Fifty Plus (50+) - One more goal is in sight now

For years and year and years I was not but a slug. Finally it began to dawn on me that my wife & I made a pact to see 90 together and at the rate I was going, well, I wasn't gonna make it unless I got off my hindquarters. So, I began to think and realized the only form of exercise that I enjoyed enough to sustain was riding a bike. "I'm gonna get a new bike and start riding again." I said over and over again. Long story shorter... I finally went out to "test drive" a couple and bring one home. I hadn't made it more than a block or two before I knew it was every bit as much fun as I thought I remembered it being 20 years ago. I felt like this is what I was meant to do. I also knew it was going to be a hard row to hoe for a while until my body started coming around. So, I needed goals -short, mid, and long-term- to get me through the times where I wanted to give up. Funny thing is, it was every bit as hard as I thought it would be and yet I never got to a point where I didn't want to continue. It made my goals even more desirable. So, one by one, I knocked 'em down and usually sooner than I had projected. Only two are left: do a 20 mile ride and break 1000 miles for the year. Last night I did 9 cold, hard miles and realized I only have 62 more miles to go. It's just now December. I think I'm gonna make it. (I'm shooting for my 20 tomorrow). Is bike riding just the greatest thing or what?

So just 2 goals to end the year. 62 miles should be possible but take care on the 20. We have found by experience here on the forum that for a 20- you have to have a pie stop somewhere. Normally around the halfway mark so this will take some planning. Get the maps out and then the Yellow pages. You will have to plan this route and arrange things so that you hit a Town with a cafe that is open when you get there, and the Town should be around ten to twelve miles on the circular route. Not easy to find in December so I wish you all the luck possible.

Well done on the riding so far but Don't let on when your birthday is until you have done the ride.

P.S. Pie stops require pictures by the way.

Again with the pie, eh? As long as it doesn't have to be blueberry (sorry)
What's the story behind that, anyway? I'm really curious now because it comes up a lot.
As luck would have it, my whole planned route is within town limits and 12 miles will put me right in the ballpark of one of our main shopping centers; one in which I need to stop anyway to pick something up for the Mrs. There you will also find at least two coffee shops and a major market. Surely pie can be found. Not sure what to do with the bike in the meantime but I can figure that out, I guess.

Pics mean I'll have to carry a camera. Extra weight? Ugh. But, OK, rules is rules :)

My birthday is still a few months off so I think I'm OK there ;)

Congratulations on setting goals and getting so close to achieving them

My wife and I made a decision similar to yours about a year and a half ago and we have just achieved our goal for the year. (A long ride that's discussed in another thread) It's a great feeling!

Good going, SaiKaiTai. Keep crankin', the better cycling shape you get yourself into - the more fun it becomes.

Soon you'll be looking at a century ride...which, of course, involves multiple pie stops.

I just calculated that my first ride after 20 years -my test drive- was 1.3 miles of flat ground.
The first time (on the bike I ultimately bought) was OK but, man, was I huffin'
The second loop was just a shade longer but essentially the same route.
Halfway through I wasn't sure I was going to make it back.

When I got the bike home, I was so stoked and it would be silly to bring the bike home and not try it out, right? So, off I went. 100' down and a 100' up spread over 2/3's of a mile; 1/3 of that was a steady 2.5% grade. Yes, 2.5%. As soon as I hit that, I was out of gas and I still had 900' of a 5.5% grade to go to get home. I couldn't make it (And that had a little dip in the climb; the other way home would've been worse: 600' of 11% straight up. Conquering that climb was goal number 1). This was when I really knew what lied ahead for me.

As crazy as it sounds, I've always held a fantasy of doing a hundred mile ride.
In my neck of the woods that would be quite an amazing task.

When I see how far I've come in 8 months, let's see where I am in a year's time

WTG dude, I know how you feel.