Do you ride all out?

[flyingjack]

You sir, you're living my dream!
Airplane/backcountry/ebikes/life partner-wife.
Only missing a pet... eheheheh

Mario, way back in 1976 when I met my future wife as we were both learning to skydive; we decided early on if we wanted to do all these things, pets and kids were not an option. Most of our friends have kids (now grandkids) or pets or both; but, aren't able to take off on the spur of the moment. Although, we've been told many, many times we don't know what we're missing; so, as they saying goes: "ignorance is bliss".

 

[Desert_Turtle]

I pedal Amish bikes more than I pedal an ebike and I for sure don’t go all out every time I ride. I probably ride @ 80% most of the time and only turn it up when I feel like it. I coach the local high school team and sometimes the A group kids do require more effort to challenge but I’m in my 50s and try to not doing anything stupid. By the way, as a coach I have like 5 rules for my kids. #1 is “don’t do anything stupid”.

 

[dezzracer]

Riding below my comfort pace has never created more risk for me.

Riding off road motorcycles with slower riders and experience than yourself and attempting to slow to their pace can increase the likelihood of mistakes thus increasing risk. I’m not the only one that’s ever said this.

 

[Mario Antony]

Mario, way back in 1976 when I met my future wife as we were both learning to skydive; we decided early on if we wanted to do all these things, pets and kids were not an option. Most of our friends have kids (now grandkids) or pets or both; but, aren't able to take off on the spur of the moment. Although, we've been told many, many times we don't know what we're missing; so, as they saying goes: "ignorance is bliss".

I understand, was only messing up eheheh!

Glad we all have options.
That doesn't mean there are right or wrong options. Just different!

Cheers mate!

 

[Canyon Shawn]

Riding off road motorcycles with slower riders and experience than yourself and attempting to slow to their pace can increase the likelihood of mistakes thus increasing risk. I’m not the only one that’s ever said this.

Are you saying I have less experience than others? Growing up and riding on a daily basis, about 45 minutes north of Los Angeles on a 1,500 acre ranch, racing 250 and 500cc pro, I’ll bet I’m at the top 1% of anyone as regards to ride time on 2 wheels. That’s 50 years of riding damn near everyday. I joked with David Bailey once that I have more time on a 500 than he did, back in the day. I always ride aware, within my skill level and I never ride with people I don’t trust or like. I never go out riding with a bunch of inebriated idiots in the desert. I’ve never had the problems you are talking about. In fact, it’s fun to go out on a dirt bike or MTB, back it down 25%, be relaxed and just have fun. Those are recovery days.

 

[Malcb]

So some background - I used to do a good bit of dirt biking, and I've been "regular" MTBing for a really long time. Done a good bit of racing too - mostly XC and endurance but also some enduro, and eMTB race and even a DH (ok, even some cyclocross and ultracross). 90% or more of my miles are on the regular MTB.

I find that when I get on the eMTB I want to ride "moto style", pretty much at the limit of traction and control and go as fast as I can. Not coincidentally, many of the people I ride eMTB with are dirt bikers.

On a "casual" eMTB ride I'll average 12 MPH (on trails where 9 MPH on the he-bike is a decent effort), but on a hammerfest I can be north of 15 MPH for the same loops.

How about you? Anyone else like to just put the hammer down and go all out?

Same, sometimes, usually when out by myself or a small group. First time riding an ebike hard and caught myself braking at a corner, going up hill, then I realised it was a different game to non-ebike.

Don’t normally find the rear sliding on the non-ebike, regularly do on the ebike.

Anyone who joins us for a quick ride, even people who have ridden e-bikes for a while usually comment, don’t think it is the norm, lots of people cruise along, do the features, chat, nothing wrong with that, it’s all fun.

 

[RickBullotta]

Are you saying I have less experience than others? Growing up and riding on a daily basis, about 45 minutes north of Los Angeles on a 1,500 acre ranch, racing 250 and 500cc pro, I’ll bet I’m at the top 1% of anyone as regards to ride time on 2 wheels. That’s 50 years of riding damn near everyday. I joked with David Bailey once that I have more time on a 500 than he did, back in the day. I always ride aware, within my skill level and I never ride with people I don’t trust or like. I never go out riding with a bunch of inebriated idiots in the desert. I’ve never had the problems you are talking about. In fact, it’s fun to go out on a dirt bike or MTB, back it down 25%, be relaxed and just have fun. Those are recovery days.

I rode eMTB with Steve Hatch a few times (offroad national champ and ISDE gold medalist). He can obviously kick my ass on the moto, and I can take him on the MTB, but it was a fair fight on the eMTB and fun AF!

 

[steve_sordy]

At 70++ wife and I ride together and after doing many adrenaline sports; skydiving (3 decades), skiing, scuba, hanggliding, flying, mtb in the 70-80s; we have slowed down. We try to work out 3Xs/week and take our e cruisers or emtbs with us every RV trip which usually take a couple of months 2-3 Xs/yr. Our emtb fun is now slower flowing single track riding that puts a smile on our face. Left a fair amount of blood in AR last fall and recently same in AZ over the winter so we're backing off a little as we don't heal as well anymore. Now, I drive RV, wife flies backcountry plane and ebikes go everywhere with us. We mostly fly backcountry plane (two tandem seats with 31" tires) but also still ride a lot. All good and still puts a smile on our faces.

When I grow up, I want to be like you!
Trouble is I'm already 74 and 2/3. Is it too late to start?

 

[steve_sordy]

...................

Don’t normally find the rear sliding on the non-ebike, regularly do on the ebike.

................

Change your rear tyre!
But not too grippy, or the next slide out will, be the front tyre!

 

[flyingjack]

When I grow up, I want to be like you!
Trouble is I'm already 74 and 2/3. Is it too late to start?

When I grow up, I want to be like you!
Trouble is I'm already 74 and 2/3. Is it too late to start?

NEVER too late. Do what puts a smile on your face.

 

[dezzracer]

Are you saying I have less experience than others? Growing up and riding on a daily basis, about 45 minutes north of Los Angeles on a 1,500 acre ranch, racing 250 and 500cc pro, I’ll bet I’m at the top 1% of anyone as regards to ride time on 2 wheels. That’s 50 years of riding damn near everyday. I joked with David Bailey once that I have more time on a 500 than he did, back in the day. I always ride aware, within my skill level and I never ride with people I don’t trust or like. I never go out riding with a bunch of inebriated idiots in the desert. I’ve never had the problems you are talking about. In fact, it’s fun to go out on a dirt bike or MTB, back it down 25%, be relaxed and just have fun. Those are recovery days.

Wow very impressive. I will spare you my resume. I never said “I had problems”. Only that riding with a mismatch skill level can create more risk for a faster more experienced rider that slows to their pace. .. For a decorated rider like yourself apparently not, but for others it can.

 

[Gila Man]

I very rarely ride "all-out" these days. On the flatter trails I'll push the speed a little but on technical downhills where crashing could mean broken bones or worse, at almost 64, it's no longer worth it to me. At my age, as Miracle Max would say, I'm already "mostly dead" therefore, I want to spend as little time of my remaining "mobile" years healing from injuries.

I spent my teens, 20's and early 30's racing motocross and downhill skiing. I switched to mountain bikes (no suspension), road cycling and road motorcycle track days in my mid 30's to about 50. After a 10 year hiatus from two wheels, I got back into mountain biking about 3 years ago and e-mountain biking 4 months ago. A couple of years ago I finally came to the conclusion that for me, I can have a great time without pushing my limits anymore.

 

[F4Flyer]

I ride beautiful but often twisty and forested trails with turns and tight switchbacks, so I find that going fast reduces my experience. When on my ebike, I am often solo and so I don't have others around who want to hammer. I let it go on the downhills though. PLUS, I am too old to crash badly, on top of which I have a little boy so I have to not be sick/laid-up/broken. I have backed off on the DHs except for one long roller-coaster directional, no hiker-trail I have here.

 

[skinnyboy]

Riding bicycles off road for nearly 50 years, motorcycles slightly less. Former pro motorcycle enduro racer.

I ride hard on emtbs almost always, since if I'm not riding at or near my limit there is no chance of inducing the "flow state".

It's not predictable when it will occur, all you can do is set up the appropriate conditions and hope. Analog mtb's can't generate the necessity to focus that I need. Emtbs allow me to carry enough speed on our trails to need to be fully engaged, and that sets the stage for the possibility of inducing it.

Everone has their own reasons for riding, I'm curious to hear how many of you ride for this reason. It's a totally different, and unmistakable, state of conciousness, when your pre frontal cortex goes quiet and you react on instinct entirely, and everything works (flows) perfectly. Absolutely overwhelming when it happens, a life changing experience.

Cheers.

 

[ari]

yes i do, same history ,but in short bursts now , dont forget some of the heroes on here are of half quid ancestry. Best way to ride is if you are on a MX bike .

 

[TheKaiser]

At 70++ wife and I ride together and after doing many adrenaline sports; skydiving (3 decades), skiing, scuba, hanggliding, flying, mtb in the 70-80s; we have slowed down. We try to work out 3Xs/week and take our e cruisers or emtbs with us every RV trip which usually take a couple of months 2-3 Xs/yr. Our emtb fun is now slower flowing single track riding that puts a smile on our face. Left a fair amount of blood in AR last fall and recently same in AZ over the winter so we're backing off a little as we don't heal as well anymore. Now, I drive RV, wife flies backcountry plane and ebikes go everywhere with us. We mostly fly backcountry plane (two tandem seats with 31" tires) but also still ride a lot. All good and still puts a smile on our faces.

Wow, that is an amazing array of activities that you've done (and continue to do)! Congratulations on a life well lived! I will be happy if I can do even a fraction of all of those things on a regular basis.

 

[calnearlyebike]

Until my first major injury . Yes . Now no . I pick a certain section , let it rip for a short period then go back to riding in control. Go find some steep slippery tech and fall off there instead of high speed sections . All the sense of progression with Less danger

 

[Plummet]

Well i'm racing enduro and dh so yeah, i regularly go all out. I call them brain melter rides.
Full pac, full power ride until you brain melts from overload and you start forcing errors.

But thats not all the riding i do on the e. I spend a good portion doing 70nm rides with power, more lungs and legs and also use the E for active recovery rides where I cruize up the hills and hammer down.

FYI im 50%E 50% mtb. So there's also the mtb hammer fests and shuttle sessions and racing.

 

[OffitThatM8]

So some background - I used to do a good bit of dirt biking, and I've been "regular" MTBing for a really long time. Done a good bit of racing too - mostly XC and endurance but also some enduro, and eMTB race and even a DH (ok, even some cyclocross and ultracross). 90% or more of my miles are on the regular MTB.

I find that when I get on the eMTB I want to ride "moto style", pretty much at the limit of traction and control and go as fast as I can. Not coincidentally, many of the people I ride eMTB with are dirt bikers.

On a "casual" eMTB ride I'll average 12 MPH (on trails where 9 MPH on the he-bike is a decent effort), but on a hammerfest I can be north of 15 MPH for the same loops.

How about you? Anyone else like to just put the hammer down and go all out?

Too many factors to answer consistently. Weather, trail conditions, if I'm recovering from other sports I've done or had a bug or been doing lots of DIY, if I'm having an off day, if I'm riding for fitness that day, riding for the joy of just doing a big loop or just winch and plummeting trails.

Generally speaking if I'm not tired, riding for pure fun and the trails are dry and grippy enough then yes I ride all out which is I find are always the most fun rides. Those kinds of rides I'm usually in Turbo as well as those kinds of rides I'm not bothered about sight seeing or just being out cycling, I'm just wanting to ride trails as many times as I can before the battery runs out. Though my 2nd favourite type of ride is definitely planning a GPX route through places I've never been and just going exploring.

Prime example of an all out ride for me was Monday evening this week, felt fresh, alert, dialled in, trails were running great so I went all out. Managed to come 4th on a local trail, 6 seconds slower than the OG Danny Hart which I'm pretty proud of

 

[skizzian]

Riding below my comfort pace has never created more risk for me.

if I've slowed down on a boring bit, I check where the missus behind me, at that point I have a fair chance of coming off the trail and smacking into something

 

[CyclingInsights]

I totally get what you mean! There’s something about eMTB that just makes you want to push it to the limit—almost like it’s got a bit of a dirt bike mentality, right? I’ve been riding eMTBs for a while, and I definitely find myself riding “moto style” sometimes, especially when I’m riding with people who have that dirt bike background. It feels like the power assist just makes you feel more confident pushing into those corners, jumping a bit bigger, and just going full throttle on the descents.

 

[Doomanic]

Anyone else like to go all out?

I try and keep it in my shorts, but I'm not always successful...

 

[flyingjack]

Wow, that is an amazing array of activities that you've done (and continue to do)! Congratulations on a life well lived! I will be happy if I can do even a fraction of all of those things on a regular basis.

Having found the right partner nearly 5 decades ago makes life so much easier.

 

[Tumid1]

going fast is fun

And the faster you go...the more fun it is

The constant theme flowing thru this thread seems to be a bunch of us old MX racers not willing to "just act our age". I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I'm not going to stop hammering until I can't. Like most here, I rode bicycles as part of training for MX & after racing kept riding pedal bikes, then e-bikes & don't feel, act or ride like that old guy I see in the mirror.

Let's be honest, anyone who ever made MX racing THE most important thing in their lives doesn't look at the world (& getting old) like "normal" people. If you ever looked to both sides of a starting gate & said to yourself...I can win this, 50 years later, that mindset hasn't gone away & whenever you get the chance you go for it like you're still 21.

 

[skizzian]

And the faster you go...the more fun it is

The constant theme flowing thru this thread seems to be a bunch of us old MX racers not willing to "just act our age". I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I'm not going to stop hammering until I can't. Like most here, I rode bicycles as part of training for MX & after racing kept riding pedal bikes, then e-bikes & don't feel, act or ride like that old guy I see in the mirror.

Let's be honest, anyone who ever made MX racing THE most important thing in their lives doesn't look at the world (& getting old) like "normal" people. If you ever looked to both sides of a starting gate & said to yourself...I can win this, 50 years later, that mindset hasn't gone away & whenever you get the chance you go for it like you're still 21.

100% - however I stopped very very fast yesterday (on the wrong side of a double) and I now feel very very old
on the plus side - I'm picking up new wheels later (the front rim performed an unscheduled rapid disassembly)

 

[RickBullotta]

100% - however I stopped very very fast yesterday (on the wrong side of a double) and I now feel very very old
on the plus side - I'm picking up new wheels later (the front rim performed an unscheduled rapid disassembly)

RDS (Rapid Deceleration Syndrome) hurts. Heal up fast!

 

[skizzian]

RDS (Rapid Deceleration Syndrome) hurts. Heal up fast!

Thank you - I have a large tube of Aspercreme and am applying liberally

 

[RustyIron]

Growing up and riding on a daily basis, about 45 minutes north of Los Angeles on a 1,500 acre ranch, racing 250 and 500cc pro, I’ll bet I’m at the top 1% of anyone

 

[skizzian]

8 inches in my rear no homo!
I plead guilty with the clip-in's though...

 

[Plummet]

And the faster you go...the more fun it is

The constant theme flowing thru this thread seems to be a bunch of us old MX racers not willing to "just act our age". I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I'm not going to stop hammering until I can't. Like most here, I rode bicycles as part of training for MX & after racing kept riding pedal bikes, then e-bikes & don't feel, act or ride like that old guy I see in the mirror.

Let's be honest, anyone who ever made MX racing THE most important thing in their lives doesn't look at the world (& getting old) like "normal" people. If you ever looked to both sides of a starting gate & said to yourself...I can win this, 50 years later, that mindset hasn't gone away & whenever you get the chance you go for it like you're still 21.

Not just moto guys though.... im a dh racer and the same theory applies. Im 54 and have a dh race next week. Ill be racing it out for the title in the old bastard division, actually ill enter the race twice, e bike and fh bikr divs and go for 2 titles in one day .......