https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e4fcd3265e.jpg
Baby Boomer for sure, I was in the sixth grade when the Beatles hit the Ed Sullivan show.

I will occasionally ride with a group dominated by 65+, and this discussion topis are limited to medical procedures, medical problems, and drug prescriptions. Hopefully, we can raise the bar a bit here.

For summer 2018, I decided I need a new fun bike for joy riding, sightseeing. For rides with my spouse and friends, the classic 'rotated position' is not conducive to dialogue and sightseeing.

Enter, the Barracuda, ( You smiled like the Sun, kisses for everyone). '94 handbuilt MTB out of Durango, Colo. Hi bars, suspension seat, and a Jandd super saddle bag...good to go.

Welcome to BF.
Less than a year behind you.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7da594567d.jpg
Not a Raleigh, but bike trips into the 3 MRNP entrances are fun.

What about me? I was a "war baby". :eek: Born in 1944. :rolleyes:

Hello Wildwood! That is a great National Park and I have some very good memories. Not only was I able to complete two rides from Olympia to Paradise and back (at ages 29 and 41), but I learned to ski at Chrystal Mountain, watched a thunder storm from above while overnighting on one of the peaks and took day trips with my Daughter. Good times!

As you probably know, from talking to the park rangers, not many bikers ride UP the mountain. The ranger we talked to was pretty surprised. Most everyone gets their bikes up in the car, then speeds down to the entrance. I like to think I could still do something like that, but it would take 3, maybe 4 days (the oxygen bottles would be heavy), I would need no freewheel gear larger than 4 toothed and there would have to be an aid vehicle close behind. No, those were the days.

That's a real nice looking DeRosa you have there. Great color. What gearing do you have, to compete with that mountain at our age?

Good looking bike. :thumb: Interesting paint job. :)

obviously there was a little confusion with that term,,, I'm a boomer as well , born fourth month 1950,,,,, it was a very good year......

...that may be so, but sorry, my mother told me that 1951 was the very BEST year!

I've only been 65 for six days. What do I need to know? Why is there a special thread? I also have a 1958 bike, but its only 60.https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...790370bb2e.jpg

After reading the fine print...you'll have to come back when the bike reaches 65:50:

I rode the Suncoast trail yesterday. First time in 4-5 years. I took the Lynskey for its first ride there. The Litespeed has been there several dozen times. Rode from SR50 to the north end (12 miles of "Florida hills" each way). Did a bit of exploring and ended up riding 30.8 miles. :thumb: I'll admit now that the trail whipped my butt. :eek: When I got home my shoulders and neck were sore. This morning I compared the saddle/handlebar height between the Litespeed and the Lynskey. The Lynskey bars were a little less than a cm lower than the Litespeed so I put the last spacer below the handlebar to get the bar up a bit higher. Hope that will do the trick. I'll find out on the next long ride.

The ride is awesome. Even nicer than the Litespeed (if that's possible :rolleyes:). I guess that's to be expected. The Litespeed is made from 3/2 and 2/5 Ti whereas the Lynskey is made from 6/4 and 3/2 Ti. The better the frame material, the better the ride. That's what I was hoping for when I ordered the bike and it delivered. :thumb: I'm VERY happy with the Lynskey. :)

The pic with the DeRosa is taken at the northern, Carbon River entrance. A more gentle elevation gain topping out about 3000ft, so a 42X26 gets me there.
Actually I'm headed to to the Park tomorrow, staying a night at the Paradise Lodge. Good weather and pre-Memorial Day crowds. Riding one day from Randle on a paved forest service road toward Mt. Adams. Then a second day riding from Paradise to the Grove of the Patriarchs and back, triple chainrings for the next 2 days. My form of altitude training. Here are the 2 bikes I'm taking.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...71b62667fd.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7d3645ab6d.jpg

Carefull on those forest roads. The cougars seem to be getting hungry and I understand there are about 5k of them in the state. Concealed carry may be a good idea in that environment, or mace or a slab of bacon that you can throw down between you and anything on four legs.

I like the color of your Ratavus. Take care on those tight park roads too, with all of that traffic. Wish I was out there more often.

After 4 vials of blood taken a week ago, the results of a check-up were ok except cholesterol getting higher so... eat less animal fat.

Additionally, I was given a prescription for a Shingrix shot (prevents shingles). The doctor said this is the latest and the one to get because, no live vaccine is involved. I've passed on a shingles shot up to now but the doc said we all carry the chicken pox virus in us and those who get it are getting shingles from themselves-- it's not from being exposed to others with active cases of chicken pox or shingles. That was a new take on it to me. Although I guess your immune system has to be down to get the shingles, I remember hearing years ago if you live long enough you will get the shingles.

As a bike related matter, I was given the 2nd pneumonia shot that us geezers are supposed to get yesterday and rode a bike today so that was an easy one to take. From what I read the shingles shot can lay you low for a few days.

The new shingles vaccine, shingrix, is vastly more effective than the original one, zostavax. Zostavax loses much of its effectiveness within five years. (About six years since I got it - getting the new one is on my list of things to do.)
Much higher likelihood of side effects with the new one, but generally nothing awful, and worth the risk, as I see it.

I took the Lynskey out again today. :) The more I ride it the more I like it. :thumb:

Concealed (or any) carry is EVIL.

Now that's a bit harsh, but you are entitled to your opinion.

Let's not get into a political discussion about guns or CC. There's a forum for that.

Nice thread...70 and been riding riding a schwinn gateway for the past 3 years and sometime my stripped down bare metal 62 schwinn corvette along with my 20 dollar huffy cranbrook I picked up at yard sale 3 years ago...the gateway is now single speed with a few upgrades...something about the one piece piece ashtabula crank....keep every simple..enjoy the thread....started riding when I turned 55....get out 3 or 4 times a week and use the bikes for easy store runs..good fun!!!

Does anyone know what happened to one of our Forum members, I forget his forum ID.
Bill - lived outside of Pensacola Fl, participated a lot in 50+ and C&V.
I knew he was dealing with Parkinson's or MS or something...... but he seems to have disappeared completely.
Maybe I missed a post from him signing off the Forum.
He was one of those contributors who's always positive.

edit: saw a post: qcpmsame listed as banned.
What happened? Please PM me if it's not appropriate for all to see.
I don't visit "Pills and Ills".

Welcome to the old folks club. :thumb: I too started when I was 54/55 y/o. I'm now 73 and try to get out 3-4 times a week.