Originally Posted by Kerlenbach

I think about this every time I ride. EVERY single time. When I was recovering from liver surgery after my colon cancer came back in 2005, knowing that I had about a 1-in-5 chance of living another five years, knowing that I had a brutal six months of chemo ahead, I came to the firm and fully-considered opinion that dying on the front end of a pickup truck beats dying curled up in bed "after a long illness."

Is it worth the risk? Yes. Do everything reasoanbly possible to reduce the risk; ride safely yet assertively and predictably. Avoid unnecessarily dangerous roads. Avoid confrontations. Be situationally aware and think ahead to avoid dangers. Recognize that we older folks will not heal like the 20-somethings in the MTB forum, and avoid silliness like mountain biking. The result? Probably not dying curled up in bed (or maybe in bed at age 93), and probably not dying on the front end of a pickup truck. But maybe we will. That, however, is life.