45+ racing

[Super Trucker]

  Mx  is  an  endurance  sport,  I think  we  all  know that.  The  drop  off   from  oxygen  to  muscle   from  a  25  yr old  to  a 45  yr old   isn,t   that much.  There,s   40+  sprinters  that  run  in  the  10,s   yet,  I,m  one of them.   But   9 yrs  on a drill  rig  and   trucking  really   beats  your  body up.  Alot  of  injuries  and surgerys ,  so   it,s  rare  that   the  body  isn,t  in pain   or screwed up.  I feel  alot  better  when  it,s  hot and hummid.  I  like  to sprint  for 2  laps, then  set  a   pace   and  settle  in,  try  to  save  energy  in case   a    450   catches  you.  Then   hope  I   have  the energy  to   sprint  again,  or it,s  get  passed on a  straight  away,  then  I pass  him in a corner,  repeat  x10.

[VintageBlueSmoke]

The problem with age is recovery time - recovery from exertion, injury, etc. Older riders can still compete equally. You don't forget how to jump, turn, etc. You do however begin to rejuvinate slower over 40. My doc told me recently that just about all active men over 40 eventually have rotator cuff injuries. Most have lower back problems. Compound that with the living that you did in your youth (smoking, drinking, poor diet) which you really don't pay for until you are middle aged as well as any and all those injuries you suffered. An old body starts complaining.

Now many guys that continue to ride actually get faster and/or more consistant as over 40 riders. The above still applies but they've learned to roll that dangerous jump rather than risk it and just pass you whipper-snappers in the corners!

[eprovenzano]

Now many guys that continue to ride actually get faster and/or more consistent as over 40 riders. The above still applies but they've learned to roll that dangerous jump rather than risk it and just pass you whipper-snappers in the corners!

This is soooo true.  There are many "seasoned" riders who you rarely see doing an unexpected superman, or any other quick get off. They've been there, done that and learned when to dial it back, and when (because of their experience) know when and where to dial it up, drop the hammer and leave you in their dust.  Just because someone has a little less hair, or its turned a little gray, and maybe a (cough, cough) a few extra pounds around the middle, don't discount them.  It's these gentleman that can make you look silly in a hurry.

[Super Trucker]

 Yeah  there,s  injurys  that  effect  your  riding  for sure.  My  last  spell  under the knife  was  left elbow  tommy johns  surgery,  outside  of  elbow  insision  they  relieve  the  tendons  and  drill  holes  in the bone.  Next is  a  2in  incision   over  the funny  bone,  where  they  work  on the  nerve.   The  surgeon  said  he never  saw   the   nerve  so tight,  my hand- fingers  was   going  crazy  during  surgery.  Over  1 year  later   from  my wrist  to  half  my  fingers  are  still  numb,  yeah  not  good.  The  outside  of  your hand  is  what  grips  the bars.  The  aztalan  track   in  Lake  Mills   has  a   very  competive  40   and  45  classes,  when  servere  weather  isn,t  threatening.  They  have  a full  gate  for  40+,  riders   that   finish  top 5  at  LL  don,t  win   here.  If   your  racing  for  a top  finish, you,ll  fight  for it.   For  what ever  reason,  riders   short  out  at this track,  in  the 55 +  class   a rider  was  run  over  twice  in  the 1st  corner,  there,s   paremedics   working   on him.  Then  a  450  rider  that  was  stuck in the  gate ,  about  2  minutes  later   runs  him over  going  wideopen.  Nobody  could  believe  it,  the  medics  jumped  out of the way.  It was  the  dumbest  thing  you,d  ever seen,  the   rider,s  been  in the hospital   since  9-9-2012.

[Larry63r]

I'm 48 and still racing MX. I quit racing CC back in 1985 because it was to dangerous. I like nice safe MX where the ambulance is always less than 100 yards away! Other than the years I have had to take off to recover from some injuries I have been racing nonstop since 1978.
Here in California there is a lot of racing for older riders. We have the Old Timers International MX series and the Over The Hill Gang clubs series as well. I am a member of both groups. I ride +45 novice in the Gang and +40 novice in the OTMX.
Here is a link to the International OTMX website. There are clubs from Canada to Arizona.
http://russrr.home.comcast.net/~russrr/

Here is a link to the SoCal chapter of the Gang. There are five chapters of the gang, four in Ca and one in Reno,NV.
http://www.overthehillgang.org/

[TMKIWI]

Your not wrong about recovery taking longer.
I shattered my wrist 2 years ago.
Thought it was a broken scaphoid but was actually torn muscle off the bone.
A few pins and months in a cast I am only now getting full use again.
Still can only bend my wrist 20 deg and it will never move any more.

[SachsGS]

Older riders have more experience and ,as such, are more comfortable riding in the "Zone" (that last 10% of speed before you crash). If you look at long distance and extreme events you'll find that a lot of the high placing riders are what we would consider "mature" riders.

 It has also been said that most competitors have about 10 years of top level racing in them. Guys like Adolph Weil and John Dowd started late but were winners. The reverse is true with "hockey parents" burning their kids out in the pee wee mx. There was a German rally car driver who didn't even start competing untill he was in his 40's yet still won world championships.

It has been my own experience that it isn't nec. old age that gets you but, rather, injuries.

[Super Trucker]

I'm 48 and still racing MX. I quit racing CC back in 1985 because it was to dangerous. I like nice safe MX where the ambulance is always less than 100 yards away! Other than the years I have had to take off to recover from some injuries I have been racing nonstop since 1978.
Here in California there is a lot of racing for older riders. We have the Old Timers International MX series and the Over The Hill Gang clubs series as well. I am a member of both groups. I ride +45 novice in the Gang and +40 novice in the OTMX.
Here is a link to the International OTMX website. There are clubs from Canada to Arizona.
http://russrr.home.comcast.net/~russrr/

Here is a link to the SoCal chapter of the Gang. There are five chapters of the gang, four in Ca and one in Reno,NV.
http://www.overthehillgang.org/

   I hear  of  your  vet  series,  the  turn out looks  great.

[beaner]

Older riders have more experience and ,as such, are more comfortable riding in the "Zone"

The smart ones, anyway 
I've always ridden way over my head, and been a crasher because of it. I finally smartened up last season and started riding within my ability for a change. It paid off.
We had our banquet a few weeks ago.



As far as recovery, I went down in the woods 4 years ago. I strained something in my arm picking the bike up. X rays and ultrasound didn't find anything, but it still took 2 years for the pain to go away.

[ford832]

Your not wrong about recovery taking longer.
I shattered my wrist 2 years ago.
Thought it was a broken scaphoid but was actually torn muscle off the bone.
A few pins and months in a cast I am only now getting full use again.
Still can only bend my wrist 20 deg and it will never move any more.

Cripes,that sucks.It wasn't your "girlfriend hand" was it?

[_X_]

you know where trophys belong? thats right, on the dashboard!

[evo550]

you know where trophys belong? thats right, on the dashboard!

....or on a big fat gold chain around your neck !!

[msmola2002]

I'm only doing 30+ stuff but liking it a lot. less suicidal 15 year olds who have mummy and daddy pay their medical expenses when they wad up/take someone out.

It's good riding with older guys wh have to go to work on monday :p

[Uniflow]

I'd show you all my trophy's, but I can't remember where I put them?

[shanes]

Yeah  there,s  injurys  that  effect  your  riding  for sure.  My  last  spell  under the knife  was  left elbow  tommy johns  surgery,  outside  of  elbow  insision  they  relieve  the  tendons  and  drill  holes  in the bone.  Next is  a  2in  incision   over  the funny  bone,  where  they  work  on the  nerve.   The  surgeon  said  he never  saw   the   nerve  so tight,  my hand- fingers  was   going  crazy  during  surgery.  Over  1 year  later   from  my wrist  to  half  my  fingers  are  still  numb,  yeah  not  good.  The  outside  of  your hand  is  what  grips  the bars.  The  aztalan  track   in  Lake  Mills   has  a   very  competive  40   and  45  classes,  when  servere  weather  isn,t  threatening.  They  have  a full  gate  for  40+,  riders   that   finish  top 5  at  LL  don,t  win   here.  If   your  racing  for  a top  finish, you,ll  fight  for it.   For  what ever  reason,  riders   short  out  at this track,  in  the 55 +  class   a rider  was  run  over  twice  in  the 1st  corner,  there,s   paremedics   working   on him.  Then  a  450  rider  that  was  stuck in the  gate ,  about  2  minutes  later   runs  him over  going  wideopen.  Nobody  could  believe  it,  the  medics  jumped  out of the way.  It was  the  dumbest  thing  you,d  ever seen,  the   rider,s  been  in the hospital   since  9-9-2012.

had both of my elbows done triceps re attached , left one was the worst 9 years on and still numb and tingles in my 2 smallest fingers, but at least they work now i lost the use of them totally for a year after surgery they curled up always had to straighten them out and used to sit on them to keep them straight , at least on the bike they would wrap around the bar then selves :-}}

had my right done about 20 months ago then it snapped off again so had it re done again 8/9 weeks latter seams ok now

it looks like a fun job fixing them