Ping,
I’m a 50+ dirt bike rider that races off road. Currently, I’m sitting on the couch with ice on my knee, which has two holes in it and not as much meniscus as I had before. Doctor says my ACL looks “not right” but he didn’t want to mess with it.
It seems I have tweaked knees on everything from my 1977 Polaris 440 (snowmobile for all the non-snow people) to my YZ490 (best bike ever) but have been able to heal up after about a year or so.
I must also add that in the heat of competition my skills are sometimes overwhelmed by my desire for wooden wall plaques.
So I have never worn knee braces or pads of any sort. What are your thoughts on these? Will they help keep me intact or just create other problems?
I need to take care of this dad bod since I think it is only a matter of time before I get a factory ride especially since I have been waiting for 30 years.
Thanks,
PA Hillbilly
Hillbilly,
I also have a meniscus that is “not right,” so I feel your pain, literally. I don’t have a knee brace sponsor, per se, but I have tried many different brands over the years and I’m at a point where I can’t ride without them. They provide stability, hyperextension protection, lateral stability, and impact protection. No, knee braces can’t typically stop rotational injury, but that’s a tough nut to crack. I’ll recommend the Mobius braces since that is what I’m currently using and I really like them. CTi makes a good product as well, as does Asterisk. I’d really like to see you get that factory ride so protect your knees and keep working hard. See you under a factory rig soon.
PING
Ping,
So hey, I'm sitting here about to watch the Supercross Preview up here in beautiful but wet and cold Snoqualmie, Washington, as my bike is half torn down in the garage going thru its winter detail and my knee propped up on ice.
Earlier this week I had surgery to clean up meniscus tears from a Whistler mountain bike endo a couple years ago. While under the knife, the doc also removed two 2.5 inch screws from my tibia that claimed the inside of my leg bone as home for almost 30 years. The screws were the result of a lost battle for line choice and the lead at a Sandpoint ID moto back in the day in a 40-rider (or there abouts) 125 class.
So I see this commercial on TV for Nugenix....and being a 'hands on' type of guy who does 99% of my own wrenching I think I have a pretty good defense mechanism for all things gimmicky and frivolous. But periodically my defenses are lowered and I wonder.....does some of this "sh*t" work? Happens mostly when I'm desperate or tired and really, really just want a damn short cut for once to do what needs to be done.
Other than inner drive and a healthy diet/exercise, is there something like Nugenix that really does boost drive and energy that us older guys can take? Or alas, is there really no short cut, nothing to help us over the hillers to stem the long slow slide into.....the abyss.
Cheers
Still smokin a 125!!
Still smokin’,
If you want to waste money on snake oil, please send your cash to me and I’ll gladly send you an elixir the likes of which you’ve never seen. Introducing, “PING-TASTIC!” it boosts testosterone, makes your johnson longer, and whitens your smile in a simple, easy-to-drink tonic! Never mind that it tastes exactly like extra virgin olive oil, it works! (These claims have not been verified by any legitimate source.)
Listen, you’re getting older and that means your testosterone numbers are headed south faster a Northern-state snowbird on a coke bender in a Ferrari in November. If you haven’t had your levels checked, you should, and your primary doctor shouldn’t have a problem ordering the test.
Here’s where it gets tricky: Traditional medicine and current philosophy on bio-identical hormone replacement therapy are at loggerheads over treatment for a male with “Low T.” Your doctor will look at a number like 300 and tell you that you’re still in the average range for an adult male, which is between 270 and 1070. But if you’re body has been used to functioning at, say, 800, then you’re going to feel like a turd at 300 even though that’s within normal limits.
Some studies say that high levels of testosterone increased the growth of cancer in lab rats. Those rats were likely given massive doses, however, not an amount you’d find in a normally functioning test specimen. New research argues that many times males who are diagnosed with cancer have very low testosterone numbers; is that just because they are generally much older or is there a correlation? I don’t have all the answers. I can tell you that if you are in the basement with your numbers you will have a multitude of symptoms and getting back to a healthy level will be a game-changer for you. But, by all means, don’t miss my special offer of “PING-TASTIC,” two bottles for the price of one for a limited time only! Act now while supplies last!
PING
Hey Sir Ping,
I call you this as you have undeniably maintained the hierarchy of the moto gods world and sit atop the throne!
Let's call it cause and effect: I wonder why you all the time tell us you do not like air forks, because of what reason? Do they produce a quick stiffness in the stroke of compression? Do they rebound and not have a slowness to that side. Or is it simply an old guy thing (I gotta take one when I can, man)?
Seems to me the companies are getting off kind of easy installing the air system. Can't be that complex right? Have a valve, you install the correct amount for your weight and ability and go… or is it much more than that? Back in the 80's & 90's you had all the internal parts, plus the oil. If your suspension guy got the shims in the wrong place it was not good, or the oil level plus the viscosity side of it. Seemed many more variables were in place. Plus it had to cost companies more money in components and assembly right?
I could go on for a while more I guess, but I won't. Please give us the real answer and say if companies could be saving with the new at the expense of the rider's comfort both in wallet and on the track.
Pirate
Pirate,
I hate air forks for one reason: They don’t work as well or as consistently as a spring fork. The initial feel is harsh and any effort to fix that feel results in a mushy, “divey” front end, and an unbalanced feel. There are moments, on certain tracks, where you can get it right, but a change in the temperature, track condition, or even just riding it for a while can throw that feeling off. You also have to check pressures constantly and adjust them from track to track; it’s exhausting.
Spring forks take a small amount of work to set up initially and then they are good for the season. Sure, you have to change oil after you put a bunch of hours on it, but that’s an easy fix. The manufacturers have been searching for ways to reduce weight and increase profits ever since the switch to four-strokes. The air fork was lighter, simpler in design and cheaper to manufacture (or purchase), though the price reduction didn’t make it to consumers, interestingly enough. For a minute it seemed like they were onto something great, but then we all realized that air forks sucked, big-time, and we weren’t falling for it. Hope this clears things up for you as we get air forks into our rear-view-mirrors and head down the road with a solid-feeling front end. Cheers.
PING
Have a question for Ping? Hit him up at ping@racerxonline.com.
