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Author Topic: Back on two wheels  (Read 2528 times)

Tuco

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Back on two wheels
« on: August 10, 2009, 11:36:02 AM »
My oldest daughter is seven. Zoe loves to ride her bike, and hasn’t used training wheels since she was 3 or 4. 
“Daddy, look!!!” as she whizzes past standing on her seat and top tube. 

Our town has a skate park – Ramps, half and quarter pipes, jumps – it’s used equally by BMX bikes and skateboards with a smattering of scooters and roller blades.    Zoe wanted to take her bike there.  She did, I supervised (yes, helmet), and she did amazingly well - yielding right of way, getting up after she falls, and stopping only when out of the flow.  We’ve been there a dozen times. All of the users have been polite, ages 7-25 and usually there is some parental presence. Because of her age, and the stereotype of skate punk behavior, I’m always there supervising.

I’m not about to leave Zoe there alone, so I stand on the grass and watch…

WELL, that got old quick.

I went on craigslist and bought my very own BMX bike with 20” street tires,  21” cromo frame, gyro, 3 piece cromo cranks and park gearing from a 17 year old kid about 15 miles away.  All in the name of physical fitness and father daughter bonding. 

I rode to work last week, and my coworkers just laughed.  “Nice bike. The kid did you stole it from had to work all summer” and  “You paid for that?”

Did I mention I’m 43 years old? 
No?
That’s because I seem to have forgotten. 

Saturday evening at the park, after about an hour of gifted riding (mine) I looped out while manualing down a ramp, landed in the splits, and ended up with a Sunday morning trip to the emergency room. (yes, helmet). No impact injuries or lacerations, I must have landed on my feet.   
Kinetic energy=mass x velocity squared (heavy on the mass) pushed my legs down and out.

Left leg- badly sprained ankle (I’ve broken bones before and thought this was a break);
Left knee – pulled tendons on the interior side;
Right knee – Ligaments may be torn, the ER doc said it’ll take an ultrasound or a ‘scope to figger it out.

I’m on crutches, have an immobilizer on the right leg, and need help putting my pants on.  The referral to the orthopedic doc came through this morning.  After reviewing the xrays, they don’t want to see me until Thursday.

I’m so freaking happy. 
I did this doing something fun and pushing my limits.  It beats the heck out of a fall on the ice, trip down the stairs, a car accident or a self-inflicted gunshot.

I plan on a complete recovery and (edit to add rolleyes smiley)  ;/ quarter pipe 180’s before the snow flies.
« Last Edit: August 10, 2009, 12:45:48 PM by Two Cold Soakers »
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mtnbkr

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Re: Back on two wheels
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2009, 11:52:24 AM »
Suddenly hurtling myself down rocky mountain trails on two wheels seems less dangerous. :D

Chris
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Harold Tuttle

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Re: Back on two wheels
« Reply #2 on: August 10, 2009, 11:59:45 AM »
Bikes on Half pipes scare the crap out of me

A buddy planted a cruiser on a gravel road and nerfed one kidney to oblivion

S happens, but kids are much closer to the ground and have alot less mass than I do...

My 20 inch bike is a Redline RL20II that I have ridden for 20 years, but my knees are getting angry
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AZRedhawk44

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Re: Back on two wheels
« Reply #3 on: August 10, 2009, 12:24:26 PM »
Dood, skateboarding is so much safer than freestyle biking.  That bike's geometry is not intended for an adult body.  There's no way you can kick the bike free of you safely when you botch a 180 on a ramp... but a 15 year old can.

I think it's really best you exercise that adult muscle upstairs, the brain, and get rid of the bike.  It's all well and good you wanna bond with the daughter, but I think you really need to understand that you haven't been doing this since you were a pre-teen and your body's understanding of balance in relationship to that bike will never be sufficient to do tricks in there.

All this from a 31 year old that loves to do 40mph+ off-road on a mountain bike, goes backpacking alone without telling others where he is, goes shooting out in the desert alone in remote places and all sorts of other silly dangerous stupid stuff.
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Scout26

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Re: Back on two wheels
« Reply #4 on: August 10, 2009, 12:27:20 PM »
A when I hit about 35 or so I realized that having my butt at an altitude above my head was generally a Bad Idea and would at most likely cause Pain.
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Dannyboy

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Re: Back on two wheels
« Reply #5 on: August 10, 2009, 12:30:52 PM »
Quote from: AZRedhawk44 on August 10, 2009, 12:24:26 PM
Dood, skateboarding is so much safer than freestyle biking.  That bike's geometry is not intended for an adult body.  There's no way you can kick the bike free of you safely when you botch a 180 on a ramp... but a 15 year old can.

I think it's really best you exercise that adult muscle upstairs, the brain, and get rid of the bike.  It's all well and good you wanna bond with the daughter, but I think you really need to understand that you haven't been doing this since you were a pre-teen and your body's understanding of balance in relationship to that bike will never be sufficient to do tricks in there.

All this from a 31 year old that loves to do 40mph+ off-road on a mountain bike, goes backpacking alone without telling others where he is, goes shooting out in the desert alone in remote places and all sorts of other silly dangerous stupid stuff.
Obviously you've never seen the X Games.  The BMX guys are generally older and they're still sick.
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Tuco

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Re: Back on two wheels
« Reply #6 on: August 10, 2009, 12:44:23 PM »
Quote from: Dannyboy on August 10, 2009, 12:30:52 PM
...the X Games.  The BMX guys are generally older and they're still sick.

AzRHwk got the "not since pre-teen" part right, but those kids make it look so effortless.

I'm not getting rid of the bike at least until I heal up and go around that park one more time. 
 
All advice given is sound, and I realize the nuttiness of the exercise.  That's just how I operate roll. (gotta get the lingo right :lol:)
« Last Edit: August 10, 2009, 12:47:29 PM by Two Cold Soakers »
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Jim147

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Re: Back on two wheels
« Reply #7 on: August 10, 2009, 02:20:54 PM »
Don't tell Dennis McCoy BMX is just for the young kids. =)

I haven't ridden in over twenty five years. I know it's not the right exercise for me.
Hope you get to feeling better. And when you recoup get us some pictures of you doing some dropins or getting some big air or something. Just get the pics before you crash again.

jim
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AZRedhawk44

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Re: Back on two wheels
« Reply #8 on: August 10, 2009, 02:35:39 PM »
Quote from: Jim147 on August 10, 2009, 02:20:54 PM
Don't tell Dennis McCoy BMX is just for the young kids. =)


Yeah, but he's been doing it non-stop since he was 8 years old or whatever.

If you pick it up when you fit that sized bike and learn to adjust your body as you grow, it can be done.

As a full grown adult, getting back on a 20" freestyle bike after 15-20 years not being on one?  Hmmm.  Takes a LOT of back and leg strength to kick one of those things around, and you have no idea what the inertia of the bike feels like, or the angles you need to use to intersect and catch it with your feet.  Your bones are more brittle and your joints don't have the same resiliency in the cartilage to absorb damage that will cause miniscus tears and the like in adults.  Your growth plates have fused, hindering the full healing effect you have as a youth.

Can a dedicated person do it?  Sure, I guess.  But the odds are HEAVILY stacked against you.

But, if it's worth the arthritis at 50, then do it.  There will be a lot more crashes for you to learn, is all.
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MillCreek

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Re: Back on two wheels
« Reply #9 on: August 10, 2009, 02:55:13 PM »
Jeez, I have been on road, mountain and folding bicycles for 35 years.  I have never tried a BMX, at least from the standpoint of doing tricks on it.  I will be interested in further reports.  Remember that it takes longer to heal as you get older.
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zahc

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Re: Back on two wheels
« Reply #10 on: August 10, 2009, 03:21:15 PM »
I rode BMX bikes for many years. They are made for adult-sized people, and designed perfectly for what they are designed for. That is, they are perfect machines for doing sweet tricks and letting you get on your steez with ease...if you can keep from blowing out your lower back and shoulders. They are torture devices that require muscles that are not used for anything else including other forms of cycling, so if you take a week off you're back to square one it seems. Prepare to have giant quads, back muscles and shoulders, if you can manage to not injure all of the above first.

I know; I've been there, done that, have the lacerated shins. Worth every minute, every pinch flat and blown spoke. I think I still have an old Standard STA500 frame in my parent's basement. I love riding BMX bikes, but I sold mine because my separated shoulders would never heal as long as I kept getting back on it. Now I ride longboards. It's my blood though; as long as I stay away from bike shops and don't pay too much attention to ridable terrain I can almost forget I ever used to ride. What also helps me not to miss it is that the scene has become so skateboardified and full of trendy mall rats. I rode back when men where men, the Kink Empire was a street frame, wheels had 48 spokes and people still dug trails.
« Last Edit: August 10, 2009, 03:28:51 PM by zahc »
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crt360

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Re: Back on two wheels
« Reply #11 on: August 10, 2009, 03:52:16 PM »
Quote from: AZRedhawk44 on August 10, 2009, 02:35:39 PM

As a full grown adult, getting back on a 20" freestyle bike after 15-20 years not being on one?  Hmmm.  Takes a LOT of back and leg strength to kick one of those things around, and you have no idea what the inertia of the bike feels like, or the angles you need to use to intersect and catch it with your feet.  Your bones are more brittle and your joints don't have the same resiliency in the cartilage to absorb damage that will cause miniscus tears and the like in adults.  Your growth plates have fused, hindering the full healing effect you have as a youth.

Can a dedicated person do it?  Sure, I guess.  But the odds are HEAVILY stacked against you.

But, if it's worth the arthritis at 50, then do it.  There will be a lot more crashes for you to learn, is all.

Man, way to take the fun out of it.   =(  :laugh:

I rode BMX bikes and skateboarded probably from about age 5 through high school.  Some friends of mine built a half pipe that was monstrous for the early 80s.  Much fun was had.  I rode on everything - half pipes, quarter pipes, street ramps, BMX tracks, dirt trails, drainage ditches.  Other than ripping the meat off the front of my shins on sharp pedal cages, my only serious injuries came from high speed downhill skateboarding.  I haven't been on a skateboard in years and my cycling is limited to tooling around on a mountain bike.  I still have one old BMX bike (SE Racing) that I pulled out a couple of years ago.  I aired up the tires and went bombing around the neighborhood late one night.  I couldn't believe how fun it was and how natural it felt compared to a big, clunky mountain bike.  I had seen some stupid prices for these things on ebay and was considering selling it, but I might just clean it up, put some new tires on it and ride it more (at night, of course, so nobody can see the old dude riding the little kids bike  =D).
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Harold Tuttle

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Re: Back on two wheels
« Reply #12 on: August 10, 2009, 04:02:09 PM »
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"The true mad scientist does not make public appearances! He does not wear the "Hello, my name is.." badge!
He strikes from below like a viper or on high like a penny dropped from the tallest building around!
He only has one purpose--Do bad things to good people! Mit science! What good is science if no one gets hurt?!"

crt360

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Re: Back on two wheels
« Reply #13 on: August 10, 2009, 06:38:12 PM »
Quote from: Harold Tuttle on August 10, 2009, 04:02:09 PM
covet:
http://www.sebikes.com/Retro/OM-Flyer-Blue.aspx

I'd love to have an OM.  I built up a really nice CW 24" that I later traded for a mountain bike (that I traded in on my now old Cannondale).  I wish I still had the CW.

My SE is similar to http://www.sebikes.com/Retro/QuadangleLooptail.aspx but it was made back in olden times when they still used Reynolds 531 tubing. 
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Harold Tuttle

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Re: Back on two wheels
« Reply #14 on: August 10, 2009, 07:10:29 PM »
I built out a 26 inch mongoose Kos cruiser for my cousin back in the 80s

My old ride was a 26 OM Flyer
I still have the landing gear fork stashed somewhere
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"The true mad scientist does not make public appearances! He does not wear the "Hello, my name is.." badge!
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He only has one purpose--Do bad things to good people! Mit science! What good is science if no one gets hurt?!"

Headless Thompson Gunner

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Re: Back on two wheels
« Reply #15 on: August 10, 2009, 07:32:13 PM »
Quote from: Harold Tuttle on August 10, 2009, 11:59:45 AM

S happens, but kids are much closer to the ground and have alot less mass than I do...

I'm beginning to learn, as I get older, that youngsters also heal much faster than older people.
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BlueStarLizzard

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Re: Back on two wheels
« Reply #16 on: August 10, 2009, 07:38:43 PM »
Quote from: Headless Thompson Gunner on August 10, 2009, 07:32:13 PM
I'm beginning to learn, as I get older, that youngsters also heal much faster than older people.

they also have the tumble abilty. which is something i reliezed after i got older and watched little kids ski. you see this little bundle of a kid going straight down the hill with his skis spread wide (i don't know if its their parents dressing them warmly or just the way their built, but even the really good little kid skiiers can't seem to get parell) going as fast as they can. then the hit the dust, kinda just roll with it and pop back up. i've seen adults take the exsact same tumble and they're down for the count.
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Chrissy

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Re: Back on two wheels
« Reply #17 on: August 11, 2009, 06:07:02 PM »
Well I guess you've had more fun getting injured than me.  I was one of the ones you talked about falling on ice and dislocated my shoulder, lol.  Have a speedy recovery and maybe put some training wheels on now   :laugh:
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