OzVMX Forum
Clubroom => General Discussion => Topic started by: Colin Jay on May 27, 2008, 01:10:19 pm
-
The wife is currently away on holiday and speaking to her on the phone today, she asked how I was feeling, knowing that I had ridden in an 8hr reliability trial on Saturday. I responded by telling her that I was a bit sore, with the normal aches that you have after such an event, plus had a very sore head and left thigh from having crashed during one of the special stage at night.
Anyway, this brings me to the subject of the post. She then went on a bit about how she thinks I must be having some kind of mid-life crisis, as I have not ridden competitively for many years (the last full season was in 1993 when I rode a sidecar in the VIC observed trials championship), and all of a sudden (too her) this year I have entered the DLRA speed trials at Lake Gairdiner and decided to ride the SA reliability trial series. She asked if this was all because I turn 50 in December and want to show everyone that I am not getting too old to race?
Unfortunately, the answer too her question is both yes and no.
YES, a part of it is because I will hit the big “50” later this year. However, too me, it is not that sudden. I have wanted to run one of my SR500’s at Lake Gairdiner for quite a while but never had the chance to build the bike I kept planning. It is a similar thing with the reliability trials. I have wanted to ride the 24 hour trial, which to me, is the premier off-road motorcycle event here in SA for more than 25 years, but have never had a suitable bike or have had other commitments when it was on, and after I joined the Navy in ’87 there was not much of an opportunity until I returned to civilian life in 2003.
Since then, I had slowly built a SR500 to run at the lake and it is more of a coincidence than good planning that I had it read for this year’s event (pity the salt was too damp for the event too go ahead). It is a similar thing with the reliability trials. I had been collecting bits to build a 1976 XT500C, for about 10 years (just because I wanted one), and finally got a chance to get the bike together in January. After riding it around for a while I though it might give the 24hr a try in the pre ’84 class. Talking to some of the younger (and not so young) competition riders in my local bike club, they encouraged me to ride a few events prior to the 24hr too get a feel for it. So I have ridden two events so far too get a feel for it (masochistic self abuse) and a 32 year old XT500 is not a suitable bike for modern reliability trials but it is all I have and so it will have to do!
And the NO!
Well I don’t think I need to show people that I am not too old to be riding competition. I know for a fact that I am too bloody old, and it is self evident to all those who have seen me arrive at the finish of the two events so far, that I am too old! It is not a matter of the years, it is more a case of my beat-up unfit body not being up to the task anymore.
Did I tell the other half any of the above? Not on your life!
I told her that my mid life crisis happened in 2003, as that is when I bough my little red 1965 HONDA S600 sports cars, and everyone know that when your hair starts to grey (or has fallen out, as the case maybe), the only way to get that young blonde thing into your car is for it too be a red sports car! It’s a pity the only young blonde to get in mine has been my daughter!
So, from some of the comments in some posts, it seems that there are quite a few members of a certain age who frequent this forum. Do any of you have wives, partners, significant others or mothers who thing you are having a mid life crisis because of you desire to buy, build, modify and ride 20 to 30 year old motorcycles?
CJ
-
Spot on Col!
i'd much rather have a midlife crisis thats well planned out than waste it all away sitting in front of the TV watching re-runs about leopards eating gizelles and i'm only 42! so i've still got a ways to go.
old bikes and competition ain't rubbish!
and given my kids are still on the young side, i am also not able to compete as much as i'd like but would rather do this part time than not at all. it'll probably be a few more years yet {when i'm closer to 50} that i'll actually get the time to compete as often as i'd like.
mid life crisis?
bring it on......
-
A few of us on here aren't even 30 yet... ;D
Do I get kicked off now?
-
what's wrong with a mid life crisis anyway? why wouldn't ya, knowing the bod's on the way out, the pecker don't do stuff like he used to, the mirror is hardly good value anymore, the job's up the shit, the mortgage drives you mad, as do the kids, and on top of that its clearly a race to get to the last of the oil!
apart from that, its bloody good gear i reckon - gives you an excuse to go out and do all sorts of fun things you thought you'd given away. who cares if its true or not.
-
In 2000 when I started getting involved with old bikes my sister asked if I wasn't a bit young to be starting my second childhood. I told her I haven't finished with the first one yet.
Mid life crisis is what those who are missing out call it, to make themselves feel better. The ones who are doing what they like to don't care what the others call it, we're too busy enjoying it!
Brent
-
I think you're right Brent, I turned 50 last year and am too busy enjoying my fun things to suggest it's some kind of mid life crisis. As they say 'use it or loose it', so I try my hardest to make sure I use it while I can. Hopefully it will let me continue to 'use it' for many years to come. A few reds along the way may help!!
Peter
-
Mid life crisis? What's that??? As far as I can tell, I just forgot to grow up. Mind you that's affected me work wise as well cos I never ever got the idea of a 'career'. So I still play with bikes and read about them and ride them and make websites about them. The nearest I came to a mid life crisis I think was a couple of years ago when I just decided that at almost 50 why the Hell would I care what anyone thought? So now I live and breathe this whole thing, as Twisty can attest from the endless emails I send him all day from my dull-as office job. The family thing does restrict the amount of actual doing it, but the spirit is willing at least.
So Colj, don't worry at all. Have fun, get out there and do it. As far as fitness goes, take up a little exercise and STRETCH as much as possible. It makes all the difference.
-
Yeah, funny how cries of "mid life crisis" are flung the moment we opt out of the beige cardigan...
I was accused of it when I explained to a mate my entering VMX after a near 30 year lay off.
and when I was looking for a Harley I was accused of same.
The VMX was the result of watching a meet and remembering what fun it was.
My age wasn't a consideration - the bikes, the noise and the smell brought it all back to me.
The Harley thing started as a "maybe I should ride a bike to work to save on fuel".
I didn't want a Jap bike and the Harley test ride was purely the result of never having been on one!
But I loved it; I just couldn't afford it!
The big 'Five O' thing really isn't an issue. It's just another birthday.
And VMX (if CD5 & this forum are typical of the community) is fun to be a part of.
Another birthday? Birthdays or "how old are you?" are questions posed by others.
For me whatever, just roll on the next one. It's called Life...
-
col how is the s600.i had one of these when i was 17 now 50 .i didnt like it much as you had to rev the crap out of it to get it going.dad sold it and bought me a studibaker.much more practiable to tow my bikes with.i had a hagon jap and a antig bultaco.still have the antig roller(thats another story vintige slider ban) anyway the s600 was a white hardtop coupe,we had a smashed red convetiable which we robed for parts.just like now with bikes.how nothing realy changes with time
cheers
-
SPOT ON GRAEME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When I had the time, I didn't have the money.
Now I have the money, I don't have the time!!!!!!!!!!!
-
You aren't wrong Brent. I was kicking myself last weekend thinking about the fact I should be in Darwin riding a TT500. Sigh. And I WILL reply to your last PM too, really I will!
-
No worries Graeme, whenever you have time.
Brent
-
I was in no way worried or having any thoughts of stopping the "maddness" of what I am doing. I keep telling Deb that she knew what she was getting into when she married me for the first time in '84 when I was a bike mechanic and rode competition seriously. In a way I just trying to catch up with riding some of the events that I missed out on while in the Navy.
THe reason for the post was too see if I was the odd one out, but from what I have read, I thing we are the normal ones and those who tapper off as they get older and stop living are the ones with the problem.
For the two reliability trials so far I have taken RDO's for the Monday after as recovery days, and get a bit of stirring for the funny way I walk for the week after the event.
Deb, just shakes her head when I tell her that I am looking forward to 55 when I can take my pension if I drop back to 3 days part time work a week and then spend more time playing with my bikes and start some of the BIG projects that I have been planning for years.
Jimg1au,
The S600 is a blast. I love the fact that you have to rev the tits of it to make it go. Nothing sounds sweater than running it up to 9000rpm through the gears on some of the twistie roads around here. For those who don't know, the S600 has a doulble overhead cam, 4 cylinder 600cc, 4 individual carbies engine with tune extractor twin exhaust and the final drive is by chain, basically a 4 wheel bike. I come across it for sale by accident and just had to buy it.
CJ
-
A couple of years ago my wife said i was goin thru my second childhood now i think she knows it's much more serious than that . After spending the last 15 years getting the kids & mortgage under control i'm in a spot where i can do some of the things i really want to and one was to get my bikes back and go riding with my kids. I hadnt planned on racing Vmx but it is such a buzz i dont know what i did without and i dont know how long i will be able to so while i can i'm goin for it. Great people ,Bikes and Great Fun .
-
I used to laugh at people who said that there was such a thing as a Mid Life Crisis. :P All I can say is I don't laugh about it now. Three years ago, my Mid Life Crisis began and I'm still trying to work out when it will settle down.
What changed three years ago?
- had a Helicopter rescue type of trailriding crash, end result: no more riding :'(
- started playing music to other people (now I get paid to do it, and play virtually every weekend) :o
- changed career from engineering sales to magazine publishing ;)
Not much really... ::)
-
Live the dream aj rock n roll
-
Sometimes it does seem like a dream...
Especially when you get a chance to play Marseille with Doc Neeson ::)
Oh bugger. The photo posting isn't working...when it is, I'll post the photo >:(
-
Yeah thats one of my all time fav Angels songs . How about putting that on the song list for CD6 and bring Doc.
-
Mid life crisis? Yeah, I'm having one. Big time. I started a family.
-
Eek! :o
-
OK Ajay, looks like we can post pics again, so where's the photo of you and Doc?
And did I hear right? The Angels are reforming and gonna tour again? I was just watching them on the Countdown Spectacular 2 DVD and they really got the crowd on its feet. Be bloody fantastic to see them on stage again!
-
i remember watching Doc Neeson and the Angels at this 4 day rock festival at Gosford back in the early eighties, think it was called Narara, we drove down from Qld and camped with the other 40 0r 50 thousand people and it was a huge blast, it bit like a Aussie Woodstock with so many bands from playing but the best were the Angels.
Cheers Trev
-
YES - I heard the same thing too Graeme 8)
The angels without Doc have toured a few times and have even played the local pub in Atherton :o :o
They were awesome and did very well to cover Docs vocals without him. Really funny to see them now - all old blokes, but they still ROCK. Can't wait to see them all togther again.
-
OK, here it is. Apparently there is a video coming too. :o
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-7/1052255/DocFrankandAjay1_1.jpg)
I'm still smiling. 8)
Doc has turned up to our local jam about four times now, last time he brought his band and played 6 Angels songs, all the classics. Bloody great.
The only problem we had was that we were next up on stage...talk about a daunting prospect. ::)
Yes the guys in the Angels have finally buried the hatchet and the complete original Angels lineup is touring very shortly, and I'm sure it will go right off!
-
Jeez Ajay, you could have worn a nicer pair of shoes that those old checquered flag numbers when mixing with rock royalty! :o Nice guitar matey....
-
Those shoes are all part of my finely tuned Mid Life Crisis... a throwback to my former BMX days. ;)
The guitar is a new 2008 Fender USA Tele and yes you're right, it's a ripper. 8)
-
bump
-
Well, it's a coupla years later and last December I got the chance to go see the Angels here in Canberra. I was pretty happy to see they did a good job - there was always the worry that they'd be a bit welll... old and flat. But they weren't and it was a great evening. Closed my eyes and I coulda been 21 in Brisbane again. Sigh...
-
Mid life crises!!!!!! don't know what that is, I'll be 64 at the end of the year, still ride most weekends, last year I did a 7 day high country ride, the shortest day was around 180km & the longest was 220km had a ball, I ended up riding better on the last day then the first day, the ride ended back at Healesville, when we got to mt Dom Dom we had a choice to go back by road or by tracks, with a smile on my face I said tracks for me, some of the younger riders went back by road ??? anyway after reading some posts here & taking of mid life crises & only 50 years old, my advice is don't think about it just do it, I look forward to every weekend so I can go riding.
By the way I was riding a G450X.
-
I'm experiencing one right now, Sat 31/7 will be my first competitive ride for 28 years.
I'll tell you if it was worth it on the 2/8.
Sometimes you just have to feed the child within.
-
........growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional.........I never really got past about 19 ;D ;D ;D
Roger
-
What is "mid-life"? By the old life definition of "three score years and ten" I died a couple of years ago. Mid life-when is that ,I must have missed it. If driving a '74 Fiat Spider ,sailing a 14ft skiff ,riding classic mx & d/t ,& road rallies on a Bonneville constituites a crises--bring it on. Spare a thought for my Dad-on his 95th birthday he flew aerobatics for a TV programn [yes he was the pilot] .He probably can't remember his mathematical "mid life".As for a crisis ,that was probably coping with me as a teenager [although that term hadn't been invented yet].
-
Spare a thought for my Dad-on his 95th birthday he flew aerobatics for a TV program…
I saw that show and your Dad is a legend! :D
I can't wait to see what he gets up to when he grows up. ;D
-
I saw that show and your Dad is a legend!
Me too, I didn't realise it was your Dad Col......My 90 year old Mum has the hots for him. ;)
-
my only addmission to MLC is the constant attempts to catch (& pass) supersenior (see above ;D),on a track somewhere ::), i had arrived at the conclusion,i will probably have to wait till Cols' in his 80's to achieves this(figuring on he'd have to slow down sometime ;)),but upon reading the above statement concerning his 90 something yrs young fathers antics,i feel i have to now reajust my horizons & remain content in the knowlegde it will never bloody happen!! :P
-
According to my better half I'm just plain bloody stupid mucking around with dirty , noisey dusty motor bikes and mucking about doing other things when I could be acting my age! I should be staying in bed later and watching videos. Mid life was long ago! However coming onto 73 I intend to keep doing things that I can until I can't .so there. cheers Long live super seniors! pancho.
-
What is a mid life crisis? buggerd if i know,any way must go polish the mustang,weld the exhaust on the 32 roadster and move the 9 vmx bikes to get out the mower.( for the wife of course)
-
I wake up feeling 20 years old and it's all good until I put the first leg out of bed. Nothing will work properly until the narcotics kick in an hour later . It gets worse when I go to the bathroom to clean my teeth then realise..what fu*king teeth?" Same story when I got to brush where my hair used to be.
That's all right because every ache, missing tooth and long departed hair follicle are the results of a life of thinking I was bulletproof and living it to the fullest I could. I wear those battle scars as a badge of honour.
I may be a bit fatter, a bit uglier and a lot slower but there's still a hell of a lot of living left in this well used old body. Midlife has never been a crisis to me, it's just another chapter, a bit further into the book and there's still quite a few chapters left before the book goes back on the shelf..... ;D
-
Firko - I can't remember which forum member it is but he has a signature along the lines of you "don't want to enter the grave well rested and preserved but flat out sideways, 100% exhausted with nothing left in the tank"
Couldn't be said better I reckon. :o