Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Fifty Plus (50+)
Reload this Page >

There's Something Really Silly About.......

Notices
Fifty Plus (50+) Share the victories, challenges, successes and special concerns of bicyclists 50 and older. Especially useful for those entering or reentering bicycling.

There's Something Really Silly About.......

Old 06-20-08, 06:25 PM
  #1  
Ol' Paint
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Garland, Texas and Tahlequah, OK
Posts: 393

Bikes: '68 Raleigh Grand Prix,'71 Schwinn Super Sport, '73 Schwinn Paramount, '83 Schwinn Super Sport, '84(?) Univega Gran Sprint, '89 Schwinn Waterford Paramount

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
There's Something Really Silly About.......

a gray bearded 58 yr old jogging along beside his bicycle, but I did it anyway. Let me digress......I frequently, but not always, bike commute to work. When I do, I usually ride during my lunch break to a Sub sandwich shop about a mile and half away for some relatively cheap and nutrition friendly vittles.

Today, however, I was surprised by a flat just about the time I reached the ubiquitous Wmart. Naturally, I had left my tools and pump at the library where I work. (Yes, there are at least two of us who work library circulation). Since I wanted another frame pump anyway I went inside the Wmart to buy a spare, hoping that I would be able to keep air in the tire long enough to make it back to work. It was not to be. I grabbed some food, pumped up the tire and did my best to sprint my way back. I didn't make it an eighth of a mile before the tire was down. What to do? What to do?

Clearly pumping up the tire was one more exercise in futility and I have enough of those in my life. I started walking briskly and then flashed on all the thoroughly exhausted and bedraggled cyclists I had seen walking their bicycles along the sidewalks. My thoughts when I saw them were never sympathetic and could probably be summarized by "Poor beggar! Is he ever out of shape! Shouldn't be riding a full suspension Next on the street in this Texas heat."

I was not going to project that image. Call it pride, or more truthfully, vanity, I refused to take a bicycle for a walk. I started jogging the remaining mile, in helmet, gloves and office attire. Did I look stupid? Probably. Did anyone notice? Probably not. But I held my head high and made it back within the alloted time, tenuous self image intact. Oh, what fragile creatures some egos are!

Fifteen minutes with a patch kit during my afternoon break and the bike was ready to carry me home. No SAG wagon for me.
__________________
"In my cathedral,
colored glass holds no candle to
sunlight through trees."
-- Leon Briggs
ticwanos is offline  
Old 06-20-08, 06:50 PM
  #2  
His Brain is Gone!
 
Tom Bombadil's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Paoli, Wisconsin
Posts: 9,979

Bikes: RANS Stratus, Bridgestone CB-1, Trek 7600, Sun EZ-Rider AX, Fuji Absolute 1.0, Cayne Rambler 3

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Interesting, what kinds of crazy things we are motivated to do.

Just today I saw a sight that I had never seen before. I saw this teenager working on his BMX bike. Then he rode it off and I could see that something wasn't quite right. About 5 minutes later, a car comes down the rode with a bicycle right beside of it, keeping pace. Except the bicycle was riderless. The teenager I had seen before was reaching out the window and holding the frame, while the car was moving at around 30 mph. I was sure I was going to see the bike flip at any second, but he kept it under contro and they disappeared around a corner.

BTW, Wal-Mart sells patch kits.
__________________
"Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." Louis L'Amour

There are two types of road bikers: bikers who are faster than me, and me. Bruce Cameron - Denver Post
Tom Bombadil is offline  
Old 06-20-08, 09:45 PM
  #3  
Senior Member
 
zonatandem's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 11,016

Bikes: Custom Zona c/f tandem + Scott Plasma single

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 77 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 19 Times in 11 Posts
Lesson learned: keep patchkit, spare tube and pump/inflator on the bike!
zonatandem is offline  
Old 06-20-08, 10:10 PM
  #4  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Hemet,California
Posts: 621

Bikes: Giant OCR2, Motobecane Fantom Trail, Specialized Hard Rock, Giant Nutra

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Walmart also sells tubes.
ad6mj is offline  
Old 06-20-08, 10:41 PM
  #5  
His Brain is Gone!
 
Tom Bombadil's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Paoli, Wisconsin
Posts: 9,979

Bikes: RANS Stratus, Bridgestone CB-1, Trek 7600, Sun EZ-Rider AX, Fuji Absolute 1.0, Cayne Rambler 3

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
My local Wal-Mart does not sell 700 tubes. Largest they carry is 26".
__________________
"Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." Louis L'Amour

There are two types of road bikers: bikers who are faster than me, and me. Bruce Cameron - Denver Post
Tom Bombadil is offline  
Old 06-20-08, 10:52 PM
  #6  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Hemet,California
Posts: 621

Bikes: Giant OCR2, Motobecane Fantom Trail, Specialized Hard Rock, Giant Nutra

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
All the ones around here carry 27"/700c tubes.
ad6mj is offline  
Old 06-20-08, 11:46 PM
  #7  
Time for a change.
 
stapfam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: 6 miles inland from the coast of Sussex, in the South East of England
Posts: 19,913

Bikes: Dale MT2000. Bianchi FS920 Kona Explosif. Giant TCR C. Boreas Ignis. Pinarello Fp Uno.

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times in 4 Posts
Hope thsat the lesson is learnt- Always carry the wedge on the bike.

Glad I don't have to use a library all that often. All those sweaty bodies after taking a bike for a jog would get through to me after a couple of minutes.
__________________
How long was I in the army? Five foot seven.


Spike Milligan
stapfam is offline  
Old 06-21-08, 05:17 AM
  #8  
Cycler
 
Suzie Green's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 1,499
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by ticwanos
I was not going to project that image. Call it pride, or more truthfully, vanity, I refused to take a bicycle for a walk. I started jogging the remaining mile, in helmet, gloves and office attire. Did I look stupid? Probably. Did anyone notice? Probably not. But I held my head high and made it back within the alloted time, tenuous self image intact. Oh, what fragile creatures some egos are!

Kind of like when you fail to unclip at a stop light and ignominiously topple over, quickly look around to see if anyone notices (does anyone ever fail to notice?), then pretend like you actually planned on pulling this humorous stunt.

Not that I have ever done this.
Suzie Green is offline  
Old 06-21-08, 06:11 AM
  #9  
Ol' Paint
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Garland, Texas and Tahlequah, OK
Posts: 393

Bikes: '68 Raleigh Grand Prix,'71 Schwinn Super Sport, '73 Schwinn Paramount, '83 Schwinn Super Sport, '84(?) Univega Gran Sprint, '89 Schwinn Waterford Paramount

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by zonatandem
Lesson learned: keep patchkit, spare tube and pump/inflator on the bike!
Agreed! My excuse (and it is lame) is that I collect and rehab vintage steel bikes and right now I have seven bikes I ride regularly. When I commute it's easier just to toss clothes, tools, everything in a backpack and hit the road than it is to dismantle/remantle (is that a word?) my gear when I change rides. I park outside and do not like to leave anything on the bike that is easily removeable. I think my new strategy will be to keep a smaller lightweight backpack for tools in the bulkier one and strap that one on for short hops. Give me time and I can rationalize anything.
__________________
"In my cathedral,
colored glass holds no candle to
sunlight through trees."
-- Leon Briggs
ticwanos is offline  
Old 06-21-08, 06:48 AM
  #10  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Manchester UK
Posts: 118

Bikes: 2 Raleigh Sprints. 1 Saracen tourer. dawes Galaxy, 1985 Harry Hall racer, 1991 Raleigh Special Products 853 Race bike. 1985 Raleigh Royal

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Tools in a backpack. I would not like to come off and land on my back with that little spinebreaker strapped to me.

Jim
bigjim1 is offline  
Old 06-21-08, 07:16 AM
  #11  
Scott
 
n4zou's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,393

Bikes: Too Many

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by ad6mj
All the ones around here carry 27"/700c tubes.
and there extra thick. I only need to pump mine up every 2 or 3 weeks.

I always get off my bike and push it the last 1/4 or 1/2 mile home. This flushes the blood from muscles your not using when biking preventing aches and pains and it adds strength.
n4zou is offline  
Old 06-21-08, 11:52 PM
  #12  
Ol' Paint
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Garland, Texas and Tahlequah, OK
Posts: 393

Bikes: '68 Raleigh Grand Prix,'71 Schwinn Super Sport, '73 Schwinn Paramount, '83 Schwinn Super Sport, '84(?) Univega Gran Sprint, '89 Schwinn Waterford Paramount

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by bigjim1
Tools in a backpack. I would not like to come off and land on my back with that little spinebreaker strapped to me.

Jim
Actually, this is kinda funny, since I've always landed on my head and never my back! Love those helmets.
__________________
"In my cathedral,
colored glass holds no candle to
sunlight through trees."
-- Leon Briggs
ticwanos is offline  
Old 06-26-08, 02:51 PM
  #13  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Manchester UK
Posts: 118

Bikes: 2 Raleigh Sprints. 1 Saracen tourer. dawes Galaxy, 1985 Harry Hall racer, 1991 Raleigh Special Products 853 Race bike. 1985 Raleigh Royal

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Came off mine last year landed on my back and cracked 2 ribs. If I had had anything harder in my back pocket apart from a tissue it could have been a lot worse.

Jim
bigjim1 is offline  
Old 06-26-08, 03:33 PM
  #14  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 76
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Suzie Green
Kind of like when you fail to unclip at a stop light and ignominiously topple over, quickly look around to see if anyone notices (does anyone ever fail to notice?), then pretend like you actually planned on pulling this humorous stunt.

Not that I have ever done this.
I did this once at a major intersection when there were more than 20 cars waiting. When I got up it was quite evident I had provided all these commuters with their morning's entertainment so it was too late to try to act dignified.
richking1953 is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.