Fifty Plus (50+) - What did you do for your 50th?

Mine's rapidly approaching. The half-century is a pretty significant milestone. Our 21st seems to be the other one.

How did you celebrate yours? How different was it from your 21st?

Of course, the more bike content, the better. :D

EDIT: Thanks for the subject line clean-up.

My 50th birthday was on June 2, 2001. Seemed like a good day for a ride, just me and my bike. Here's a pic of the speedo after the ride.

It was April '91 and we (all the group) went away up the north coast of OZ on a surfing week end (I wasn't riding then). Had some good waves Saturday and a few ambers. We booked a restaurant and had the most awesome night followed by more surfing the following day although I wasn't terribly fit after the party :(

I didn't start riding untill ten years later when I did my first BNSW BigRide. http://www.bigride.com.au/ Turned 60 on that ride.
Seems like a long time ago :rolleyes:

Ran 17 miles on a 100F Oklahoma day. What was I thinking?

Tyson

My wife successfully snuck my kids and mother in from out of town and we had a big family get-together dinner. It was great, because I was feeling a bit down. Only birthday I've had that made me feel that way.

Can't remember my 50th, but thats age and dementia setting in. However in 97 It was cold so my usual ride would have meant that I had to pay for breakfast on the ride.

Can't remember doing anything special. I seem to remember the wife baking my favorite
cake & I probably pigged out. :D

I celebrated my 50th birthday by riding my bike across the United States (http://denise2002xc.crazyguyonabike.com). I'd had a cross-country trip in my dreams for a long time, but I wasn't able to get the time I needed away from work. The year of my 50th birthday happened to coincide with my working for a company that was going under, and I was laid off right before my birthday. I took that as a sign that I was meant to celebrate that milestone birthday by riding my bicycle!

While 50 is indeed a big event, to me turning 65 was far more significant, as it marks the "traditional" turn from working to a non-working environment. While few actually "retire" at that age, it is deeply ingrained in our culture.

This seems to be the age when one becomes more "non-meaningful" to society. Mine happened to coincide with a whole mess of medical problems I never dreamed I might have.

"Elderly," "senior," "retiree," come to mind as synonyms. Biases of those younger tend to get stronger. I.e., all of a sudden you are no longer considered a good driver, despite a spotless 53 years of driving (yes, I started driving when I was 12).

There - that is my cheery contribution to this thread.

So, in any event, please enjoy 50 - you are still considered by society to be among the living!

Oh, the good news is we sold our condo in the mountains this morning. We sold because we can use the money in more creative ways, rentals were getting harder to get, and management was becoming difficult and a real chore.

Anyway, please enjoy your 50th in a great and exciting manner.

I didn't ride that day because it was pouring rain. I got a haircut, bought some new knee warmers, and just took it easy. That evening, my wife and I had dinner at a very nice Italian restaurant. Life is good.

Looking forward to many more years of cycling. My dad just turned 80 and is in excellent health despite smoking for 40 of those years.

On my 50th I went to work, then to the "Y" for swimming lessons only to pull a leg muscle. Came back home wanting to soak in a nice hot bath only to find the tub full of birthday balloons.

Garry

My wife threw me a surprise party. We had a good time. Last year, year 52, I got a new Trek 520. I enjoy riding it long distances. For Christmas Santa left a new Lemond Zurich under the tree. As for the differences from my 21st birthday, lots more candles on the cake which is neatly counter balanced by lots more cash in the bank. My take on getting older is that I'd rather be over the hill than buried under it.

We were in Florence, Italy, on March 10th last year when I turned 50. I sat for almost an hour in front of Botticelli's The birth of Venus in the Uffizi delighting in all that Florence had to offer. It was cold and wet, but I'll always remember that day and how really special it was.

50th was in 2001.
Quit drinking.
Bought a Giant Sedona DX and resolved to lose weight. (Doctor was rather insistent.)

I bought this

http://zacfi.home.acedsl.com/kuota.jpg

then went out to dinner with my wife and 10 friends.

I turned fifty last August while on vacation with my family in Navarre Beach, FL. No riding, but a beautiful day on the gulf coast while a hurricane menaced south FL. I had a gift of single malt scotch, a blue sky, and a gulf breeze.

My 51st birthday was special, because it coincided with what would have been Tullio Campagnolo's 100th. I went for a little ride with the Vintage Bicycle Association.

Can't remember what I did on my 50th . . . .that was 22 years ago!
On my 21st, had just come back from Korea and presented my girl with a diamond ring.
Great move! Celebrated 50 years of real happiness with her!
. . . and yes, she is a tandem cyclist and we've been riding as a duo for over 200,000 miles!
Enjoy your 50th . . . growing old is not for sissies!

My 50th was 8/19/97 and I celebrated by riding 100 miles, going home to a birthday party and then dancing the night away. On my 58 birthday, in Aug. I'm going to ride 116 miles.

My 50th was 8/19/97 and I celebrated by riding 100 miles, going home to a birthday party and then dancing the night away. On my 58 birthday, in Aug. I'm going to ride 116 miles.

Ahh, there's an interesting correlation -- start with 100 miles on your 50th, and just double every next birthday for the celebratory ride distance. I like that...

It doesn't seem to be a hugely exciting deal, this turning 50. Interesting.

It doesn't seem to be a hugely exciting deal, this turning 50. Interesting.

It wasn't very exciting for me cause I worked. I always seem to work on my birthday. But I figured out a while back that getting older is more a state of mind(for me at least) than an actual thing of being.
In other words you're only as old as you want to be.

Mine was 10 years ago (just turned 60 a few weeks ago). I'd been a road cyclist for years, but had just bought a decent Cannondale mountain bike to replace an old Mongoose. Suspension was still rare, and the Dale had a solid fork. Some buddies gave me a Rock Shox box, beautifully wrapped, and of course I tore the paper off and got all misty-eyed and said "Aw, Jeez, guys, thanks a LOT, this is way too much..." Then I opened the box and it was a couple of pieces of galvanized pipe and a rock.... But I did get the fork the next day.
BTW, if you think 50 is a blow, just wait. At 50 I sort of realized I was older than my parents, because most of my memories of them are from when I was growing up, and I moved out when they were in their early 40s. When you turn 60, though, there's not no way around being an old f@rt.

I turned 50 on 1/22, so
MY GAL and signed up for the Bike Northwoods tour (up the middle of wisconsin to lake superior in June) 360 miles in a week.
she will turn the century in October, so she celebrated by buying a Trek 1500 WSD... then proceeded to chide me to celebrate by getting a nicer roadie... so I bought the FELT.

We are really having to work our way back into shape, but are challenged to make the best of it

I sincerely hope she turns the half-century in October. Either that, or cycling really is the be-all and end-all of longevity! :D

I bought myself a new ski boat with a Corvette engine. I was less conservative on my 60th.

I bought myself a new ski boat with a Corvette engine. I was less conservative on my 60th.
Yes? We're waiting. You went to a Viper V10?

I hastily wrote:

she will turn the century in October, so she celebrated by buying a Trek 1500 WSD... then proceeded to chide me to celebrate by getting a nicer roadie... so I bought the FELT.

ugh
fortunately she is not a member of this forum

yes... she will be 50 years old
(I've heard young guys go for older women but that would be weird)

My wife gave me a trip tp Palm Springs for a 7 day tour. Part of the surprise was I ran into my older bro at the transfer airport in Chicago. We had a boutique tour. Just us. Did about 420 miles, climbed about 10,000' elevation over course of the week. Last day was the TOur of Palm SPrings- 103 miles and 7000 riders. It was just great.

Dave

'88 930 with 19,000 miles on it. I hate it when people brag about their toys. :)

Ooohh... neato. Is that the one with the slope nose?

Mine's rapidly approaching. The half-century is a pretty significant milestone. Our 21st seems to be the other one.

How did you celebrate yours? How different was it from your 21st?

Of course, the more bike content, the better. :D




OK-OK, kept trying not to post but can't help it.

50th was in 1997, Lovely wife asked me what I wanted. I said my wish was to uhhh----uhhh ---- err--err--
How should I say it. ahh- Ride twice. Felt like finishing a century. Half in morning, Half in afternoon :eek: :eek:

21st, 1968, Got drunk, ahhh- the igornance of youth - pure stupidity compared to the wisdom of being older.
:D :D

can't wait for my 60th.

Thanks but no, I like the big round headlights.

For my 50th in 1999 my wife made me a surprise party but I don't remember it much anymore. What I do remember is my birthday present that year. After riding a Cannondale for years before that, I convinced her that for my birthday I should get new a titanium bike. We went shopping together and we ended up buying a Serotta Ti Legend, with 9 sp Dura Ace and a half gold painted and half nude Ti paint job. To this day I still love that bike. This is one of the few birthday presents that I still remember.

Fifty is coming soon. I'm reading this for planning purposes. 21 I had um.... well.... there was this college girl who disdained clothing...it was the 70's! Anyway. 40 was just as memorable. I set out in the freezing Alaska September sun for a ride on a MTB trail up this valley near anchorage. I came to a large across the road mud puddle. I entered the puddle which because of the silt had an unascertainable depth and hid all obstructions. Somewhere in the middle I tee boned a large hidden rock which brought me to an immediate halt. I fell over in the freezing mud/water still clipped in. My thought as I went down? Oh...I get it. Welcome to middle age. Just when you think you're on a roll...BAM.

We simply did our 20 miles on the tandem and enjoyed each others company doing so. It was a fast 20 miles but we had fun.

I spent my 50th birthday, 9th June 2000, cycling between Piedrahita and Salamanca and covering 59miles.

This was part of my Millenium cycle tour of Spain covering 7158 miles during the year. This was my first cycle tour after buying the bike in July 1999.

Decided to got to Spain following break up of marriage and decided to something different. Since then my have concentrated on living as simply as possible to avoid the rat race.