Over 40s rule! There are a LOT of us out there!
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Over 40s rule! There are a LOT of us out there!
Personal benefits that I have achieved from moderate cycling:
1. Lost a bit of weight. I'm fat, so I still have a LONG way to go on this level, but that said, at least I'm getting exercise regularly.
2. My blood pressure is now consistently at 106-110/68-70.
3. My resting pulse rate is always below 70.
(I know this information because I donate blood every 2 months and they tell me!)
4. I feel better.
5. I'm more flexible.
6. I don't suffer from SADD like I sometimes did when I wasn't biking all winter.
7. My asthma is easily controlled and I haven't had a bad attack since I started riding regularly (4.5 years ago now).
8. I not only have learned how to clean my bike, I can change a flat, adjust my derailleur, and do all sorts of basic maintenance and fit adjustments that I had no idea how to do before.
9. I have more confidence.
10. I have met all sorts of neat people because I bike.
11. I know my neighborhood so much better than I ever did when I was driving everywhere.
12. Cycling puts me in tune with the seasons: like when the redbuds bloom or when you can smell the linden trees flowering.
13. I can comfortably get around without using a car. For days. With 3 small kids. Including grocery shopping!
14. Driving my car in traffic makes me frustrated and stressed out. Biking makes me smile! :-D
Jane
Wow, how great to find all of you! I'll be 49 in March and just got into cycling having first gotten hooked on spin classes this fall. This weekend I bought my first "big girl" bike--a Gary Fisher Big Sur. I had the LBS put a cut-out seat on it; I saved the knobby tires and put on some a little slicker for the roads and asphalt paths near the house.
Anyway, the bug has bitten me, big time. I hope to get in even better shape and join the local club for group ride soon.
Since really commiting to working out these past few months (spin classes at least 3 times a week, weights 2-3 times a week) I'm feeling stronger and having more fun than in many years. Partly, too, I've got a little more time to enjoy; since our daughters are now 14 and 17 they have their own activities and interests, so my getting away to the gym for an hour or so is no big deal.
I want to be one of those 70-plus ladies tearing up the road!
Nice to meet all of you!!!
I have a question for us grrls of a certain age; my next milestone will be bi-focals. Ack!
Any of you use them, ride with them? How's that working for ya?
48 and wish I'd enjoyed my teen years as much as I'm enjoying my 40's :rolleyes:
I wear varifocals. although I don't ride in them, I can see without them (although not to read!) but everything is a little hazey (including the wrinkles :D )
I got them from a place that would give a refund if I didn't get on with them within a month, so I couldn't lose :)
I don't think I could cope with the line that comes with bi-focals, but I've never tried...
I'm already there. I have transitional lenses, meaning I look out the top for distance and the bottom for close-range. Sounds more complicated than it is. It took me about a week to get used to them (I felt slightly off-balance and a little queasy) and then it was fine. I ride in them, play golf, etc. No worries.
P.S. In other words, these are sorta like bifocals without the lines, for folks who have both far- and near-sightedness like me.
hey Trek...
i have bifocal contacts.
no trouble except for drying out occasionally. and when i want to do really close-up stuff, like taking out counted-crosstitch stitches. then i use the cheapy glasses from Costco. (3-pak). also with the contacts, you can still wear the cool-looking 'biker' sun glasses or the clear covers when it's foggy or on the dark side. i do suggest if you are doing off road or lots of (down) hills, to wear some sort of eye protection. i have hadlittle bits of dust get in my eyes, and it feels like a boulder. also had a contact flip out and loose it when the wind got underneath an edge and lift it.
but i love my bifocal contacts....too easy!
soph
I wear multi-focal contact lenses all the time, and don't have any problems with them while riding. They are very thick for contacts (think contacts from 20 years ago), making my eyes dry out quickly and *any* dust/debris/etc *very* irritating. But, all in all, it's great not to have to pull out the reading glasses all the time. As long as you wear eye protection, these lenses work great for cycling.
Monovision contacts for me. That's one contact for seeing far away ( my left eye) and one contact for seeing close up/reading (my right eye). I got them last summer. I LOVE them. I really didn't like having to give in to "old" eyes, but finally had to admit I needed help. :rolleyes: Anyway, I went in, got my exam, popped in the new contacts and was totally amazed by how well I could see, both near and far. It sounds weird, I know. I couldn't imagine how it would work, but the brain compensates for the two different messages it is receiving and picks the appropriate one. At least that' s how it's supposed to work. It doesn't always do so. They say you know right away whether you can do it or not. It makes some people so dizzy that they get sick. I am lucky and I am grateful it I can wear them. Maybe someday I'll go for Lasik surgery, but not yet. It was spend my money on braces (at my age!!!) or lasik eyes. I went for the braces. No regrets. Hopefully by the time I can afford the eyes, they'll be able to correct everything!
annie
LOL, could this be a mid-life crisis trend? I looked into LASIK but I was turned down (admittedly I went to a very picky Dr., but I would only do it if my eyes were definitely suitable for the procedure, and they weren't - bummer). So I got braces. :pQuote:
It was spend my money on braces (at my age!!!) or lasik eyes. I went for the braces. No regrets. Hopefully by the time I can afford the eyes, they'll be able to correct everything!
Liposuction next ! (just kidding)
- Jo.
I wear progressive lenses - they blend the lenses so theres no line and depending on what you need is where you look thru the lens. Of course - I lost one of the lenses on the mountain while hiking so I'm down to just 1 lens right now and doing Very well! LOL I have the lens for the eye that needs to see distance and I only wear my glasses when I drive or watch TV. I need a new pair - but lets think - glasses or new cyling clothes for spring? No brainer there! :D I can't wear contacts because my allergies are so bad I keep popping the contacts out or washing them out when my eyes tear!
When I first "transitioned" into the need for bifocals, I got the progressives. That lasted about a month. I got so car-sick wearing them... not to mention the tripping down stairs and ove my own feet.
I changed to regular bi-focals with the line... like in many areas of my life, I needed that visible line :D .
I have 4 pair of glassess: 1) my bifocals, which I wear most all the time 2) my single vision (far) for driving at night 3) my single vision (far) sunglasses for driving & what not in the daytime 4) single vision (far) sport glasses for biking/running.
And now I'm considering buying stock in LensCrafter :p
I'm still hanging on to my long-distance contact lenses while I ride. Of course, I can't really see my speedometer very well and reading any kind of a map is out of the question. Then the ol' reading glasses come out of the rear bag. The monovision alternative sounds very interesting!
I understand that Lasik in the US can correct distance vision but does nothing for presbyopia - in fact, may even throw you into needing reading glasses at an earlier age. I heard Europe has a procedure that corrects presbyopia as well. So far, nothing works perfectly (like 20 year old eyes did)!
This is kind of a cath-all, guys....I've been drinking whole milk (quart a day) for years and do fine. I like the organic stuff best. Had a bone density test recently (I'm 56) and they said I had the bone density of a 29 year old. I have total hip replacements - got 'em about 20 years ago - work great. Personally, I'm big on dairy anyway - I eat a pound of butter, and a dozen eggs every week and have a cholesterol count of 163 - BUT I hardly ever eat fried foods. As far as blood work, I did want to mention that I got pretty run down a couple of years ago, so I started taking vitamins and stuff - unfortunately that wasn't the problem - I had colon cancer and one of the symptoms is acute anemia. A single mom raising kids and working, I'm not the type to go in for tests, but I should have been...Not trying to sound scary here, but if the numbers don't come up, be sure to follow up. My bike was a godsend during chemo. Being able to get out and do something for myself kept me going....PS density tests are EASY and painfree. But I was going to mention also that I think I saw something recently about it being possible to get too much iron..
Meant to add this on....bifocals. Zeiss makes a bi or tri that has a different configuration than most of the bifocals on the market. I love mine - I have trifocals- and can't stand the others. They're more expensive, but for me, they're worth it!