OK...OK....
I already posted my extremely lopsided version of this debate. Ken Ingham had to go and talk about the "other" contact sports. Basketball took the ligaments out of both of my ankles...twice on the right. Football tore up the cartilage and bursa in my right knee. Heliarc welding wasted my right elbow. Car wreck totalled my neck and shoulders for a couple years. Skateboard tore off my toenail! The list goes on.

Two more Bailey boys also enjoy this sport, and are much younger than my youthful self.

Josh: Torn ACL in left knee...Hare Scramble.
Broken wrist (navicular)...MX (National)

Jason: Broken arm Hare Scramble...(Goertz)
Radial Fracture of Tibia...MX (local)
Broken Arm...Wagon incident...Granny's house.

So, do we give up basketball, wagons and Granny's house? Hell no. But we respect all of them. Most of my bike injuries came while pushing myself, possibly beyond my limits.

I don't jump as far as some, and further than others. I go faster through the trees than some, and slower than others. I try to go my own pace, and usually suffer when I don't. I think that's the key. Do what's comfortable, get some proper instructions, wear all your gear, and have fun.

And if you go to the driving range, stay away from the yellow rope!

Chris, to explain my novice status:
I forgot to mention that I didn't ride all through college. I've only been back on a bike for about a year and a half now after a 4 year layoff. I couldn't afford to race while in school, but as soon as I graduated and got a good job I was ready to get right back into it. I got a bike and then quickly took another year off when I demolished my ankle by coming up short on a triple, which was also the very first time I had ever ridden my current YZ250, and the first time I had ridden anything in years. So after the long layoff of growing up and an ankle injury that left me with crutches for 6 months, serious soft tissue damage, tendonitis, tibial tunnel syndrome (carpal tunnel of the ankle), and a lifetime prescription to the strongest arthritis medicine, I changed the way I rode forever. I could no longer ride like I used to, nor could I heal like I used to. I am finally getting back my speed and timing and I am considering the move to intermediate soon. I got 2nd this last weekend at cross creek in the 250 novice class by only about 3 or 4 bike lengths in the 2nd moto. I had won the 1st moto and only needed to beat this one guy to take the overall. He got a better start and I never passed him. It was very disappointing to lose the 2nd moto and the overall, but I can live to ride another day. I was able to show this guy a wheel a few times and come pretty close to passing him, but to make the move work I would have had to lay it out on the line and take a chance. In the old days I would have done whatever to get around, but nowadays I do not ride over my head at any time. I may not win every race with this attitude, but I will finish every race and be back for the next one. I have not, and never will jump the new triple at cross creek, or the triple step-up at liberty hill, and I don't think that any novice rider should. So as soon as I clear the triple at cross creek i will move up to intermediate. Just kidding, I will make the move if I win the Spring Series.

check attachment: ala 1987-ish.

Right on Tom, I think you said it better than anyone.

I may have missed this part of the equation somewhere but what about bike setup? A HS set up bike usually does very poorly when getting "big air" while a well set up mx bike handles big air well and does decently in the trails. In the few HS events I've attended ,I've seen and followed some really poorly set up bikes compounded by poor rider technique. It is little wonder these same people are afraid of an MX track with jumps. After watching their bikes performance I was all "puckered" for them.

I say a well setup bike is confidence inspiring and can handle well almost all situations offroad. A poorly setup bike is a major limiting factor that most people attribute the problems to be rider related.

Most of my major injuries were on my early bikes that I had no idea how to setup. In retrospect, they were POS's mainly due to setup.

Way cool posts !

Man, I played baseball, little basketball, football - running back, lots of tennis and oh yeah....whole lot of partying with friends in weird places...sometimes...lol..during high school...

Don't party so much now...grew out of it and moved on...point being....

I have not broken any bones yet....and after reading all these posts...I wonder if I am due for one...(please God no..)...

Did you all drink milk?..Just wondering....

These posts are good b/c it helps to get a realization and more respect for the rocket..yz250 in my garage...

It is a rocket to me anyway..lol

My bike is all stock ........

Are there major adjustments need for riding regulare MX .. definitely not SX...!

I never heard the statement before about proper MX modifications affecting one's riding so much....

Or does it matter for me..lol ? I am a beginner on the MX track...but experienced on smaller bikes on the trails..


Have a good weekend folks....


Chad

Ground is hard no matter how you look at it. Trees are harder. Which one do you wanna smack?

If you ride, you WILL crash. The best advice I can give is to get quality gear, and try to not ride out of your level. Try both MX and trails to see what you like. Both are a blast. The main thing is NOT to ride above your level. When you get passed by a faster person, its good to try to follow them and learn their lines, but don't get the adrenaline rush and try to pass them back. It will come, just don't force it cuz probability of crashing will go up quite a bit.

Anyway, I'd rather land on the downside of a groomed jump than smack a tree. Trees can take out Cadillacs, think what they can do to 230 lb. bikes. And as someone mentioned above, the DO move. The jump out in front of me all the time.

I think there are 2 kind of riders. Those who have wrecked and those who are going to wreck. I ride both mx/hs,I broke my knee at Rathman's,I was in first gear clipped a tree and put my foot down to try to stop the fall and my handlebar landed on top of my knee, snap. I have crashed on the end of the big camel hump about 100 feet at Cycleranch, Did not break anything, and that is a fourth gear WFO get off. I have had many crash's and alot of injury's. I will not get in to the sky diving and other things that I have done,because that is not the question at hand.Just like the question is driving a car or flying a plane more dangerous.More people die in cars,but you can crash a car and live,crash a plane chances are against you living. One problem I see at Mx tracks is that people see other riders making those jumps and think they can do it when they have not had enough practice.It is always a good Idea to start slow and on little jumps and get used to the terrain. Bike set up is important,And safety gear. If I would have had knee braces on I would most likely have not broke my knee. I do not think that one is more Dangerous than the other. Just try to ride at your level not someone else's. I also would not have broke my knee if I had done what the army tought me in Jump School, that is, DO NOT REACH FOR THE GROUND, TUCK AND ROLL. Hard to remember when getting off a bike. Just an opinion and opinion's they say are like *******'s they all stink,except you own of course. Have fun riding I have for the last forty years.

I heard a rumor about another fatality at the recent Whitney races. Can anyone confirm that? I sure hope not, but I am curious.

I read about a 15 yo kid from California who passed away in TX last week on ThumperTalk...sounded like it happened @ Lake Whitney.