More Than just Riding
Nathan Buttle
Mr. Koenig
CP English 10
Sept. 9 2013
More than Just Riding Before I rode motocross, I thought you just get on the bike and twist the throttle. One year ago, I got my first dirt bike for my birthday. In the beginning, I just rode on simple trails down the street at my friend CJ’s house. My friend Brett invited me to go to a motocross track one day and I decided to try it out. I didn’t think anything of it, until after one lap I had to pull off the track because I was exhausted. That’s when I realized how hard motocross really is.
A motocross rider has to keep his heart rate at ninety-percent of its full capacity during a thirty-minute race. The only other sport to do that is Olympic Cycling. “Just staying in a crouched position down a hill is difficult; now add in bumps, jumps, turns and speed and you can see why it requires strength. Now add a 230 pound dirt bike to the mix, a pulling, gyrating, 50+ horsepower machine that wants nothing more than to get away from you! It uses every muscle, legs, arms, torso constantly shifting weight, guiding the bike with legs and torso, holding on as the bike lurches forward, then pulling on the binders and keeping yourself from going over the bars” (Top Ten Toughest…).
Not only is motocross one of the hardest sports, it’s also one of the most costly. In baseball, if you’re a parent, you’re spending 400 dollars on a bat and glove. When you’re talking about motocross though, you’re spending 2,000 dollars on a bike with 2,000 dollars worth of upgrades. Not to mention traveling all over the county in a motor home that gets four miles to the gallon. I asked Brett Reynolds what it takes to be the best rider in the world. “It takes every penny you and your parents own, working on the bike or just travel to big events in the hopes of get a pro contract. The rich riders never survive because there just not tough enough” (Reynolds, Brett). When watching documentaries on pro riders I found one thing in common
Mr. Koenig
CP English 10
Sept. 9 2013
More than Just Riding Before I rode motocross, I thought you just get on the bike and twist the throttle. One year ago, I got my first dirt bike for my birthday. In the beginning, I just rode on simple trails down the street at my friend CJ’s house. My friend Brett invited me to go to a motocross track one day and I decided to try it out. I didn’t think anything of it, until after one lap I had to pull off the track because I was exhausted. That’s when I realized how hard motocross really is.
A motocross rider has to keep his heart rate at ninety-percent of its full capacity during a thirty-minute race. The only other sport to do that is Olympic Cycling. “Just staying in a crouched position down a hill is difficult; now add in bumps, jumps, turns and speed and you can see why it requires strength. Now add a 230 pound dirt bike to the mix, a pulling, gyrating, 50+ horsepower machine that wants nothing more than to get away from you! It uses every muscle, legs, arms, torso constantly shifting weight, guiding the bike with legs and torso, holding on as the bike lurches forward, then pulling on the binders and keeping yourself from going over the bars” (Top Ten Toughest…).
Not only is motocross one of the hardest sports, it’s also one of the most costly. In baseball, if you’re a parent, you’re spending 400 dollars on a bat and glove. When you’re talking about motocross though, you’re spending 2,000 dollars on a bike with 2,000 dollars worth of upgrades. Not to mention traveling all over the county in a motor home that gets four miles to the gallon. I asked Brett Reynolds what it takes to be the best rider in the world. “It takes every penny you and your parents own, working on the bike or just travel to big events in the hopes of get a pro contract. The rich riders never survive because there just not tough enough” (Reynolds, Brett). When watching documentaries on pro riders I found one thing in common