Zephyr11

Don't worry too much about it. It's part of riding in a group. I've been the person up front waiting, I've been the person in the middle, and I've been the person off the back struggling to keep up. When people go to group rides, they expect that not everyone will be at the same skill level. Unless it's a group of people that ride together all the time, chances are some people are inevitably going to have to slow down at some point to wait for other people (and even with the usual riding partners, there are almost always still skill differences, but you're used to each other's strengths and weaknesses at that point, and you can choose to ride with people whose skill levels are similar to your own).

crazzywolfie

i usually have to stop for them to have a smoke. my stamina is not the greatest but i do have the will power to keep pushing myself harder if i want something.

TnDiamondback

53 here, I am usually the oldest on group rides but I am never the slowest, several of the guys have said they hope that can ride like me when they get 50, being as they can't right now.

CritEastwood

I doubt anything here could match up with this Usenet gem from 2004 that started as a thread about Nokian tires and morphed rapidly:

https://groups.google.com/group/alt.m...7c0dbfd4670?hl

Ultimately, the creep who claimed he could smoke the other instigator on "any trail, any time" did not rise to the challenge.

fattybikejones

I'm still working out my time schedule... and motivation...or seeming lack thereof. I went out this past weekend and did 2 shorty (4mile) loops. That was enuff for my big butt. Going to mix it up with some tarmac this week.

thehammerdog

Holmes, I am 44 yrs old been officially riding MTB's since 1986 when I bought my first real bike C-dale Beast of the east on sale $400. at the time it was a great ride. I saw the suspension explosion owned the 1st Scott Shock 1" Elastomoer U-fork...whick was all the rage.

dminor 

Was there somewhere to sign up for that? And were you UNofficially MTBing for a period of time before? Was it an apprenticeship?

Darth_Firebolt

it's called sarcasm, kemosabe. i never claimed to be faster than anyone else. you're the one itching to "race" a 20 year old who still plays pokemon. if you win, BFD. but if i win, you just got beat by a 20 year old who still plays pokemon. that would suck for you.

NYCJohn170

With age, wisdom.

thehammerdog

Actually, prior to that date I did not own or was aware of the MT biking scene. I have always rode bikes but never in any organized manner....I was simply speaking for myself......I met all the early dudes at local races Tinker, Tomac, Tommy Frieshnic, I was a young buck...now not so much.

lunchbox1972

38, finally broke a bone a few months ago, had a plate put in my wrist the end of May and I'm back on the trails 4 months later.. Still a bit gun shy right now, I'll get over it..

bikinfool

Goes both ways cartoon boy, no way I'd let anyone who watches, or plays, Pokemon to beat me. I'd rather die.

Darrelray777

Dminor, I totally agree with you. Im 52 by the way. I started mtbing at year 2000. I did it all the time until 2007, had to stop because I was working a very physical job that made me tired all the time. I left that job after 1.5 years, then did nothing for another 6 months. My weight jumped from 240 to over 300 lbs!. I got back into mtbing early 2009 and have been going at least every other day. Im back down to 260 now. Dont ever give up! I wont! I meet guys 60+ out there riding all the time

Darth_Firebolt

i pity the fool with that much pride.

bikinfool

You better not pity me, fool! (imagine Mr T's voice, I really don't care). It ain't about pride when you post you still play with Pokemons....boy.

crazzywolfie

sounds like someone needs a girlfriend

Darth_Firebolt

if he wasn't so busy being a bikinfool, he might have one.

junkyard

There is no epic e-race when junkyard is present. Everyone races for second place. And I kick ass while playing Pokemon with all your mommies... whatever that means...

scottsmith

31, have always loved riding, and always will.

I think a previous poster's assessment of the 30s gap is accurate (family/career), but I ride anyway. I will ride more as my kids get older for sure, they're just little now and towing them in the trailer isn't always what I'm after in a ride.

There were a couple of years in my mid 20s when my daughter was very little that I hardly touched my bike because I was so incredibly tired all the time. I'm back from that and back on bikes, on the way back to some degree of fitness. Yeah, I ride a generic MTB from a sporting goods store, with some personal touches to make it more hybrid-y until I can get a separate road bike but it's still riding!

Loved reading the banter between some of the younger and older members!

Ride on all!

snaketheblake

Old people that do this kind of stuff are stubborn bastards and don't want to lose!!! Haha. And they are amazing.

Johnny Law

why would you call them that?

Cobwebb67

I turned 43 on Saturday and rode Lake Mc Murtry on Sunday.

samburger

You're right, Pokemon sucks. Let's play a game you can relate to. How about 'Where's Jesus'? 'Hunters & Gatherers'? Ooh, maybe 'Invent the Wheel'? Yeah, definitely invent the wheel. That oughta bring back some childhood memories.

Bikernator

Got humbled Monday.

Me and my buddy were riding the usual route, not real hard just enjoying the cooler weather (finally). I was stopped waiting for him when a guy blew by us, then I noticed a lady in her upper 30s-40s clear an obtacle that I stalled on, then blast right by after him. I decided to try and catch her. The next 3/4 of a mile I just let it all out. I assumed she had a 100-200 yard head start. That was as fast as I could ride and not until the very end (after I gave up due to poor conditioning) did I catch her as she stalled halfway up a huge hill that is rarely conquered. I demote my self-appointed status of Moderate skill back to Novice. I'm 24, btw, in case anyone forgot.


Cobwebb, McMurtry is the exact place I was talking about learning to ride. I graduated from OSU in December. I haven't made it back since. Been trying to adapt to this Turkey Mountain business. Whole different ballgame.

colorider

+1 on both counts






46 and slow