Litespeed

Ok, my birthday isn't until October, but I got in my birthday miles + 1. Can I count the extra mile as a credit towards next year??? What about if I do my birthday miles again before my birthday--do I get a cake???

bernmart

Yeah, I had the same thought. I rode 68 miles, as it turned out, to celebrate turning 67. Said my wife: "Good! Now you need only ride 67 miles when you turn 68." I told her that DnvrFox and the others would never let me get away with it. So I haven't even suggested it in this forum. I applaud your courage, though!

Little Darwin

My 49th birthday is tomorrow, and I am not a winter rider. I have already signed up for a metric century in June... That will give me 62 miles. I plan on riding twice my age for the first time since my teens this year as well by doing an imperial century before the year ends.

And I will also cpmplete 2006+ miles (my highest when I kept track in 2004 was about 900... For now I am counting trainer and exercycle miles... As I get time on the road I hope to make 2006 on the road. I will pretty much have to in order to be successful in doing an imperial century.

steelerfan

I still have 3 months till my 50th but i started training for 50miles in october. I have two crushed vertebrae and a gimp leg with my left ankle fused. Today i got up and planned to try and get 30 miles in as part of training. But weather was so nice in the sacramento area that before i knew it I managed 55 miles. My longest before this was about 34. So I beat my goal of 50 by 50 already.

Little Darwin

Congratulations! With a your physical hurdles to overcome you have put to shame most people our age in your accomplishment.

I occasionally have knee or hip pain, so I am curious about whether you do anything specific if aches and pains trouble you during a ride. So far riding does nothing but help me during the ride, although I sometimes have minor stiffness the day after a long or hard ride.

stapfam

Look at the Extra mile as part of your training and it will not count. Birthday cakes are only available at Irma's and that is only if you ride to collect it personally. (And pay for it 2 years in advance)

Well done on the ride, but you now have to do a 100 miler before your birthday, and you might as well do a few extra miles to make it a double birthday ride, to get fit enough for next years ride. That extra year makes it harder

Steelerfan. Stop putting us to shame- at This time of year all I want to do is get out on the bike and get home after a breakfast before I freeze up completely. Well done but change your birthday date to make it easier on the rest of us.

shankton

My 53rd b-day is in March. Already have a few rides in 06 longer than 53 miles so I'll try for double my age before March.

edit: I'll be doing it on a fixie.

quickKarl

My birthday is tuesday 14th, and i wont be able to ride that day. So 5 friends and i rode today and did 52.52 miles. Can you guess my age?
The winter has been so mild here, i have 245 miles so far.
later,
Karl

steelerfan

Last year if anyone would have told me I could make 50 miles with my back and anke issues I would have told them about my back and said no way. During this year though i spent a month in a pain clinic learning to deal with the issues with my back and ankle. Pretty much they showed me the way to deal with my pain was to live through it and not let it stop me from physical activity. I still have to use the pain meds but I quit feeling guilty. What made me feel good yesterday is that my legs still felt strong and if the wife hadn't corraled me visit to Lake Tahoe I would have gone out to ride my 20 miles before having my coffee at starbucks. Right now i am riding a Giant Cypress Hybrid but I am working on the wife for a new birthday bike so i can try for more. Hard to decide what kind of ride though, i know my back wouldn't agree well with full road bike.

steelerfan

Last year if anyone would have told me I could make 50 miles with my back and anke issues I would have told them about my back and said no way. During this year though i spent a month in a pain clinic learning to deal with the issues with my back and ankle. Pretty much they showed me the way to deal with my pain was to live through it and not let it stop me from physical activity. I still have to use the pain meds but I quit feeling guilty. What made me feel good yesterday is that my legs still felt strong and if the wife hadn't corraled me visit to Lake Tahoe I would have gone out to ride my 20 miles before having my coffee at starbucks. Right now i am riding a Giant Cypress Hybrid but I am working on the wife for a new birthday bike so i can try for more. Hard to decide what kind of ride though, i know my back wouldn't agree well with full road bike.

bernmart

steelerfan, do take a look at the Specialized Sequoia. They label it as a comfort bike, but it's much more of a road bike than anything else, with a very comfortable riding position and a suspension seat post. It's visually indistinguishable from a Specialized Roubaix, just not as racy, and almost as light. I find it light, nimble, and a delight to ride.

stapfam

2nd that. Amongst the good sport road riders of our generation- this is a bike that is getting marked as the standard that other bikes fail to meet.

steelerfan

How does the specialized Sequoia compare to the Giant fitness FCR2? The LBS shop I deal with doesn't carry Specialized, although there is another LBS in town that does. It's a real struggle to know what the next step up for a bike is for me. I started riding 10 years ago with a GT palomar that I eventually converted to more of a hybrid. Then I stopped riding. six months ago i started back with the Giant Cypress and I really like the riding position. However I already realize the front frame shock isn't something I need and I want better then Shimano Altus for rear derailuer. I am still to green on the essentials of buying my next level of bike. I plan to take a look at the Sequoia soon. I have 3 months before my actual 50 birthday and i need to really prep the wife.

Digital Gee

And let me add that you might want to check out the Trek 7.6 which is what I'm dreaming of...

It's a road bike with flat bars, that's how I see it. Light, fast, nimble, comfortable, and even affordable (compared with some of the competition).

Litespeed

The winter has been so mild here, i have 245 miles so far.

Is that 245 miles just for February or the January & Feb. ?

quickKarl

Jan and Feb. together and thats my road miles, i didn't add in the mountain bike rides around 50 on it.
I'm just glad to be able to get out and put in the rides. The last snow just left a few flurries here, I'm glad i'm not out east.

karl

Jaguar27

I turned 50 a couple of weeks ago (Jan 27th) and I'm delighted!! I have all my hair, everything is in great working order and I feel better than I did when I was 30 (I think so anyway, my memory is going a bit)...but I rode a Century in the Tour de Palm springs a couple of Day ago, so can I save 50 of those miles for my next Birthday??

My wife and I met the most amazing Guy at the event before the ride, he is 81 and was riding the Century also...so I figure I have 30 years left in the Saddle...and just look at it this way, the Kids are gone now we can afford to buy really really spendy Bikes...spoil ourselves for a change, I'll take the Six13 record for rainy day rides, something I can leave outside the Pub without worrying about , and the Colnago 50th Anniversary for Sundays!!...Saturdays?? hmmm..maybe a Seven and an Opera (one for the am, one for pm) thankyouverymuch!!...I think we deserve it, don't you???? Life is fantastic

trmcgeehan

LookinUp: Great idea! I will be 68 on June 4, and I am going to try it. But if I can get to 68 miles, I may try to go all the way for a century. How do you like your Fuji Touring? I am thinking of getting one. MY LBS says the FT is cheaper than the Trek 520, and a few hundred cheaper.

lookinUp

trmcgeehan...

I like the Fuji Touring - it's stable, comfortable and gives a nice ride, but it's heavy (compared to my Orbea Onix ). I had a Trek 520 years ago and loved it, but since the Orbea is my main bike, I couldn't justify the $$ for the Trek and I got the Fuji for $600 on Ebay - it was brand new and a dealer was reducing his inventory of 05's.

I think you'll like it, if that is the type of bike you're after. It seems to be well made and has all the braze-ons plus comes with a rear rack.

Lookinup