Are there many, some, a few of us over 50??

[SouthernBelle]

I was in the library Wednesday, and one of the librarians was discussing ridng her bike. I would say she is thirty-ish. Sounded like she rode 2-3 miles.

At 52, I allowed myself a brief moment of feeling terribly superior.

Given a chance I will ask her about riding.

[Trek420]

At 52, I allowed myself a brief moment of feeling terribly superior.

Aw' cmon, enjoy it! Savor it. Then tell her how far you ride, and that you're 50. And enjoy the jaw dropping "You ride how far? You don't look 52"

Then invite her here!

We don't discriminate based on age and or mileage.

[Triskeliongirl]

That remark about looking younger really is true. When some women my age were commenting on my weight loss as we were staging for a club ride, one gal remarked, 'oh, its easy for you at your age' and I looked at her at asked her how old she thought I was with two adult children. And she said she thought I had my kids as a teenager, sweet (I was 29 when my first child was born, 31 for the second). Also, last time I went to pick up exams to hand out to our medical students the office assistant refused to give them to until I brought in an ID, she said I looked like a student...... Yes, our cycling does keep us young, both physically and in spirit. I ride with a 60-something year old women all the time, and until she takes her helmet off you'd really think she is 40-something. Our club has quite a few of these 60+ yo old riders, and to me what is striking is how much healthier than look than their counterparts I see at work or in other avenues of my life.

I have also noticed that you tend to see more of us out there, cuz the younger women are too busy raising families to have much time to ride. The female membership of our club is mostly childless women, and women whose kids are grown. Once a gal has a baby, while we might see her in the beginning, but then her attendance wains.

[evangundy]

Last summer, while chatting after a time trial, one of my 37yo guy friends saw a woman I know ride by, and commented on how "hot" she looked and why couldn't he meet someone like that. He's single and looking but says he isn't attracted to older women. He was quite shocked when I told him she was 48 or 49. He was sure she was his age. So cycling has definitely kept her looking young :-)

Edna

[Sgritn]

Hello, everyone. I'm a newbie to the forum and back to biking. Bought a Giant Cypress ST for my 54th. birthday{did I actually tell my age...oh my!}; I am really liking the experience...re-learning to balance and ride took about an hour on the sidewalk. Still shakey on the streets when I hear the pfft,pfft,pfft of 4 wheels coming my way but getting better on the marked paths and the park weekend by weekend. I'm glad to have found this forum.

[shootingstar]

Not sure if I answered in the lst place, since I'm 5 months away from 50 yrs. as of now. And topic was originally.. 50+

Face of aging and cycling.
Photo taken in 2007, when I was visiting Toronto where I used to live. I am in purple jersey. I have cycling over last 16 yrs. regularily, several times weekly.

Woman on far right in orange was 51 in that photo. She is 4'11" at approx. 98 lbs. As you can tell, she is not anorexic. Less of a cyclist now compared to when I knew her um.... 15 years ago. But she doesn't have a car, plays tennis, hikes alot. Got her folding bike Friday (a 2nd bike) and went on her own little trip via Velo Quebec routes last yr.

Woman in middle, is I think 46 yrs. She bikes regularily and has been for probably over last 18 yrs. Doesn't own a car either. She runs a walking and cycling trips company for past decade. So she does alot of walking..

The diets of these women are probably similar to mine....we're all Canadian born, have some dairy in our diets, but at least 40% of our diets are Asian...or more for each of us. The other women have each done several solo, loaded bike trips 1-2 wks, long over the last few years.

[Sarabeth]

I'm coming up on 64 years old. Riding better than ever. I ride nearly everyday with my local bicycle club: Stark County Bike Club. I started riding when I was fifty-five years old. Rode cross country twice, once in '01 and again in '06.
I love my Trek WSD Madone 5.2.

[shootingstar]

Sigh, one day I will figure out the photo adjustment software. Seriously not intending to blur aging results here...

I don't pretend I look much younger in the face than my chronological years. However most likely overall health is probably good/youngish. Well, the woman who works in my dept. is about my age or 1 yr. older and her health is problematic that it's affected her work, alertness, and she has back problems, doesn't like much walking over 3-4 kms. For certain is caused by her need to lose 20 lbs. or so.

I admit, I actually find it strange (almost irritating) that a few men (who are not macho/arrogant type) at work, just 5 years older than I, refer to me as a "young" lady...in a way that they think I'm in my 30's. It must be mannerisms. I DO have some life experiences and maybe...some wisdom just like them?

[mimitabby]

Shooting star, when they call you "young lady" they think they are giving you a compliment!

It IS fun getting mistaken for being younger. One of my favorite things is young guys in cars following me on the bike.. Haha, from the back I look 1/2 my age. It amuses me.

[Ann G]

I'm 58. I was 53 when RAGBRAI came through town. I hosted some riders and had a great time. The next morning, I got up too late to join the early riders, but I hopped on the 10-speed that I'd bought in grad school, and joined the riders for the next 8 miles. At that point there was a breakfast fundraiser in a farm yard, with picnic tables under the trees. The weather was ideal, and the smell of coffee, bacon, and pancakes was in the air. I sat at one of the picnic tables, talked to some riders, and for a few minutes pretended that I wasn't going to turn around and go back home. I bought a recumbent a few weeks later because the 10-speed just killed my back and rear. I started thinking that maybe I could do this. That November I got more serious about fitness, and started walking and strength training at the wellness center. I lost 35 pounds between November and the following July. I did the next RAGBRAI, and have done all of them since then. RAGBRAI is weirdly fun, and training for it keeps me in better shape than I might be otherwise.

I was in junior high during the Cuban missle crisis, and should remember something about it, but I just don't. I was in 8th grade, in study hall when JFK was assasinated. A teacher came in and made the announcement, and it didn't seem real. I was used to doctor shows like Ben Casey and Dr. Kildare where they always saved the patient. I remember being glued to the television for the next 4 days, and seeing Jack Ruby shoot Lee Harvey Oswald, seeing the casket on a horse-drawn casson, and seeing John Jr. salute the casket.

I'm from small-town Iowa, but I remember seeing a water fountain on vacation that was labelled "whites only." Creepy. I started college in 1968, during the middle of the war in Viet Nam, and I remember war protests.

I was in my bedroom, age 13, when I first heard "I Want to Hold Your Hand" on the radio, and I loved that sound. Of course I saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show, and I wrote all of their names on the cover of my denim-blue 3-ring binder. The first album I bought for myself was "Meet the Beatles." My favorite was Paul, the cute Beatle. Some other students were Beach Boys fans, and some Dave Clark 5, but I was a Beatle fan.

Later on, I also liked the Mamas and the Papas, and then Judy Collins and Joan Baez.

[jaydee]

I know this is a bit late for this discussion but thought I would add Aussie memories for the 60s/70s.

I remember hearing on the radio when Australian involvement in the Vietnam War started - I was so scared. I went to bed (it was about 4 in the afternoon). When I finally reappeared, I had packed my school bag with my treasured possessions and was going to live at Grandma's house because there wouldn't be a war there. Grandma only lived in the next town.

I'm a bit hazy about where I was when JFK was assassinated but remember hearing the RFK news on the radio. Mum asked what I was doing and I said that Mr Kennedy had just been shot. She said that had happened years ago, it must be an old programme, and I said that no, it had just happened. Mum pushed me out of the way, turned up the radio really loud - and we had takeaway for dinner!

Beatles and Rolling Stones were huge here - as was the Queen and Prince Phillip. My Dad worked at the airport so when the Beatles and the Queen came to Australia, we went out onto the tarmac to get really close to them.

Aussie rockers - Billy Thorpe, Max Merritt, Masters Apprentices were my true heroes though!!

On another note, I saw the Aids quilt in Washington and cried for days.

[crazycanuck]

Off topic, has anyone read the new book on Bobby kennedy? I noticed an article in GQ(?) magazine about it but haven't looked for it yet.

Jaydee-Does the movie "the Dish" bring back any memories for you?

[jaydee]

crazycanuck - "The Dish"

Playing cricket in the bowl of the telescope - didn't that look fun.

When I was a kid we always drove from Qld to Vic to visit the grandparents and drove past the Parkes telescope which was were the moon action was monitored. On the day of the moon landing, the whole school was allowed to watch tv and watch the landing. My class was in the downstairs library - this was used by the Senior students and the only time we were allowed in there was for our sex education class with Mrs Dingle, and the moon landing. I think the fact that we were in that room made more of an impact on me than the moon landing itself.

[SLash]

I'm 53 and have been riding consistently since 1990. At that time my daughter was 11, wanted a new bike, so I bought her one for her birthday and then one for me several months later for my birthday. I thought it would be fun and something we could do together. I really hadn't ridden much since college, when I rode all the time since I had no car.

Anyway, I fell in love with riding (my daughter did not, although she has been riding my cruiser lately and is thinking she might like to get a bike). At times I have considered giving it up (riding on the road) because of close calls and once actually being hit by a car but I can't. As everyone here knows there's nothing like the freedom and sense of fun you feel on a bike.

It keeps us young!

[MyLitespeed]

I'm 56, will be 57 in about 2 months. Didn't starting riding until I was about 46, glad I did though, having a wonderful time meeting new people and seeing new places. I'm in better shape now then I was in my 20's or 30's and darn proud of it!!!