Should I Give it up??

[Andy479]

Well, here's the skinny. Im 24, engaged, have a 3 yr. old daugther who is my heart and soul. We'll be having another baby in Aug. My 2 best friends both got hurt the past 2 weeks racing. One broke his collar bone and the other broke his arm last weekend when we were racing. I could care less about points or trophies. I just love to race and have fun. I work 50hrs a week and can only ride on weekends. We are renting a trailer and I have more $$$ in my quad that I have in my 2 vehicles combined. I watched a guy break his back last year at a local track and he'll never walk again. Its to the point where Im just too scared to go all out. I have too much to live for. I just dont wanna get hurt. Racing is my dream, my passion. Its all i think and talk about. Thinkin about sellin my 440ex and buyin a 250ex just to putt around on. I just dont have any balls anymore and it seems like i get slower every race. Anyone else in a similar position?? What the hell should i do guys??

[Moto92]

Nobody can make a decision for you man, but if you want to be a good racer it takes all your time, energy, and funds for sure.
Im always thinking what would happen if I wrecked and broke something and couldnt work. If MX seems to dangerous to you but you still have that racing inside you maybe you should try some XC. And there is never anything wrong with just being a trail rider. Hey if you need a milder 400EX Ill trade you mine for that 440 :D

[Vtr_Racing]

Just have fun. If its not fun anymore than thats when its time to give it up. I have been away from racing for a while now raising my 2 kids. Now they are older and they want to get involved. I kept my bike, 1988 250r. Bought it brand new when they 1st came out. I almost sold it. I am so glad I didnt now. I have been rebuilding it now for about 5 months and its almost done. I look at it and get a smile and the kids like being involved with it. Just bought another little 185 quad for them to mess with. I dont regret not selling it for a minute. Take some time for the wife and kids and if that means parking the quad for a while, do it. The time will come when you can get back into it and you wont regret it. If you dont get back into it than you can make the decision on what to do with them quads later. Good luck.....

[Davids440ex]

if you doubt dont race, in time you will want to race aging.

[trailburner]

This is a very good thread,whith some very good feedback!!this happened to me i raced motoX for 4-years it's a big decision when to get out, when i got out of racing i knew i still had to ride!!so now i trail ride with my buds[most of them i raced with] & we have a blast!!!we just dont break as many bones......:D

[400EXrider#91]

don't quit riding all together, i did i i regeted it until i got my new quad. just go out have fun but don't quit all togeter

[400grl]

Hey - I'm in the same place you are....I have two kids (I'm a single mom on top of all that), I have a full-time job, I have a boyfried who also races (so times this by two!)...I'm 31 and racing with a bunch of 17 year olds....I love to race, but I have seen a lot of carnage on the track - it's just a matter of time before it's my turn. I have crashed bad before, but have managed to get out lucky....luckier than a lot of my friends. I have those thoughts every time I line up at the gate..."What if I crash? What if Jason crashes? What if this is the last time I walk? What if I break my neck?" They are fleeting, though. I don't think about it more than a split second.....I mean...I could think the same things every time I get in my truck and go to work "What if I crash? What if I blow a tire and flip?" SO...I don't think about it long.

I am currently 1st in the State in Novice, but it took me a year to get here because I ride a lot more careful than most racers....I would rather not crash than come in ahead of someone. My will to walk back to my truck when the race is over and see my kids that night is much greater than my will to get ahead of some sloppy racer in front of me. I race still because I know you can still be competitive AND be as careful as possible.....I love racing. I love the feeling in my stomach just before the gate drops - I love a nice clean pass...I love the competition as a whole. I will never be the fastest, I will never make a living doing this....it's my hobby. It's what I do for fun. FUN being the key word.

I have guilt, too....I feel guilty every time I buy something that needs to be replaced on my quad...I could have bought the kids a pair of shoes instead (even though they have a million of them). I feel guilty when I have to leave them at the sitter's house for a State race (even though they love it there and want to go even when I don't have a race). I think about if I get hurt bad enough - how will we get the kids to the hospital or their dad's house....... I have a feeling you have alot of these guilt feelings, too. That's just being a good parent.

What I have learned is....in order for me to be a great mom...to be happy and fulfilled...I have to do something that makes me happy. If I'm not happy, or I am always doing everything for the kids and nothing for myself (it took me a long time to learn this lesson)....I can't be as good a parent. I have to be a whole person to be the best mom I can be. At this point, racing/riding is what makes me happy. It's what recharges me for the next week. It takes all the stress that has built up and directs it into energy I use on the track. It purges me...and gives me energy and a clear mind to make the most of the time I have with my kids.

Yes...you are putting yourself in more of a position to get hurt by racing - but you can do a lot to minimize that danger. Ride smart - be aware of others around you - stay out of the holeshot cluster (hopefully by being ahead of it all!). That type of thing. I line up way away from everyone....I take the far outside or far inside every time....and I have gotten the holeshot many times. Mostly I just wanted to stay on all four wheels and out of the pile-up....but it's actually been paying off. Don't ride over you head - if you don't feel it on that double...don't do it. These things can help minimize rider error a lot. However, it's other rider's errors that you will have to watch out for even more.

Sorry this is so long...I guess I have just had the same internal battle as you for a while......I know that if I ever feel strongly enough that I should stop racing, that I will still ride the tracks (practice) and dune my heart out. You will know....you will just be there one day and you will know that you are done for a while. Just be true to yourself and to your family....this is the best we can all do!:) Ride SAFE!

:eek2: This is a BOOK!! Sorry it's sooo long!:eek2: :)

[AtvMxRider]

Corry that was very well put. I think about it alot myself. Like what will happen to my wife and kids(3 of them) if I get hurt and can't work. Plus my wife reminds me of it alot:D . I will prolly only race a few times this year cause my 2 son's will be racing this year and I want to put all my effort into them.

[400grl]

Yeah - I think everyone with families probably feels about the same....it helps ease my mind to take precautions...like paying extra out of my paycheck for short term / long term disability, and making a living will, and getting extra life insurance policies.....I mean - it just makes me feel better to know that if something really bad did happen to me, that - at least financially - my kids will be taken care of. Again....I'm not expecting the worst - it just helps me have more fun to have that stuff taken care of....just in case. ;) :D

[Rip_Tear]

Andy, it sounds like you already made your mind up ;) Sounds like a plan to me, you can still ride and have fun, just don't do anything crazy :D

[Andy479]

Thank you all for reply'n! I am new to this site and that was my very 1st post...you guys are awesome and this site kicks *****. Thankx for all the thoughts and advise, seriously!

[p@iNn3ck]

Man, with a 1st class thread like this, doesn't it make ya proud to be a member of exriders???? And it sounds like all the good advice has been handed out already, but had to pay my compliments to everyone.

Corry - girl, all I can say is you got one HECK of a full plate, and everything under control.... bravo! :)

Andy - way to open up and start a "deep" thread on your first post! I have a feeling it'll all work out for ya.

We've only had our quads for a little while, but it sure seems to me that quad racing (atv's in general) is really family oriented.... good deal for us families!:D

[dhines]

I'm in nearly the same situation as several of you guys (just older than most). I'm 31 and have a wife, and a new baby boy and there are times (particularly right before a race) when I think to myself "Come on old man - just don't kill youself today." So far I have been fairly lucky with only one serious crash (I woke up in the CAT scan machine at the hospital), but there is someone who gets carted away in the ambulance at nearly every race I attend - and I race XC not MX!

My wife hates the fact that I race - won't attend any of them and prays that my machine blows up (what a sweety!) :grr. For whatever reason, I just can't see myself ever giving it up. It is truly my passion in life and I'd sure as heck rather die with my 400EX under me than flattened by a beer truck while driving to work ;). Life is a very fragile thing - no matter what you do and I for one refuse to spend my life sheltered in a padded room.

Dirt Wheels (as much as I hate it) ran a paraphrased version of this quote a few years back and it really rings true for me:

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing." - Hellen Keller.

In the end, each person has to do what is right for him or her. I simply refuse to be one of those inactive, overweight, 30 or 40 somethings, sitting around waiting for death to creep up on them. I'm going to keep running at it and kicking it in the teeth!

Best,

Dennis

[quad_62]

Andy, i am already in the same position as you, and i'm only a 20 year old college student. My main problem is that I will be getting married after i graduate, and will have all those loans to pay off. I have never had an easy time of racing. Although i have never been injured in a race, except for a scrape on my chin, i have had plenty of resistance ever since i started racing at age 17. My mom never approved of it and kept pressuring me to stop. Now, i'm only home on weekends, but still put up with all of that. dhines, I know exactly how you feel in that department. Andy, my girlfriend of 2 1/2 years gave me some very well-needed motivation at my last race. i had a small mishap in practice, bending my bars. I thought i was done, but she cam up and said "you're still racing".
She said this cause she knows how much i love to race, and continues to support me throughout. I think that if you love to race, keep racing, if you need a break from it, stop for a while, but dont sell your quad, you'll regret it, just like many of my friends have. sorry about such a long post.

[JabberJaw]

Should I Give it up??

If you were my wife asking me that very same question.... I'd say, Definately YES!

[quad_62]

yeah, i tell ya what, having her say that really fired me up. i took 3rd in the heat race and 2nd in the main, the best of any supercross race i've ever raced. it's amazing what one little sentence can do.:)

[ridered03]

hey andy, did you race the last race at b.e.t??????????

[ridered03]

people I have raced with andy, he is one of the coolest guy at the track, man every time you go to the track doesent mean you have to go "balls to the wall" if you really love racing keep doing it, just at a little slower pace. just go out to have fun not to see who can win.

[Bean]

think about this, you can fall over and die taking a sh*t, or brushing your teeth, or having sex, so might as well die or get hurt doing something remotely dangerous, unless boneing or takin sh*ts is dangerous to you

[ridered03]

bean, you have some strange way of looking at things!!!

[quad_62]

strange, yet very true.

[honda400exrider]

I have found this thread touching *snffle* *snffle*:devil Haha, but I find it interesting how people race as hard as they do with so much accomplished in life. As for me, nothing would be different in life if I weren't here, no one that is no longer living would be alive, there would be no kids or a wife crying over my loss:p :devil So I dont really have to take it too easy most of the time... But in general, I try not to kill myself!:devil :eek2:

[Dune Surfer]

It sounds like your an adult. Many of us here have families. Riding is good therapy. Just keep in mind you can't be as crazy as you once could. Racing may not be worth the risk. People do get hurt. It may be time to let the kids have it. That doesn't mean you can't still have a ball riding with your buds!!

[Andy479]

you guys are awesome...cant believe i just got on this site a week or so ago. Like I said before, i could care less 'bout points or trophies (which pisses some "point chasers" off) cuz im out there gettin they're points (i understand they're point but C'MON) Anyway....thankx for all the replies...im gonna stick to it this year..as for next, who knows! I dont! One things for sure, im gonna have a freakin blast the rest of the season! RIDE HARD, RIDE SAFE.

[Bean]

well, you are only young once, and once you get old, you dont get another chance, and besides, you wont be able to walk when your old anyway, so i go balls to the walls, and hope for the best, BTW, i find turning off my brain, and singing (i know it sounds gay, but i dont giva sh*t), really helps you ride alot better, you dont think about that wife crap, or your taxes, you think about riding, lol

[quad_62]

this is getting creepy, i do the same thing to clear my head. that, and yell at the other riders. :o

[Andy479]

My throat dries up to bad when i race to sing. Haven't mastered the skill of racing with my mouth closed yet!!!!

[Bean]

i yell alot at riders to, lmao, i yell at myself alot to, singin, yellin, but no thinkin gets you through a race

[Varmit57]

I've been married for 11 yrs and have been racing Quads for the past three (I used to race bikes). My wife is a bit worried about me but she knows that I do it for the fun and the thrill. That is what LIFE is all about! I would rather die young and enjoy my life then play it safe and live forever. Of course that is just my opinion.

I’m glad to here that I’m not the only one that sings while riding!!!!!

[MX26]

Andy I'm in a position alot like yours. It's a tough spot to be in, and I hate it. I sold my 250R a while back with thoughts of buying a new vehicle, but college, insurance, and everything else sorda screwed that over. Back in 01, my Banshee bucked me off, stomped on me and then a 400EX landed on me... Severe concussion, cracked ribs, etc... I guess I've never been the same since.

Now, I look back and I miss it. Every race I go to, just to watch my buddies, makes me want to get back in. If you think you'll be okay without it, let your buddy keep your quad for a month or two, and find out just how much you miss it.

Either way, just make the decision that'll make you the happiest. Riding is my way to get away from everything, and without that, life sucks!! Good luck!

[yellowex01]

Funny how many "families" are on this site. I am married with 3 kids ( 14,6,2) My 6 year old son is just getting into racing. I bougth him the mini raptor. ( dont ask). The way I look at things is every one has a destiny. If today is your day to go, it doesnt matter if your flying in a plane or waiting for a bus. Its your day. I have found though that you have to race with your age group. I am almost 36 and cant keep up with the young guys anymore. So you just have to race your class and give er hell. On a side note, when its time to ride or race, my wife always has my trailer and gear packed up and ready to go. Hmmmmmm, maybe I should sneak back home and see why she is so eager to see me go :)

[seven]

I have a 10 month old and still hit the track every weekend. I just try to make better decisions. I would hit a jump till I wrecked or got it right, Now I quite while im ahead. If it doesnt feel right I dont do it. Go hang with your friends on the track but it doesnt mean you have to come in First every time. Any body that races will tell you there is a point in every race where you either go for broke or settle where you are. I am 32 and have had 2 broken collar bones, seperated shoulder,broken wrist,broken ankle, Extensive knee surgery and bruised from one end to the other, But I wont quite till its no fun any more!

[Nausty]

Originally posted by yellowex01
Funny how many "families" are on this site. I am married with 3 kids ( 14,6,2) My 6 year old son is just getting into racing. I bougth him the mini raptor. ( dont ask). The way I look at things is every one has a destiny. If today is your day to go, it doesnt matter if your flying in a plane or waiting for a bus. Its your day. I have found though that you have to race with your age group. I am almost 36 and cant keep up with the young guys anymore. So you just have to race your class and give er hell. On a side note, when its time to ride or race, my wife always has my trailer and gear packed up and ready to go. Hmmmmmm, maybe I should sneak back home and see why she is so eager to see me go :)


umm I was just thinking but if that was the case than seat belts and riding gear wouldn't help and the average lifespan wouldn't increase as technology gets better. n/m i'm just thinking out loud:huh

[roostin_dale]

Im almost 16 and ive prolly only raced 35 times in my life...but it still scares me to death. The smallest slip in the throttle can paralize you..it can be very scary at times. Last year one of my best friends(who is about 22)was at a track waiting for Suzuki to fly in to check him out for a supercross sponsor(dirtbikes). He was going pro in about 2 years...racing with carmichal and the big guys, before suzuki got there..i saw him wreck....Paralized from waist down.......FOR LIFE! he will never walk again and it kills me to see him in his wheelchair. He usually says "Dont feel sorry for me, at least i got hurt doing something i love!"

A few months later...i watched my neighbor break his back...he was air lifted to a Hospital. He was in a wheelchair for 9 months and couldnt work for a year.(he might still be outta work)

Sometimes after a race...i wont be able to sleep...i will go outside to the shed and sit on my quad. Thanking god i didnt kill myself....

I know im just gunna be 16 in a month but it still kills me to think about getting hurt. But everytime I race i go 110% ...i dont care about getting hurt when im on the track....its just a great feeling to be doing what i love.....RACING>>
I also know i cant put my thoughts in words very well..but i try....and good luck to all the racers in the future and be safe guys!

Derek

By the way Bean..I sing when i race too..usually i sing "another one bites the dust".....lmao

[toby400ex]

if it isnt fun, dont give it up. Just think how dangerous it is driving to work, people die everyday doing that. But whats the point of living if you dont live. U get it:D :rolleyes:

Great thread.

I think most of us (the sane ones anyhow) think about these things at some point.

The thing is to accept the dangers in your head and enjoy the acomplishments in your heart. Even if your not collecting throphys or even just riding hard on the trails with your buds its a lot of fun and anything could happen at any time.

I try to keep this all simple with 2 easy to remember rules.

#1 remember you have to get back to work monday and make some $$$ and there wont be anyone around to spoon feed you if you get banged up real bad, so dont ride over your head and get hurt.

#2 ride as fast and hard as you can and hit any new obstacle you like, or go for that crazy pass etc but never ever forget rule #1.

[QuadTrix6]

Originally posted by 440EX4me
Great thread.

I think most of us (the sane ones anyhow) think about these things at some point.

The thing is to accept the dangers in your head and enjoy the acomplishments in your heart. Even if your not collecting throphys or even just riding hard on the trails with your buds its a lot of fun and anything could happen at any time.

I try to keep this all simple with 2 easy to remember rules.

#1 remember you have to get back to work monday and make some $$$ and there wont be anyone around to spoon feed you if you get banged up real bad, so dont ride over your head and get hurt.

#2 ride as fast and hard as you can and hit any new obstacle you like, or go for that crazy pass etc but never ever forget rule #1.



good points lenny

Thanks John,

I get busted about that last part a lot but if you just think about what your doing and weigh the potential outcome before you "go for it" (and you better go all out if you decide to cause coming up short hurts) you can save yourself a lot of hurt and $$'s buying new parts.

[Andy479]

I'd like to thank you all again for posting your opinions, ideas and advice. It really helped me clear my head. Most of my racing problems are/were mental and you guys came through and straighted me out! Moral of the story: RIDE HARD....RIDE SAFE!!

[Diedrich]

well im just 16 but I have a g/f that i luv more than anything. Everytime i get on my quad i think about her and how bad she would be crushed if i was to get badly injured on my quad. But she supports me 110%. she has never missed one of my races. she is always there cheering me on and that makes me do 10x better and makes me feel like the best racer on the track. She would never make me give up racing or riding because she knows how much i luv it and she really likes it too. Racing gives me one of them feelings ya know. when the gate drops or the light turns green my heart just starts working overtime and its the best feelin. But i dont think i'll ever quit ridin becuase my g/f will never want me to and i will never out grow it. My girl even washes my quad for me. When u find one like that u keep her.

[quad_62]

mine wont wash my quad, but she helps get everything ready for races and then drives to the races "so i can rest".i'd say i have a keeper too. she actually said she'd kill me if i ever sold my quad cause she knows how much i love to ride.

[Andy479]

bumpty BUMP!!

[Andy479]

The final bump!

[1smokin400ex]

Andy, I know what your going through, I too work 50+ hours a week (Deputy Sheriff) and have a loving wife and two younger kids. Racing on the weekends I have off is tough because I sometimes spend more time working and at the track then I do at home .. The best thing anyone that races or just plays can do is get the whole family involved in the sport(whether watching dad race or riding with good old dad), my wife hates the fact that if I get hurt at a race I'm out of work!!! but she knows that I love the sport and would never give it up, so she supports me in everything I do. The thing you really need to think about is, do you still love riding your quad (racing or riding with buds) ???
Andy , the bottom line is if your having fun and the family supports you, you should keep having fun and get the family involved..

Ride hard and be safe ....

[TRX300X]

Racing is all about having a good time. Some take it very seriously because there's lots of money in it but the number one reason everyone does it is because they love it. You don't have to hit every double or blast out of every turn, if you think it's too risky or you dont want to do it then dont make that jump or dont go into that turn so hot. But the biggest factor is watching out for that other guy on the track. You can control what you do but if that other guy comes crashing into you it's out of your hands.

I'd say just take it easy and have a good time. That's what racing is all about.

[Andy479]

1smokin~ I try my hardest to get the family involved....my 4yr old daughter loves goin to the races and I can hear her screaming "Go Daddy Go" as i pass by. But its the wife that gives me *****..if I say "hey, there's a race next weekend" then she shakes her head and says "whatever". I NEED ENCOURAGEMENT DAMNIT!!!! No one wants me to race but me. When i do race, i always go by myself or if the wife goes she complains most of the day. Just can't figure it out. Thinkin about callin up Dr. Phil.!!!!

[Smokey]

Maybe you just need to try something else ??? I take it you do MX ??? Try a GNCC , you get alot more ride time per race and you dont go all out the whole time . I know if your into MX then you are already saying NO WAY AM I DOING THAT . I tried to quit back in the early 90's and couldnt do it I love the sport and I stayed involved . IF you are going to quit you cannt ride you cannt watch or have anything to do with it or you WILL be back ...maybe you just need to take a break aand regroup ....sometimes that helps more than anything ......no matter what just go out and have fun , dont put all the preasure on yourself ... MOst of all does your wife want you to quit ????GOOD LUCK with your decision

[Andy479]

Yes, the wife wants me to quit. Yep, I race MX...there are not that many XC races nearby, the few that are close have huge drop-offs and 90degree hills to climb...not really my cup of tea! I have taken a break, been almost 3 months since my last race. We just had our 2nd daughter, she was born Aug 28. It kills me to miss a race! I've mellowed out alot...but i'll never stop racin!

[1smokin400ex]

Hey Andy, When she is at the Races with you does she hang out with other racing moms (familys)? . What we do is go with other people, or meet then at the races, this way the younger kids have something to do if they seem a little board and mom has someone to cluck with(gosip) while you race. I'm pretty sure there is something that she does that you support, that you really don't like. lol. I went through the same thing(wife and racing) but she knows what is important to me (fun for me,relaxing for me to do , chill with the boys and bullshi* ) and she also knows that family is number 1 (but EVERYONE need a little break) I hope everything works out and you find a compromise..

Food for thought~ On sunday I raced, got T-boned and went over a 13' high berm, broke two fingers, messed up the quad pretty good, to the tune of about 1500 bucks, and because of my job I took some vacation time (Deputy Sheriff) all my wife said after shaking her head was "I know, it's just racing" :eek2:
blew me away I wasn't ready for her to say that..

Don't give up something that you love to do. it keeps you sane!!

[Andy479]

2 broken fingers and $1500 bucks!!...if your anything like me, you'll have $1500 worth of UPS boxes on your doorstep in about 3 days! LOL! We're meeting more and more people at the races and I think that if I drag her to a few more, she'll be more social.
Looks like the wife is letting me race this Sun. Ever since I found that out 4hrs ago I've been in the best damn mood!!!
Thank you very much for takin the time to share your advice/thoughts! Its deeply appreciated!
Hope them fingers heal up quick!

[1smokin400ex]

Hey Andy, I hope everything works out for you.. Sounds like you almost have her there ..lol.. Take the Great mood to the Track and Kick some as*.
Any time you want to just Bullshi* just PM me or E-Mail me ...

If I don't tell you again, Just have fun and Haul as* on Sunday ..Good Luck..

[1smokin400ex]

Almost forgot .......... I can only say one thing ...The UPS man in nice to me ..and I'm going to UPGRADE (dont tell the wife)haha

[linkcmd88]

my first race was 2 weeks ago and im hooked but win i jump the finsh line an i see my mom cheering me on i know im in it for life.

but now all my buds are going to start racing and if they get hert i wont forgive my slef




(yes i cant spell for chit:devil: :blah: )

[linkcmd88]

got a update i went racing today flipped my 400 but got back on and finshed the race

it hapens so fast:eek2: