"over 40"...show of hands?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Lisa, you are cute as a button! Thanks for implanting another image of you that doesn't involve blue headdresses and swirls on a body suit. I do love that photo as well but the variety of these photos adds spice and no one should miss your feisty brilliant expression.

Gee thanks!
But I guarantee that if you keep biking regularly you will really like the changes in your body shape over the next few years.

Hey fire hydrants can be damn cute!

[Zen]

Zen, cool photo. Shouldda been playing your accordion in the kayak though.

I did yodel when we went under the aquduct

It provided wonderful acoustics.

[elk]

i'm in love with that fire hydrant.....

and way over 40...

[GLC1968]

Heh... I wasn't over 40 when this thread first appeared - but I am now.

I'm in the worst shape of my life...how's that? It's gone all downhill since I started biking. I love it so much, I no longer do all the other things that were so good for me (like weight lifting). Plus, it gives me an excuse to eat too much.

BUT, I am happier now than I have ever been, does that count?

[elk]

yes; that counts in my book!

[Crankin]

Lisa, your dress in picture #1 made me laugh. That's what I started wearing in my mid forties when, all of a sudden, I started gaining weight. This happened after being VERY skinny and then just normal thin since I was about 25. Those dresses were very popular "elementary school teacher" dresses in the mid to late nineties. I weighed more than I did when I was pregnant with Scott, and pretty close to my weight when I was pregnant with Josh. My friends told me it was "normal" and I think they were secretly happy I was now like them.
Then, in 1996 I went to a Bat Mitzvah in AZ, where all my former friends were wearing slinky black dresses and i was wearing a long (very nice) velvet empire waist dress from JJill that made me look like a whale. They must have wondered what happened to the 100 pound aerobics instructor. It took me another couple of years to start cycling (Fall 2000) but I immediately started to up my exercise and lose weight. The cycling did the rest, without even trying.

[TsPoet]

Hey fire hydrants can be damn cute!

I'm over 40, (20-22, to be exact) and not posting a picture of myself, but here's one of a fire hydrant

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

This fire hydrant is not only over 40, but is over a HUNDRED years old, and it's also a HERO!
I found this story about it:

In 1906 a massive earthquake destroyed most of the city of San Francisco.
This fire hydrant is said to have been the only one functioning when fires broke out in the Mission district neighborhood following the earthquakes. Residents were able to put out the fires and they now honor their gold-painted fire hydrant every year on the day of the anniversary.
You can find the fire hydrant at the corner of Church and 20th Sts.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Here's a sexy bunch of fire hydrants if I ever saw one:
http://www.firehydrant.org/pictures/oldermodels.html

[bmccasland]

Just found this thread. Am still in the over-40 crowd, and pushing 50. But not there yet! When I go home I'll have to take a couple of pics of the hydrants in my neighborhood - the ground has sunk, so the hydrants are further out of the ground than normal. Rather strange. After 6 years, I still can't get used to the fact that the ground here is sinking.

[Jayc]

I am finding this forum fascinating and finally took the plunge and joined.
I began cycling in February, have a Giant Elwood, and am thoroughly enjoying the whole thing. My daughter encouraged and prompted me to "get going" so I did. We entered two duathlons, one as a team, a "round the bays" event and I have also taken part in a team duathlon and loved it all. Pleased to say I will be 67 in October so if I can do it anyone can.

[Rosie8]

Just turned 58, still riding daily (with rest days thrown in for thunderstorms). Love my WSD Giant Suede 7 speed. Try to ride 8-11 miles per day. Riding is so much fun and great for the legs and waistline.

[repto]

Okay, I ride all the time (daily, in Chicago, year round)... but so does my MOM. She is 80 years old. Mind you, she lives in Florida from Oct to April, but still. Not bad, eh?

Of course, my dad rides every day too. And he's 83. And has had both knees replaced and has had two back surgeries in the last 2 years. Plus he rides a bike from the 1920s!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...&id=1206674480

[Ritamarie]

I'm approaching 50, but I want to brag on one of my best biking buddies who will be 62 Friday. Of course, we're going for a ride to celebrate. She does about 6,000 miles a year. Here is a pic of her taken yesterday on our ride:

[featuretile]

Bleeker Street Girl,
I just looked at your post with the before and after pictures. I had been wondering how I could look so much better than before and only have lost 10 lbs. I have only been riding for one year, so three might make even more difference. And for this thread - I am 57. Most of the people I ride with at my local bike club are in their early 60's, and I am now just starting to be able to keep up with them. On Saturday, I rode 49 miles! If you want to see a video clip of this ride, look at this UTube below. the ride is from north of Monterey to Pebble Beach Golf Course along 17 Mile Dr. in CA (where we had one day of sun between all this rain). My husband has started riding around with a camera in a rig that he made that rests on his chest - looks like suspenders.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXpeUfI6WrM