Introductions - Hello

Hi,

I stumbled into the 50+ forum when searching for some bike aspects and decided to join. May be I should start a 70+ one LOL.

I used to bike in the late 40's to early 50's in Germany,

started very serious downhill skiing in the 60's in Alberta including instructing on weekends (alas my skiing days are over),

went into scuba diving all the way to Master Scuba Diver in the late 90's and now,

living in Ontario, re-discovered biking this summer to keep my knees moving (*) when I purchased a Specialized Epic DISC INT bike with the 26 x 2.00 wheels it came with for trail biking and added extra 700 x 28c wheels when using the bike on the road.

(*) had knee arthroscopy on both knees last year and unfortunately knees are worse then before :cry: and was told I should start considering knee replacement. Went to a different (highly recommended) specialist who put me back on physiotherapy and also indicated that biking would be o.k. Any suggestions from others with knee problems would be welcomed.

Regards from a ‘young’ old one:) .

Welcome 1934! So how's the new bike compare to the ones you rode in the 40's and 50's?

Welcome 1934. :beer:
I'm SO glad to hear from another "older" cyclist who isn't at death's door, like many of the folks in the 50+ forum. That's why I stay away from that place.
I'll be 62 next month and I'm still just a kid. ;)

Enjoy the bike. I hope cycling helps the knees.

"So how's the new bike compare to the ones you rode in the 40's and 50's?"

hmmm...

A very basic 3 speed to a 27 speed with many technical advances.
The new one costing 50 times the old one if one doesn't consider the inflationary aspect.-
The old very basic touring bike being able to keep up with a racing club for some 100 km (when they finally turned away from the road I was on on a 180 km trip to a wedding) with real "road racing bikes" much to their displeasure and on another trip making a 98 cc motorbike which tried to keep up with me eventually blow it's engine v/s the new one being more often passed by others then passing others - but then that has more to do with the "engine" than the bikes, with after all is now some 54 years older and has some mechanical defects. LOL.

Well, I turned 72 last May and as to the 50+ group, from many of the posts I read most seem to still be in their early 50's.

Ignor what RonH says about the 50+ forum.
"Death's door"? :roflmao:
Course, I'm one of the younger members there, only 54. So far this year I've ridden over 3000 miles and I couldn't keep up with a whole bunch of those guys!

Oh, and welcome to the forums!

Thanks Megaman,

Wow, more than 3,000 miles this year. I have only managed 1,148 km (a little over 700 miles) since purchasing the bike on July 11 and am afraid, the weather here in Canada at this time will restrict my biking somewhat (not totally though) until Spring 2007.

And yes, based on what I read in that group, I don't believe I can keep up with many of them be it speed, frequency of biking or distance, although I'm not afraid of trying, LOL. But then while not discounting the pleasure or benefits from "pushing the limits" from time to time I am also not discounting the aspects of leisure and viewing of the scenery -- so my "average" speed to-date is only 18.4 kph (about 11.5mph) - with no real big/long hills although I found out that wind can make quite a difference v/s those who qouted averages speeds of over 20 mph.

the weather here in Canada at this time will restrict my biking somewhat (not totally though) until Spring 2007.

so my "average" speed to-date is only 18.4 kph (about 11.5mph) - with no real big/long hills although I found out that wind can make quite a difference v/s those who qouted averages speeds of over 20 mph.

Yeah, the weather here slows me down too. But I've been having so much fun this year that I'm riding at lower temps than I ever did before.
I don't think your average speed of 11.5 mph is that slow. I pass a lot of riders and on a MUP I'll average about that and on the road about 12.5 mph. I agree the wind is a factor on how fast you ride. But I do get smoked every once in a while by someone easily going 20 mph. The reason I ride is for fun. I love watching scenery and relaxing sometimes by the trail.