A couple of weeks ago while walking up my driveway, I managed to find and slip on the only remaining patch of ice. It was one of those ohoh moments where one has a moment to consider the possibility of a broken hip, etc. Fortunate that I escaped with only a bit of personal embarrassment.

As it happens, a few days later as I was walking downtown for my morning coffee, I found myself doing so quite carefully wishing no repeat performances. Upon further reflection it occurred to me that this was not a new habit this one of treading carefully, the previous weeks experience notwithstanding.

What has happened to striding across the snow and ice without fear of consequence? Damn, I must be getting wiser! Odd and perhaps heartening, that this change in attitude has not affected how I ride my bike. Thus when I come to the crest of a hill, I still go full blast in search of the exhilaration that comes with speed. I do this without thought or fear of possible consequence.

Sometimes I just confuse the heck out of myself!

I know how you feel. But I have also seen that after getting back onto a MTB the same feeling of cautiousness has over come me and unlike my road bike I don't crest hills and head down paths with the same abandon I did years ago. I don't think it is wisdom as much as a realization I am mortal.

If your like me, you realized that you don't bounce or bounce back as quikly as you used to. What used to be a fall, roll, get up and do it again, now is fall, spend the next day or two being sore, then vow not to do it again.
However, I right there with you on the bike thing.

If I get injured I want it to be glorious, not slip-and-fall crap.

You've not gotten smarter or wiser. No, when you were a child you learned not to touch hot things because it hurt. Now that your body continues to change the same process is still in play. You know that if you slip and fall it will hurt, and maybe hurt real bad for a long time. It seems to me things are as they should be.

... IMHO, that is wisdom

Still as agile as I used to be but I don't bounce as well as I used to. I just go "Thud" now. That was one of the reasons I cut back on the mountain biking as falls were beginning to hurt. That has gone into my everyday life now and I am more careful in how I do things. This may be why I have not had any "Incidents" in the past few years but I am also getting annoyed at what my friends and relations "Allow" me to do. I may not want or attempt to lift that heavy 100lb paving slab but I will gladly help another to do it. I start changing a wheel on the van-and neighbours come and help me. I mention that I have some tree pruning to do and the helpers won't let me do it and they struggle up the tree and cut the branches in the wrong place.

Seems that I suddenly reached an age where relations and friends think I have become physically unable to do things wheras only a couple of years ago they would happily let me get on with struggling to do a job. Just waiting for my pighead attitude to put me into trouble that I will be paying for.

I prefer to look at the upside:

I went all of 2013 without a single bike ride that ended with me in the back of an ambulance. That hasn't always been the case for me. Here's hoping 2014 treats me as well. And yes, I find it can be a good thing to walk some segments that virtually everybody else rides through with no difficulty what-so-ever. A bruised ego is easier to live with than a broken hip.

Uh - I also recently allowed my wife call a son to load our old CRT television set into the back of my truck. I would have eventually managed to get it loaded but it was a lot easier to let the son do it.

Because bones break easier and heal slower that's why. You just don't want to lose riding time. Your instincts are good......Mine, not so much. I broke a humorous bone at 42 (actually someone broke it for me) and it took months to heal. So I decided to grow up at 42 (doctor's advice)......except for the guy who buzzed me on my bike once .

Experience is something you get right after you need it but if you do survive, that experience will be there, in place, before the next misadventure.

Lately I find myself trying to think ahead that "hey that walkway or driveway might be icey", not always successful but I have been lucky that I haven't had a serious fall or accident so far.

That rings so many bells with me. I know there are limitations as you get older but I do understand these limitations and I really get fed up with people who tell me what I can't do rather than what I can do, however well meaning.

Perhaps I can't push myself as hard, in absolute terms, as I could 30 years ago but I can still push myself. And I'll still make the occasional mistake in judgement.

"Remember, thou art mortal."

--History of the World: Part I

Having been there I can attest to a feeling of serious accomplishment when recovered. My mantra is "you do as you think."

And the worst part about being mortal and perhaps passing away...

Your significant other will more than likely either give your prized possessions away or sell them off at $.10 on the dollar.

...in that we're realizing that we have to set some limits now. It's for our own good. For example, I no longer do a strenuous 10 hours of yard work consecutively. Instead I separate it into 2 hour chunks, and take rest breaks. I don't lift with my back any longer. I also don't play contact or competitive sports any longer - not worth the inevitable sprains and fractures.

But limits on a bike...not so much. I ride with my wife and another couple that contains a riding buddy. On the pre-ride brief, I outline where the hills will be, and always add, "don't be dragging your brakes on this descent, because the surface is good and the sightline is long. Just let it run out..." They don't listen. Even my buddy says, "I don't like going that fast."

WHAAAAT? This I don't get. Riding is one area in life where I'm 16 again.

My footsteps have always been shorter when there's ice around. At recent temps, doesn't ice freeze and become something else?

Glorious fall isn't really that much fun either, after it's all said and done.

I'm sure that's true, but consider the difference between "I'm out because I got T-boned on the road" and "I'm out because I wasn't watching where I was stepping and I hit a piece of ice and broke my butt".

I know they hurt equally as much.

Dude, I can't believe that you, of all the posters here, are that scrupulous about sticking with the truth.

Never let the facts get in the way of a colorful story. After I fell over and broke my hip while riding my recumbent tandem I told most folks "I don't really want to talk about it but I got my butt kicked in a bar fight."

Though not needed here as often as Wisconsin this time of year, having a set of studded tires
available when the road does ice up has been Nice to have ..

I got mine a long time ago factory direct from Finland , via The Mail , passed thru customs
in a bundle with a few more of those And some of the companies other tires. in 90..

I feel dumber about flying over the bars at high speed, but I guess the ego's taking a hit on the slip and fall also. Embellishment works in a pinch.

well, as to learning from experience, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger"...except the infantry, the infantry will kill you...

[QUOTE=Phil_gretz;16436987 WHAAAAT? This I don't get. Riding is one area in life where I'm 16 again.[/QUOTE]

I totally agree! I love descending at speed and have introduced friends to a curvy descent with "No need to touch the brakes on this one!"

Lean into the turn, put the weight on your outside foot, steer with your inner leg agains the saddle and just go for it!

Some listen and heed, others not so much.

Rick / OCRR

*smirking*: No, sir. This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.