Happy birthday! I turn 66 next month. Can't let you catch up! :)

I was not an active e-bike denier, but I will admit I hated seeing them blow by me effortlessly on the paths. Now that I have a "light assist" e-bike, I now understand the differences. The other day I was happily riding home at a nice pace - 17 mph or so - and then I hear the angry buzzing of big knobbies coming up behind me. Some guy on a Class 2 bike with the pedal to the electrons, doing 25-30 on the MUP.

Anyway, I still get a good workout on the e-bike. Honestly, it's the first modern bike I have bought for myself in over 30 years, and it's interesting. 700c wheels, hydraulic disk brakes, aluminum frame. I still like flat bars, 26" wheels, rim brakes, and steel, but I guess the cycling world has moved on.

I've seen stories of people who get more exercise after getting an ebike, so with that being the case, I'm in favor. I will probably get one eventually, but I'm OK with powering myself fully for now.

Still a few here leading you out.

My new aortic valve turned 6 weeks old today and i was cleared to ride my bike. I soft pedaled flat for an hour averaging 11.7 mph. Most — 3 out of 4 — bikes on the beach side MUP with me were motorized. Most of them coming or going to a surfing session or volleyball game and clearly not disabled by age. I don’t get it.

Classtime-
Congratulations! SAVR or TAVR?
My SAVR is 4 months plus, but riding here in Vermont requires nerves, brains, and thighs of steel. I'm waiting for warmer weather. I did a dozen sessions in the rehab gym. Walking the dogs through the snow is pretty aerobic.

Hi Pratt. SAVR. My first one (St. Jude) lasted 15 years. Did you get the new Inspiron?

Don't know the make. Bioprosthetic, carved out of bovine pericardium. Also did a Maze procedure on one atrium to forestall Afib. On the way in, he also removed an enlargement of my thymus, probably related to leukemia.
I think my surgeon would have had a cardiac event himself if I he knew I had gotten on a bike 6 weeks post-op.
The fact that you were makes me feel optimistic about a full recovery, if the weather recovers.
Mine was done at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, about 30 miles away, top notch care.

Congratulations on the valves, folks. Classtime, I'm impressed that you call that an easy pace after all that.

Sudden stratospheric warming combined with a disruption and collapse of the polar, vortex that is predicted to effect all 50 states is not far off, i.e., in less than 2 weeks... So-Cal may (I hope ) again escape much of the extreme cold due to continuing La Niña conditions. That said, I struggle mightily to hit an average of 11 mph despite felicity to a regular schedule, but... come closest in colder conditions and always gives me something to shoot for!

4% improvement of mph on ride yesterday– must'a been the grits... only had'm twice in my life, the second being the night before the ride. I like'm!

@Chinghis I'm 75 and still relying on leg power. Almost all I used to ride with are now on e-bikes. Nothing against e-bikes, I may eventually get one, but still enjoying using pedal power only. Still able to climb most hills (rode only mtb until 53). As your orig post shows, it not e-bikes that we disdain, it's the riders who don't know, or care, what they are for, and how to ride one. Wide open, 25-30mph on a MUP is an example of how NOT to ride one. You are obviously one who will enjoy your e-bike, get the most out of it, with respect to other riders. Glad e-bikes are around, for those who wish to continue riding but might not if not for them.

Shrimp and grits, soft boiled eggs for breakfast. Oh yeah. Mug of French roast, let's ride!

From a boy who grew up in the mid-South, a family of 7 on a very tight budget = I can confirm grits as staple, if even from the past. Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner. It can be seasoned and prepared in sooooo many ways that when combined with the right protein dish = can also be a delicacy (loosely applied at our family's dinner table). Fills the tummy, too. Mom told us kids, "Dig in! There's a bit of leftover bean soup comin".
Maybe cheaper than the equally versatile potato, Mom would have known.


Funny - the (forgotten) old thoughts that come to me readin this thread. Dam - have not 'imagined' grits in 50 years. Corn meal dishes = yes, Grits = no.

Potatoes better than grits... but, boomers in general probably have little to fear from a nutritional standpoint as by the early '40s, the government was recommending the addition of niacin to ground corn and many Southern States mandated that it be added (apparently, even the Aztecs had a better handle on that than immigrants from Europe that knew nothing about corn).

Who remembers the TV series "Quick Draw McGraw" ?

The term used in that series was "El Kabong", the guitar carrying character who would use it to smash a guitar.

El Kabong was Quick Draw McGraw's crime-fighting alter ego. "Kabong!" was what he'd yell as he smashed his guitar over an evil-doer's head.

Here's an Instagram clip.

I have not read the entire thread but was wondering about thoughts on spinning vs outdoor cycling. I often do spinning during the week and/or foul weather. I do both but mostly HIIT spinning in the winter months, especially this year with the winter being horrible. I’m 66 and have been doing both for many years other than a 15 month break in 2022/2023 for a nasty shoulder repair.

I walk when the weathers foul.

I’m in eastern PA, the last several months did not lend itself to walking, temperatures in the negative numbers, snow and then of course, Ice. So, I chose safety.

Simple answer from me.
Spinning vs Outdoor = spinning outside beats spinning inside anytime pushing pedals. But if the weather is not conducive to cycling or walking/hiking then an indoor trainer is better than 'hanging out'. Gym membership?

At almost 75yo = LSD for me. HIITs have become MIITs (moderate intensity interval training sessions). And 'saddle time' is my preferred metric over mileage.

Probably going to shorter cranks again as, Damn! AGAIN... calf pull exact same spot! AI says elevate/ice, 48-72 hrs. (again). Don't know if taking my crank-shorteners off after great recovery of range of motion from the last TKR was a contributing cause (and was back on the bike relatively quickly after the first pull ~two mos. ago) but AI says shorter cranks does put less stress calves and I remember having enjoyed the higher cadence anyway so... thinking I'll go back to a shorter crank length at least for a few months... they put your feet further apart (increases the Q-factor) but that never seemed to be an issue for me. Hopefully, back on the bike by Monday.

Have ya ever woken up and realized that it is the right time to do something that you have been contemplating (and maybe postponing) for quite some years?

With relatives and friends dying, with cancers that keep popping up, and every PCP Dr's visit seems to offer a referral to a specialist - "if you would like to investigate that further" - I know I need to downsize and have a simpler, less complicated existence. Less stuff, even if it is healthy fun pleasing stuff.

Been a few threads about unloading a collection of bikes - so need not go there. :rolleyes: Only about 8 vintage, keeping 3 roadies with Campa Ergo 10 and a rigid mtb and a step-thru city bike. Maybe one DT shifter will have to stay. :o The tandem may be the hardest to sell. Only moderately attached to the oldies, but these have been best of the best. Previous sell-offs were also good riders, but not primo-keepers, for all the variety of niggly reasons.

Now is the Time. Stay focused. Put in a serious effort. Just do it. Don't sway.
Guess I will need a few final rides though.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...2abe552d2.jpeg

Had many faves over the years but only one I plain flat wore out...

Indoor smart trainer can give a better workout in a given amount of time than outdoor riding. Indoor takes more discipline and delivers much less fun. A person can become a w/kg beast with structured indoor training and equally disciplined diet. I just can't live that way.

I much prefer outdoor riding, it is good for mental and physical health. I do HIIT on a spinner to keep things interesting when the weather is bad. As fast as a disciplined diet is concerned…..nope, not my thing. I “try” to follow a heart healthy diet but run afoul of that goal on occasion.

Just IMO but, 'spinning' with reference to riding outdoors is ~85+ RPMs as opposed to 'pushing' in the '60s that puts a bit of a strain on the knees (e.g., chondromalacia patellae), and in the '70s as probably engaged in most by casual biking enthusiasts with gear selection and to a lesser extent, experimenting with crank length. Physically, spinning shifts relative pedaling effort from your leg muscles to putting more emphasis on your cardiovascular system.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, it's a weather thing. Would I rather ride in 45° rain or indoors? Yeah, indoors. I've been riding my set of resistance rollers indoors for 30 years now. I can't say I like them, but they're a better workout than outdoors at the same HR, so I use them a lot. They're sorta like always climbing a steep grade in a low gear, if that makes any sense. There's always pedal pressure, 360°. They're great for balance and super good for paying attention 100% of the time. I can't say I love them, but they've made me a better cyclist. That said, back when I was a kid in my 60s, I used to ride in the rain down into the 30s all the time. I just don't have the drive to do that anymore.

E-bikes are brilliant. But I only know the European type, which is pedelec only and no assist after 25km/h (about 15mph).

I ride both types, and I get no less of a workout on the e-bike (a R&M Multicharger) than one of the normal ones. That's because the amount of effort is in your control. Effort can't be eliminated below a certain level.

The big advantage of an e-bike is the ability to carry heavy loads, including up hills, which means you don't need a car. Total car replacement with an e-bike will CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

Not just carrying heavy loads, but riding much longer distances, which means you use the bike for trips you used to consider other forms of transport to be required for.

Lastly, you can ride an e-bike in business clothing and ride in a way which prevents sweating (in reasonably cool weather). That is yet another expanded use case where you can be using the bike where previously you would drive a car.

I get much more exercise now, after acquiring an e-bike, than I did before -- because I was able to eliminate any car usage and almost all car-sharing and taxis, and use the bike far more than was reasonable to use a regular bike. My mileage has increased probably 5x.

True, cycling has changed, especially since ~2019 and for many, offer advantages that outweigh nostalgic recollections, e.g., this googled this from a blogger on a bike tour in '22–

"The terrain is pretty hilly as soon as you get away from the waterfront. So everyone seems to have given up on pedaling around under their own power. Easily 90% of the cyclists we have seen here are on e-bikes, especially the kids. Everyone in the 10-18 age range was on an e-bike. It struck us as a bit sad, because e-bikes actually seem to be replacing regular bikes, not cars - hardly a climate-friendly development. It’s also not the best for kids, who generally need more exercise rather than less."

Lightweight skinny tire race bikes with arse-killing English leather saddles are definitely becoming way passé....

In my world, e-bikes replaced cars, not push bikes, and exercise achieved on bikes increased dramatically. I use car-sharing when really only a car will do, but that occurs not more than once a month.

Maybe you're riding somewhere where throttle e-bikes (which are not really bikes, but electric mopeds) are allowed. Those are not allowed in Europe. On a pedelec hills are still hills.

Back in the day, I loved my Brooks leather saddle. Not "arse-killing" at all; you had to break it in properly. They were extremely comfortable provided you wore the wool cycling shorts with the chamois insert in the seat. I used to do 100 miles three time a week in season like that. The only thing I DON'T miss were the glue-on tires, or sew-ups or whatever we called them -- ick.