card

After being a lurker for many months, and finally
joining the forum, we, at over 50, are not OLD.

As riders, we are mostly an anomoly to the present
statistics of our age group.

We all want to lose a few pounds, reduce the body fat,
ride more and be more healthy.

The neat thing about about this forum is everyone rides or
wants to ride and no one is put down.

Enjoy being over 50---------Think of the alternative.

John

cyclintom

Will someone get this old fart his easy chair and bottle of Bud?

CrossChain

We ARE old.....we just don't act it. Live it. Regard it. Bow to it. Deny it. Hide it. Submit to it. Think overmuch about it.

P.S. Welcome, Card. Should have come out of the closet long ago.

Big Paulie

I totalled my car today...first car wreck ever (!) and much too close to "the alternative" for comfort. No one was hurt, thankfully, but it was a tap on the shoulder to appreciate every day.

What I realized, after analysing my at-fault accident, was that my hearing has degraded so much in the past year, that I can now mistake total silence for no traffic...and that's something that would have been curtains if I'd been riding my bike, rather than driving my car. So, this accident may have saved my life in the months and years down the line.

My bike was in the back, and it sustained minor damage. This has me much more upset than the loss of my car. In fact, I feel oddly lighter without a car already.

I never would have dreamed when I woke up this morning that I would end the day with no car and a LOT more perspective!

scottogo

Sorry about your accident and glad you are ok.
Is it possible your hearing loss is something that can be remedied?

And welcome to Card.

stapfam

It's caused by DG spouting on about something or other that I can't quite hear either.

On the incident side- I keep getting little reminders that I am not quite what I used to be. Unfortunately I work in a team that is also progressing in age. We no longer have a fit 30 year old, or even 40 year old now I think of it, that can do those heavy manual tasks that we all used to do without thinking. Unfortunately------ That hobby of cycling has kept me fitter than the rest so guess who has to tidy up the Commercial brake drum bins, when my eyesight stops me from finding the one I want.

Cycling has its advantages, but Watch out for when it is you always mowing the lawn- Painting the shed- tidying the garage or any other task that others cannot do due to their age.

Welcome to the forum Card, but watch out for the unfit ones round here- They will get you doing all sorts of things that a 50+er should not be doing

Big Paulie

Are you channeling my wife? That's all I've "heard" this evening! I'm going to check on it, but in the mean time, I have to stop trusting my ears.

oilfreeandhappy

Welcome card. Let that gray hair show! That is, if you still have hair :-)

howsteepisit

Paulie, Glad you are OK. Sorry about your car, but we may as well admit it, males seem to have some problem admitting their hearing is gong bad. It's a real consequence of aging. And to get back to the O.P's topic, no we are not old. After our clubs century last August, the wife and I were talking. There were more riders over 50 than under 25 on the ride. Then I happened to think about my Dad's generation. They looked and acted old at 50. Things are really different now, and I for one am darn glad! Our self perceptions have changed, and we no longer consider 50-70 that old. So we keep on riding!

DanteB

I started doing double centuries when I was 53, so far I’ve done 14 doubles and 2 triples. My kids can’t keep up with Dad.

scottogo

I am not doing anything with your wife.

Everyone thought my mother-in-law was loosing her hearing. Two years later when she finally went to the doctor they found two big glops of ear wax in her ears. Hope it is that or something similar for you.

SSP

If you're not already using one, I highly recommend a mirror when cycling. The best one on the market today is the Take-a-Look model.

Tom Bombadil

We are young!

Heartache to heartache we stand

Big Paulie

Here is a shot of Mrs. Paulie waving me off to work today, my first as a bike commuter...I thought it was nice of the milk man to volunteer to take the picture, don't you?

Red Baron

cold- yep summers over.

Eyes are gone, hearing is gone, but gosh can I still ride a Bike !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome card.

Digital Gee

Nice socks.

CrossChain

No wonder you're late getting in to work so often.

P.S. Glad you weren't hurt, Paulie. It's very telling that your greatest reaction was to the "minor damage" to the Rivendell.....take care out there.

Big Paulie

Interesting...when the opportunity for a viscious fashion slam at a 50+ homeboy presents itself, DG suddenly comes out of hiding!

Lance gave me those socks, by he way...

Digital Gee

Lance the milkman?

George

You may have got in the wreck thinking about the milkman and your wife.Glad your OK.

Bud Bent

Dang, the bike was damaged....

guybierhaus

As one who also totaled his car 5 weeks ago, I'm also glad to hear you're ok. I do hope you get a better insurance adjusted then I. What a miserable person, who could have used a good bike ride. Don't believe I was at fault, but insurance said I was 30% responsible.

Anyway on the good news side, the Pontiac Vibe gets 28 mpg, not the 24 mpg of Camry. And my bike can ride inside car, not on a trunk rack. Ever since I got a car with air conditioning, I drive with windows up and radio on, so hearing doesn't play a big part in driving. My problem is vision. Glare at night and I swear my mind sometimes plays visual tricks on me. I've had two close calls with looking both directions at an intersection but not seeing an oncoming car. Now I take an extra second before pulling forward.

DnvrFox

Who said we were?

dbg

slight diversion: My last "total" ended in a pathetic evaluation and offer. The vehicle was loaded with every feature and option and had just gotten $1200 of new brakes, tires, etc. It was a fight to get anyway near its value. Good luck.

But my diversion is: After the accident, a greenish metalic looking fluid was leaking out the back of the minivan. The police closed off the street at both ends and called for Haz-Mat response. We waiting 20 minutes for these two guys in full moon suits (hoods, tanks, clunky boots, ..the works). They stood by the vehicle looking at the fluid for minutes doing nothing. So I (shorts, sandels, and T shirt) walk down the block and stand between them for a minute. I say hello and suggest it looks like coolant fluid to me. They nod and grumble something. So I step forward, reach down and stick my finger in it. I raise it to my nose and say, "yup, coolant fluid." Scene felt like something out of a Stanley Kubrick movie.

centexwoody 

You are so fortunate to live in a friendly neighborhood with an equally friendly milkman! And thanks for sharing the photo with those cool socks.

Man, oh man, glad you weren't hurt in the car accident. And that you discovered in a non-fatal way that your hearing no longer provides sufficient stimulus from the vehicular environment. Am I'm really glad that lovely Rivendell didn't suffer too much in the crash. That would have been the final straw...

So are you going to give up owning a car for awhile? Use a rental car solution or one of the 'community car' groups that are becoming so popular? I think if I lived somewhere that made 'car=free' an option, I'd think seriously about it, especially with the weekend/shared ride groups available.

BTW, I've now got my Surly set up for commuting and am working towards a daily commuter approach. My ride is only 4 miles each way along gently rolling streets with a dedicated on-street bike lane almost all the way. Enjoy your commute & I look forward to hearing about it.

Geez, wish my wife had time to see me off that way in the mornings! But our teenagers would get upset that we weren't 'acting in our age' and all their friends would be buzzing about the crazies living on this block. And the evangelicals would be going to city council to complain about the bad example set by the self-styled "Adam and Eve" independents in the neighborhood. First step to ruin & perdition & falling house prices.