DnvrFox

We've lived here for almost 10 years. During that time I have asked my now 60+ neighbor across the street to join me in bicycling several times - always a negative response. He has been way overweight and was pleased to find a weight loss program that required no exercise.

Last summer, his son and SO got extremely interested in mtn biking, even to the point of purchasing $5,000 mtn bikes. His son also enticed my neighbor to start riding, and he and his wife started joint rides of about 5 miles.

Today, he shared with me that he and his wife and son and SO did an 18.5 mile ride, including hills. He was SO proud,

I again offered to ride with him and this time he said YES, let's do it - anytime. I guess he has some confidence now.

Now, I have the neighbor and wife across the street riding, the neighbor (65+) and wife next door to my former couch potato doing 5 - 10 mile rides, the guy 2 doors down as an amateur bicycle racer, and the guy next door bought 2 bikes, and, every now and then, rides. However, he does also run. The guy on the other side has a bicycle, but he does mostly long runs - he just turned 50.

It's getting to be an athletic bicycling neighborhood. Also, we have kids all over the place bicycling.

Anyone else noticing a trend?

There is hope.

cyclinfool

I have noticed more bike commuters at work. We now regularly run out of room in the bike racks and people are leaning them against benches, buildings and lamp posts.

cranky old dude

The same three of us are commuting again this year over in this part of the world. My company doesn't really do anything to encourage bicycle commuting. My supervisors talk about me and my commuting as a novelty type conversation to kill time. The other two commuters work for a different company within the complex.

On the otherhand, the streets are swarming (well maybe not swarming) with bikes. On weekdays I see many, many 50+ riders just wandering about. I'm not so alone out there anymore. I like to think that they all saw me having a good time and decided to try it out also....of course I know better but hey, let an old guy have his delusions...what can it hurt?

Congrats to you Dnvr for being such an effective cycling advocate.

Philipaparker

Wow, that's great. After three years of encouragement my co-workers finally talked me into doing the MS10 ride with them last year. I had spent most of my time going to the gym a couple of days a week and playing golf on the weekends. So I bought a bike, went on the training rides and made it. Fast forward a year later I have done a century, own three road bikes, met a couple of neighbors that are also into biking as well as some of the folks at work, have joined the local bicycle coalition and have started biking to work once a week. At 59 the golf clubs are getting dusty, I'm enjoying the fresh air and comradery of bicycling and have lost 10 pounds. Now I'm a cycling advocate.

cehowardGS

It is a great feeling..

The Weak Link

He's pretty ballsy to ride with his wife and SO on the same ride, I'll grant him that.

Retired

I asked someone I know if he ever though of cycling. He is a rabid runner. I asked him if that wasn't hard on his joints. His responce was "oh it is, I had to cut back on the number of runs I do in a year from 200 to 197". Sigh

Dan Burkhart 

Does it help with the symptoms of his rabies?

DnvrFox

rabied runner?

Kotts

Uh, I suspect it was the son's SO... If not, yeah, that was risky. ;-)