Fifty Plus (50+) - Can I Slip In Early?

Hello all. I've been reading BF for ages, and finally joined up to make my lurking official. The Fifty Plus group is the one I feel most at home in. The trouble is, I'm five months shy of my 49th birthday. I kept thinking I'd wait until then, since technically that would be the start of my 50th year, but it seems rude to keep eavesdropping without letting you know I'm in the room.

I've ridden bicycles off and on for my whole life, and after a five-year hiatus due to ill health and lost-my-nerve, I resumed riding March of last year. Now I ride more days than not, including commuting, errand running, mountain biking, and regular old riding around and about on pavement for weekend rambles. It is making me stronger, and keeping me sane in a high-stress job.

If it skews the vote in my favor, I'm female, and happily married to a man who enjoys our bicycling habit. (If that doesn't skew the vote, I can channel my inner male curmudgeon and we'll pretend this paragraph was never written.) I believe in the N+1 theory of bicycle ownership; unfortunately, we live in a tiny house with no garage, so that rather puts a damper on things.

In any case, thank you for the hours of entertainment and wisdom. I've always liked to thoroughly research things and gather information to prepare myself, and I see growing older as yet another interesting adventure. You've opened my eyes to some things I hadn't yet considered, as well as reassured me that other things are perfectly normal.

Whether you'll have me early or not, I just wanted to let you know I'll be sitting quietly in that corner over there, listening.

Welcome to the forum, Indigo Mule. If you can stand hanging around with the old farts when you're not yet 50, more power to you. :P

Don't feel that you need to sit quietly in the corner - if you can add some wisdom or humor it will be appreciated.

Oh, and I'm a forum moderator so if anyone bothers you, I can take care of it. :D

Oh, and I'm a forum moderator so if anyone bothers you, I can take care of it. :D

I'll behave.
Welcome, Indigo Mule. Favorite pie? Favorite chain lube? Have an opinion about recumbent bikes?

Unattended children will be given a puppy and a cup of coffee!

Does your mother know where you are?

You've opened my eyes to some things I hadn't yet considered, as well as reassured me that other things are perfectly normal.


Welcome. As no one REALLY knows the ages of anyone else, please join in. For all anyone knows, I could be 25 posing as 71+.

Do you like pie and have you scheduled your colonoscopy?

And, I would really like to know to what your eyes were opened.

I belong here now, having turned 50 two weeks ago, but I too started adding my $0.02 here just about 18 months before I was legit.

There was a time, long ago, when being mature for my age seemed creditable.

Thank you for the warm welcome. I am partial to apple pie, but have to make it myself (one of the health issues turned out to be gluten intolerance). I don't have an opinion on chain lube, happily using whatever my LBS has recommended or my husband has purchased, but do have strong opinions on welding (I love smooth fillet brazing and loathe TIG welding--even the most meticulous looks like tacky puka shell necklaces or keloid scars) and frame materials (steel is real, though I suppose disposable bikes have their purpose).

I have not yet scheduled my colonoscopy. I believe I am permitted to defer that for my fiftieth birthday. I wouldn't want to rush everything!

My eyes were opened to some of the logistics of aging, and the compromises and accommodations to be made, and the necessity of doing so with humor, compassion, courage, and grace. I'm always on the lookout for role models (good and otherwise) while considering what kind of old person I want to become.

And while I would adore an espresso and a puppy, our current dog does not play well with others, and it is coming up on my bedtime, so I'll have to defer that pleasure for another time.

I believe in the N+1 theory of bicycle ownership; unfortunately, we live in a tiny house with no garage, so that rather puts a damper on things.

This is why there are mini storage locations everywhere.
Welcome aboard.

We'll be sending your AARP bike stickers soon...

I'm always on the lookout for role models (good and otherwise) while considering what kind of old person I want to become.

Hmmm!!

No "old persons" here.

Better check out the AARP . . .

Who needs a garage for N+1? Isn't that what living rooms are for?

Oh, and I snuck in early too. They threatened to disown me for underage voting on a poll once. I felt quite proud.

I refuse to be considered a role model, unless it's to serve as a bad example.

Indigo,
Welcom to 50+ regardless of the early arrival. Just consider it a "premature birth" into your new life. Apple pie here, too. Enjoy the forum and stick around for the fun. Greatest forum I participate in, hands down.

Bill

Age is not a barrier for this forum--Mental state is.

And home made Pie- That has to be vetted to see if it is up to grade. Hope you have a secure carrier service that can ship overseas. Last one I got was a bit old by the time it reached me.

He said: "slip in early"
Might I suggest the spandex thread?

I'm a regular here and I have a little over 6 months before I'm officially elligible. My good friend Doohickie is in the same boat.

Upstart whippersnapper!

Good to know that someone a little younger than 50 is welcomed in here, I too have been listening from the sidelines, and may have posted in here a time or two. I am 5 months away from being official.
Used to ride everywhere from my teenage years into my mid twenties, when I could afford a car. Finally waking up again last year, realizing that riding a bike is great fun and excellent exercise, I climbed back on the saddle. If I'm lucky I will be riding into my golden years as some of you fine folks. I do find myself in here more than the other forums, I like the experience and pointers I get from you guys. Besides, I'm much closer to fifty than twenty-five.

I prefer peach pie to apple, had a colonoscopy two years ago and do not have a chain oil preference.

I prefer peach pie to apple, had a colonoscopy two years ago and do not have a chain oil preference.

Underwear and helmet?

I started 2 months early myself. This is where the wisdom is,,,,,,,,,,,,
Welcome a board, huh huh huh.

i'm always on the lookout for role models (good and otherwise) while considering what kind of old person i want to become.



GET OFF MY LAWN!

:lol:

If we let you in next we'll have to let in 48 year olds.....

EDIT - Wait, you're female - - - come on in..

Yeah, come on in. We are happy to have another sweet young thang at the party.

How sweet, and Welcome! It has occurred to me that we are at least very tolerant lot, trending downright liberal :eek: with our attitude towards illegal aliens.:D

Anyway it works, I say "the more, the merrier" so please chime in when the spirit moves you!

I too have learned a lot here, even lessons I should have learned from experience, like "when about to fall on your bike, hold on tight to the bars and DON'T put your arm out to cushion the fall" - two separated shoulders should've taught me that... too late!

Upstart whippersnapper!

Indeed.... is there no end to this audacity? She can join the "junior auxiliary", I believe. :)

(Edited to recognize gender of the OP...)

Ahem. Just to clarify, I am female. <Looks down to check> Definitely female.

And while I would adore an espresso and a puppy, our current dog does not play well with others, and it is coming up on my bedtime, so I'll have to defer that pleasure for another time.

Several years ago, my grand daughter was "helping" me put the awning on the deck, she was six at the time. I got
on her for getting on the ladder, she went in the house and told grandma, "PaPa does not play well with others!".

Ahem. Just to clarify, I am female. <Looks down to check> Definitely female.

That's what I thought. I gleaned that from the phrase "if it skews the vote, I'm female" in the original post. ;)

My bad. Should have guessed from the long post. Didn't read the whole thing......It's a guy thing. Sorry. Anything more than a sentence or two loses me.
Was going byt he user name. Blue mule? Figured a guy. Oh well. That 50/50 chance will get you, well 50% of the time.

We'll be sending your AARP bike stickers soon...

What a great idea... I want a couple for my bike. Sadly though Mixtes don't lend themselves well to stickers.

:welcome

I can see where you might doubt a woman would name herself "mule". "Indigo Mule" was the name of my first dream bike, a Trek 520 I had retrofitted with S&S couplings and custom painted indigo blue with subtle flecks of silver. The "mule" part is because I'm a pack mule on the bicycle. I'm not comfortable on a ride unless I have tools, a spare tire or two, a couple of patch kits, first aid kit, water, food, arm warmers, extra socks, extra wool jersey, sun block, paper maps, additional water, and lights. All this for JUST IN CASE.

When I got the Trek, I had aspirations of randonneuring, and even going to Paris. :lol: Turns out I liked the idea of randonneuring better than the reality. I never even used the silly S&S couplings, just as I never made it past the first cassette tape of French lessons.

But I kept the motto: "With dogged persistence, I'll go the distance."

As for mules being stubborn, well, that's a valuable trait in a cyclist, don't you agree?

Another wwelcome............good to hear where the name comes from too .....even though I cannot """officially"""welcome you for ?how long was that? Again welcome......: )

1. OK, It's time for the grouch to break up the love fest. What do you think it is that makes this forum different from all the others? How much are you willing to compromise on the thing that makes it what it is?

2. Don't throw out the baby with the bath water. Honestly, now, how fast do you drive in a 55 MPH zone? I think that's a good standard for maintaining the age standard.

3. Welcome, Indigo Mule. In the interest of full disclosure, I have a 21 month old grand daughter who is named Indigo. She's cute too. I also started a tandem bike club called the "Mule Team". At that time most of the tandem clubs took regional animal names - Cows from Wisconsin, Pigs from Iowa, Crabs from somewhere. Being from Missouri, Mules seemed appropriate.

Welcome, Indigo. Allow me to introduce myself.

Chocolate pie.
Helmet.
Commando.
Teflon.
Mirror.

:D

Oh, the people see "female" and suddenly we're tripping over our lycra to pull up a chair. There's even been some "gleaning" going on in this thread. Next thing you know someone will surmise something.

Homemade apple pie is nice. With or without some nice sharp cheddar cheese?

I wear a helmet and go commando on the bike (this means wearing camouflage colored lycra, right?)

I can go clipless or platform.

1. What do you think it is that makes this forum different from all the others? How much are you willing to compromise on the thing that makes it what it is?

What I have observed that makes this forum different from the others is a consistently high level of maturity, wit, humor, and consideration. The ratio of signal to noise is far greater than 1:1. When there is a difference of opinion, it is more likely to end in an "agree to disagree" than in Godwin's Law.

The other fora skew younger (or so I judge from the syntax, topics, and conduct), with a higher likelihood of untempered opinions, cruel intolerance, and when their threads degenerate, they are less likely to do so in a humorous direction.

I figure as long as I maintain the tone (or keep silent), I won't dilute the things that make this forum such a desirable place to hang out.

(How fast do I drive in a 55 mph zone? Are you raising the age limit to 69? On highways, I keep it at no more than 14 mph over the speed limit. On city streets, I take a perverse pleasure in going 1 mph UNDER the speed limit and coming to complete and full stops at the stop signs.)

I figure as long as I maintain the tone (or keep silent), I won't dilute the things that make this forum such a desirable place to hang out.



Not the attitude We want here. If you have something to say- SAY IT. If you disagree with a posting- then let it be known. We need some younger views on this forum. Keeps the brain cells working for some of us older members as we reply in the manner in which it deserves.

Hell... I find myself wandering in here fairly often and have yet to get a boot to my behind.

I think you will be just fine even though you don't rate a senior's discount... yet.

:)

Have friends scattered all over this forum and just as it is in real life (and many are friends in real life too), they range from being 25-75 and I like hanging out with them all as it make my life much more interesting.

And I like rides that involve pie.

(How fast do I drive in a 55 mph zone? Are you raising the age limit to 69? On highways, I keep it at no more than 14 mph over the speed limit. On city streets, I take a perverse pleasure in going 1 mph UNDER the speed limit and coming to complete and full stops at the stop signs.)

That's exactly my point. There is no a firm digital limit but there tends to be a range above and below which I'm not comfortable venturing.