[size=13px]I am one of those people you see out on the roads on two wheels keeping to the right and playing the odds that I will not be hit by a distracted driver or taken out by a speeder towing a trailer. I take those odds because since 1983 when I began switching from running to cycling, I have benefitted greatly in terms of health and wellbeing. Running was great and I was doing well racing with 10k times in the low 30-minute range but stress fractures and disc herniations were sending messages that impact was not my friend as I entered middle age. [/size]

I had a great local doctor who was also a runner and he suggested that when the joints and ligaments began to become an issue I should go to the bicycle. I took that advice in spades. Since I had already made the choice not to use tobacco, alcohol, or weed, I had plenty of money to buy my first high quality racing bicycle in 1994 marked down from $1,800 to $1,000 because it was too small for most riders. At 5’5 and 125 pounds, it fit me perfectly.

I still have that bike, but I have not ridden it in years. My number one bike set me back north of $7,000 in 2013 and my rain bike cost me $5,000 in 2008. Sound like a lot of money? Not really. Try paying for heart surgery or fighting lung cancer. As a person of libertarian mind, I believe people should be able to choose the way they live, and I make no judgements, I just play the odds. Those bikes I invested in have produced returns that exceed anything I may have missed by not drinking, abusing drugs, and smoking. At 74 it’s all right there in my bloodwork; they told me to come back next year.

Shall we get to a deeper point here? Not long ago there were five bike shops within easy driving distance for area residents. Now four of them have closed and the one that is left is having trouble with inventory. I bought them out of road tires this spring. I know I can get stuff off the internet but why are local bike shops disappearing? Could it be because they are considered non-essential? This is an interesting question because the governors of all the states in the country have decided that liquor stores are essential businesses that must be kept going during a global health crisis.

I have scoured all the search engines for information suggesting that liquor stores have contributed to the health of the nation and increased lifespans, but I keep coming up empty. What I have found is that ten percent of the drinkers drink ninety percent of the alcohol and this is the demographic that is likely fighting for space on the roads with me during the current pandemic because they are being paid not to work.

Talk about the best of times and the worst of times. I worked for fifty-five years so I could ride my bike on sparse roads during work hours and now I’m out there with slobs in pickup trucks revving their engines and cutting me off because I am in their way while they are headed to support their favorite essential business in the middle of the day. Thanks to leadership in this country the odds for me just got worse which could explain why I am not seeing too many other bikes out there this year.

Don't know it did that: here it is again:



I am one of those people you see out on the roads on two wheels keeping to the right and playing the odds that I will not be hit by a distracted driver or taken out by a speeder towing a trailer. I take those odds because since 1983 when I began switching from running to cycling, I have benefitted greatly in terms of health and wellbeing. Running was great and I was doing well racing with 10k times in the low 30-minute range but stress fractures and disc herniations were sending messages that impact was not my friend as I entered middle age.



I had a great local doctor who was also a runner and he suggested that when the joints and ligaments began to become an issue I should go to the bicycle. I took that advice in spades. Since I had already made the choice not to use tobacco, alcohol, or weed, I had plenty of money to buy my first high quality racing bicycle in 1994 marked down from $1,800 to $1,000 because it was too small for most riders. At 5’5 and 125 pounds, it fit me perfectly.



I still have that bike, but I have not ridden it in years. My number one bike set me back north of $7,000 in 2013 and my rain bike cost me $5,000 in 2008. Sound like a lot of money? Not really. Try paying for heart surgery or fighting lung cancer. As a person of libertarian mind, I believe people should be able to choose the way they live, and I make no judgements, I just play the odds. Those bikes I invested in have produced returns that exceed anything I may have missed by not drinking, abusing drugs, and smoking. At 74 it’s all right there in my bloodwork; they told me to come back next year.

I keep trying to delete it but it won't delete

I’ll be 70 at the end of the year, Lord willing.

My only piece of advice, now might be a good time to start enjoying life.

John

Third time a charm?

I am one of those people you see out on the roads on two wheels keeping to the right and playing the odds that I will not be hit by a distracted driver or taken out by a speeder towing a trailer. I take those odds because since 1983 when I began switching from running to cycling, I have benefitted greatly in terms of health and wellbeing. Running was great and I was doing well racing with 10k times in the low 30-minute range but stress fractures and disc herniations were sending messages that impact was not my friend as I entered middle age.



I had a great local doctor who was also a runner and he suggested that when the joints and ligaments began to become an issue I should go to the bicycle. I took that advice in spades. Since I had already made the choice not to use tobacco, alcohol, or weed, I had plenty of money to buy my first high quality racing bicycle in 1994 marked down from $1,800 to $1,000 because it was too small for most riders. At 5’5 and 125 pounds, it fit me perfectly.



I still have that bike, but I have not ridden it in years. My number one bike set me back north of $7,000 in 2013 and my rain bike cost me $5,000 in 2008. Sound like a lot of money? Not really. Try paying for heart surgery or fighting lung cancer. As a person of libertarian mind, I believe people should be able to choose the way they live, and I make no judgements, I just play the odds. Those bikes I invested in have produced returns that exceed anything I may have missed by not drinking, abusing drugs, and smoking. At 74 it’s all right there in my bloodwork; they told me to come back next year.



Shall we get to a deeper point here? Not long ago there were five bike shops within easy driving distance for area residents. Now four of them have closed and the one that is left is having trouble with inventory. I bought them out of road tires this spring. I know I can get stuff off the internet but why are local bike shops disappearing? Could it be because they are considered non-essential? This is an interesting question because the governors of all the states in the country have decided that liquor stores are essential businesses that must be kept going during a global health crisis.



I have scoured all the search engines for information suggesting that liquor stores have contributed to the health of the nation and increased lifespans, but I keep coming up empty. What I have found is that ten percent of the drinkers drink ninety percent of the alcohol and this is the demographic that is likely fighting for space on the roads with me during the current pandemic because they are being paid not to work.



Talk about the best of times and the worst of times. I worked for fifty-five years so I could ride my bike on sparse roads during work hours and now I’m out there with slobs in pickup trucks revving their engines and cutting me off because I am in their way while they are headed to support their favorite essential business in the middle of the day. Thanks to leadership in this country the odds for me just got worse which could explain why I am not seeing too many other bikes out there this year.

I enjoy cycling; it has been good to me.

Cycling has been good to me too. I probably meet your a lot of your criteria, but I don’t want to waste my time on all that stuff.

I know too many old people who have squandered their lives complaining, especially about politics, and now all their hobbies are gone.

John

Ray, you CLEARLY feel that you are superior to 95% of Americans. What gives you the right? No, that's incorrect. You certainly have the right. What gives you the very idea in the first place?! Know what 'virtue signalling' is? Google it. It's not a good look. It's never a good look.

I too like to ride my bike!

Nice political diatribe disguised as something else.

Thinly veiled politics.

Bike shops in Seattle were essential services. I don't know about where you are. I am guessing as a Libertarian, they have a right to drink and hit you and you have a right to sue them?

Cycling is about to get much more expensive. My guess is the tune is going to change when that happens.

I reported it.

Same here in Philly, and they were very busy.

Ugh. Sigh.

All we are missing is the OP’s annual income and stock portfolio. Care to share?

This is why I hate being around old people.

Their lives suck so they want to suck the life out of everyone else.

John

OP, how can we sign up for your blog? https://substack.com/

Well, it is open to "every size and shape." Wonder what the blog about "books/snacks/softcore" is like.

Nb4tl

I’m wondering how many paid subscribers one can expect with articles such as what we’re sampling here.

I’m an old person, but I love this comment!
Tim

I'm an old guy, too, and just got more life sucked out of me by the OP. I was having so much fun that I didn't realize my life was not adequate. Do we get do-overs?

So are you just saying that you like to ride your bike and liquor stores are ruining peoples lives and LBS's are going out of business and people are getting less healthy?

If so, why did you make me read all that extra verbose way of saying that several times?