Mountain Biking - I've given up on freeriding.

When I first started mountain biking about year ago, I wanted to be a freerider. Freeriding is awesome. It's exciting, it looks cool, it's challenging. Over the last year though, I've determined that it's not really for me. It hurts too much. I hate to say it, but even at 24, I feel like I'm too old to start freeriding (although I know that some other people have done it).

This doesn't mean I won't continue to ride hard... I have a little story to tell: A while back, sometime around February I was riding with two frinds of mine in Santa Cruz. We were riding a particular trail that ends in a chute about 30 feet long that is very steep, very rocky, and has it's fair share of roots as well. When we got to the end of the trail, we were looking down at that chute, and there was a kid who looked like he was in high school sitting at the bottom of the chute. He was wearing full DH gear and straddling an Intense M1, and he was trying to get us to ride the chute. We all walked down. But the kid kept talking to us. Telling us we should have ridden it. I told HIM to ride it, and he did. He carried his bike back up and rode it. After watching him and the line he took, I said "I can do that", and I went back up and I rode it. Neither my friends did, and as we sat at the bottom of the trail, we watched some other people finish up the trail, and the kid tried to get them to ride the chute too, but no one did.

So, while I might not be the ultimate freerider, I still think i push myself harder than most other MTBers out there (maybe not as much as the guys on this forums, since it's pretty freeride biased), and I'll continue to push myself and try to do my best, but I've decided that giant jumps and drops aren't my thing. My bike will stay on the ground most of the time, with the occasional small (2-3 foot) jump or drop. More than that is just too dangerous for me. I've got too many scars already, and I think i've permanently damaged my right wrist.

So I guess what I'm saying, is I want to continue to ride hard, but in a different way - I guess I've decided that my own style isn't the same style that makes it into videos, and it's taken a year, but I've started to figure out how I really want to ride.

Freeriding is NOT just about dropping and jumping. There are many different styles, freeriding just means doing what you want. I personally love the feel of doing gaps liek step downs and road gaps but prefer to DH. So what do I do? I do both, mainly DH but if I see a gap I like the look of, I'll hit it, if there are some bigger stunts on a DH track, I'll hit it. It's all about doing what you want and makes you feel great.So what you don't want to jump or something like that, as long as you continue to ride your bike in a way that makes youfeel great and keep pushing yourself, to me, you are doing what riding is all about.

What I'm trying to say is, that chute you did, guess what that was freeriding. Do what you want on your bike and you are keeping ther sport alive.

Freeriding is a marketting term invented by people who want to sell other people on an image. Ride what you want and call it what you want. Start telling people you're into "notfred riding" or pick another snazzy name. I personally would call it Gleepnorts. :D

Ride to be free.

Free of molds and marketing terms.

Free of the preconceived notions of others.

Free of pressures to huck insane things because some 17 year old can do it.


Free of silly "Just do it" speeches like this

:D:p

the good thing is, you probably got out of it before you spent 2k on a freeriding bike.

the bad thing is, you possibly damaged your wrist.

at least you got out quick

Don't listen to that highschool kid. It sounded like he was into DH'ing in the first place. Freeriders can do a combination of everything, so you don't have to focus on one thing if you don't want to.

Freeriding in the dictionary of DMN is:

Heading out in to the hills and having fun. If you find some DH, DH it. If you find some jumps, jump them. If you find single track, fly round it. Go out, have fun, enjoy.

I'm not amazing by any stretch of my imagination, but as long as I'm always pushing myself I don't care how good or bad I am compared to rider x or y.

Just ride. If you ride at 105% max then your chances of getting hurt is low. Some people push to hard to fast (some pros I know comment on this fact often, lots of go big riders who can't ride...pretty much useless on two wheels if not in a dj park) Take it easy and go bigger progressively. And learn to compete with yourself and not others. I push myself at my own pace. This year has been huge for me progression wise but beginning of last year was horrible. Slow going, and just not any fun.

So you can ride single-track now.