Author Topic: I wouldn't ever quit, but...  (Read 6152 times)

Offline Ultraman Zoffy

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I wouldn't ever quit, but...
« on: March 16, 2009, 09:43:14 AM »
... seriously, there are some days where I just want to throw my tricks in the garbage. I can do a lot of stuff, but at the moment none of it is taking me in the direction I'd like my riding to go. Two jobs also has me unable to really learn anything brand new (and also kills my flow), so overall I'm just "blah" on riding right now. "New" for me lately means messing around with something, kinda figuring it out, but never having the time to really learn it and dial it in.
Stale tricks. Argh. Just for tonight, I hate my riding.  :angry:

Prasheel

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Re: I wouldn't ever quit, but...
« Reply #1 on: March 16, 2009, 03:03:58 PM »
I've come seriously close to selling my bike sometimes and just saying "f*ck it".  I didn't end up selling my bike, and just sort of put it down for about four months or so.  I recently have picked it up and after the contest in Toronto I don't even know how interested I am in picking it up again...BUT I'm going to go ride with Prasheel and Matthias today, so I guess that makes up for it, haha.

Offline oldstreetthrasher

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Re: I wouldn't ever quit, but...
« Reply #2 on: March 16, 2009, 03:18:04 PM »
Be like me... I started riding flat in '87 and although I haven't stuck with it the whole time, my best trick is a cross footed single whiplash and I couldn't even pull ONE yesterday when I was out riding. I only know a small number of tricks and I don't even have those dialed. It's depressing, but I'm still going to keep riding. If I stick with it, I know progression will come. Even if it's a lot slower than it used to be back in the day.

Offline morgan

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Re: I wouldn't ever quit, but...
« Reply #3 on: March 16, 2009, 04:23:53 PM »
DUDES... we all hit a wall sometimes.  Getting past blocks is why we do this... the sense of satisfaction pulling a trick or link clean is amazing.  We might stop for a while, but we'll always come back...
More off than on, but still loving it! Flatland until you can't!

Offline tod miller

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Re: I wouldn't ever quit, but...
« Reply #4 on: March 16, 2009, 04:59:40 PM »
Riding will always haunt me...never could get it out of my blood.  If you are stale at the moment...or hit a wall, or whatever you want to call it, try something different.  I love Mat Hoffman's outlook on things...he does more than just ride.   I do the same...skydiving, kayaking, uni-cycle, mountain bikes.  Around 1990 or so, I gave up flatland because I was more interested in riding street and ramps, but now I have been bit by the flatland bug again.  Maybe you could try a different style of riding BMX.  You know, just to keep things fresh.  Just a suggestion.
"A puppet no more!"

Offline GRFN.FLAT.

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Re: I wouldn't ever quit, but...
« Reply #5 on: March 16, 2009, 11:46:42 PM »
i know just how you feel. flatland is like golf, it's amazing if you're doing great, but if you're doing bad, it's all you can do to keep from killing something. the trick is just to determine yourself to push and push so that you have more and more good days.

Offline justfour

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Re: I wouldn't ever quit, but...
« Reply #6 on: March 17, 2009, 01:13:02 AM »
I've been riding close to 8 years - off and on - and I suck big time, seriously. However I couldn't care less and still ride when I get the chance and will continue to do so for as long as I can (I'm 31 y/o now).

Offline bhuffman

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Re: I wouldn't ever quit, but...
« Reply #7 on: March 17, 2009, 03:17:59 PM »
Change something up - take brakes off, put them back on, work on something completely different like boomerangs, get a new frame - just something to change things up. I've found that helps a lot.
You look like Marty McFly!

Offline Mike Dood

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Re: I wouldn't ever quit, but...
« Reply #8 on: March 17, 2009, 06:53:42 PM »
Change something up - take brakes off, put them back on, work on something completely different like boomerangs, get a new frame - just something to change things up. I've found that helps a lot.


As weird as it sounds I agree with this logic! Sometimes I'll just do some bike maintenance and it'll give me a little extra motivation to ride...a small new part or a new dialed brake. I know what ya mean. I recently re greased my Geisha took some slop out and I just wanted to jam after that.  :beer:

Offline flaTTech

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Re: I wouldn't ever quit, but...
« Reply #9 on: March 17, 2009, 09:39:26 PM »
I agree, mix things up a bit..  Whether it be on your bike or with the tricks you are doing..

I just recently switched to zero offset forks, never rode them before..  Also switched to 8 in. bars from 7 in.  And took a little more weight off the bike..  (I think I may have changed to much at once, ha)   Very little time yet on new setup, but I think I'm going to like the changes..  It does make you want to get out there and mess around with the new setup, even if it is with your regular solid tricks..

When playing around with new stuff, it doesn't always have to be the hardest stuff.. Mess around with a switch that you may think doesn't look to hard or something that doesn't look so hard to you but you never actually took the time to hit it..  I try not to get to frustrated if I'm working towards some new stuff, don't have to get to upset about not pulling it since I never did it yet anyways..  But I do kinda get pissed if I have alot of time into something and it doesn't seem to be working out at all..

Having an idea to where you want your riding to go is a good idea, then you can work towards certain goals,  BUT be flexible with it and have fun..  You may end up with some stuff that wasn't exactly how you pictured it but is just as fun, and may fit into your way of riding even better..


the beard

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Re: I wouldn't ever quit, but...
« Reply #10 on: March 18, 2009, 02:14:17 AM »
If you love riding bikes, quitting may be harder than "sucking" at riding. I felt down about my riding for some of the same reasons, almost replaced flatland with something else, and got pulled back in, full force. 

Sucking at flatland is one of my greatest achievements in life.   I hope you stay in it awhile dude. 

Offline Mike Dood

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Re: I wouldn't ever quit, but...
« Reply #11 on: March 18, 2009, 02:20:48 AM »
Flatlanding is hard and challenging. There's times you just got it and other times you don't.

And the thing for me that I have accepted is that I will never be as good as some of those riders out there, I just won't. But I work hard and keep progressing while I have fun and work with my style and what I have. This took me awhile to grasp to be honest. Not everyone is a Mathias and learn some crazy mad hard new trick in a few hours. :)


katobmx

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Re: I wouldn't ever quit, but...
« Reply #12 on: March 18, 2009, 03:09:03 AM »
"Not everfyone was Matthias" niether did they have jumelin, and raph as close friends from way back either ^_^. I've hit a rode block in progression too. The funny thing is that 90% of the stuff I'm trying to "learn" is stuff I've done well before. turbine peg wheelies ,megaspin, bw hitch"WTF". Think its because I've but my cranks back on too. but at least if I have them on now I'm actually learning tricks like the dumptruck, and hitch where pedal position is crucial.

sumthinluv

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Re: I wouldn't ever quit, but...
« Reply #13 on: March 18, 2009, 06:24:46 PM »
I'm just back from two months of no riding and first time out was a killer, almost fell off my bike riding out of my own yard... It all comes back though and I know next sesh will be alright! (I hope)

Offline Carlo

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Re: I wouldn't ever quit, but...
« Reply #14 on: March 20, 2009, 07:24:41 AM »
... seriously, there are some days where I just want to throw my tricks in the garbage. I can do a lot of stuff, but at the moment none of it is taking me in the direction I'd like my riding to go. Two jobs also has me unable to really learn anything brand new (and also kills my flow), so overall I'm just "blah" on riding right now. "New" for me lately means messing around with something, kinda figuring it out, but never having the time to really learn it and dial it in.
Stale tricks. Argh. Just for tonight, I hate my riding.  :angry:
Hey Jason, we all have lives outside of riding.  If you want to keep on riding, you will find a way.  For me I was just finding excuses on why I couldn't ride; school, girlfriend, cars, etc.  I just didn't have the love for riding I used to any more.  It used to be that riding at the clocktower would always be a good time.  No matter what time of the day it was, someone would be riding there.  Then people moved away or got busy.  It got really bad when pier 7 closed down and we had the influx of disrespectful skaters ruining the vibe.  The latter was the last straw for me.  I said f-it, if I can't have a good time here, then there is no where else.  The moral of the story is, if your heart is still in it, you will find a way.  Heck I fell in love with archery a year ago and despite taking 18 units at state and another 5 at skyline.   I still found the time to practice and now I am nationally ranked in the top ten in the west coast region.

Carlo