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This year I have been hammered by various viruses. It seems I would just get back on the road riding for fun instead of just errands and I'd be hit by a new one. I'm okay with that, since the source is my adorable grand-daughters who come play with me twice a week while their mom is in class, but it has meant a ridiculously long time between tandem rides (my wife has had the same viruses).
Having finally recovered from what I hope is the last of these little bugs, today found my wife and I riding a trainer and rollers in the back yard in spite of the beautiful 70F sunshine. Baby steps are the way I prefer to restart things and painful experience has taught me to not push until all the joints agree the time has come. Even then I usually wait a bit longer. If you've got nice places to take those baby steps outside, get going. If not, you can always get some rollers or a trainer and use it to get your legs back. The nice thing about training devices is they really make you appreciate the open road. |
This is kinda like a Zombie 55+er thread except in a good way!
Welcome back and just ride a bike.....don't overdo it. Nothing to add to previous good advice in this thread. |
Originally Posted by Red Rider
(Post 17614611)
^^^^ This!
Deeg! I thought you quit us and we'd never see you again. So glad you're back! So, yeah, just ride. I've put on weight as well, and don't like it, but I ride every chance I get; it will get me more healthy and fit and then my bike clothes won't be so tight. The answers to most of life's problems it to ride your bike. Deege and Red Rider, good to see you both! |
Originally Posted by Road Fan
(Post 17617216)
too much time on my butt. ...!
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Originally Posted by Digital Gee
(Post 17613506)
After a number of false starts, I think I'm ready to start riding again.
I moved to Reno in September, 2013. I brought my bikes with me, of course, but never quite got around to riding. Reno is much hillier than where I'd been, and a LOT was going on in my personal life as well, so cycling took a back seat. 10 months later, I found the house I now rent (which is fabulous to me). As the weather improved, I began to get the first hints that maybe I had the cycling bug again. So I took Mrs. Jones to a shop, and had her all tuned up, lubed, tires inflated (they'd gone flat), spokes tightened, the whole bit. When I picked her up she looked as good as new. But honestly, I haven't been biking much in several years. And now that I'm thinking of doing it again, I'll be honest - there's a new fear factor which I didn't have before. I'm 64 now, not 55 (when I started). BOTH knees hurt much of the time, not just after a ride. I've put on weight. And yet, and yet. There she is, and she seems to still want to hang with me. I need almost all new gear - bibs, helmet, jerseys, you name it. I have some, but they've shrunk (or I got fatter). We're having unseasonably warm weather as well. Today it's probably 70 degrees. I want to be out riding! I'm almost like a brand new cyclist. I'm wondering if I should get a simple "comfort bike" off Craigslist first, and get my sea legs back on it, and then take to the Masi? I feel like a damn rookie. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But I'm wondering if I still have the strength, the reflexes, and the chutzpah to be out on the road again. Shout out to all the folks who've been on this forum for a few years. It will be great to reconnect! I can relate to the whole, life getting in the way of riding thing. I would dearly love to spend much more time riding the bikes, and my goal is to arrange that in the near future. So meanwhile, enjoy getting back on the bike, and we look forward to reading your ride reports. |
It's interesting to me how many of us 50+ers have to deal with long lay offs and coming back. No matter how much we love to ride, life and health can get in the way. I'm sure that younger riders have their conditioning interrupted by things, but it's that much harder for older bodies to overcome the deconditioning/conditioning cycle.
I've had to do this a lot. I'm on my way back (I hope) for the 3rd time in about 4 years. Good luck to all who are doing it - it takes patience, but it's worth it. |
Welcome back DG,
I lost a year do to a bike crash. Give you three weeks and you will back to normal with a bike. Spin and keep it fun. |
For me I don't know how long the lay off has been. I think that it's been 7 or 8 years. It's not that I haven't ridden at all in that much time, it just hasn't been the same. In my case, I know that it's all mental. I think that it's PTSD from when I broke my elbows. I've tried visits with a psychologist and I've definitely made some progress but I've had a couple of pretty serious setbacks too.
Deege, I hope that everything goes well for you. Please keep in touch whether the news is good or bad. |
DG-
Have you thought about finding a riding group of like-minded folks? The group encouragement and, um, peer pressure might be just what you need. Dive in, the water's fine... |
Originally Posted by Phil_gretz
(Post 17618084)
DG-
Have you thought about finding a riding group of like-minded folks? The group encouragement and, um, peer pressure might be just what you need. Dive in, the water's fine... |
Originally Posted by Retro Grouch
(Post 17618026)
For me I don't know how long the lay off has been. I think that it's been 7 or 8 years. It's not that I haven't ridden at all in that much time, it just hasn't been the same. In my case, I know that it's all mental. I think that it's PTSD from when I broke my elbows. I've tried visits with a psychologist and I've definitely made some progress but I've had a couple of pretty serious setbacks too.
Deege, I hope that everything goes well for you. Please keep in touch whether the news is good or bad. |
Originally Posted by FBinNY
(Post 17616987)
+1, Just ride. let your hill climbing ability and traffic fear choose the routes, and your legs the distance. Later, you can go faster, climb higher, and ride farther along more interesting roads or trails. but all bike rides start with a single turn of the cranks.
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