ddez

I drive semis for a living(semi retired 4 days a week)Ex owner operater.We wash our own trucks if we want them looking good.Anyway we recently hired a new grease monkey,young guy,and i noticed he washs some older guys trucks as he says as a favour due to age.I asked him why not mine.He said cause aint no old guys around here move like you do.I took that as a compliment due to my cycleing and the good Lords blessing me with health.As encouragement to other people even young guys do notice.Im 63 incidently.Another young person said he hopes if he gets to my age he looks that good.Understand, not bragging just encourageing those who might just be getting started ots worth it to get in shape is all.

Allegheny Jet

+1, you don't need to be the first up a hill to be a winner. Keep up the good work.

stapfam

I act my age at work now. We have too many youngsters that will let me lift a 120lbs clutch on my own- because I can.

cyclinfool

Good for you!

I get thus as well and have for years since I made the commitment to life long health some 20 years ago. 10 years ago my teenage daughters girlfriends thought I was her older brother. I look at those pictures from then - I did look like a kid in my early 40's. Several times over the last year at work I was told people I had just started working with were amazed I had been with the company for 30 years stateing I did not act or look that old nor did I have the attitude of a lifer. People have always miss judged my age by at least 10 years. However, Unfortunately now I can tell by going back and looking at pictures that age is creeping up on, gray hair, poor eye sight, some hearing loss and no more tolerance for stupidity.

BikeArkansas

Compliments are nice. I think I said something about this before, but in this context, I want to relate an incident that happened recently.
I was working on the back of a houseboat (I inspect boats for a living) when two guys in their forties came over, said "Hello" and then asked me my age. I said I was 60. One man then asked me what my "sport" was because to be in the condition I was in, especially at 60, I must have a sport. I said my sport was riding a bicycle.
They looked at each other. One man then said they would start riding that afternoon.
Compliments like that help the motivation.

molarface

I'm a mere pup at 56, and still look a bit younger I'm told.
BUT my father-in-law turned 80 in June and has ridden for over 40 years.... and he can pass for 65ish!
He went 20 to 35 miles a day for many years but in the last 5 or 6 has reduced it a bit every year. he still does 10 or 13 every day. He looks, moves, and even thinks better than anybody I know at his age.
After an arm breaking accident recently (pot hole) his children all want him to quit cycling, his response is that w/o biking he'll wither up.
He's gotten more than a few people involved in cycling over the years as well (like me!).

Floyd

We all like compliments, and it is good to get'em...congrats on yours. I am doing better than a lot of 58 year olds and not as good as some. I still try to do what I can to keep up with the young ones, sometimes I do and sometimes I...not so much.

Rick@OCRR

True, it's like being "carded" when you ask for the senior citizen discount and the kid behind the counter doesn't think you look "senior" enough.

Now me, I'm an old guy and I look like an old guy, so I never get carded. Oh well.

Rick / OCRR

Jean Beetham Smith 

My boss is 65, I'm 62. Every week, as we are hoisting a struggling, 120 lb dog onto the table, he looks at me and says "Why are the 2 oldest people in this office doing this?" I guess because we both believe you do as much as you can for as long as you can.

ddez

Im not new to cycling but am new to computors and even newer to forums.Ive posted on other parts of this forum and got pretty much ignored,everyone caught up in who's widget is best, biggest ect.Lotsa flaming.I was ready to just forget it and just keep computor for what i oringinally got it for,to keep in contact with family living a ways away.But WOW! awesome response here. Love the easier going climate on 50plus.Love all the stories similar to mine,thanks for responding all and keep em coming enjoying it.

jdon

Hi ddez, don't take what people post personally. A lot of them are just kids flaming people behind the guise of anonimity.

They are a great, mature and responsible bunch here on the 50+ forum. I however, am just a poser as I don't yet qualify. At least not for another 27 days or so.. Keep riding and writing!

ddez

Hey jdon,im definately going to stick around 50+ forum and hopefully contribute my two cents worth when it may be helpful.Or maybe even not so helpful,lol.

molarface

TWO CENTS!?!? Jeez where you been cheap joints you been hanging around? There's a 10 cent minimum here.

Nah, just joking with you. I've found this to be one of the friendlier of the forums around. They do like pictures of members who've suffered the humiliating "failed to unclip in time, and fell over in front of an LA Fitness center" however.

Don

ddez

10cents now thats inflation.
Re: humiliating pics,good reason to ride solo.

twinrox

nice compliments, all of them. I got an unexpected compliment from a cardiologist, after he reviewed my test results when I was 60, "You know, maybe I should get my bike out of the garage."

BikeArkansas

One of the most important compliments you can get. Great!

Timtruro

Recently moved into a 55+ community and people tell me I look too young to be here, they also say I look too young to be retired (I am 60) and I take both with a smile and a " thank you"

Mojo Slim

I, too, live in a 55+ community and had the same experience as Timturo. The guys I ride with are all in their 60s (and a couple of 70s). When we stop for Cokes/Coffee etc in some "far away" town, folks are always impressed with us.

Floyd

With reason they are impressed...some today do not have the 'get up and go' to get up and go, so they are impressed by our desire to do something. You might say their motto is "Don't just do something, sit there".

stapfam

It was on a bike ride and 3 of us. Mike was 50- I was 58 and Martyn the youngster at 47. Already done a few hills and about 30 miles and we caught a group of 20 to 30 year olds going up a trickey trail just before a steep hill for a mile. Now these youngsters were on lightweight dual suspension top of the range "Yeti's" and the like so looked as though they knew what they were doing. The 3 of us were on hardtails that were at least 5 or 6 years old but the bikes work.

Caught the first of the group going over wet bricks and rocks. We know the line so got up with out any slipping or stumbling. Passed another couple of them in the next 50 yards or so on the bricks. Then the steep bit on wet chalk. Passed another couple of them while they were trying to get grip. Steep hill and by this time we could tell that they did not know the South Downs and the problems the terrain will hit you with.

Got to the top and the leader was there waiting for the rest. He was a South Downs man and we started chatting. This group were mountain bikers but from the Flatlands of Essex. All they have there are a few woods and muddy trails. As they arrived up- they looked at our bikes- picked them up to check the weight and noted that they were all Well equipped but basic. Then one asked our ages. When he found out that we had all been riding for 15 years or so he just said "I just can't wait to get old if it means that I can ride bikes as well as you lot"

Best compliment we had recieved in years- but we waved goodbye and took a different route off the hill to them. We may have shown them how to ride the South downs but showing them how old guys can climb had taken the last remains of our energy and we were shattered

Timtruro

And then was there pie?

Kurt Erlenbach

Forums all over the net (Let me re-write that - FORA all over the net (doesn't the use of "forums" as plural for "forum" drive you nuts?)) have very distinct peronalities. The idiocy of the fora on my local newspaper is really appalling. This forum is one of my favorties, not just because of the subject, but because of the pleasant and mature discussions. Not always the most exciting place around, but definitely the most grown-up. Maybe because the wisdom of age makes us understand that we don't impress each other with false bravado. Those here who impress me (like Hermes, RickOCRR, willdehne, bluesdawg, and others) do it with acutal accomplishments.

irwin7638

I have two cousins, one older and one younger, that I grew up with. When we were teens everybody thought we were at least brothers if not triplets. At a recent family gathering I saw them for the first time in years. We are in our late 50's and they have become skinny legged, grey haired pot-bellied old men while I am constantly confused for early 40's. Sad, but true. The only difference in our careers or family lives was that I have, since college, always used my bike when I didn't specifically need my car.

ErnieAZ

It's really special to receive a compliment when you're in your 60's. This week, a nurse-practitioner giving me a flu shot noticed I was 62 when going over my paperwork and expressed surprise at my age, said I looked great. I think I was more impressed with her when she told me she was a mountain bike racer and rode a belt-drive single-speed. I have to give kudos to the lady mountain bikers, the ones I've seen on the local trails are incredibly strong and something to see. I think women who can put the hammer down on an uphill mountain climb are very hot.