T-minus 51 days....

When I turned 30, I took stock of all the health problems my father was experiencing at 54. I tried to determine where he went wrong, and where I could go right, since I had a lot of time to make a course correction. Well, at least my intentions were good...

Six months before I turned 40, I did it again. My father was 64 This time around, and his health was still declining. No exercise, poor dietary habits, still smoking. That was me too. So I started making changes. Things started getting better.

Three years ago this week, a business associate and neighbor dropped dead at work of a massive coronary. He was four months older than I. That led me to make even more changes, re-evaluate priorities. It's all working, and working well. Now I'm ready to kick it into higher gear.

Today the old man is still around, doing the best he can at 74, but he's dealing with a lot of complications, taking a LOT of pills, and his arteries are hardening. He just celebrated the 5th anniversary of his triple bypass. Still, he's lived longer than his father, and doing better than both of his grandfathers at the same age.

I've been studying longevity in friends and family members. A big part of it seems to be mental attitude, but I've read and observed that the most critical time for preserving one's long-term physical fitness is the decade between ages 50 and 60. If you can get it right then, you've put yourself in a very strong position to reach 90. My hat is off to everyone here.

Two months ago I resurrected a 1987 Schwinn that my father-in-law had given up on. I'm getting stronger every time I ride it, but it isn't a long-term solution. I need a good bike.

My list, in no particular order:

Trek FX 7.5, Crossrip, District 9
Specialized Globe Roll 7 & 8
Raleigh Cadent I8/11, Port Townsend, Sojourn

There are other comparable brands and models, I'm not locked into any of these, they're just suggestions. If I find that I like, but don't LOVE any of the above, I may be forced to buy something off of my special "bike porn" list:

Budnitz
Schindelhauer
Shinola

Your input and suggestions would be appreciated. At this point, my fitness goal is simply 3-4 intense one-hour sessions per week. The most important thing is finding a bike that I love to ride. Comfort, quickness, and weight are probably my top three considerations. Price < $1750, but I might go higher if I fall in love. But I would prefer to get a custom fitting and develop a relationship with a LBS.

Thanks, in advance for your guidance.