Do you ever struggle for motivation to ride? If so what causes this?
Mike O’Connell – Air Temperature outside in the winter, for me as I got older, I feel the cold much more in my fingers, which has had a knock-on effect to my motivation to ride for longer periods of time outside.
James White – Short answer, No…I always want to ride, I don’t question it, I don’t analyse it. I just ride until the Anadin extra wears off.
Pill – I never struggle for motivation to ride these days. The only thing that stops me is injury or illness, and even then I still would rather be riding if I could.
Brett Downs – Not really. Lack of motivation comes from being stuck a rut. Honestly, I’m a bike rider so I ride all types of bicycles. When I don’t feel like BMX, I ride a different bike. When I don’t feel like flatland, I ride park or go to the dirt jumps. I end up on a bike at least 5 days a week. I guess the best way to stay motivated is to mix it up. Don’t do the same tricks or ride the same places. If you are able, ride different bikes at your usual spots. Take your sketchy 80’s bike out to the skatepark. Ride your mid school tank at the trails. These little differences keep riding fresh. There are a million things to do on a BMX so you always have something to work on. Don’t let your riding get stagnant.
Understand that as we get older and busier in life, BMX becomes more mental than it ever was. Just like you have to work out your body to keep fit, the same thing goes with your head. Don’t let laziness or excuses make your decisions for you.
How do you tackle lack of motivation?
Mike O’Connell – Sounds cheesy, but I think of others my age that spend their life working, going to Wetherspoons and sitting on the sofa watching football. Everyone has a choice. For me life is not a dress rehearsal, we have already lost too many good guys for various reasons, so I have chosen to continue to ride for as long as I am physically able to do so.
James White – What’s with all this lack of motivation stuff. Go and watch Aggroman, if you still find yourself lacking motivation… buy a MTB and some Lycra and be done with it.
Pill – I never really get it these days. I had a fairly long spell in my thirties where I wasn’t motivated at all, but I think that was more to do with being a bit disillusioned with the whole scene. I had to reset and re-find bmx, and when I did, it lit a fire under my motivation.
Alan Sibley – On Instagram, YouTube or Facebook there’s a whole load of guys who get me stoked to pick up my bike.
Lack of motivation doesn’t really happen now that I’m older. I want to get the most out of the time I’ve left to ride.
Brett Downs – Over the last few years, I’ve found a new, morbid motivation. Last summer I turned 56 years old. I know the end of my BMX days is approaching. I think about that almost every time I ride. That keeps me going out, knowing that I better do it while I’m still physically able. I’m at the age where any session could be my last. All it takes is a major health event or injury and I’m done. Over the last few years my “grown up” bike mileage has dropped but the amount of BMX sessions has increased. The MTB and the road will be there when I’m 70 so I’m riding BMX now.
Does the weather/season play a role in your motivation?James White – As I write we are in the midst of a spiteful cold snap so Instead of making up some nonsense about motivation, I thought I’d share my step by step Guide to riding in zero degrees;
1. Trick – Plan what you going to do and stick with it (Dead time is freeze time)
2. Clothing – Layer up like a marshmallow man. I’ve tried the thermal under layer route and I just feel like a lycra wearing mountain biker out for his Sunday thrill.
3. The spot – Has to multi-storey it’s a few degrees warmer, lit and you can park close (important for the next step)
4. The warm up – Drive to the spot, get bike and everything out ready to ride. Get back in car heating/fan on full blast while looking at your bike imagining the trick your about to perform, once you start to feel warm get out and do 10 shuttle runs (8 car spaces is the accepted distance).
5. Music – any Hip hop above 110 BPM. Anything with the slightest hint of summer vibes is banned.
6. Start riding stripping layer by layer as you go. No insta, No phone calls, No anything but riding. Stoppage time puts you back to point 4.
Do you sometimes get tired of your trick bag and if so what do you do to keep it interesting?
James White – Give yourself a session challenge (doesn’t matter if you don’t get it done that day, it can roll over motivating your next session). I use filming/Instagram to monitor this. YES it might sound egotistical but I watch my own clips, there I said it. But no, this isn’t to admire myself, I’m a harsh critic and always look for ways to improve my riding or ideas for my next session… Whom am I kidding…. Get yourself on @whiteski and help inflate my Ego!!!
Pill – I wouldn’t say it’s getting tired of my trick bag, it’s more a thirst to be constantly learning and moving forward. I’ve always been like that, I need to be always working on something new or I get bored. For me BMX is all about the journey, the process towards the next achievement. I can be working on a trick or line for a year, get it done, and then be happy to never do it again. Move on to the next thing. That’s everything for me.
Jason Boyd – I do like to try and learn new tricks to give myself new challenges and to keep things fresh. Riding with others usually helps to push you too. But a sometimes it’s fun just to get out for a ride , perfecting, combining and creating new lines with what you’ve got.
Brett Downs – I’ve got a really deep bag of tricks for parks, jumps and flatland. I’ve also let a lot go over the years. Each year I pick a trick to relearn that I let get away. Last year it was nosepicks. Other years it was no footed airs, one footed x-ups, or random flatland tricks. I put a lot of thought into my riding and try to expand on what I do. Maybe do different variation of a current move, try it opposite, or even with the bars backwards. Imagination will keep your riding interesting and challenging. Flex your head. I actually did more new things in the last year than I have in the previous five. That right there makes me look forward to my next session. There is still so much more to do than any of us have already done.
Boucher Hugues – Over the years, of course, you’ve got your bag of tricks. Sometimes you feel you’re doing the same thing over and over again, but you can always try to do it on a bigger module, try to go higher, be more stylish.
In a way, find your limit and play with it. Sometimes, when everything’s going well, you try out a new trick, but as the years go by, it becomes harder and harder to learn.
You can also reach deep into your bag and pull out something you’d forgotten.
Confidence Do you ever find that your confidence has gone? If so what causes this?
Mike O’Connell – Confidence is king, and practice makes perfect, spend time on the basics, treat yourself to a solid warm up every time. If you can make time for shorter, but more regular sessions. Treat riding like going to a gym 2,3,4, or even 5 times a week.
Pill – Yes. I have a very strange relationship with confidence. It comes and goes. Some days I feel like I can do absolutely anything I want, and other days I struggle with basic stuff I’ve done a million times. I’ve learnt to recognise these moments and be confident in telling myself that this is just part of the cycle and it will pass.
Jason Boyd – With certain tricks yes. Another major knee injury could finish me off, so I’ve begun to weigh up the risk on bigger and ballsier stuff and chicken out of a few tricks. Even if I’ve done them before.
Alan Sibley – Definitely, It’s usually down to a broken bone or serious crash. I think anyone who says otherwise is lying.
It’s not even the pain of the crash, it’s not being able to ride for months that hurts most. When you do get back on you’re rusty, plus you don’t want to get hurt again and end up back off your bike for months.
It’s happens in every aspect of life. Don’t let it beat you.
Do you find confidence slips away as you get older?
James White – The thing about riding long in the tooth is, as well earning yourself a big bag of tricks you also carry a bigger bag of how much things can hurt when they go wrong.
Its human nature to shelter in our comfort zone of tricks. It’s hard, but becoming self-aware of your riding is makes it easier to push beyond it. (See my insta/ego method).
Jason Boyd – I think this really depends on how often you ride, because if you ride a lot you gain confidence regardless of age.
Do you have any drills that can help build confidence?
Mike O’Connell – Yes, don’t just ride once a month and expect to be DMC, put the hours in, even if it’s a car park session. If you want it, make time, if you don’t, then enjoy the sofa and treat yourself to a new set of batteries for your remote control.
Brett Downs – The best way to gain confidence is to ride. Ride a lot! We have all had those days where we were just on it and could do no wrong. Those days come from a lot of other days, some being downright terrible days. I know that even a crap session will lead to a good day in the future so even when I don’t feel like it, I often ride because it’s getting me closer to the great day. Hours make all the difference!
I feel things out more than I used to. I work my way up new transitions or over jumps. Just going out and blasting isn’t going to work anymore. I sometimes have to remind myself that “I know how to do this” but I just won’t throw myself first try. Take your time. Break things down into individual parts. Feel out the new jump or transition before you hit it hard. Visualize what you want to do. Pay attention to each attempt to understand what worked or didn’t work. Riding is now more mental than it ever was.
Most importantly, I wear the gear including a full face helmet. I’ve torn half my nose off my face with an open face helmet. My knees can barely take the slightest bump without hurting. My shoulders and ankles are jacked. If I don’t have my pads and helmet, I just can’t ride the way I want to. When I have my gear on, I know that if I fall, I’ll be ok. That lets me push myself.
Boucher Hugues – I try to ride at least once a week to keep my confidence up. I like to play the game of trying to push my limit, but only when I’m in the right frame of mind.
I like this mental battle with my fear and stress. I only go for it when I’m 100% focused on the moment (or if Neil or Mattthew takes out his camera).
Yes, I’ve kept a big-child spirit, which helps. If I have any doubts, I just move on. At any age, frequent practice increases confidence.
General What advice would you have for older riders who feel a little “bummed out” on bmx now and then?
Mike O’Connell – Remember your roots, where did you start?, what aspect of riding were you first into? For me personally instead of chasing tricks that I have done before on ramps and trying to progress that way, I decided to after a good few decades (no pun intended!!) get seriously back into flatland. For me this reaffirms the risk vs reward factor mentioned above.
James White – As most will know I’m extremely nostalgic about the bygone years of BMX and I love it. But nostalgia is a lying arsehole. I feel extremely lucky to have been part of BMX when darkness fell. Never have I experienced the feeling of being part of a family of likeminded outcasts. It was gritty, It was underground, and it was experimental but above all it was fun! But would I want to go back to those days? NO! If you need a reason, jump on that old school bike you so fondly dream about and try and have a session. You’re soon come kicking and screaming back to the present.
Pill – Don’t do it if you’re feeling bummed out. Have a break; it will come back to you. I’ve tried giving up riding a few times, but it’s not possible; it won’t let me! If you’ve got to our age and you’re still riding, you’ll never not be a bmxer; it’s ingrained in your soul now. And, there will be down moments, but that’s when you take a break, forget about it for a bit, and soon enough, you’ll get that itch and you’ll be stoked again. Let it find you; that’s what I did, and I’m having a blast now.
Brett Downs – Man, I work in the industry so don’t even start talking about being bummed out on BMX! It’s 24/7 for me and the state of the industry is rough. I’ve recently started telling people to just focus on riding the bike, everything else is peripheral. When you are actually riding, it’s all good. When you start thinking about all the other junk surrounding BMX, that’s when it gets heavy. Be in the moment. The negative stuff in BMX doesn’t exist when you are rolling.
Secondly is coming to terms with where we are in life. I’ve spoken to many of my peers about this. We are past our prime. We will never ride like we did when we were 25 years old. We need to accept that. It doesn’t mean we suck now or are done. We just have to keep evolving with our riding.
It’s back to what it was when we were 14. We can go out without expectation. We have nothing to prove at this point! As long as we aren’t middle aged, sitting on the couch, drinking beer, we are winning. If we are out doing something remotely radical at our ages, that makes us bad asses. Embrace that. Go out and be fucking awesome, even if it’s only an hour a week!
Alan Sibley – Try and get a regular weekly night or monthly session organised with other friends who you bond with. Go to a park as often as possible, when you know there’s gonna be other riders going. You’ll soon get to know them and become friends in no time. We can all bond over BMX.
If you set up or can join a WattsApp or Messenger group, you can check who’s riding and let them know if you’re hitting a spot. This alone often motivates others to come down , they don’t miss out.
These groups and great to keep the fire stoked where you can have great banter, help each other out with lifts, spots, bike parts and advice etc. That helps a lot.
If you’re looking forward to meeting up on a regular weekly night, that always gets me hyped.
That’s the key, having a group of rad fun friends to ride with.
Boucher Hugues – For me, it’s important to have a good group of friends with whom to share your passion.
And don’t hesitate to travel and meet new people, I’m always dreaming of riding in new places.
And here in Belgium, the « after-sesion” is at least as important as the session itself.
A few good beers and we’re off again, bringing back old BMX memories of course.
Have a good ride!
