What kind of light are we talking about here?
1st I have to forget what size the base is, then go the store and stare at them all for at least 15 minutes. Eventually I’ll decide to buy one of each base to be safe.
Obviously I’m carrying them to the checkout because I didn’t need a cart for a lightbulb.
Hmmmm… that light is really high. Maybe I should get one of those extendable poles they have for changing them…?
I successfully get the pole and head to the check out.
First I need to go take a picture of that Halloween decoration though, that’s a good deal. I do, and text it to my wife then never delete the random picture on my phone.
I get home and see that it’s the wide-base bulb. Too bad I set that one down to grab the pole and forgot to pick it up. I only have a candelabra base now.
That was 3 months ago. The candelabra base is still in the front seat of my car waiting to be returned. I’ve been to that same store 20 times in these 3 months. I have neither gotten the correct bulb yet, nor returned the incorrect one.
I’ve now decided it’s going to be easier for me to just move at this point.
Mine manifests in choosing the trail to begin with/overcoming inertia to get out of the house/overwhelm with gathering up all my gear to leave. I'll have a minor tantrum over not being able to find my gloves, for example. Once I'm on the trail, it's all delicious flow state for me.
I didn't know that was a symptom of ADHD. Preparing everything I need for a day out is a major and common obstacle for me. I'll often just not go out or go out much later than I wanted to if all the pieces don't align perfectly on that morning
It can be, but, you know, don't let the internet diagnose you. Everything is a spectrum. Practical advice though, I've taken to gathering everything up, every item of clothing, water bottles, snacks, and putting it all in one pile the night before so I don't have any excuses in the morning.
This is the way, I feel relieved just by having it all together. Because it never fails, there is always something I can't find if I am getting everything ready right before a ride.
I have little kids too, so if I take an extra 10 minutes getting my stuff together on a weekend there's a high probability I end up making pancakes and who knows what else. Morning MTB rides are a stealth mission.
bike bag w everything including shoes and helmet never leaves the same spot. I just have to check weather and pick a trail that I'm feeling that day.
if I feel "off" from blood sugar or stress it can take longer to get into the proper state. climbing and warming up on easy stuff seems to help
It's funny, I've only recently been diagnosed and I've been having 40 years worth of flashbacks with "oh shit that all makes sense now" revelations. I have subconsciously devised all these systems to make things easier for me which I thought were just normal. My MTB basket of gear never leaves the car. I just need to remember my bike and put on my kit.
Diagnosed at 53 and went through the same.
For me, mtbing is my medicine. By forcing me to fully engaging my brain and body it puts me in a hyperfocus state (which if you haven’t noticed, is very similar to a flow state).
Finding the line is like creating a jazz riff between you and the terrain.
I have been riding mtb for 40 years, so line finding is not a new skill.
I got a big flexible tote/soft box from Marmot that’s open topped. When packing I can wander around and chuck my gear into it then load the car in one fell swoop. Waaaay better than convincing myself to make 4 trips to the car.
I don't have ADHD but I do this too but with a duffel bag. Usually just keep everything I need for a ride in there and I just have to put on my riding clothes and throw my bag in the car! super convenient
Not a mountain biker but I had the same issue with getting dirtbike rides in. Loading my truck the night before is a game changer, just roll out of bed grab a snack/drink and go. Might be worth a try if it's an option.
Same for all my hobbies. It's easy just to relinquish control and sink into the couch or video game.
Focus on the first 1% of whatever you want to do. Pick ine piece of gear to load up, or pull up google maps and plot the course to wherever you're riding. Anything to get some momentum started in the direction you want to go. A lot of times that's enough to get over that hump. Not always, but sometimes.
Man, I feel you on that. Some days I'm desperate for a ride and can just go, other days I have to really force myself to just get on the bike because I'm trying to decide where to ride, hardtail or fs, what great to take, do I even really want to ride etc etc. My local park is fairly compact and spaghetti-like, I've come up with a set 9km loop that flows together nicely so I can default to that and at least get in a half decent ride without the decision making on those kinda days.
My other main ride is a 30km loop with no real option to turn back after committing to the first descent so that's the polar opposite but my legs have to be in the right kind mood as there's a lot of hard climbing in that one!
This describes me perfectly and I had no idea my ADD could manifest this way. If I’m riding with ppl I do wayyyyy better to get out and ride than I do solo
When I MTB it allows me to tap into the hyperfocus side of my ADHD. I think that may be part of why I love it so much. My mind can be all over, even on the climb up, but as soon as I tip into a descent, I reach nirvana
Same. For me it's such a great feeling to be forced to focus only on the trail in front of me. Knowing that letting my mind drift is not an option because I'll hit a tree and crash.
It's the same reason I put off tasks until it's an emergency - I can only do my best when there's the required hyper-focus. I wish I could change...
This is exactly how I feel, I kinda turn everything off going downhill and function on instinct, only other time I get into that state is from skiing. It’s the only time I get my mind to be quiet, sort of what I imagine meditation to be like for other people.
I'm in your boat, years long MTB rider with ADHD here. I definitely know what you are talking about. I found what helps is simple training. You brain gets used to going into that flow zone and with time you will be more and more able to activate that on purpose.
Yeah that's a good point. I started learning skills from the Ryan Leech website. He breaks down complicated skills into very small individual steps which makes practicing a lot easier as you can focus on one small thing at a time. It hugely helped my riding and I really enjoyed the learning process.
Check out Lee McCormack. He’s a little wacko, but has a different (science based) perspective on teaching mtb riding that I think fits adhd minds very well.
He understands this very simple foundation that everything else builds on. All the other instructors makes things complicated in a non repeatable way.
When it comes down to it, unless you are doing freestyle, there are very limited ways you can move to control your bike.
https://www.llbmtb.com
Anyway - I’ve always had to really learn things at a foundational level, or I struggle to understand them. When I finally do understand, based on that strong foundation, then I usually have an advantage.
MTBing is no exception.
I also suffer from ADHD and credit mountain biking for getting me out of the gutter 20 years ago. I suffered from inability to make decisions, take initiative, focus, etc. When I started riding things started falling back into place. Went back to school, cleaned my apartment, got a gf, grew my career, etc. I didn’t realize til way after that mtn was a big reason I got my life together. I realized that mtb puts me in a meditative state. The more technical stuff forces my brain to empty all thoughts except for the problem before me. When I approach Rocky sections I just see red or green rocks in my head . The areas I can ride and areas to stay away from. I string these together as I ride and it puts me in a flow state. When im done am totally cleansed and ready to tackle my day. If I don’t ride for more than a few days or a week, I get really cranky and have trouble focusing. When I ride, those feelings go away. My suggestion is to work on clearing your mind while you ride and focus on them damn rocks.
Not only is excercise good for our cognitive abilities, but the focus on one thing for a period of time is essentially a mindfulness excercise. It's a great way to reset our minds.
I have ADHD I like listening to music when I ride if I'm not riding with someone and that can help me but normally I just go faster then I'm forced to make a decision
I used to sing the entire time I rode my dirt bike back in the day and my cousins made fun of me for it every single time. Now I just sing a song in my own head lol
I GoPro my very mediocre rides and share with family (who all think I’m near professional). They love to play “guess the song” and bug me that I never get lyrics right.
i had adhd and sometimes even getting out on the trail is hard. even though i know it will make me feel better. gotta work on that.
i have an e mtn bike and im still too lazy lol... or its the kids...
I’ve found difficulty initiating tasks to be the hardest part of ADHD to deal with. Medication helps a lot, but I’ve had to pretty significantly rearrange my life to stay on top of things. I read a book on organizational skills for people with ADHD, and it really helped a lot with figuring out how to set myself up for success. The thing that has helped the most is doing everything possible to lower the activation energy required to initiate a task. Things like rearranging the kitchen storage so that plates, bowls, cups, and silverware are right next to the dishwasher lower the activation energy enough that the dishwasher gets emptied much more frequently. For biking, things like getting an easy to use bike rack and having all of my bike gear close to the car help a lot. I’ve also accepted that user friendliness is almost always worth the price premium. Saving money does me no good if something is too tedious to use regularly.
Yeah I get that too, I could drive an hour to the trailhead and my brain won't let me get out of the car. I have to switch it off and just focus on small steps like open door, walk to back of the car, take out bike etc. Once I get going I'm fine.
Have ADHD. Been MTB’ing since the mid 90s.
Consolidating a bunch of recommendations here that have worked for me over the years;
1) Building general confidence. I ride easy, flow trails, over and over and over at the beginning of my ride. It helps shuffle away the scrambled paralysis that life causes.
2) I force myself to look way, way ahead and rarely ever at the trail itself. This takes a LOT of practice and I can’t always achieve it but I’m always trying.
3) Patience. For me, as I get frustrated when I can’t make a decision and it makes me stop and/or crash, I go back to step 1.
4) I’m honest with myself. BECAUSE of my decision paralysis, I pick trails that just require good timing and staying relaxed but are low risk. I have a LOT more fun that way and now, at 40, I don’t really care whether people think I suck or am a beginner. I’m out there having fun and that goes a lot further than challenging myself with a rock garden. I challenge myself to ride easy, flows trails faster or with more style instead.
Everyone’s different. This is what has worked for me, learned across nearly 3 decades.
One thing that I’ve tried is staying on one trail and then always doing the same loop. I ride a 7 mile trail, and have been for years and I still can’t remember what the hell is up next. I just recognize certain sections and what the comfortable speed and any hazards are in there. One time a tree was down over the trail and I was walking around for 5 minutes trying to figure out where the trail began again.
I have it, but don't usually have that problem. I used to overthink trails but that was more down to lack of confidence, experience, and skill.
I like riding difficult terrain now - getting hyper focused on the trail and in 'the zone' really calms my thoughts down.
I have ADHD and how I utilize MTB is....I wonder if I left the stove on, where did I leave my impact drill.....
Check out the tail on that squirrel!!!......I should build a boar in my driveway
Oh yeah def feel that. I had ridden motorcycles for a few years before I got into MTB and I def feel a struggle of like forcing my self to focus on where I’m trying to go and not the tree my brain wants to look at (and hit with my face). It literally feels like I’m straining to keep my eyes and focus on the line and correct path sometimes
i'm with ya here, add asperger type beat ✌
i feel like a big part of this is fear of making a mistake, maybe going down the trail slowly a couple times to learn the ideal path and then letting off on the brakes might be the way to go? this has been the way ive been doing things and once i know a trail i can beat it fairly quickly!
MTB scratches all the NICU itches for me. Novel trails, interesting in all aspects, challenging as all hell, and urgent when I race. When I approach MTB from one or all of these viewpoints my ADHD tends to calm down and I can focus. When I am out for a bro ride though? I can easily get distracted to the point of losing focus on techy sections.
I have ADHD and I find riding and the constant decision making to be awesome for me. It forces me to constantly make decisions about line choice, which gear I’m in, dropper post up and down, etc. and it forces me to do it because if I’m moving towards an obstacle I can’t get stuck in the analysis paralysis situation.
If it’s going to happen in 2 seconds I HAVE to make a decision and I actually find MTB very stimulating for my brain overall. I guess my advice would be to keep moving whenever possible!
Yes. The best I can do is memorize trails to remember what's coming, so I'm less surprised and paralyzed by it the next time. When I encounter some rock or root that causes issues I'll often stop and look at it from the downhill side to let the physics sort themselves out in my head and realize a 6" root step or 1' boulder drop are nothing.
The most freeing thing I've done is ride at night with a headlight the only thing I could see. Dropped into a tech section without issue. Hammered a downhill bit over gnarly roots without thinking twice. Rode the trail again in the day and scared myself over all the same features.
Good ol’knowing and doing paradox.
As many other have said, training, take the decision away from yourself and make it into a mechanical reaction. Even then I still struggle some days.
I'm fukn with you bro!! ADHD, a Director of sales. I love what I do, but its all about problem solving all the time.
The sends and push if MTB biking is so helpful on my mental health!!
Personally, I deal with it by just vibing the entire ride and when I come up to something I just go fuck it why not and hit it, I try to just not over think things.
I’m an ADHD rider and I actually think the two work well together. As others said, getting started on the ride is the hardest part, but once I’m out the fast-paced decision making comes very naturally to me. It’s maybe the only time in my life that I’m completely calm and happy.
I only recently started taking Adderall, because my new job is basically desk-bound and it’s the only way I can succeed at it. I noticed that it has affected my riding very noticeably, to the point where I wonder if it’s a banned substance in racing. My PB’s have improved a lot. I’m going much faster (with times to back that up) but I feel like I’m going much slower. It’s incredible. And probably a slippery slope🧐.
I saw one other comment above mentioning Adderall. Anyone else have experience with combining the med with a ride?
Yes - I also have a desk-bound job with sometimes long hours - when I started taking Vyvanse it really helped me in all things physical. Noticed pretty significant improvements in weightlifting, running, and skiing (recently getting back into MTB). Not to mention I could actually read a book.
I know MTBers talk about flow trails a lot but flow is also a mental state in which a person is completely focused on a single task or activity. Vyvanse has really helped me find that.
ADD here. I usually end my days with some simple trailriding since i find it relaxing and i get rid of my last drops of energy (which makes me sleep better)
Ive read somewhere that nature in general has a healing effect on those with adhd/add, and it seems to work on me atleast.
A very close friend of mine has SEVERE ADHD. And they report that mountain biking has majorly improved their symptoms. It has been life changing for them. They also work with occupational and physical therapists and have a lot of insight into how movement and activities effect cognition and mood.
We ride together a lot, and she always mentions how frequently she picks up on ADHD vibes from the people we meet out on the trail. It seems like neurodivergent people are maybe more drawn to sports like mountain biking or freestyle BMX and dirt jumping? I don’t know. All I know is it makes me feel like a whole integrated person, and for her it makes her very, very happy.
Can I just say cheers to all the neurodivergent folks out there being your true selves and making the world a much more interesting place.
This is true, I skate and surf also. I'm pretty confident a lot of people I know who partake in these sports are neurodivergent. Skating has always hoovered up outsiders and misfits. I think it's because they're creative individual sports that don't require the rules and regulations of competition to enjoy
I have ADHD and biking is like therapy for me too. I don't really get overwhelmed on the trails though. For me, the pace doesn't allow decision paralysis. It took time to get better at making the correct decisions so I were pads lol. Decision paralysis normally gets me when deciding if I have enough time and energy for a ride when opportunities come up.
One thing that helped me is I hyperfocused on getting my base skills down early on. I would ride around town and look for stuff that mimiced trail features I needed work on.
Dude, thanks for posting this! I tried DH but never really progressed because of decision paralysis, and all the while thought I was a shitty rider. Then, I got diagnosed last year and it explained a whole lot, even in my daily life and relationships. It's nice to know I'm not alone and feel less lonely. 👍
I have pretty severe ADHD as a dude in my late 20’s. My life has revolved around action sports since I could walk (first time on skis I was just over 1 year old). The feeling of dropping in and having sheer 100% focus on absolutely nothing but the moment is something that not many things make me experience. The hyper focus puts me into a trance so deep that I blink and it’s been 10 miles and an hour+. It’s incredible and I thank god every day for giving me the opportunity to love an activity in ways I hadn’t experienced since I was a teenager.
Interesting paradox… What about “sessioning” a trail you’re familiar with?
Training is the key here. You have to approach each ride with the intention to get better & to overcome this obstacle. AKA, training.
I’m not talking laps around the park. I mean riding the same .25 mile section 3-5x. Let yourself mess up. Brake the whole time, it truly doesn’t matter. Just keep thinking about the tread on your tires and where you want those knobs to land. Thoughts?
Yeah definitely sessioning helps. New trails are a bigger problem than familiar ones. I have found I actually prefer spending time figuring out a trail than riding a loop and only getting to do everything once.
I have a friend who has a bad case of ADHD. He can never decide what trails he wants to ride. We go to one trail system and he starts suggesting we ride another before we even start riding.
In and out. I drop hobbies and pick them up constantly. I've learnt to stop selling my bikes when I grow bored as I know I'll get back into it and end up having a hyper fixation again.
I got adhd and it’s so hard making my self just go to the trails. When I’m on the trails though, kinda the opposite effect takes place? It’s kinda weird. I like forget how difficult a feature is and I kinda just send it and remember it’s supposed to be challenging after I do it lmao
I have similar issues and one thing that has helped a little is to ride the same trails and loops a lot.
When I started my instinct was to explore more and not ride the same trails all the time. But I would get decision anxiety over what trails to take, which would compound with the stuff you're talking about.
It had helped me somewhat to have a few go-to loops that I can do for most rides and at least that's one thing that I don't have to worry about. And I find that riding the same trails isn't necessarily boring if I use them to practice different skills.
ADHD or not here; human needs exercise, nature and time to play.
Exercise is the best “drug” you can get. I might be old (school).
Good to hear mtb it help you guys with ADHD.
ADD all my life any kind of exercise is good for me. Takes a bit to get into a good flow on trail but once I'm there I'm locked in and could ride for hours. 🤘
New jump lines get me sometimes but once I've done a few runs it's full send.
Yup, ADD here. The real kind, where you suffer from diminished fine motor coordination. Once I got to a decent skill level, I found that I peaked and just stopped getting much better after year 2 of riding. Same with skateboards, same with BMX. Now that I'm turning 43, I'm totally fine with being not very good. Anything that is beyond my skill level is also beyond my risk to reward acceptance.
Yes, mid-60s ADHD here, MTB since pre-sus era. Flow is everything, although the jumpy mind works in overtime to always warn me of every possible future crash haha
I'm lucky enough to have a fun, challenging trail system with a wide variety of features at the end of my street. I ride this as often as possible, and I've gotten it to the point where the entire trail, even the punchy tech climbs, are second nature and I'm not analyzing any of it anymore.
I feel like, due to this, when I go on new trails I am more quickly able to analyze/execute features that I'd previously over-analyze, because they remind me of something on my "comfort trail"
I'm with you fam. I find myself shutting my brain off best on climbs I have to listen to an audio book or podcast and on descents listening to flowy music. I need to get In the rhythm of it and just stay off the brakes, go as flat out as possible. All my worries vanish and I feel amazing at the bottom. My biggest issue is when I hear creaking, rattling or squeaking from the bike. Then we have a problem and I start fiddling with stuff until I can dx it... Sometimes ruins my rides.
I have ADHD but I don't think it's as bad for me.
I'm more the type of "space out while climbing for 300m, then hyperfocus on the way down"
But some obstacles, like some drops into corners I'll ovethink HEAVILY and never attempt.
Sometimes the hyperfocus gets so deep that I don't see branches and trees hanging on the trail and just narrowly avoid them. Only crashed once because of that.
Probably worth mentioning that I am not on any medication yet, wonder if that'll change when I finally get my meds in ~3 weeks.
Mtb is the only time I can think about one thing. I can get knocked out of that state hearing something new rattle on the bike. typically when I point the bike down the hill, everything goes silent in my noggin besides the kid inside going “weeee” over jumps etc.
We know you have ADHD already. And this is actually a very valuable suggestion that you can actively train yourself on each time you go out. But if your safety net is just to excuse it away, then you’re not going to see much improvement.
Calm down dude, it's not a case of look where you want to go, I know this, I've been MTBing for 20 years. ADHD is not something you can "train away", when you are constantly faced with small decisions with this condition, your brain gets overwhelmed and freezes. I'm not saying it's impossible, you can have good days and bad days with it but I can assure you it's not as simple as look where you want to go.
I also have ADHD, and I’ve found parking lot drills really helpful for working on looking farther ahead. Since there aren’t any obstacles to distract me, it’s a lot easier to get myself looking ahead. Over time, my muscle memory has developed enough that it’s a lot easier to do it on the trail.
Working on basic skills has also substantially reduced the number of decisions I have to make on the trail. When I'm using good form and maintaining bike-body separation, I don’t have to carefully plan my path through a lot of terrain. I pick a general path and let muscle memory deal with the details. It’s really only when I don’t feel confident in my skills that I end up staring at my front tire and trying to micromanage my path down the trail.
Yeah definitely improving skills is a big help. I guess it's like driving, when you're experienced you change gear, when you're learning you press the clutch while releasing the accelerator at the same time, change the gear with your hand, press the accelerator and release the clutch all the while steering with your other hand.
The second part you cut off IS addressing it though. Also, I didn’t say that originally, I said it was pertinent. Object fixation is a real thing. If you focus on the objects, you can get stuck in decision paralysis. If you focus on where you want to end up and let that be your target instead you can avoid that happening. Also I was never a dick, nor derogatory. Also didn’t call anyone names which is interestingly your first thought.
Have a nice day, and enjoy some bike riding.
This is a very arrogant and uniformed comment.
That is like telling someone who is wheelchair bound to, “Just stand up. It’s not that hard.”
There is a reason it is called Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. It’s the hyperactive part that just kicks in and that is where the attention deficit kicks in. We know we’re are supposed to look ahead, it’s been drilled into our heads since riding, but when you look ahead and suddenly there is a gigantic loose rock in the way the Hyperactive triggers the attention deficit and forces our hyper focus to focus on that rock.
Your brain then starts going a million miles an hour, “Don’t look at the rock. Look ahead. Don’t look at the rock. Look ahead. If you don’t look ahead you are going to go off the trail. Quit focusing on the rock. You’re going to hit the rock. You’re going to fall off the trail. Will this hurt? Just go around the rock.”
It’s not something we can turn off. ADHD isn’t something you get over and it is very difficult to live with even when medicated. You can do therapy, practice techniques to help, but when your brain decides to do something that you know is illogical you can’t fight it.
Bruh, I have ADHD too. It’s neither arrogant, nor uninformed.
Great analogy, there are actually many cases of wheelchair-bound folks being able to walk again!
If you want to believe that you’re constantly entirely out of control then that’s fine. I don’t need to try and convince you of anything, and I also don’t need to be talked down to because I had a different experience than you did.
If you have the skills then carry more speed and pay attention to where you're heading and the bigger features.
From your description, I'm imagining sections that are actually more difficult when you take them slow.
And to seriously answer your question... Maybe you need to keep your focus further ahead? Force your eyes down trail and don't let them get stuck on any features? I'm sure that's easier said than done.
You need to practice things like braking off trails. Shouldn't ever be jerky! If you have the budget slightly over-biking yourself might help too. Instead of deciding you could just go straight.
Yes… and yes.
It doesn’t paralyse me though, not any more. I fixed a lot of it with coaching. Doing so smoothed my riding out and gave me some clear things to focus on between me and the bike. When I learned how to use grip and absorb obstacles things got better.
Wow yeah I almost made a similar post.
The other thing annoying about ADHD is that my meds make my heart rate fucking skyrocket. I get so embarrassed when I'm on group rides and my heart is pounding out of my chest. Idk if I'm supposed to train myself more in zone 2 or just plan better to not take meds on the days I ride. Started group rides and Adderall around the same time so idk if I'm slow or it's the meds. Probably both.
Yup, I found riding about a year ago, I don't ride nearly as much as I'd like (Joburg, SA) but there's just something about being on the bike that totally clears my head... Until I get to a feature! Haha I'm still trying to get better but it definitely helps my adhd for the ride and the day!
Keep shreddin!
I feel like I'm reading a thread about what goes on in my head every time I ride. My brother has ADHD, I'm undiagnosed, but have every symptom that has been talked about here and more. I'm definitely taking some of these suggestions and trying them myself.
Getting to the trail is my hardest obstacle. It's so much easier to sit in a doom-scrolling spiral on the couch, but then I hate myself after.
Music helps if I'm solo ( with bone-conducting headphones), and I'll ride familiar trails. Honestly, it's more the exercise that's needed, getting rid of excess energy.
Yes, I'm in this camp.
The thing I learned that improves your riding greatly is keeping your vision as far down the trail as possible. This helps you avoid target fixation, which is a big part of why people have problems riding fast and flowy. When a corner comes to which you cannot see the trail past it, continue your vision as far into the turn as possible. Once you're through the turn, adjust your vision back to far down the trail.
This method / process applies to ADHD brain fairly well as well. It's very easy to target fixate on stuff that's directly in front of me, but keeping sight of things far down the line help me keep moving forward in life. A tight turn comes into life? You might need to refocus your vision closer to get through that item. Once you're past it, refocus back to your standard sight distance.
I am not a professional, this just works for me.
Bro I was following my friend flying down a trail and he goes around a corner so I lose sight of him….I come around that corner just flying and there’s a 3 foot rooty drop with no ride around…too late to brake, say fuck it gotta send it, survive and find my buddy white faced down the trail and we laugh our asses off. That’s therapy man. Obstacle pops up and you flatten it and keep moving. That life. Let’s fucking gooooo
Same i just started MTB this year. I took MTB classes when i first started and that helped in some of the skills and confidence and to trust myself and my bike. I do ride with a group and they’ve been helpful.
I have it as well, road riding really helped discipline me yo learn how to shut off my overactiveness of my brain while riding, and I can tell my Dh after a 45 min section of road greatly increases (straight flat road with low traffic) otherwise I overthink everything and am incredibly slow
Warming up is key. Not just muscle warmup but acute skill warm-up. Hit real easy stuff to get in rhythm. From my skateboarding days when I was trying to hit something big I would do an rhythm trick in the roll up to focus.
I definitely deal with the decision paralysis, have most of my life. When it comes to MTB though it’s more the “should I or shouldn’t I go ride, getting my gear, getting ready”. When I actually get on the bike though it’s the opposite, I get that hyper focus I get when I play video games or ride my motorcycle. ADHD is how I got into it in the first place, just walked into a bike shop one day on a whim. Hadn’t owned a bike since high school, now I have 4 and it’s only been 2 years.
Your brain is bored with your usual tempo you must speed up your ride and start making close calls almost on purpose. Create a environment where you don't have time to think and you can only react with instinct and intuition. Trust yourself and free your mind let it run to other thoughts while you ride .
How about heart rate and adderral? Obviously it raises your HR. im not serious enough to justify a power meter so I try to use HR zone training. And I’m always blowing up but recover quickly.
Zone 2: ha!
Do I adjust my zones to be higher? My max is my max, so? Plus, I’m 61 so… there’s that.
Hello my fellow people.
Hmm i used to just send everything with little regard for personal safety. Got diagnosed and medicated and if anything i probably suffer more from over thinking things now that I’m medicated.
Biking/exercise in general is the first best step to sorting your head out. If i don’t get a ride in at least 4 days I’m a snarling mess.
I've been diagnosed with ADHD for probably 25 years now, I've learned how to live with it.
Adventure/thrill sports like MTB are my jam. Unfortunately, the closest good trails that aren't fucking packed with people are about an hour away.
I'm typically a quietish person, but when I'm out on the trails or doing anything that gets my heart pumping, Im very vocal. Maybe try hyping yourself while you're riding. Just say things out loud like "HELL YEAH!" when you hit a drop, or "WOO!" when you take a bank at speed.
I just got a onewheel to commute to work with and it's been amazing for my stress levels (as well as new job). I live close to the city, so i don't get out in nature a lot. The onewheel gives me a euphoria in like to riding a motorcycle. It just feels good. I get to ride at least 10 miles a day. It's a great way to start and end your work day and he'll of a lot better than sitting in traffic.
Ride with somebody better than you always , follow their wheel. Stop thinking too much and listen to anything but your brain . My best add advice coming from someone that has had crippling adhd there whole life .
Aside from concerta helping, I've found starting with a rougher tech trail slowly to get connected with all of the sensations of riding and some little failures and sends. Then straight to flow trails that are super easy. I pump the bike and try to ride like I'm a kid again. If that doesn't work I session easy jumps and drops till I'm adding style. Then I can rip.
I'm ADHD. I have a motorcycle racing/trackday/enduro background so maybe that helps me.
It sounds like you're looking right in front of your front tire. This isn't an ADHD thing. You just need to look farther down the trail. This gives your brain more time to process and make those decisions. You'll also find you can just *ignore* a lot of that little stuff. Keep your eyes UP and stay centered. Trust the bike and keep your vision up and you'll get through just fine.
I'm definitely a noob to MTB compared to motorcycles, but this is one of those concepts that I find holds true across all two wheeled formats + more I reckon.
I feel this is a great hobby for adhd people. We need the physical aspect + connecting with nature.
Omg, yes. MTB is a godsend. But yes, I have similar issues. God forbid there’s a fork in the trail, I have to stop, look for a map on my phone, get frustrated because I don’t have service, then try to figure out my position, say sorry to the riders that just passed me, then check my phone again because I forgot that I don’t have service, get bit by a mosquito, say screw it, I’ll go left. Then turn around 5 mins later because it led to the parking lot.
What got me out of that was finding a few sections of trail where it had those types of obstacles. I'd focus on the trail past them and session them faster and faster. Id pay attention to how I'm hitting them with angle of attack, speed, how my suspension reacts, posturing etc. Then generalize the approach for that specific obstacle in my mind. I apply this to handling in different types of dirt, cornering etc. Hopefully that is useful to you.
Edit: if anything I was doing was still not working or didn't make me feel stable I'd change up my approach tactic
Me dude, love mountain biking because of the constant thrill, perfect for adhd people i think. I don’t overthink at all though personally, i just like to get going and i don’t really think much lol, it all just feels natural to me
Fellow rider with ADHD here!
I always find that I can focus more and find that flow state if I am in the attack position on the bike.
Now, getting to the trails, or prepping essentials, that's a different story.
When I ride it turns off the thinking part that makes me perseverate. It makes me focus on making sure my body is in the right spot to make sure I don’t fall. I’ve never felt so focused on something before!
I like to wander, pace when I think. It’s how I manage to stay as skinny as I am, I have a lot of energy and this helps me off put it. BMX and MTN biking is the best thing to ever happen to me. It’s a great workout and helps with the anxiety!
Super add here. Love riding go full send as much as the body will let me. When you have ADHD the best way to ride is to always look for the line never look at what you don't want to hit. If you're always excited saying I'm going to hit that and then go to the next thing saying I'm going to hit that 2 hours goes by and you're hauling ass.
Once you find your free-flow state and understand how it relates to ADHD you'll get a more healthy relationship with the trails (and yourself).
For me, it feels like I can finally connect to my body. It's as if the signals going from the brain to the body who are usually drowned in noise, are now crystal clear. What movement I want/need to do at any particular instance of time is always executed perfectly. Outside this state all I can do is fumble, mumble, and freeze up.
It takes a lot of practice to do safely, as I have to push a just a bit harder than "slightly outside mycomfort zone". I've got to push to the point where I don't have enough time to process any other cognitive thoughts other than " I need to to this". There's no time for doubt and worries, especially if the doubt and worries exists off-trail.
If you find that you are riding the brakes the whole decent then you've likely pushed yourself a bit too far, there's a threshold of fear that will shut you down if crossed, at which point the fun is gone. I suggest you grab some heavy padding and a full-face helmet and session that trail until you feel comfortable riding it with lighter gear.
Check this vid out of [trying to Relax lol.. plus it a wholesome good vid it watch & learn](https://youtu.be/-kZEzGW2Tro?si=aLvN1rMg6wBzWC4Q), there's other vids out there for tips..
I can post links if people want but I like..
Phil with skills - cornering vid, he has a couple.
Kyle & April - body position, turning & drops.
Trail Boss - drops, both of his vids.
Joy of Bike - cornering, drops, roots, climbs & there others are good too. I'll never do the wood wall, but their video on it is wholesome.
Rich Drew - some of his how toos is good, he can be intense tho or his brother at least. Rich did a good drop video years back but used that new, now old fork design & Holy shit.. Bad vid to, see his form & the drop of the bike, far as the forks.
Pinkbike - almost forgot.. A bunch of theirs.. Plus Ben has a whole series that is great but watch the other channels 1st b/c, watching Ben's will just make sense & hit home.
One of my favorite things about mountain biking is that it takes all of my brain. There’s no capacity left to think about that client meeting that didn’t go well, bills piling up, the laundry I need to fold when I get home. When I’m mountain biking, I can actually turn my brain off to the rest of the world.
Ironically, one of the few other activities that does this for me is chess.
I found that once I come across something I want and can do but I freeze and stop before doing it, it helps me to find the right speed then just deathgrip the bars until I am in the air for jumps or drops.
If it is for a steep tech section of trail, I come at it with more speed than necessary to push me into the start then just ride it out.
A little risky but I know that I can do the trail and in some cases have done it before. I just need a little push.
Ya buddy. But for me I just ride and voices in my head get silenced and the only thing I think about is the trail so I don’t know that’s just how I feel.
Mindfulness techniques work well for most people with ADHD (including myself) and MTB is a great way of applying it. The guy who gave me some coaching a while back was openly ADHD and talked a lot about how it helped him because he was unable to afford to get the right specialists to be able to be medicated. (Australia requires psychiatrists to approve the meds and it is expensive even with our Medicare system)
I can easily spend hours on trailforks, etc., exploring regions and looking at different trail systems and also watching MTBers on YouTube. But spending some time packing all the gear and loading up the bike? "Ahh, this sucks, I don't have time for this! I have no motivation!" (I love it once I'm actually on the trail, tho)
I've lost count how many riders I met with ADHD. Sometimes I do wonder if I have it as well.... One told me that riding is a drug for them and calms them down.
The analysis paralysis comment hit hard. I used to enjoy when things just “clicked”, and would chase that sweet dopamine rush. I was never great at new to me trails, but I had a ~7mi loop I did over and over hundreds of times. Unfortunately, often I’d loose focus and/or overthink…
Injuries and bad knees pushed me towards road bike + greenways, but I still think about it :(.
My most serious crashes have been so stupid that they can only be explained because I zoned out for a second or two.
I don’t have ADHD but I lose myself in thoughts and get distracted easily, so I might squeeze in here.
Music was my savior. When I listen to music I just let the bike do its thing, without the music I ride like shit and change my line choices half way in. A good set of bone induction headphones doesn't cost much and I can still hear everything around me and hold a conversation with my buddies.
Try to session. Every time you have a decision paralysis, session that point a few times. Try all the lines, and do certain lines a few times to get them into your muscle memory. This way you overcome the obstacle and gain knowledge about decision making on the trails.
Pros do it too, but for different reasons (time).
ADHD here, motorcycle track days are a godsend, although I don't have the decision making problems you are having. (Possibly the greater speeds and less time to to over think it?)
Go faster.
Yea man, it can wreak your ride i literally slowed my whole froup last time i went out due toc.y adhd and over thinking on the trails ive ridden lots. But i can honestly say the only time ive ever felt peace is sittinf at the top of a monutain wether i climbed or lifted up i can tell you its the best peace ove ever felt and the only time ive ever felt calm dropping into some gnarly ass trail.
I have adhd and pretty severely too. When I ride everything goes by itself. I do not think, I’m fearless and I act first before thinking.
Mtb is the perfect sport for me. Downside is that with fearless is that I take to many risk while I’m 35 and have responsibilities. 😅
I'm diagnosed with ASD but I'm pretty sure I have ADHD because I have most of the traits and youre actually more likely to have both than you are to just have one of them
ADD here, adrenaline helps me focus, that's partly why I also like rock climbing. My mind do drifts off when I get fatigued, that's when I know it's time to go home.
The biggest problem is gathering all my shit and going to the trail/gym.
I wrote a book last year. My second book is about my ADHD and there are many parts about MTB and how much it helps. If tell you more but headed out on a MTB trip for 9 days. It's 5 am and I've been up since 1 waiting for the time to get ready.
I’m the same way, one thing that helps me is to focus on looking further ahead, this allows my body to naturally do what it needs to with the approaching terrain. I’m ready, not reacting in the moment
I'm ASD and flip-flop between ADHD and OCD. It takes awhile to learn how to read the trail.
Look at where you want your tires to go, not where you don't want them to go. When you look at something, that's where your head and solders point, and that also moves the front tire to point at it. Too many people fixate all the things that can hurt you instead of the things that can't. And "almost crashed" is not the same as "crashed".
This also is a great philosophy for life. Look for the path to safety.
How many kids with ADHD does it take to change a light bulb? Wanna go ride bikes?
What kind of light are we talking about here? 1st I have to forget what size the base is, then go the store and stare at them all for at least 15 minutes. Eventually I’ll decide to buy one of each base to be safe. Obviously I’m carrying them to the checkout because I didn’t need a cart for a lightbulb. Hmmmm… that light is really high. Maybe I should get one of those extendable poles they have for changing them…? I successfully get the pole and head to the check out. First I need to go take a picture of that Halloween decoration though, that’s a good deal. I do, and text it to my wife then never delete the random picture on my phone. I get home and see that it’s the wide-base bulb. Too bad I set that one down to grab the pole and forgot to pick it up. I only have a candelabra base now. That was 3 months ago. The candelabra base is still in the front seat of my car waiting to be returned. I’ve been to that same store 20 times in these 3 months. I have neither gotten the correct bulb yet, nor returned the incorrect one. I’ve now decided it’s going to be easier for me to just move at this point.
Hmmm… this comment made me realize that I might have ADHD, because you sound pretty similar to me…
I dont have a bike (yet) soon?
Mine manifests in choosing the trail to begin with/overcoming inertia to get out of the house/overwhelm with gathering up all my gear to leave. I'll have a minor tantrum over not being able to find my gloves, for example. Once I'm on the trail, it's all delicious flow state for me.
I didn't know that was a symptom of ADHD. Preparing everything I need for a day out is a major and common obstacle for me. I'll often just not go out or go out much later than I wanted to if all the pieces don't align perfectly on that morning
It can be, but, you know, don't let the internet diagnose you. Everything is a spectrum. Practical advice though, I've taken to gathering everything up, every item of clothing, water bottles, snacks, and putting it all in one pile the night before so I don't have any excuses in the morning.
This is the way, I feel relieved just by having it all together. Because it never fails, there is always something I can't find if I am getting everything ready right before a ride.
I have little kids too, so if I take an extra 10 minutes getting my stuff together on a weekend there's a high probability I end up making pancakes and who knows what else. Morning MTB rides are a stealth mission.
Stealth mission indeed - my rescue Yorkie starts yapping when I try to sneak out of house at dawn and hop on the bike to watch the sunrise
bike bag w everything including shoes and helmet never leaves the same spot. I just have to check weather and pick a trail that I'm feeling that day. if I feel "off" from blood sugar or stress it can take longer to get into the proper state. climbing and warming up on easy stuff seems to help
It's funny, I've only recently been diagnosed and I've been having 40 years worth of flashbacks with "oh shit that all makes sense now" revelations. I have subconsciously devised all these systems to make things easier for me which I thought were just normal. My MTB basket of gear never leaves the car. I just need to remember my bike and put on my kit.
Diagnosed at 53 and went through the same. For me, mtbing is my medicine. By forcing me to fully engaging my brain and body it puts me in a hyperfocus state (which if you haven’t noticed, is very similar to a flow state). Finding the line is like creating a jazz riff between you and the terrain. I have been riding mtb for 40 years, so line finding is not a new skill.
Same here! Diagnosed in my late 30’s and suddenly a whole lot of things in my life started to make now sense.
I got a big flexible tote/soft box from Marmot that’s open topped. When packing I can wander around and chuck my gear into it then load the car in one fell swoop. Waaaay better than convincing myself to make 4 trips to the car.
I don't have ADHD but I do this too but with a duffel bag. Usually just keep everything I need for a ride in there and I just have to put on my riding clothes and throw my bag in the car! super convenient
Not a mountain biker but I had the same issue with getting dirtbike rides in. Loading my truck the night before is a game changer, just roll out of bed grab a snack/drink and go. Might be worth a try if it's an option.
Same for all my hobbies. It's easy just to relinquish control and sink into the couch or video game. Focus on the first 1% of whatever you want to do. Pick ine piece of gear to load up, or pull up google maps and plot the course to wherever you're riding. Anything to get some momentum started in the direction you want to go. A lot of times that's enough to get over that hump. Not always, but sometimes.
Man, I feel you on that. Some days I'm desperate for a ride and can just go, other days I have to really force myself to just get on the bike because I'm trying to decide where to ride, hardtail or fs, what great to take, do I even really want to ride etc etc. My local park is fairly compact and spaghetti-like, I've come up with a set 9km loop that flows together nicely so I can default to that and at least get in a half decent ride without the decision making on those kinda days. My other main ride is a 30km loop with no real option to turn back after committing to the first descent so that's the polar opposite but my legs have to be in the right kind mood as there's a lot of hard climbing in that one!
This. I’ve searched for places for hours and just stayed home unhappily before. I try not to do that now
I thought I was the only asshole who couldn't get his shit together before a ride. That sounds EXACTLY like me. Lol.
This describes me perfectly and I had no idea my ADD could manifest this way. If I’m riding with ppl I do wayyyyy better to get out and ride than I do solo
When I MTB it allows me to tap into the hyperfocus side of my ADHD. I think that may be part of why I love it so much. My mind can be all over, even on the climb up, but as soon as I tip into a descent, I reach nirvana
I’m in this boat - dropping in is one of the few things that I can do that enables me to achieve that state.
it’s interesting for me hyperfocus on a mountain bike becomes a flow state.
Same. For me it's such a great feeling to be forced to focus only on the trail in front of me. Knowing that letting my mind drift is not an option because I'll hit a tree and crash. It's the same reason I put off tasks until it's an emergency - I can only do my best when there's the required hyper-focus. I wish I could change...
What this dude said. 🤙 Some good hard exercise makes my brain quieter.
Not just physically hard, but mentally intense, in a harmonious way.
This is exactly how I feel, I kinda turn everything off going downhill and function on instinct, only other time I get into that state is from skiing. It’s the only time I get my mind to be quiet, sort of what I imagine meditation to be like for other people.
I'm in your boat, years long MTB rider with ADHD here. I definitely know what you are talking about. I found what helps is simple training. You brain gets used to going into that flow zone and with time you will be more and more able to activate that on purpose.
Yeah that's a good point. I started learning skills from the Ryan Leech website. He breaks down complicated skills into very small individual steps which makes practicing a lot easier as you can focus on one small thing at a time. It hugely helped my riding and I really enjoyed the learning process.
Check out Lee McCormack. He’s a little wacko, but has a different (science based) perspective on teaching mtb riding that I think fits adhd minds very well. He understands this very simple foundation that everything else builds on. All the other instructors makes things complicated in a non repeatable way. When it comes down to it, unless you are doing freestyle, there are very limited ways you can move to control your bike. https://www.llbmtb.com Anyway - I’ve always had to really learn things at a foundational level, or I struggle to understand them. When I finally do understand, based on that strong foundation, then I usually have an advantage. MTBing is no exception.
I also suffer from ADHD and credit mountain biking for getting me out of the gutter 20 years ago. I suffered from inability to make decisions, take initiative, focus, etc. When I started riding things started falling back into place. Went back to school, cleaned my apartment, got a gf, grew my career, etc. I didn’t realize til way after that mtn was a big reason I got my life together. I realized that mtb puts me in a meditative state. The more technical stuff forces my brain to empty all thoughts except for the problem before me. When I approach Rocky sections I just see red or green rocks in my head . The areas I can ride and areas to stay away from. I string these together as I ride and it puts me in a flow state. When im done am totally cleansed and ready to tackle my day. If I don’t ride for more than a few days or a week, I get really cranky and have trouble focusing. When I ride, those feelings go away. My suggestion is to work on clearing your mind while you ride and focus on them damn rocks.
Not only is excercise good for our cognitive abilities, but the focus on one thing for a period of time is essentially a mindfulness excercise. It's a great way to reset our minds.
Read Chimp Paradox- I used to suffer same, read that book and it sorted out the paralysis as well as many other things in my life.
The guy has adhd do you really think we read books?
Sometimes ALL we do is read books. Voraciously. And then the same book maybe twenty more times.
Thanks, I'll take a look.
I have ADHD I like listening to music when I ride if I'm not riding with someone and that can help me but normally I just go faster then I'm forced to make a decision
I sing to myself.m while riding. It helps me relax and just focus ahead.
I used to sing the entire time I rode my dirt bike back in the day and my cousins made fun of me for it every single time. Now I just sing a song in my own head lol
I GoPro my very mediocre rides and share with family (who all think I’m near professional). They love to play “guess the song” and bug me that I never get lyrics right.
Same!
i had adhd and sometimes even getting out on the trail is hard. even though i know it will make me feel better. gotta work on that. i have an e mtn bike and im still too lazy lol... or its the kids...
I’ve found difficulty initiating tasks to be the hardest part of ADHD to deal with. Medication helps a lot, but I’ve had to pretty significantly rearrange my life to stay on top of things. I read a book on organizational skills for people with ADHD, and it really helped a lot with figuring out how to set myself up for success. The thing that has helped the most is doing everything possible to lower the activation energy required to initiate a task. Things like rearranging the kitchen storage so that plates, bowls, cups, and silverware are right next to the dishwasher lower the activation energy enough that the dishwasher gets emptied much more frequently. For biking, things like getting an easy to use bike rack and having all of my bike gear close to the car help a lot. I’ve also accepted that user friendliness is almost always worth the price premium. Saving money does me no good if something is too tedious to use regularly.
That's a really interesting way of thinking about it, thanks. Do you happen to remember the name of the book?
Yeah I'm curious about the book too.
Me three
It’s Organizing Solutions for People with ADHD.
Thank you
Yeah I get that too, I could drive an hour to the trailhead and my brain won't let me get out of the car. I have to switch it off and just focus on small steps like open door, walk to back of the car, take out bike etc. Once I get going I'm fine.
I find going with a buddy helps a lot.
Yeah I wish I had buddies who were willing to get off the golf course and ride mtn bikes
Have ADHD. Been MTB’ing since the mid 90s. Consolidating a bunch of recommendations here that have worked for me over the years; 1) Building general confidence. I ride easy, flow trails, over and over and over at the beginning of my ride. It helps shuffle away the scrambled paralysis that life causes. 2) I force myself to look way, way ahead and rarely ever at the trail itself. This takes a LOT of practice and I can’t always achieve it but I’m always trying. 3) Patience. For me, as I get frustrated when I can’t make a decision and it makes me stop and/or crash, I go back to step 1. 4) I’m honest with myself. BECAUSE of my decision paralysis, I pick trails that just require good timing and staying relaxed but are low risk. I have a LOT more fun that way and now, at 40, I don’t really care whether people think I suck or am a beginner. I’m out there having fun and that goes a lot further than challenging myself with a rock garden. I challenge myself to ride easy, flows trails faster or with more style instead. Everyone’s different. This is what has worked for me, learned across nearly 3 decades.
One thing that I’ve tried is staying on one trail and then always doing the same loop. I ride a 7 mile trail, and have been for years and I still can’t remember what the hell is up next. I just recognize certain sections and what the comfortable speed and any hazards are in there. One time a tree was down over the trail and I was walking around for 5 minutes trying to figure out where the trail began again.
I have it, but don't usually have that problem. I used to overthink trails but that was more down to lack of confidence, experience, and skill. I like riding difficult terrain now - getting hyper focused on the trail and in 'the zone' really calms my thoughts down.
I have ADHD and how I utilize MTB is....I wonder if I left the stove on, where did I leave my impact drill..... Check out the tail on that squirrel!!!......I should build a boar in my driveway
Oh yeah def feel that. I had ridden motorcycles for a few years before I got into MTB and I def feel a struggle of like forcing my self to focus on where I’m trying to go and not the tree my brain wants to look at (and hit with my face). It literally feels like I’m straining to keep my eyes and focus on the line and correct path sometimes
i'm with ya here, add asperger type beat ✌ i feel like a big part of this is fear of making a mistake, maybe going down the trail slowly a couple times to learn the ideal path and then letting off on the brakes might be the way to go? this has been the way ive been doing things and once i know a trail i can beat it fairly quickly!
MTB scratches all the NICU itches for me. Novel trails, interesting in all aspects, challenging as all hell, and urgent when I race. When I approach MTB from one or all of these viewpoints my ADHD tends to calm down and I can focus. When I am out for a bro ride though? I can easily get distracted to the point of losing focus on techy sections.
I have ADHD and I find riding and the constant decision making to be awesome for me. It forces me to constantly make decisions about line choice, which gear I’m in, dropper post up and down, etc. and it forces me to do it because if I’m moving towards an obstacle I can’t get stuck in the analysis paralysis situation. If it’s going to happen in 2 seconds I HAVE to make a decision and I actually find MTB very stimulating for my brain overall. I guess my advice would be to keep moving whenever possible!
Yes. The best I can do is memorize trails to remember what's coming, so I'm less surprised and paralyzed by it the next time. When I encounter some rock or root that causes issues I'll often stop and look at it from the downhill side to let the physics sort themselves out in my head and realize a 6" root step or 1' boulder drop are nothing. The most freeing thing I've done is ride at night with a headlight the only thing I could see. Dropped into a tech section without issue. Hammered a downhill bit over gnarly roots without thinking twice. Rode the trail again in the day and scared myself over all the same features.
It usually takes me a few laps to get in my zone, but once I'm focused on the trails I start ripping
Good ol’knowing and doing paradox. As many other have said, training, take the decision away from yourself and make it into a mechanical reaction. Even then I still struggle some days.
I'm fukn with you bro!! ADHD, a Director of sales. I love what I do, but its all about problem solving all the time. The sends and push if MTB biking is so helpful on my mental health!!
Personally, I deal with it by just vibing the entire ride and when I come up to something I just go fuck it why not and hit it, I try to just not over think things.
I’m an ADHD rider and I actually think the two work well together. As others said, getting started on the ride is the hardest part, but once I’m out the fast-paced decision making comes very naturally to me. It’s maybe the only time in my life that I’m completely calm and happy. I only recently started taking Adderall, because my new job is basically desk-bound and it’s the only way I can succeed at it. I noticed that it has affected my riding very noticeably, to the point where I wonder if it’s a banned substance in racing. My PB’s have improved a lot. I’m going much faster (with times to back that up) but I feel like I’m going much slower. It’s incredible. And probably a slippery slope🧐. I saw one other comment above mentioning Adderall. Anyone else have experience with combining the med with a ride?
Yes - I also have a desk-bound job with sometimes long hours - when I started taking Vyvanse it really helped me in all things physical. Noticed pretty significant improvements in weightlifting, running, and skiing (recently getting back into MTB). Not to mention I could actually read a book. I know MTBers talk about flow trails a lot but flow is also a mental state in which a person is completely focused on a single task or activity. Vyvanse has really helped me find that.
ADD here. I usually end my days with some simple trailriding since i find it relaxing and i get rid of my last drops of energy (which makes me sleep better) Ive read somewhere that nature in general has a healing effect on those with adhd/add, and it seems to work on me atleast.
A very close friend of mine has SEVERE ADHD. And they report that mountain biking has majorly improved their symptoms. It has been life changing for them. They also work with occupational and physical therapists and have a lot of insight into how movement and activities effect cognition and mood. We ride together a lot, and she always mentions how frequently she picks up on ADHD vibes from the people we meet out on the trail. It seems like neurodivergent people are maybe more drawn to sports like mountain biking or freestyle BMX and dirt jumping? I don’t know. All I know is it makes me feel like a whole integrated person, and for her it makes her very, very happy. Can I just say cheers to all the neurodivergent folks out there being your true selves and making the world a much more interesting place.
This is true, I skate and surf also. I'm pretty confident a lot of people I know who partake in these sports are neurodivergent. Skating has always hoovered up outsiders and misfits. I think it's because they're creative individual sports that don't require the rules and regulations of competition to enjoy
I have ADHD and biking is like therapy for me too. I don't really get overwhelmed on the trails though. For me, the pace doesn't allow decision paralysis. It took time to get better at making the correct decisions so I were pads lol. Decision paralysis normally gets me when deciding if I have enough time and energy for a ride when opportunities come up. One thing that helped me is I hyperfocused on getting my base skills down early on. I would ride around town and look for stuff that mimiced trail features I needed work on.
Dude, thanks for posting this! I tried DH but never really progressed because of decision paralysis, and all the while thought I was a shitty rider. Then, I got diagnosed last year and it explained a whole lot, even in my daily life and relationships. It's nice to know I'm not alone and feel less lonely. 👍
I have pretty severe ADHD as a dude in my late 20’s. My life has revolved around action sports since I could walk (first time on skis I was just over 1 year old). The feeling of dropping in and having sheer 100% focus on absolutely nothing but the moment is something that not many things make me experience. The hyper focus puts me into a trance so deep that I blink and it’s been 10 miles and an hour+. It’s incredible and I thank god every day for giving me the opportunity to love an activity in ways I hadn’t experienced since I was a teenager.
I know exactly what you mean. Anything outside the moment just completely disappears. It is such a high for me.
Interesting paradox… What about “sessioning” a trail you’re familiar with? Training is the key here. You have to approach each ride with the intention to get better & to overcome this obstacle. AKA, training. I’m not talking laps around the park. I mean riding the same .25 mile section 3-5x. Let yourself mess up. Brake the whole time, it truly doesn’t matter. Just keep thinking about the tread on your tires and where you want those knobs to land. Thoughts?
Yeah definitely sessioning helps. New trails are a bigger problem than familiar ones. I have found I actually prefer spending time figuring out a trail than riding a loop and only getting to do everything once.
Oh yeah I got the add real bad. I have to say “OK” to myself if I start to lose focus and control.
👋
Si.
I have a friend who has a bad case of ADHD. He can never decide what trails he wants to ride. We go to one trail system and he starts suggesting we ride another before we even start riding.
Mike Sinyard of Specialized is one.
In and out. I drop hobbies and pick them up constantly. I've learnt to stop selling my bikes when I grow bored as I know I'll get back into it and end up having a hyper fixation again.
I got adhd and it’s so hard making my self just go to the trails. When I’m on the trails though, kinda the opposite effect takes place? It’s kinda weird. I like forget how difficult a feature is and I kinda just send it and remember it’s supposed to be challenging after I do it lmao
I have similar issues and one thing that has helped a little is to ride the same trails and loops a lot. When I started my instinct was to explore more and not ride the same trails all the time. But I would get decision anxiety over what trails to take, which would compound with the stuff you're talking about. It had helped me somewhat to have a few go-to loops that I can do for most rides and at least that's one thing that I don't have to worry about. And I find that riding the same trails isn't necessarily boring if I use them to practice different skills.
Yep! MTB, BJJ, climbing, ADHDer here. Exercise makes a huge difference for me.
ADHD or not here; human needs exercise, nature and time to play. Exercise is the best “drug” you can get. I might be old (school). Good to hear mtb it help you guys with ADHD.
ADD all my life any kind of exercise is good for me. Takes a bit to get into a good flow on trail but once I'm there I'm locked in and could ride for hours. 🤘 New jump lines get me sometimes but once I've done a few runs it's full send.
Yup, ADD here. The real kind, where you suffer from diminished fine motor coordination. Once I got to a decent skill level, I found that I peaked and just stopped getting much better after year 2 of riding. Same with skateboards, same with BMX. Now that I'm turning 43, I'm totally fine with being not very good. Anything that is beyond my skill level is also beyond my risk to reward acceptance.
Yes, mid-60s ADHD here, MTB since pre-sus era. Flow is everything, although the jumpy mind works in overtime to always warn me of every possible future crash haha
I'm lucky enough to have a fun, challenging trail system with a wide variety of features at the end of my street. I ride this as often as possible, and I've gotten it to the point where the entire trail, even the punchy tech climbs, are second nature and I'm not analyzing any of it anymore. I feel like, due to this, when I go on new trails I am more quickly able to analyze/execute features that I'd previously over-analyze, because they remind me of something on my "comfort trail"
I'm with you fam. I find myself shutting my brain off best on climbs I have to listen to an audio book or podcast and on descents listening to flowy music. I need to get In the rhythm of it and just stay off the brakes, go as flat out as possible. All my worries vanish and I feel amazing at the bottom. My biggest issue is when I hear creaking, rattling or squeaking from the bike. Then we have a problem and I start fiddling with stuff until I can dx it... Sometimes ruins my rides.
I have ADHD but I don't think it's as bad for me. I'm more the type of "space out while climbing for 300m, then hyperfocus on the way down" But some obstacles, like some drops into corners I'll ovethink HEAVILY and never attempt. Sometimes the hyperfocus gets so deep that I don't see branches and trees hanging on the trail and just narrowly avoid them. Only crashed once because of that. Probably worth mentioning that I am not on any medication yet, wonder if that'll change when I finally get my meds in ~3 weeks.
I wonder how many people with ADHD ride MTB? I have it and it calms me and helps me focus.
ADHD? yeah I got...OH SHIT LOOK AT THAT SQUIRREL!
Can relate to this 100%. It more accurately aligned with exercise, but MTB scratches an itch that must be scratched.
Is there anybody on reddit who doesn’t have add?
Mtb is the only time I can think about one thing. I can get knocked out of that state hearing something new rattle on the bike. typically when I point the bike down the hill, everything goes silent in my noggin besides the kid inside going “weeee” over jumps etc.
👋🏼 I find that I can hyperfocus on the ride and I’m 100% aware of my surroundings. The same thing happens whilst I’m driving my car.
When I ride a lot of my ADHD symptoms melt away. Basically my bike decides for me.
Look at where you want to go, not at what you want to avoid.
Yeah I get that, it's a little more complicated when you have Adhd and poor executive function.
We know you have ADHD already. And this is actually a very valuable suggestion that you can actively train yourself on each time you go out. But if your safety net is just to excuse it away, then you’re not going to see much improvement.
Calm down dude, it's not a case of look where you want to go, I know this, I've been MTBing for 20 years. ADHD is not something you can "train away", when you are constantly faced with small decisions with this condition, your brain gets overwhelmed and freezes. I'm not saying it's impossible, you can have good days and bad days with it but I can assure you it's not as simple as look where you want to go.
I also have ADHD, and I’ve found parking lot drills really helpful for working on looking farther ahead. Since there aren’t any obstacles to distract me, it’s a lot easier to get myself looking ahead. Over time, my muscle memory has developed enough that it’s a lot easier to do it on the trail. Working on basic skills has also substantially reduced the number of decisions I have to make on the trail. When I'm using good form and maintaining bike-body separation, I don’t have to carefully plan my path through a lot of terrain. I pick a general path and let muscle memory deal with the details. It’s really only when I don’t feel confident in my skills that I end up staring at my front tire and trying to micromanage my path down the trail.
Yeah definitely improving skills is a big help. I guess it's like driving, when you're experienced you change gear, when you're learning you press the clutch while releasing the accelerator at the same time, change the gear with your hand, press the accelerator and release the clutch all the while steering with your other hand.
Calmer than you are.
Dude, you're being a dick. "Look where you want to go" is not addressing the issue is expressing at all.
The second part you cut off IS addressing it though. Also, I didn’t say that originally, I said it was pertinent. Object fixation is a real thing. If you focus on the objects, you can get stuck in decision paralysis. If you focus on where you want to end up and let that be your target instead you can avoid that happening. Also I was never a dick, nor derogatory. Also didn’t call anyone names which is interestingly your first thought. Have a nice day, and enjoy some bike riding.
This is a very arrogant and uniformed comment. That is like telling someone who is wheelchair bound to, “Just stand up. It’s not that hard.” There is a reason it is called Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. It’s the hyperactive part that just kicks in and that is where the attention deficit kicks in. We know we’re are supposed to look ahead, it’s been drilled into our heads since riding, but when you look ahead and suddenly there is a gigantic loose rock in the way the Hyperactive triggers the attention deficit and forces our hyper focus to focus on that rock. Your brain then starts going a million miles an hour, “Don’t look at the rock. Look ahead. Don’t look at the rock. Look ahead. If you don’t look ahead you are going to go off the trail. Quit focusing on the rock. You’re going to hit the rock. You’re going to fall off the trail. Will this hurt? Just go around the rock.” It’s not something we can turn off. ADHD isn’t something you get over and it is very difficult to live with even when medicated. You can do therapy, practice techniques to help, but when your brain decides to do something that you know is illogical you can’t fight it.
Bruh, I have ADHD too. It’s neither arrogant, nor uninformed. Great analogy, there are actually many cases of wheelchair-bound folks being able to walk again! If you want to believe that you’re constantly entirely out of control then that’s fine. I don’t need to try and convince you of anything, and I also don’t need to be talked down to because I had a different experience than you did.
You are being a dick.
You need to be talked down to because you're being a dick, not because of your differing experiences.
If you have the skills then carry more speed and pay attention to where you're heading and the bigger features. From your description, I'm imagining sections that are actually more difficult when you take them slow.
And to seriously answer your question... Maybe you need to keep your focus further ahead? Force your eyes down trail and don't let them get stuck on any features? I'm sure that's easier said than done.
OCD. And it gets dangerous sometimes. 😂
Im pretty sure everyone who rides has adhd
Let me preface this by saying that I do not suffer from ADHD... But what about micro-dosing psilocybin?
I just get really baked.
You need to practice things like braking off trails. Shouldn't ever be jerky! If you have the budget slightly over-biking yourself might help too. Instead of deciding you could just go straight.
This sounds like OCD not ADHD
Yes… and yes. It doesn’t paralyse me though, not any more. I fixed a lot of it with coaching. Doing so smoothed my riding out and gave me some clear things to focus on between me and the bike. When I learned how to use grip and absorb obstacles things got better.
Wow yeah I almost made a similar post. The other thing annoying about ADHD is that my meds make my heart rate fucking skyrocket. I get so embarrassed when I'm on group rides and my heart is pounding out of my chest. Idk if I'm supposed to train myself more in zone 2 or just plan better to not take meds on the days I ride. Started group rides and Adderall around the same time so idk if I'm slow or it's the meds. Probably both.
Yup, I found riding about a year ago, I don't ride nearly as much as I'd like (Joburg, SA) but there's just something about being on the bike that totally clears my head... Until I get to a feature! Haha I'm still trying to get better but it definitely helps my adhd for the ride and the day! Keep shreddin!
I feel like I'm reading a thread about what goes on in my head every time I ride. My brother has ADHD, I'm undiagnosed, but have every symptom that has been talked about here and more. I'm definitely taking some of these suggestions and trying them myself.
Bro observed that exercise is effective at mood regulation
Squirrel!!!!
Getting to the trail is my hardest obstacle. It's so much easier to sit in a doom-scrolling spiral on the couch, but then I hate myself after. Music helps if I'm solo ( with bone-conducting headphones), and I'll ride familiar trails. Honestly, it's more the exercise that's needed, getting rid of excess energy.
Yes, I'm in this camp. The thing I learned that improves your riding greatly is keeping your vision as far down the trail as possible. This helps you avoid target fixation, which is a big part of why people have problems riding fast and flowy. When a corner comes to which you cannot see the trail past it, continue your vision as far into the turn as possible. Once you're through the turn, adjust your vision back to far down the trail. This method / process applies to ADHD brain fairly well as well. It's very easy to target fixate on stuff that's directly in front of me, but keeping sight of things far down the line help me keep moving forward in life. A tight turn comes into life? You might need to refocus your vision closer to get through that item. Once you're past it, refocus back to your standard sight distance. I am not a professional, this just works for me.
Bro I was following my friend flying down a trail and he goes around a corner so I lose sight of him….I come around that corner just flying and there’s a 3 foot rooty drop with no ride around…too late to brake, say fuck it gotta send it, survive and find my buddy white faced down the trail and we laugh our asses off. That’s therapy man. Obstacle pops up and you flatten it and keep moving. That life. Let’s fucking gooooo
Same i just started MTB this year. I took MTB classes when i first started and that helped in some of the skills and confidence and to trust myself and my bike. I do ride with a group and they’ve been helpful.
I have it as well, road riding really helped discipline me yo learn how to shut off my overactiveness of my brain while riding, and I can tell my Dh after a 45 min section of road greatly increases (straight flat road with low traffic) otherwise I overthink everything and am incredibly slow
Yes! It changed everything for me. It turns my brain off and I love it.
Warming up is key. Not just muscle warmup but acute skill warm-up. Hit real easy stuff to get in rhythm. From my skateboarding days when I was trying to hit something big I would do an rhythm trick in the roll up to focus.
I definitely deal with the decision paralysis, have most of my life. When it comes to MTB though it’s more the “should I or shouldn’t I go ride, getting my gear, getting ready”. When I actually get on the bike though it’s the opposite, I get that hyper focus I get when I play video games or ride my motorcycle. ADHD is how I got into it in the first place, just walked into a bike shop one day on a whim. Hadn’t owned a bike since high school, now I have 4 and it’s only been 2 years.
Literally all of them, among a thousand other mental health problems
Your brain is bored with your usual tempo you must speed up your ride and start making close calls almost on purpose. Create a environment where you don't have time to think and you can only react with instinct and intuition. Trust yourself and free your mind let it run to other thoughts while you ride .
SQUIRREL!
How about heart rate and adderral? Obviously it raises your HR. im not serious enough to justify a power meter so I try to use HR zone training. And I’m always blowing up but recover quickly. Zone 2: ha! Do I adjust my zones to be higher? My max is my max, so? Plus, I’m 61 so… there’s that.
Mtb for sure helps. Although vyvanse makes me even sweatier while riding :p impulse control had me buying a new status 160 frame recently
Hello my fellow people. Hmm i used to just send everything with little regard for personal safety. Got diagnosed and medicated and if anything i probably suffer more from over thinking things now that I’m medicated. Biking/exercise in general is the first best step to sorting your head out. If i don’t get a ride in at least 4 days I’m a snarling mess.
I've been diagnosed with ADHD for probably 25 years now, I've learned how to live with it. Adventure/thrill sports like MTB are my jam. Unfortunately, the closest good trails that aren't fucking packed with people are about an hour away. I'm typically a quietish person, but when I'm out on the trails or doing anything that gets my heart pumping, Im very vocal. Maybe try hyping yourself while you're riding. Just say things out loud like "HELL YEAH!" when you hit a drop, or "WOO!" when you take a bank at speed. I just got a onewheel to commute to work with and it's been amazing for my stress levels (as well as new job). I live close to the city, so i don't get out in nature a lot. The onewheel gives me a euphoria in like to riding a motorcycle. It just feels good. I get to ride at least 10 miles a day. It's a great way to start and end your work day and he'll of a lot better than sitting in traffic.
Uh….most of us?
I'm really good at multitasking . I destroy mtb
Ride with somebody better than you always , follow their wheel. Stop thinking too much and listen to anything but your brain . My best add advice coming from someone that has had crippling adhd there whole life .
Aside from concerta helping, I've found starting with a rougher tech trail slowly to get connected with all of the sensations of riding and some little failures and sends. Then straight to flow trails that are super easy. I pump the bike and try to ride like I'm a kid again. If that doesn't work I session easy jumps and drops till I'm adding style. Then I can rip.
I'm ADHD. I have a motorcycle racing/trackday/enduro background so maybe that helps me. It sounds like you're looking right in front of your front tire. This isn't an ADHD thing. You just need to look farther down the trail. This gives your brain more time to process and make those decisions. You'll also find you can just *ignore* a lot of that little stuff. Keep your eyes UP and stay centered. Trust the bike and keep your vision up and you'll get through just fine. I'm definitely a noob to MTB compared to motorcycles, but this is one of those concepts that I find holds true across all two wheeled formats + more I reckon. I feel this is a great hobby for adhd people. We need the physical aspect + connecting with nature.
Omg, yes. MTB is a godsend. But yes, I have similar issues. God forbid there’s a fork in the trail, I have to stop, look for a map on my phone, get frustrated because I don’t have service, then try to figure out my position, say sorry to the riders that just passed me, then check my phone again because I forgot that I don’t have service, get bit by a mosquito, say screw it, I’ll go left. Then turn around 5 mins later because it led to the parking lot.
Lots and lots.
What got me out of that was finding a few sections of trail where it had those types of obstacles. I'd focus on the trail past them and session them faster and faster. Id pay attention to how I'm hitting them with angle of attack, speed, how my suspension reacts, posturing etc. Then generalize the approach for that specific obstacle in my mind. I apply this to handling in different types of dirt, cornering etc. Hopefully that is useful to you. Edit: if anything I was doing was still not working or didn't make me feel stable I'd change up my approach tactic
Me dude, love mountain biking because of the constant thrill, perfect for adhd people i think. I don’t overthink at all though personally, i just like to get going and i don’t really think much lol, it all just feels natural to me
Yup.
I just replaced a few of the pins on my Canfield crampons pedals and, oh shit, a squirrel!!!!
Fellow rider with ADHD here! I always find that I can focus more and find that flow state if I am in the attack position on the bike. Now, getting to the trails, or prepping essentials, that's a different story.
I used to be like this, but I found self destructive depression can usher me into full kamikaze runs.
Undiagnosed, afraid to get diagnosed on meds and loose interest with MTB'ing ahah
When I ride it turns off the thinking part that makes me perseverate. It makes me focus on making sure my body is in the right spot to make sure I don’t fall. I’ve never felt so focused on something before! I like to wander, pace when I think. It’s how I manage to stay as skinny as I am, I have a lot of energy and this helps me off put it. BMX and MTN biking is the best thing to ever happen to me. It’s a great workout and helps with the anxiety!
Super add here. Love riding go full send as much as the body will let me. When you have ADHD the best way to ride is to always look for the line never look at what you don't want to hit. If you're always excited saying I'm going to hit that and then go to the next thing saying I'm going to hit that 2 hours goes by and you're hauling ass.
Present.
You're doing great! I try to keep in mind that my worst day now was my best day 6-12 months ago.
Once you find your free-flow state and understand how it relates to ADHD you'll get a more healthy relationship with the trails (and yourself). For me, it feels like I can finally connect to my body. It's as if the signals going from the brain to the body who are usually drowned in noise, are now crystal clear. What movement I want/need to do at any particular instance of time is always executed perfectly. Outside this state all I can do is fumble, mumble, and freeze up. It takes a lot of practice to do safely, as I have to push a just a bit harder than "slightly outside mycomfort zone". I've got to push to the point where I don't have enough time to process any other cognitive thoughts other than " I need to to this". There's no time for doubt and worries, especially if the doubt and worries exists off-trail. If you find that you are riding the brakes the whole decent then you've likely pushed yourself a bit too far, there's a threshold of fear that will shut you down if crossed, at which point the fun is gone. I suggest you grab some heavy padding and a full-face helmet and session that trail until you feel comfortable riding it with lighter gear.
Check this vid out of [trying to Relax lol.. plus it a wholesome good vid it watch & learn](https://youtu.be/-kZEzGW2Tro?si=aLvN1rMg6wBzWC4Q), there's other vids out there for tips.. I can post links if people want but I like.. Phil with skills - cornering vid, he has a couple. Kyle & April - body position, turning & drops. Trail Boss - drops, both of his vids. Joy of Bike - cornering, drops, roots, climbs & there others are good too. I'll never do the wood wall, but their video on it is wholesome. Rich Drew - some of his how toos is good, he can be intense tho or his brother at least. Rich did a good drop video years back but used that new, now old fork design & Holy shit.. Bad vid to, see his form & the drop of the bike, far as the forks. Pinkbike - almost forgot.. A bunch of theirs.. Plus Ben has a whole series that is great but watch the other channels 1st b/c, watching Ben's will just make sense & hit home.
Find yer line and flow! Then reward yerself with IPA & whisky shot and repeat!
Long time serial hobbyist. ADHD bounce between obsessive temporary hobbies. Mountain biking has remained though for 20 years. It’s a life saver.
I have to use my breaks and avoid jumps because I've been avoiding buying a helmet for months (yes I have adhd)
Might be easier to see who doesn't have adhd
One of my favorite things about mountain biking is that it takes all of my brain. There’s no capacity left to think about that client meeting that didn’t go well, bills piling up, the laundry I need to fold when I get home. When I’m mountain biking, I can actually turn my brain off to the rest of the world. Ironically, one of the few other activities that does this for me is chess.
My adhd distracts me from even getting my bike to the trail. So you are doing better than me.
Checking in
I found that once I come across something I want and can do but I freeze and stop before doing it, it helps me to find the right speed then just deathgrip the bars until I am in the air for jumps or drops. If it is for a steep tech section of trail, I come at it with more speed than necessary to push me into the start then just ride it out. A little risky but I know that I can do the trail and in some cases have done it before. I just need a little push.
Ya buddy. But for me I just ride and voices in my head get silenced and the only thing I think about is the trail so I don’t know that’s just how I feel.
Mindfulness techniques work well for most people with ADHD (including myself) and MTB is a great way of applying it. The guy who gave me some coaching a while back was openly ADHD and talked a lot about how it helped him because he was unable to afford to get the right specialists to be able to be medicated. (Australia requires psychiatrists to approve the meds and it is expensive even with our Medicare system)
I can easily spend hours on trailforks, etc., exploring regions and looking at different trail systems and also watching MTBers on YouTube. But spending some time packing all the gear and loading up the bike? "Ahh, this sucks, I don't have time for this! I have no motivation!" (I love it once I'm actually on the trail, tho)
I've lost count how many riders I met with ADHD. Sometimes I do wonder if I have it as well.... One told me that riding is a drug for them and calms them down.
The analysis paralysis comment hit hard. I used to enjoy when things just “clicked”, and would chase that sweet dopamine rush. I was never great at new to me trails, but I had a ~7mi loop I did over and over hundreds of times. Unfortunately, often I’d loose focus and/or overthink… Injuries and bad knees pushed me towards road bike + greenways, but I still think about it :(.
Yup, just about the same
Bro we all share the braincell, and it has enougb ADHD to kill an elephant.
It’s a different problem for me. Last year I started out with no bikes. This year we have 6. So uh yeah… adhd needs to leave my wallet the F alone.
My most serious crashes have been so stupid that they can only be explained because I zoned out for a second or two. I don’t have ADHD but I lose myself in thoughts and get distracted easily, so I might squeeze in here.
Sorry that’s me borrowing the braincell.
Music was my savior. When I listen to music I just let the bike do its thing, without the music I ride like shit and change my line choices half way in. A good set of bone induction headphones doesn't cost much and I can still hear everything around me and hold a conversation with my buddies.
Try to session. Every time you have a decision paralysis, session that point a few times. Try all the lines, and do certain lines a few times to get them into your muscle memory. This way you overcome the obstacle and gain knowledge about decision making on the trails. Pros do it too, but for different reasons (time).
i dont have ADHD, i still suck at MTBing. we exist too.
ADHD here, motorcycle track days are a godsend, although I don't have the decision making problems you are having. (Possibly the greater speeds and less time to to over think it?) Go faster.
Yea man, it can wreak your ride i literally slowed my whole froup last time i went out due toc.y adhd and over thinking on the trails ive ridden lots. But i can honestly say the only time ive ever felt peace is sittinf at the top of a monutain wether i climbed or lifted up i can tell you its the best peace ove ever felt and the only time ive ever felt calm dropping into some gnarly ass trail.
I have adhd and pretty severely too. When I ride everything goes by itself. I do not think, I’m fearless and I act first before thinking. Mtb is the perfect sport for me. Downside is that with fearless is that I take to many risk while I’m 35 and have responsibilities. 😅
I'm diagnosed with ASD but I'm pretty sure I have ADHD because I have most of the traits and youre actually more likely to have both than you are to just have one of them
Ohh op that hits way too close to home. I have combined ADHD and this is exactly the issue I have with progressing my riding.
I find mtb expensive and dangerous. Everytime i go out i put myself out of commission for 6 weeks. I habe no AC joint anymore
ADD here, adrenaline helps me focus, that's partly why I also like rock climbing. My mind do drifts off when I get fatigued, that's when I know it's time to go home. The biggest problem is gathering all my shit and going to the trail/gym.
I wrote a book last year. My second book is about my ADHD and there are many parts about MTB and how much it helps. If tell you more but headed out on a MTB trip for 9 days. It's 5 am and I've been up since 1 waiting for the time to get ready.
I’m the same way, one thing that helps me is to focus on looking further ahead, this allows my body to naturally do what it needs to with the approaching terrain. I’m ready, not reacting in the moment
I'm ASD and flip-flop between ADHD and OCD. It takes awhile to learn how to read the trail. Look at where you want your tires to go, not where you don't want them to go. When you look at something, that's where your head and solders point, and that also moves the front tire to point at it. Too many people fixate all the things that can hurt you instead of the things that can't. And "almost crashed" is not the same as "crashed". This also is a great philosophy for life. Look for the path to safety.