============ Richard Quote >>
The first new bicycle I ever owned was a Sturmey-Archer / AMF 26" model. This bike had a 3-spd "gear-stick" mounted on the top tube instead of the handlebar trigger shifter.

I bought it in 1966 for $24.99 plus 28 cents tax. After seeing your post i feel a little sad - realizing now - that I never rode a Century on it. I did however manage several rides over 50 miles.........



Staged photo -an hour after finishing 52 mile ride to my grandparents home. August 1967.
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Nice pic, we look similar. LOL. I have a photo like that, which my dad took. It was snowing a fluffy 5" as I slowly rode my SS Rudge home from tech school.
Don't be sorry. I don't think I rode my first 3 bikes much over 52 miles. I really wish I had bought this CCM in 1973, instead of a crappy Raleigh 5 derailleur, except for these green everlasting grips. I totally hated cotter cranks and didn't trust them to go 100 miles for sure.
Didn't you go 52 miles both ways?? That's a century. Was that a 4 hour ride? It's not too late to get a 3 spd and just do it. My shifters are in the same spot, but yah those huge handles were as gaudy as a 1958 Buick. LOL.
So we are within a year or 2 of age. You lifetime numbers are way over double mine. I didn't do much before 50.

This Friday was the only perfect day for a ride this week. So my darn fool bike dragged me another 104.7 miles. LOL. I went south with a light W wind. But somehow it felt like it was slowing me down both ways. Only the freeway 20 miles were fast. 8Hr38 min moving and 11Hr25 min clock. I was even fresher at the end. Rides a week apart is real good for getting stronger. These long rides are the only ones I record a bit in my daily planners.





This is a great museum in Wetaskiwin. Cars, airplanes, construction and farm machines.