Dear Ping,
I was curious about your opinion of former racers coming out of retirement for a one-off, blaze of glory. Is it possible for a guy like Ricky or Kdub to come out and teach the youngsters how it’s done or has that ship sailed? I guess what I’m asking is “are any of the good ol boys still good enough?” I remember reading a while ago that Jeff Stanton still had national level speed. What about Wardy? Could McGrath still make a main event? Is Dowd gonna come kill it at Southwick? Even in some videos I’ve seen lately of bike tests with you it still looks like you haul the mail. Could any of my heroes from my youth (back when men were men and rode fire breathing two stroker awesomeness, none of this fart cycle crap that’s ridden today) still represent with honor my generation? (I’m in my 30’s).
PS if you talk one of the knights of old into firing up the old warhorse for one last ride make sure it’s fed maxima 927….
Old-timer in Nebraska
Old-timer,
I can tell you’ve been sitting in your garage listening to White Snake and guzzling Budweiser’s with your aging buddies while you reminisce about the good old days. And dammit I know it seems like the legends of your youth were larger than life and the best there ever was or ever will be. But while Carmichael may have put in two undefeated motocross seasons there is one opponent who has yet to be beaten… Father Time. He’s a real bad ass and even the very best of them take a beating from this guy. Old pros who ride occasionally still know what they’re doing; you don’t lose the ability but your timing and agility goes away. And there’s something about getting older that makes you, uh, smarter. You begin to realize and consider the consequences more than you did in your teens and twenties. I can’t speak for Windham or Stanton or Dowd but I have no interest in signing up for a national any time soon. The work required to get ready is overwhelming and I’m not willing to hang it out like that anymore. Don’t be sad, my friend… We will always have ‘80s rock, mullets and Moto XXX videos.
PING
Hello Ping,
Ken Roczen has it all. He's got Pastrana/Bubba-like natural talent; he’s young, good looking and charismatic with a long bright future. But he just can't seem to keep from blowing it on social media every few months. Some people think it's great if a guy speaks his mind. Well, not if he's saying stupid shit. His ego is his worst enemy. Ken's results will do all the talking necessary. They already are. If you're that good it must be hard to be humble, which goes to show you just how classy and at least outwardly modest Dungey is.
Zip it Kenny… For your own good.
?,
I’ve tried to overlook much of the juvenile nonsense from Roczen over the past couple years. His “baller” argument with Barcia, the avalanche of shirtless selfies and the comments about how he works and parties harder than anybody in the industry were all fine examples of idiocy. When he took an unnecessary shot at Aldon Baker I couldn’t help but comment. It turned into a back-and-forth that didn’t solve anything but I don’t think he has anybody in his camp that will call him on his bullshit so I felt compelled. Honestly, I actually agree that Aldon focuses too heavily on the bicycle training and neglects the strength component that riders need. But Aldon is a former bicycle racer and that is the tool he knows. And, if we’re honest, his program has results to back it up. There are many ways to skin a cat and Aldon has one of the formulas. Regardless, taking shots at him for no reason other than you want to justify the decision you made is dumb. Ken Roczen is young and making the same mistakes that Chad Reed and others have made early in their careers as their income and popularity increase quicker than their prudence and maturity. Ken will realize he’s alienating fans with his blatant egotism at some point. When he learns some humility and pairs it with his incredible talent and charisma he will truly be the next star of our sport.
PING
PING,
It seems like the number of motocross trainers has exploded in the industry, yet a lot of professional riders talk about how there are only a few that actually know what they are doing. Most of the 450 guys know what training worked for them to reach the level they are at now and could be biased on what a "good trainer" means to them. Obviously there are amateur riders who may have a buddy or their parent training them but there are also places like MTF, South of the Border, Club MX, etc., where amateurs are paying lots of money for physical training and other technique help. When Roczen left Baker he mentioned that he wanted to be more than just being a "cyclist." What seems to be the problem in your eyes with the number vs the knowledge of all the trainers out there? Is it that some trainers are one-dimensional in their training and they don't know how to train an amateur who is still growing, or are there are just too many P90X people that think they can help others?
Thanks Ping!
- Pondel
Pondel,
The riders are correct. What qualifications would you expect an elite level athletic trainer to have? College degree? Internship with a professional team or group? Well, there isn’t so much of that in motocross. The vast majority of trainers in our sport are former bicycle racers or former motocross racers who have transitioned into trainers. That doesn’t mean they are completely unqualified for the job; many of them know what to do, they just don’t know why they should do it. A few of the most successful trainers don’t have formal training in physical fitness. Aldon and Brian Lopes are former bicycle racers and Gareth Swanepoel is a former motocross racer. Those guys account for many of the wins and titles over the past few years. The only formally educated trainer I know of is Jeff Spencer and he doesn’t do much in motocross anymore.
The biggest issue is that there isn’t one format that works for every rider. Some guys have great motors and they need to focus on improving strength and flexibility. Others are strong but need to work on endurance. Some guys need fast-twitch work, others need more endurance and diets for every rider are going to be different as well. Ken didn’t fit into the program that Aldon has set up so he went his own way. Some guys are getting into more CrossFit type of workouts and others do the majority of their training on the motorcycle. There isn’t one specific way to do it but you need to understand body types, physiology and personalities in order to help an individual get the most out of their body. Motocross trainers have come a long way over the years and I would expect this segment to continue to evolve and improve as time goes on.
PING
Have a question for Ping? Email him at ping@racerxonline.com.
