How about whose kids bicycle?

Of my five kids I have one son who is an avid bicyclist. In fact, he's currently trying to sell his motocross racing motorcycle to buy another mountain bike.

My other son has a freeride mountain bike that he sometimes rides, but not very often. I have a daughter who actually owns a bicycle and a tandem but I don't think she has ridden either one in over a year. I have two other riders who are just non-riders.

Mrs. Grouch and I may not still be going strong exactly, but at least we're still going.

My father took up biking in his late 60's, and stopped a few years later after he fell and hit his head on a curb. He didn't get severely hurt, but he rode the bike home without remembering getting there. I went to visit my mother in Florida when she was about 75 and was surprised to see an old 3 speed in the garage. She told me she used it to cruise around the golf community where she lived, but I never saw her ride it. Sadly, both parent gone now.

I don't remember ever seeing either of my parents on a bike, but both had fitness levels that put me to shame. Dad was a builder/finish carpenter until he retired, and then he got really busy. He passed early this year at age 87.
Mom turned 81 last week, and she's still hard for me to keep up with. It's possible to be fit and active without bicycles or regimented exercise routines.

My dad had many health problems and after several heart attacks he started riding a Schwinn five speed. This was when he was in his early fifties. He rode slowly down our dirt road, doing a four mile square turning at each intersection. This was a rural area with few houses. He always had a string of dogs following him. And sometimes his "pet" crow. I often would ride with him, it was a pleasant and hopeful time.

Both of my parents were bike commuters for a few years in the 70s. Times were a little tight and the car was in bad shape so he rode an old Murray 26" to his job at the implement dealer and mom had a Schwinn trike that she rode to her job at the newspaper. Short commutes. About 2 miles each way for dad and 4 blocks for mom.

The newspaper was interesting. All the employees had reserved parking spaces. In my mom's parking space they put up a post with brackets that she could lock her trike to.

Well, you would sure intimidate ME!

My dad in 2010 was 85 when we visited relatives in Beijing. Pic on campus of Tsing Hua University. Mom can't swim or ride a bike to save her life.


He just rode on Labor Day when we were out in the Hamptons too. 89 next month.