xizangstan

I cycle because I'm much more mobile on two wheels than on two legs. I have a bad knee that will need to be replaced soon. And a couple months ago I developed a bone spur in my left foot. It's often extremely painful to walk. But I can sit on the saddle and crank the pedals virtually pain free.

I've wished I could ride my bike up and down the aisles at Walmart instead of walking. It's coming to that!

az_cyclist

You had a run of bad luck with the broken bones, cycleobsidian, but, you are certainly not too old to cycle. I ride with 2 clubs, and the vast majority of the men and women who ride in them are 50+ (I have a pretty good idea of who AzTallRider is referring to).

Keep it up, cycleobsidan! You will love the results!

arkansasgal

I hope you will get back on your bike as soon as your foot has healed. You are not too old to cycle, you are not too old to ride alone and you are not too old to tour. I turned 70 yesterday and rode 70 miles with my bike group to celebrate. I didn't start cycling until I was 62. I am now training for the 100 mile ride at Hotter Than Hell in Witchita Falls in August.

Always carry identification and a cell phone with you. I feel that the benefits of cycling far outweigh the risks. Get back out there girl!!

cycleobsidian

Actually, I was in Kitchener (not where I am from) when I fell off my bike. Took the city bus to the hospital!

I didn't exactly break my toe, I broke the bone in my foot that eventually leads to my toe. Hence the airboot. But this break is neither unusual nor problematic either.

Boy, when I wrote the heading that I needed some encouragement to get "back in the saddle again", I never dreamed I would get so many inspiring responses!

Now I can't wait to get back on my bike! 3 weeks more then off with the airboot. If I can get hold of a stationary bike, I can maybe even get my legs stronger for that time.

You all have given me wonderful ideas: take it slow, be a bit more careful, it's only natural to have accidents when you are active, take your time to build up your confidence, and the perennial, you don't stop because you're getting old, you get old because you stop!

This is a great forum for inspiration!

Have a ride for me today!

Dan Burkhart 

Former Kitchener area dweller here. Hope you heal quiclkly and get back on the bike soon.

Pat

I am not female, but I had a couple of bad crashes about 8 years ago. I still went out and rode, but I was pretty tentative on corners. I am not sure what the deal with corners was, neither crash involved any cornering whatsoever. Both crashes were bad and at a more advanced age, that sort of thing makes one think. At least, it made me think. My riding confidence has come back. But there are situations I avoid now, like riding with fast and reckless riders. It just is not worth it.

zonatandem

Get better . . . and buy a rear rack for your bike to put stuff on.
Suggest taking calcium supplements for stronger bones.
We are ages 78/76 and still pedaling around a 100 miles a week.
Can hardly wait 'til we get older!

cycleobsidian

I have a rear rack. For years, I've gotten by with a 6 pack, soft sided beer type cooler for my things, tied on to the rack with bungees. (I know I called it a tote bag but really it is a cooler.) I had temporarily removed it from the back of the bike, slung it on my shoulder, went down a declining road to the bus stop where I was going to put my bike on the bus rack. That is where the dreaded accident happened.

Switching to panniers might be a good idea. Switching to running shoes instead of the durable close toed Keen sandals I was wearing is idea number two. My calcium supplements started three days ago.

78 and 76 and still pedaling 100 miles a week! That has to be one of the most inspiring things I have heard.

Happy riding!

Boudicca

Biking buddy and I are doing the Ride to Conquer Cancer from Toronto to Niagara Falls next weekend. I turned 53 this year. Not wishing to out someone on her age without her permission, let me just say she's more than a dozen years older than I am, and she's faster than I am on the flats, dammit, although I sometimes overtake her on the hills.

I draw the line on biking on ice though.

berner

There are some awesome women posting here. You go girls.

zonatandem

Cycleobsidian:
Heck our kids are older than you . . .
My wife/stoker has ridden over 230,000 miles on tandems with me, including way back in the 1970s we did quite a bit of riding in Ontario. Great place to ride even if the OPP stopped us once to give us a lecture about how dangerous it is to cycle (funny)!
Panniers may be an idea as it puts the weight a bit lower on the rear of the bike and you can carry more 'stuff'!
Pedal on!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

pharasz

I was out riding with my wife just a month before her 50th birthday when we bumped wheels and she face planted on the pavement at 19 MPH. She smashed several layers of bone around her right eye, and had to have reconstructive surgery with titanium mesh installed to reconstruct her face. Her front teeth went all the way through her upper lip. She spent five days in the hospital. she was off her bike for about two months. She immediately went back to riding, which really impressed me.

Speaking to a good friend of hers months later about that, her friend described a horrific bicycle accident she had suffered 10 years earlier, but she also got right back on her bike and rode. I never forgot what she said: "I've crashed while driving my car, and while riding my bike. If you have to crash, you might as well crash doing something you love."

TJMAX

Cycleobsidian, recently turned 60 years old. I still weight train with a 34 year old body builder, but am starting to rack up more serious mileage, both on a mountain and road bike. Aside from the obvious, shouldn't have been riding with a heavy tote on your shoulder, I would strongly encourage adding some resistance training to your regimen. In the past several years I have increased my protein intake dramatically, six meals a day, protein at each meal, and have seen significant strength gains. I still carry too much weight but am seeing steady progress in my riding . After a serious shoulder injury a year ago I now lift more than ever. It is never too late to continue to make strenght gains if you are willing to watch your nutritionals and incorporate resistance training. TJMAX