Fifty Plus (50+) - I need my bike to stay sane

All I read is Imus, and Iraq, and I'm swamped at work, and the weather's terrible, and my niece is out of rehab (this latest time), and my elderly relatives need much attention, and the phone is ringing again and the emails are piling up and thank God I have my bicycle and the time spent riding it.

Two wheels and my thoughts. Wonderful.

Does it keep you sane, too?

Ayup. It sure does. Though for me it's my two wheels, the breeze, the frogs, the squirrels, yakkiing with my son about nothing that matters and none of my thoughts. I surely need a break from them and all they lay on me to do and to live up to. The break is wonderful.

Yes, more than I care to admit.
I am now combining it with a weight loss program. Five more pounds to go. We will do 150 miles bike tour tomorrow. That should eat up some calories and I will not think about
Ismus, Iraq, economy, my job and my wife is on the other side of the globe for two more weeks.

Yes! Absitively, posilutely. And the Saturdays around here need to improve quickly. It can be warm and dry with no wind all week, then on Saturday the wind kicks up or it rains or snows or it does all three. Come Monday, it's back to perfect cycling weather again! Forecast for this Saturday is cold, wind, rain....:(

Absolutely-couldn't agree more. Nothing like getting out for a long solo ride just to enjoy being away from all the junk......

In my case sanity long ago departed, but I still need my bike.:p

Ozone Bikes, a LBS here in Austin, had a sign a while back that said, "Let the bike solve the problems." I couldn`t agree more. It could solve all kinds of problems. As far as sanity is concerned, a few hours of Zen-like in-the-zone bike riding is better than any medication. Must be all them endorphins marauding through our systems.:p

The past few months have been nuts and today was just another page in that book.
All I wanted was to come home and get on my bike.
A short -10 mile- after work ride spinning in the 90s with lots of uphill and I just let the wind beat the hell out of me. But it didn't *defeat* me :D Suddenly work doesn't matter so much

When I don't get to ride -life happens- I miss it like I used to miss my smokes.

In my case sanity long ago departed, but I still need my bike.:p

:beer:

Nothing clears my mind like a good ride.

Ah, so glad to hear it isn't just me...

My dog has inoperable (but not untreatable, at a price) cancer.

I haven't closed a deal in months.

I'm backed up with paperwork & filing.

I need to renew my real estate license; it will require about 5 hrs. of on-line work. Like I can sit still that long.

I spent 8 days in NJ w/o a bike where the weather was colder in April than it was at Christmas & New Year's.

Really grateful for a bike and a partner ready to hit the road and hammer like there's no tomorrow.

Yeah, what little sanity I have left I preserve with a ride.

I agree with everyone's post. :)

Hey 'Dawg - I like you Vonnegut tribute. Slaughterhouse Five was the first Vonnegut I ever read.

Just look at the 50+ forum after a prolonged winter with a slow start to riding......except for DG.....I hate him.....

I agree. Biking, thinking about biking, or buying something biking related keeps me a wee bit saner (notice I ddn't say sane) than I might be otherwise. Still too cold to do anything, but yesterday Mr. UPS delivered my brand spanking new Tubus Front Rack for my new bike. So, after work today I will spend some time installing that.

"When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes
monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and
go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride
you are taking."
-- (Sir) Arthur Conan Doyle (1896)

Who needs Prozac when we have a bike to ride?

Ohhhh yeah....
Glad I'm not alone too.
Looking forward to the after work "attitude adjustment" ride.
Even my wife has finally figured it out. When I get crabby she says, "Why don't you just go ride."

Riding does help to keep me sane. I have to admit after some long hard rides I sometimes think I must be a little crazy for doing it:)

Yep, helps in the sanity dept, and it is such a fun thing to do! My husband recognizes that it gives me an attitude adjustment also, so he doesn't ride with me, but he sure likes seeing me go!

Ohhhh yeah.....
Glad I'm not alone too.
Looking forward to the after work "attitude adjustment" ride.
Even my wife has finally figured it out. When I get crabby she says, "Why don't you just go ride."
+1. My wife has even volunteereed to mow the grass when I told her I had to choose between riding or the grass. And she never mows the grass.

+1. My wife has even volunteereed to mow the grass when I told her I had to choose between riding or the grass. And she never mows the grass.

Got half an acre needs cutting -Can we do a swop.

I love retirement..........and highly recommend it!

My boss is a ****** bag. I've always said my bike riding is as much for mental fitness as physical.

Hey 'Dawg - I like you Vonnegut tribute. Slaughterhouse Five was the first Vonnegut I ever read.

Since this post is about sanity it seems relevant to give another quote from Vonnegut. This one struck a chord in me. 50 plussers will have no trouble identifying with it:

"When you get to my age, if you get to my age, and if you have reproduced, you will find yourself asking your own children, who are themselves middle-aged: "What is life all about?'' .........

I put my big question about life to my son the pediatrician. Dr Vonnegut said this to his doddering old dad: "Father, we are here to help each other get through this thing, whatever it is." "


Vonnegut's Blues For America

By Kurt Vonnegut

http://www.rense.com/general69/vonnegutsblues.htm
Vonnegut's Blues For America

Who needs Prozac when we have a bike to ride?

Check the OP's title. It's the bicycle that's in need of Prozac.

Wish my bike would stay sane. The last few times I've been on it, seems it been acting a little insane- trying to run me into trees, throw me off at rock gardens, endo'ing over limb or log crossings-I think my bike's been getting carried away lately-or trying to have me carried away!

i think its important for me to get my heart rate high enough so that discursive thought stops for awhile. in computer language, i need to re-boot.