Ask Ping!
Friday, February 8, 2013 | 9:00 AM
ODI dates back to the 1980’s as the leader in grip manufacturing. Focusing primarily on the bmx and mountain bike industries through the 90’s and early 2000’s, ODI re-entered the motocross scene when they developed the patented lock-on grip system that eliminates wire and glue. Continuing to advance the way riders hold on to their bikes, ODI has worked closely with the teams they support such as Troy Lee Designs to create the product that is now being used by some of the top teams in the industry.
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PrintPing,
I'm going to cut to the chase. In the motocross industry it is like North Dakota does not exist. Probably since we are too far up north to ride year round and have not produced fast amateurs like other states. Or have we? A young man by the name of Tanner Reidman has won a Pro Lites Arenacross main event. Actually, I believe it was two. Did anyone notice? Nope, not at all. There is also a 16 or 17 year old kid named Ryan Peters, and this kid rips. I know people always say "oh so and so will be the next big thing", but that's not what I'm saying. This kid really is fast; he was the 250A and Open A state champion for 2012. I know you have some sort of connections with whom ever. Just get someone to hook this kid up.
Bill Williamson
Bismarck, ND
Who hired this guy? Can’t even figure out what a foot is.
I’m not sure what you do for a living, Bill, but let’s just say you work at a sandwich shop. Let’s just say it’s a Subway. Do you hire a guy because someone told you he made an awesome turkey sandwich once at a backyard barbecue? You probably want to meet him, interview him, get to know him, see his work firsthand and then make a decision. Well, aside from the delicious cookies and $5 footlongs the motocross industry is exactly the same. Unless Tanner or Ryan can get to some amateur nationals and perform well they will go undiscovered. If they show up at Loretta Lynn’s and do well I’m sure they would get a chance to talk with the guys at Team Green and Suzuki and KTM and every other company in the industry. You have to earn support, Bill, you don’t just get “hooked up” because you are fast at your local track. I was a three-time Montana state champion and four-time Arizona state champion but that did nothing to get me industry support. I had to show up to amateur nationals and beat the best riders in the country before I got a shot. Thankfully my parents were able to help me do that; it wasn’t easy for them. I’ll keep an eye out for them but they will need to get to some big races and do well.
PING
Dear Ping,
Every race we hear Ralph and Fro talk about how pumped the crowd is and how packed the stands are. Living in the Midwest, Indy is the only race close enough for me to attend and it's always a good turnout, but never packed. Watching this weekend’s Anaheim round I couldn't help but notice MASSIVE chunks of the stands with little to no people in them. I know the sport is on the rebound and got hit hard by a failing economy but is there an unspoken rule that we just aren't going to talk about the reality of how bad it is? I'm sure Feld and Monster don't want to put out the impression of a struggling brand. I feel like if the reality was shown and people were told to get their asses out there, even if it is a 5 hour drive, maybe they would show up. Just my two cents, which I'm sure is worth about as much as a Canadian Tooney at a south Texas strip club.
Thanks,
Aaron
Good for Hockey gear, Justin Bieber CD’s and anything at Pulpmx.com
Despite what Jeff and Ralph read from a script on the broadcast the turnout at A2 and A3 was dismal. After a sold-out opener I think most people here in the overtaxed wasteland that is southern California had to decide if they wanted to keep the lights on in their house or try to buy tickets for another round of supercross. By the number of available seats in Angel Stadium those two weekends I think the masses made the right call and watched from home. Sadly, the economy is allowing many fans to buy tickets to multiple rounds right now. And yet, ironically, the movie Warm Bodies grossed 20 million this week. That’s a head-scratcher.
Anyhoo, don’t worry about the health of the series. The supercross product is great and once the series heads east to cities that don’t get to see SX three times in one month the attendance numbers will come back. And I’m pretty sure those Tooney’s are useless in every state south of Minnesota.
PING
Hey Dave,
I have noticed a trend when 250 riders go into the 450 class and would love to know the reason. In the 250 class, so many riders wear visible roost protection such as Villopoto using a Thor sentinel while he was in the Pro circuit 250 team. Same goes for a lot of the other Pro circuit riders and another rider I saw wearing visible roost protection is Trey Canard while he was riding a 250. Then when they move up to the 450 class the roost protectors disappear. Why is this? Is it a sponsor thing or do they feel they don't need it in the 450 class?
Keith Mooney
Ireland
Apparently the real world equivalent of wearing protective gear.
Most riders use all the protection they can as amateur riders. I think the input from parents and the fact that all the other kids are wearing it makes it acceptable. That translates the first couple years they race 250’s. Remember when Stewart wore a chest protector? Once they hit the 450 class, however, the top riders aren’t wearing chest protectors anymore and very few are still wearing neck braces. There are two things going on here: First, it’s more comfortable not to wear extra protection. You feel much more agile on the bike and less encumbered by the plastic and foam of protectors. In some cases this can translate to faster lap times. I wish that weren’t true but I’ve seen it happen. The second thing is that these are just young kids who want to look cool and be accepted. For the less secure riders, wearing a chest protector and neck brace is like going to high school wearing high-water slacks, a clip on tie and a hat with a propeller on it. Nerd city, man. It’s unfortunate that there is a stigma attached to it though because I believe that some injuries could be prevented and/or reduced if everyone were wearing chest protection and neck protection. Do you need a chest protector to ride a 450? No. You only need it when you crash a 450 and it chases you down and pummels you.
PING
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"I think most people here in the overtaxed wasteland that is southern California"
.The over taxing disease is spreading accros the whole country Ping!!
And that is why you have "B" riders at LL that are faster than a lot of pro riders at a National.
Ping. Your analogies are terrible. You aren't good at jokes. Just try to keep it simple please.
I was hoping for the hole shot on this one but I cased it on the space bar and endo-ed over the home row keys, but I'm ok my pocket protector that says "I love PI" saved me....(like the one the nerd has)LOL
Maybe it's the record high gas prices keeping people from driving to SX races. Why are all the left sheep not talking about gas prices anymore?
If a kid really wants to go to Lorettas and try to make an impact, but didnt have the money, he could buy a single place trailer on craigslist for like $100, hook it up to his parents Minivan, and somehow get down there to race. It doesnt have to be in a Diesel Pusher Motorhome with a 20ft. trailer hauling 3 race bikes and 3 practice bikes.
The Dallas SX has been all but sold out since late December. First time I've seen this...ever...in more than 30 years.
And as to the protective gear...guess I'm an "insecure rider" b/c if there's a piece of gear that will prevent an injury, I wear it. Granted, it may take me 30-min to get ready...
As we all know, it's not "if" you crash, but when.
When the Leatt came out, I was one of the first people in the US to buy one. I stated then, within 3 years...AMA would make it mandatory. Boy, was I wrong on that one!
Great answer to the first letter. I have been to mx nationals and sx races where the local state champion pro couldn't qualify in the top 40 to make the program. Local fast isn't national caliber racer fast.
Well, since nobody thought the pocket protector attempted humor was funny, I guess I will say something about taxes: I hate Toll roads we pay enough taxes, shouldn't have to pay anything for a road.Next thing you know, they'll want a fee to pull out of your driveway. They are talking about rebuilding the bridge on I-75 over the Ohio river where I live near Cincinnati and making it a toll. They shouldn't have wasted all the money and planned for the bridge years ago. If we as everyday people mismanaged our money like the govt has we would be in serious trouble...Time for the govt to get back to reality. Don't spend what you can't afford..
I have to pay taxes on my snowmobile that I can't drive on the road and there are no trails for it in my state (blue state, they take the fed money but don't use it for trail system) . Why don't they make people who ride bicycles on the roads register tehem and pay taxes?
Realmofo- this one goes out to you!!
http://www.forbes.com/sites/henrymiller/2013/01/30/the-epas-lisa-jackson-the-worst-head-of-the-worst-regulatory-agency-ever/
I won 3 or 4 Minnesota state championships and it didn't do a thing except land me in the hospital a bunch. Factory connection wouldn't even help me at nationals and our family was paying them!! Cut throat. How disappointing that was, my life looking up to Larocco and that team. Once they receive a check, it's see ya later kid. Then they proceed to give a 125 to my competition and good friend.
Fu$k them
I want an "I love pi" pocket protector! A whole bunch of then so I can make some chest protectors for the home schooled kids that never make it!
It's funny about Ralph/Jeff not talking about attendance because I've noticed that the word "motocross" or anything related to it(wins/tiles etc.) is never spoken of. If you are one of the new "mainstream" fans you would have no idea MX even exists. Is it coincidence or does Feld have a list of things they can't talk about.
I feel naked it I don't wear my chest protector. I'll give up a few tenths to not have a bar end rupture my spleen. I've actually broke a chest protector in a crash and wondered what would have happened to me if I wasn't wearing one.
I also am paying taxes for the "anchor babies" here in Texas just like the people in CA. and AZ. Tell em to have thier drug cartels pay for them!
ride4ever not to mention the pollution created everytime you stop at a toll!! The politicians are all for "green" crap till it gives them more money to piss away!!
@ Bill, Yep, I couldn't agree more! Time for a real restructuring of the way our govt functions. Help the people who pay the taxes, get rid of corrupt lobbyist, special interest, rotten politicians who sold out our blue collar middle class jobs to slave labor countries who make Junk and sell it back to us. The average person is slowly being bled out !!! Sorry for the rant, but I have to say something occaisionally.. Enough politics... Who would have thought Millsaps would have the lead after 5 rounds?????
Local communities are looking for anyway to generate money because they can't raise taxes enough to support piss poor spending. I'd rather pay a toll than a traffic ticket, which is how many small towns near me raise revenue. Here are some reasons I and some friends have been ticketed or pulled over: No seatbelt, dirty license plate, dirty license plate light, no shirt while driving(it was a dude), ashing a cigarette out the window while driving( in the rain), touching the white line and my favorite inadequate muffler. While my friend was getting what turned out to be a $200 dollar fine for a 50 state legal magnaflow exhaust, a straight piped Hardly-Davidson went by and was so loud the cop had to stop talking. When asked why he didn't pursue the bike the response was, "It helps for cars to hear them and besides they will probably just run". All the while violent crime is up 30% and meth labs are poping up everywhere.
True story Misoheye, I got pulled over for a seatbelt violation a while back, and when the officer told me he was giving me a ticket, I said "you have got to be fricken kidding me". The officer then said: " what was that" and I repeated: " you got to be fricken kidding me. There are known meth houses and child molesters running all about and you're worried about my seatbelt?" He told me: " Sir we can only enforce one law at a time." To that I replied " Well at least you've got your priorities straight" He handed me the ticket and walked away. My father-in-law thought I was going to go to jail...
Miso, How about "the cracked wind shield they see while drivin' in the oppsite direction at 65 mph?
Said for years now, stop running half the damn series in California. And this year it has been bad. No one is going. Stop with three Anaheim races. Plenty of other places throughout the US will fill the stadium. Bring it back to Colorado or New Orleans, try something new, give other folks a chance to go!
They'll ticket you now for hitting an elk with your car/truck "improper Mt. driving" true story !!! Effin' B.S. ! Can't help it if these friggin' Elk & Deer are suicidal
Totally need to cut down on some of the CA. SX rounds, there are great venues all over the country. Nearly 40 yrs. of SX and only been 1 race in Denver. (of course Mile High Stadium huggin' nuts of our local soccer team F'ed that up)
@ride4ever--I agree, get rid of every politician who sold out to Billionaire companies over the blue collar working man.. Leaving open loopholes for tax breaks to companies who ship jobs overseas...I agree, get rid of those politicians..
Now for moto--I have sen guys who raced at Kenworthies when it was on the National schedule who were unreal fast..They could smoke every local guy around.. Then cam ethe National, and they couldnt even qualify... Its a different ballgame when the big boys are racing..
And the attendance for A-2 and A-3 were dismal huh?? Big shock, it is every year..Indy may not sell out, but it holds over 60,000, not like Anaheim which sells out at 42,000.. Indy sells over 55,000 tickets every year. One race in Anaheim sounds like it should be enough..Get another race on the East coast somewhere, or Tampa, that way one of the Texas rounds can be a West coast round like it should be..
@Dorbs--Agreed, how did New Orleans NOT get their race back?? They dont have to take Minneapolis off the schedule to give New Orleans theirs back.. Just make the Texas races West coast..and take away an Anaheim..
It is said that you cannot be decisive when you have all the facts. In humor, it is important to have a biased, misinformed and childish attitude, and look for things that bug you when you are in this condition.
Ping is a responsible man with an important job, a father and a husband, and a respected member of the racing scene. *yawn*
It is time that Ping set all that maturity and respectability asid. Maybe put on a Bro hat, walk around in pimp mirrored glasses, shorts and a heavy coat, drink a few rockstars and get some perspective.
Ping - Rage against the machine! Get your mojo back! We need you, dude!
Thanks for your concern 323mx, but you need to know the whole story. I was in a classic car which does not ding at you if your belt is not on. I stopped at a store to get something, and they didn't have what I was after, so i went a couple hundred yards down the road to another store about 25mph. Besides, Darwins Law doesn't always hold true.... you replied to my post!!! hahahahaha
Bring SX back to the Northeast - the most populated area in the U.S.!
@McMoto-Totally agree. California should have one SX. Move the other four to stadiums where people will show up. It's a fricking joke that they have five rounds. Take a look at the tweets of some of the riders. They can't wait to get out of California this week and get back east. I believe you can send emails to Feld to complain about all the California rounds so if you want a schedule change start emailing.
BTW, gas is so expensive in large part because the oil companies have spent decades paying politicians (mainly Republicans) to discourage the development of other forms of energy. (Liberal bashing begins here….)
I live in San Diego and Anaheim is an hour and a half away but I just went to the opener and I'm going to the San Diego round because when you add it all up its almost $300 for two people to go but it's free on tv!
323mx It's all good. I always wear my seatbelt. Too many people texting and drivin........aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh crashhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, and I thought I’d share with you that Cycle News is reporting that J-Law is coming back for the Nationals. Discuss….
Sef, you know specifically who big oil is paying off? You must be a really big deal to have access to that kind of information. If you're that "in the know" could you tell me how many fighter planes did Obama give to Egypt this year?
323mx not true if he drives a new car/truck, There are so many air bags now you really dopn't need a seat belt.
Sef funny your are the FIRST to say REP or DEM then cry the the bashing will begain!! Please!!! We all know you think the DEM's are GREAT.
Now that I think about it, seatbelts are counteracting Darwins Law. Back in the day (before seatbelts) if you drove stupid you probably would get killed. Therefore, seatbelts are the reason there are so many rejects in the world today!!! LOL
Just tax BillC every time he trys to talk politics on a moto site or bores me....that will leave a surplus of billions............fast amateurs.?..lol.......just get in line behind the other 10000 fast amateurs......line up at LL and show us what ya got...the big stage has a way of weeding them out on its own.
Just tax BillC every time he trys to talk politics on a moto site or bores me....that will leave a surplus of billions............fast amateurs.?..lol.......just get in line behind the other 10000 fast amateurs......line up at LL and show us what ya got...the big stage has a way of weeding them out on its own.
All this yuppie saftey crap is ruining our genetics! hahahaha
tonewall is so smart he has to post the same thing twice!!
God I love these boards. Everytime I check in there is some soap opera argument going on. It's very very entertaining, seriously.
I will agree with Misoheye, I get muffler tickets while Harley's ten times louder to by. It kills me
My friend just got pulled over leaving snow cross, he got this: no front plate, illegal tint, burnt out tail light, wrong license on trailer, improper working electric brakes on trailer, speeding. 700$ worth of tickets.. What is that?
By the way, if government allowed oil companies to drill, volume goes up and cost goes down. This is something I know about.. It the regulation we impose on ourselves that kills us, as other countries laugh. Did you know that we can't drill off the Gulf of Mexico, yet they do? Does that make sense?
Now the wackos want to stop fracking based on bogus claims. Fracking would allow the US to be energy independent by 2020 if all went according to plan, which it rarely does.. But it's a step in the right direction. Hybrid cars create just as many problems as they are trying to omit.
J-Law is indeed coming back. Mitch at PC just hired him today. His salary is Funions, diet Monster and whatever the worst beer you can buy in CA is.
There's a reason why those California rounds have low attendance.
Mexicans, homosexuals, gangsters, speed freaks and theft rings don't care about Supercross.
@rickm...I live within the Marcelus(sp) shale deposit and can definitely see both sides on that front. Money is good for all but water that can burn, I've seen it first hand, and specifically the radio active drill mud is bad. They are working on a non radio active mud right now. If that happens I'm all for it as long as if my water becomes flammable they will pay for the stuff to fix it. Most of this gas would be sold to China though just like the millions of gallons of water a day that are being siphoned out of the great lakes water shed.I agree with a lot of what you say except it's not one party or person that is screwing up.
I attended all 3 rounds at Anaheim this year. The first round was pack, the 2nd and 3rd rounds were empty. The sound from the crickets were louder than the bikes. It is kind of sad for the riders at the opening ceremonies to ride around and wave at a bunch of empty seats. This year has to be the worst I have seen in over 30 years. Hopefully we will see a higher attendace at the east coast rounds.
By the way has anybody seen that video on Transworld about Jlaws return to racing this summer?
I wanna see jlaw comeback,cig lit,beer on handlebar leather holder,cussin out everybody on the line,hell maybe he can talk ping into rollin some doobies and gettin those great subways sandwiches together
Until we accept the fact that ALL politicians are criminals, they will continue to play us against each other while they stuff their pockets and laugh at us.
It's just a matter of if you prefer Blue lube or Red lube while you're being F'd.
@redrider24....You are dead on.
True California story - got a ticket on my bicycle because I made an illegal left turn. Got a lecture for 30 minutes (I'm over 50) on how and where to ride a road bicycle...Total cop complex (and I respect the police). $75 Ticket cost over $200 with all the "CA fees." State is spiraling in fast.
3 rounds in Anaheim does not make much since when the prices to go to 1 race a year is more than most families can afford much less 3. You have 1 race in Florida and Georgia, but nothing else on the East coast? Why not Giants Stadium, Patriots Stadium, something in the Carolinas where a lot of race fans are at? Please don't say anything about the weather as SLC has had freezing rain and snow the past few years and the crowds there are still packed.
Does North Dakota really exist in any industry beside agriculture, energy, & missile silo maintenance?
Hopefully this year shows that So Cal shouldn't be counted on to support 5 races; cut it to 3 and add Utah and Seattle earlier.
"overtaxed wasteland that is southern California" -- pathetic. Maybe you can join poor Phil Mickelson in Florida, or Fatness Shrugged (Depardieu) in Russia.
I've always worn a chest protector and have never felt like it was that cumbersome or inhibiting. Two years ago I had a huge crash where I somehow ended up landing chest first on the brake master cylinder and bars and broke the front plate from top to bottom. I am pretty confident that I wouldn't be riding today, or worse, without that 119 dollar investment. Stupid not to wear one.
jlaw seems like the randy moss of mx, although i wouldnt bet on j.l. making it a whole season unless he has a good therapist, a life coach, a body guard, and paid by results contract! but its good to hear he's coming back!!
sorry didnt mean to sound negative, good luck jlaw! kick some butt! ill be cheering u on at millville!
Overtaxed? Really Ping? Are you seriously going to assert that the stands are empty because people are taxed more? Which people are being taxed more? Specifically. It's not the poor. And the wealthy aren't really going to change their habits because of a few bucks - and they aren't really the target audience anyway. They're at the opera. Average Joe Blow hasn't seen any difference in their taxes, and won't. 12 bucks a week or so is hardly going to change the sport. I think it's time to look for real solutions, and stop blaming some third party for the problems within our sport. And that requires real, honest, objective analysis without an agenda. "Higher taxes" may have caused 3 people to stay home. What about the other 20,000?
Red rider 24, misoheye- have you seen the movie The Distinguished Gentleman??
Eddie Murphy is fantastic, about politicians. Highly highly recommended.
Politicians should not be a career job
It's hard to say if I saw that movie. I have a hard time watching anything longer than 1 hour, including SX. Time to go shovel/plow.
J law is on a factory connection Hodaka for the nat's. Ya heard it here first. the thing has twin powerbands and pull start.
@joe- is that the one with the full floating front end and 50 mm telescopic rear suspension?
Yes?? word has leaked? I better call Jethro!
Ping - what size riding pants do you where? Do you have your mom hem them?