically everything I love to do because of one single activity. Crashing was never an issue for me until I went to the bike parks. It's a really tough decision but the reality is that gravity riding increases all the forces of riding x10 including crashes! I guess that's also the reason it's so appealing.


----------



## Weinerts (Feb 3, 2011)

Igotsoul4u said:


> Whelp. Managed to crash AGAIN on the last run of the year. Crashed on a wooden berm when my back tire slipped. I've hit this feature at least 40 times with surprisingly no issues until the other day. My left side is bruised up and somehow I escaped with tweaked fingernail but I am still healing up from a left hand brake in june and another bad cut that happened when I wasn't riding. Still I possibly stupidly pushed my self to get back out and see how it felt. Overall I took things slow and didn't hit anything huge. My hand and wrist were feeling pretty good and I think I was riding great up until that moment. I was absolutely in complete fear that I possibly re-injured myself or further damaged my left hand. I did my best to hang on to the bike as I slid down the wood in a kind of motorcycle slide. My handle bars and pedals took the initial impact thankfully. Pads again saved my ass literally. The impact shorts, elbow, back, and shoulder pads from my Leatt jacket literally saved the day for me. Decided to switch up my knee pads next season for marshmellowy coverage instead of my hardshells which again sort of showed their vulnerability to side strikes. The crash did spook me especially since my last two seasons ended with a crash, but I am hoping to ride a lot smarter and possibly slower next season. Maybe I can skip a few wall rides next season  One more bad crash and it might be over for me. The worst part about this summer was how my crash took away basically everything I love to do because of one single activity. Crashing was never an issue for me until I went to the bike parks. It's a really tough decision but the reality is that gravity riding increases all the forces of riding x10 including crashes! I guess that's also the reason it's so appealing.


I still feel that age is not a problem - it just changes the time you spend in the rehab corner. 



It is almost ski season, so we now about 1000 more ways to get hurt! Game on. 





Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk


----------



## BarryR (6 mo ago)

I'm a rehab doctor (Physiatrist) and specialize in Neurological Rehab. That means, if someone has a severe brain or spinal cord injury in my area, I'll probably get to know them. As a result, I probably have a particular view:
It's sorta OK to risk injuries to your limbs, most of those heal even if it's a long recovery.
A brain or spinal cord injury though is often catastrophic and life-changing. The central nervous system does a terrible job of fixing itself, so I'd be careful with the really aggressive stuff.
I think other than an endo, most MTB accidents are unlikely to end in catastrophic injury though.

It may help that I'm not a full-on high risk taker. I think I'm in the happy medium there. Not chicken-**** but not crazy!


----------



## Ft.Rock (May 7, 2020)

I'm 67, been doing this about 26 years. When I was 48 we were looking to hit the biggest stuff we could find, kind of for the same reasons you state. My best riding buddy is now paralyzed from casing an 8'er, neck/spinal cord. So my advice to anyone is if you're going to be hitting 10' drops and 25' gaps get a Leatt brace for your neck to go with that full face helmet. I personally like something like a 661 core saver for some unobtrusive upper body protection, but in the end our weak spot is our neck. And if your intention is to keep going for it to progress then you have to eliminate the thread of how to avoid wrecking from your mind. That line of thought is the one that will cause you to tap the brakes at the wrong time, scrug too much speed for the gap, etc. Just commit fully and let it roll. Should you do that as a parent with parental responsibilities? Can't answer that for you, but if you're thinking of going for gaps more than 25' think it through.


----------



## Captain_America1976 (Mar 15, 2005)

I am in the same boat as many of you. 46 years old, but only about 2.5 seasons of park under my belt. That said I have a season pass at my localish hill, and I have logged a lot of days. I did somewhere around 10-15 my first half season, and 30 and 27 the next two. I have progressed a lot, so I am riding big features on the regular. I have the occasional wreck, and I do take longer to bounce back. I have found that wearing the right gear helps a lot. I wear fullface, knee and elbow pads and a neck brace. All of this has helped me walk away from some of the wrecks with little to no issues. If I have a wreck on a big feature I will might lay off it for a bit. Just ride within your limits, and look at risk vs reward.
Edited to add: my bike will allow me to get away with doing some stupid ****. 160/170 29er


----------



## Danhikeski (Jun 30, 2021)

VThuckster said:


> 47 and still fine on every drop, gap and feature at Killington. I Ride with some dudes in their early 50’s in the same boat. I did come across a feature out at Crested Bute Bike Park this summer that I didn’t do though. It was a first for me, although I have not been to Thunder Mountain yet and by looks of the videos I may bow out of a few things there. Its funny my kids still give me crap about it, but they didn’t do it either. No one else there did it that day that I saw, and I could not visualize it, so opted out.
> 
> A few buddies and I got called grey hairs when passing a group of Millennials on carbon bikes a few weeks ago on a climb. We were mostly all on alloy sleds and one them said “man the grey hairs can sure climb.” I retorted with a friendly challenge for them to try to keep up with the grey bushes on the way down. Which they accepted - but failed. Beers In lot were on them!
> 
> Like many others my one crash this year was on trail I ride all the time. It was wet and I wasn’t paying attention. I go down on a rock and crack my elbow. Didn’t impact riding, just a month of bone pain. It’s always the easy stuff that takes us out.


I had a similar fall, on a trail I’ve ridden a bunch, different bike, used to long wheelbase 29er and was on SS, did a stoppie on a rock I thought I got tire on top of and went down all weight on another rock in elbow. I had a 2 month recovery time on that, it’s still real sensitive to lean on. I’m 46


----------



## Tall BMX'r (Jan 11, 2021)

Seeing someone brought this older thread back to life, it's been over a year since my comment on recovering from injury. Now at 59 years old, I'm even faster and ride steeper trails with drops. I'm still mostly avoiding gap jumps, but if I know I have enough speed I'll hit no problem. I just don't make it a point to seek them out. I've joined a riding group recently and they are mostly blue level rides with more distance than I will do solo. I've been spending more time doing trail building and maintenance which keeps me in shape too. I will never buy full body armor to potentially save me me from serious injury, because I shouldn't be doing that at my age. I've broken all kinds of bones in my youth from racing motorcycles, BMX, and skateboarding. I don't need to re-live those times.


----------



## weeksy950 (Jan 11, 2012)

Tall BMX'r said:


> I will never buy full body armor to potentially save me me from serious injury, because I shouldn't be doing that at my age. I've broken all kinds of bones in my youth from racing motorcycles, BMX, and skateboarding. I don't need to re-live those times.


I don't understand the logic here ?


----------



## plummet (Jul 8, 2005)

BarryR said:


> I'm a rehab doctor (Physiatrist) and specialize in Neurological Rehab. That means, if someone has a severe brain or spinal cord injury in my area, I'll probably get to know them. As a result, I probably have a particular view:
> It's sorta OK to risk injuries to your limbs, most of those heal even if it's a long recovery.
> A brain or spinal cord injury though is often catastrophic and life-changing. The central nervous system does a terrible job of fixing itself, so I'd be careful with the really aggressive stuff.
> I think other than an endo, most MTB accidents are unlikely to end in catastrophic injury though.
> ...


The challenge that I see is that you cant really ride in a manner that precludes the possibility of spinal injury but allows a certain reckless abandon that may lead to limb injury. 

You are either all in and take the risk of crashing or you dont ride anything at speed or anything of technical note. That effectively rules out all mountain biking. 

Case a point locally someone fell off a small wooden roller structure crash badly and now he is n the spinal unit and it is looking unlikely that he will ever walk again. 

Now my boy has been riding that structure since he was 10. It's not hard. But **** sometimes happens.


----------



## Tall BMX'r (Jan 11, 2021)

weeksy950 said:


> I don't understand the logic here ?


The logic is ride fast, but don't get big air. Almost all of my bone breaks involved wheels way off the ground. Having more protection would give me a false sense of security that may lead me to think I'm 20 again and send it like I used to.


----------



## Tall BMX'r (Jan 11, 2021)

Here is a good test for you older guys. When I was in my 40s I could jump off a 6 foot high wall and land on my feet. I'm in good shape and not overweight for my height. Yesterday at just about 60 years old, I paused before jumping off a 3 foot height wall on a job site. I did jump off and my right knee almost gave out when I absorbed the landing 🙃 I thought to myself " you're old dude"... 
With age our reaction time slows which increases the chance of crashing. Our muscles and bones are not as strong so we get hurt worse than a younger person would on the same crash. We will have a much longer recovery time from injury than a young person would. Now I just have to remind myself of these facts when I see the sign that says 'jumpline'..


----------



## weeksy950 (Jan 11, 2012)

Tall BMX'r said:


> The logic is ride fast, but don't get big air. Almost all of my bone breaks involved wheels way off the ground. Having more protection would give me a false sense of security that may lead me to think I'm 20 again and send it like I used to.


But you could wear armour, still not do jump line but have the added safety protection on all the other stuff?


----------



## Tall BMX'r (Jan 11, 2021)

I could, but I'll just stick with knee and elbow pads. Save some skin.


----------



## Midlake Crisis (Mar 2, 2020)

I am 56, been riding MTB for about 3 years. I love jumping but have been patient with progressing slowly, stepping off the distances before trying something new, knowing what I am comfortable with. I have also built a bunch of jumps and over time just moved the lips back a foot or two at a time once it got too easy. The least enjoyable time was when I got focused on beating others times or personal records on Strava, I do a lot more “wandering” now, build new stuff when I get inspired, maintain and improve my established lines. I am having way more fun than ever and progression in skill and fitness just naturally flows without turning in to drudgery of over exertion or mental pressure. I take It easy bombing downhills or jumps with unforgiving landings. It is all cost-benefit analysis and trying to use good judgment while accepting unavoidable risk.


----------



## DennisT (Dec 29, 2019)

Incremental progress, risk analysis, and mitigation in the form of protective equipment.


----------

