Fifty Plus (50+) - The Cycle of life.

A few months ago I got back into cycling after a 20-year hiatus. Things had changed in the bake world during that time but I knew if I wanted a bike my best bet was a LBS. I don’t have to tell any of you how out of shape I was because I am sure you guessed after that much of a layoff. Anyway I decided to get a comfort bike and ended up with a good little utility bike in a Giant Revive LX. It is indeed comfortable and great for those trips to the store and even the bike clubs ride and cruise. I think I may be putting more miles on my bike than my car. In fact it reminds me of a good family Sedan.

http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/ff346/Boaz47/Reviveone.jpg

Next I found myself looking at some dirt covered bike trails close to me and the allure of a MTB started creeping into my mind. It reminded me of when I got my 4X4 so I could explore some places a bit off of the beaten path. I got a good deal on a used one.

http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/ff346/Boaz47/MTB1.jpg

After joining a bicycle club I found myself socializing with several people who were very interested into the road part cycling. I will confess I was surprised to see how friendly they were even after sitting on those narrow seats for hours on end. To me these are like the sports cars of the bike world. What man can resist a sports car for long? Today I came home from the LBS with a new addition.

http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/ff346/Boaz47/HPIM1500.jpg

It may not be a Porsche, or Corvette but to me it is at least a Mustang GT. I expect to take some ribbing from the guys tomorrow at the club ride. But while I may be at the back of the pack I know I will be doing something I enjoy and I will be smiling when we take a break.

I expect to take some ribbing from the guys tomorrow

If you lived through whatever must have been tossed your way when you were on the Giant you can surely survive any misguided cheap shots concerning that nice Jamis. Ride proud.

Enjoy!

Great bikes, all 3. On a bikes-purchased-per-month basis, you may be the new champ!

If you lived through whatever must have been tossed your way when you were on the Giant you can surely survive any misguided cheap shots concerning that nice Jamis. Ride proud.

Enjoy!

The funny thing about the Giant is that it draws people like Bees to honey. If I go to the store someone is always walking up to me to ask how easy it is to ride or how comfortable it is. It will continue to hold an honored place in my fleet as a utility bike. I look forward to riding the Jamis tomorrow however.

Nice!!!

I enjoyed your description of your journey from cruiser/comfort to speed/flashiness. I hope you continue to enjoy the ride.

There's nothing like being able to go to the stable and pull
out the proper bike for the needs (or desires) of the day.
Good for you.

Happy trails

I can't wait to see your next bike purchase!

:thumb: I guess the next stable mates will be a low racer and then maybe a Pugsley snow bike. That should have about all the bases covered.

If we can get you together with Digital Gee, the average of your bike purchase "speed" will be a good normal!

I think you are setting a record. GREAT STUFF!

A proposed "new" standard...............N+2?

There's nothing like being able to go to the stable and pull
out the proper bike for the needs (or desires) of the day.
Good for you.

Happy trails

I think you have hit my point of view right on the head. Having the right tool for the job has been a goal of mine. I have read with interest many of the posts in these forums and I realized pretty quickly there was no one bike that did all things well. But I will admit I simply didn’t expect that I would get as much of a health benefit in 3 or 4 months as I have from Cycling. But I do feel that now I have the basic equipment I need so I need to work on learning how to use those tools for what they were designed for.

I took the Jamis out for my first group ride today. I took it easy just to make sure I had the seat adjusted and that the rest of the set up was where it should be. I wasn’t sure about the dropped bars or the narrow seat. I may change the seat but I am following the suggestion that I give the one I have a chance. I did 30 miles today and while different parts of the body let me know they were there my recovery time was much quicker than I expected. And yes it is true the added positions make using them easier than I expected.

I do want to thank many of the people on these forums for their advice and for directing me to sites where I could read and learn about what I should be doing. I do spend some time on the Sheldon Brown site. The three best pieces of advice I have received are fluids, fuel and rest.

Bob

Way to go Bob...very nice bike. :thumb:

Way to go Bob...very nice bike. :thumb:

Thanks. I honestly never thought I would be interested in a Road bike because I have been so out of shape and to be honest that seat looked pretty small. I also never thought I would enjoy riding around a 22-mile dirt trail. Te only bike I was pretty sure I was interested in was the comfort bike because it “looked” comfortable. But once you get into cycling you realize that the people that make MTBs know what works for that kind of cycling. They also know what works for Road bikes. Who knows, maybe if I continue to ride as much as I have been one of these days I will attempt to ride into your area. ;)

Bob

I'll wait for you at the top of Lamb's Canyon. :D

My "cycle of life" was somewhat similar. I went from a Wally World MTB to a Trek 4300 MTB to a entry level road bike to my current Madone. :thumb: Keep up the good efforts Bob.

Once again, a 50+er has succumbed to the FEVER. I love it. Congratulations on your journey.

Once again, a 50+er has succumbed to the FEVER. I love it. Congratulations on your journey.

The journey has been strange and has messed with my mind a bit. I discovered that if you ride a lot you end up meeting and talking to other people that ride a lot. Once you are doing 25-30 mile rides two or three times a week those other people’s suggestions that you might like to try a 22-mile lake trail don’t seem unreasonable. That first 22-mile trail just about kicked my tail, it was hot and dusty and I was slow, but as I was soaking in a hot bath later that day all I could think of was what I could do to make my bike better for the next time I tried that trail. The bike has since been modified and I am waiting for a cooler day to attack the trail again.

But I thought to myself if I enjoy the utility of the Revive and the hard effort of the MTB what would be wrong with looking into a road bike? In the back of my mind I thought of all the people I had met that like riding a road bike and figured I should at least look into it. The LBS was having a summer sale on the Jamis and so I decided to drop the hammer. The first ride was a success and I know I can ride far enough now I just need to know if I can keep a fast enough pace for the typical club ride distance. I believe I can and next Monday will be the test. They must have spiked my coffee.

Bob

Hi Bob,

I enjoyed your story, and the bike photos. I think the comparison to a Mustang is a good one. It's a neat feeling to hop on a responsive bicycle and feel confident going for a fun 30 mile (50, or whatever mileage) ride. My Bianchi (while heavy by some standards) is my "sport bike". It just makes the trip an event.

Congratulations on getting back into riding again, nice bike collection. Enjoy! :)

This is a great example of what happens to the bikes once we reenter the cycling world:)