The return of: Over 50 show of hands

[Crankin]

56 here, heading toward 57 in November .
How did I get this old?
Started riding seriously at 47 or 48 (I can't really remember which year it was). I rode a lot as a young teen/middle schooler and just a little when I was in grad school and as a young mom. I remember riding the wrong way down Rural Rd. in Tempe, heading toward Chandler Blvd. on my 10 speed Univega and thinking I had gone really far. I think the round trip was 7-10 miles!
Oak, I didn't learn to ride until I was 9, almost 10 years old. My parents tried to teach me at 7, and even then my poor spatial skills/balance were evident. Finally, my mom took it into her own hands, rented a purple Schwinn for me while we were at the Cape, where we stayed in a cottage community with quiet, straight roads, and somehow taught me. I remember she let me ride the mile back to the bike rental place when it had to be returned, on a fairly busy road, as she drove the car behind me, probably at 5 mph. My mom was cool. We used to ride our Raleighs together after that.
Although I was fit and active before, I hardly did any outdoor activity. I also had started to gain weight and was very unhappy with my body when I started cycling. My friends told me it was "normal." Since I knew better, I let myself be humiliated on my first ride, where my DH had to push me up a small climb with the back of his hand. It was a total of 6 miles.

[roadie gal]

51 here. I started riding regularly in 1995. I did my first triathlon, a sprint, at 46, and my HIM last year. I did it because a half iron at half a century just sounded so cool.

[huffandpuff]

56, casual biker for many years but got more serious a couple of years ago. Hoping to do work up to Seacoast Century this year with my daughter. Not a fast rider but I love every minute of it. Was so happy to find TE forum. I've learned so much from you guys!

[tctrek]

58 here... started riding at 55 with a big ole Townie bike... same year got a Giant hybrid. At 56 I got my first road bike a Trek 2.1. At 57 I upgraded to my current bike a Trek Madone 4.7. I am slow, but I don't care.. I love riding my bike.

[Zen]

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I'm 56. I rode a little bit when i was 12-14 but that was it.
Then I started riding again 4 years ago, at age 52.... Amazingly, I had not even sat on a bike in over 38 years....but i totally remembered how to ride one!

I've ridden thousands of miles now in the past 4 years. I ride for fun, I ride to do errands, to enjoy the beautiful countryside here, plus it's good for me.

[divingbiker]

I'm a member of the club. I'm soon to be 54, started riding again in my late 40s.

I mostly commute, but also do sprint triathlons, easy mountain biking, leisurely road rides, and multi-day tours. I like it all, as long as I don't have to work too hard, and the bike is red.

Right now I'm on a quest to find the bike that started it all, a candy apple red girl's Schwinn Stingray. Let me know if you see one.

[Zen]

Get it painted

or

http://popular.ebay.com/motorcycles/...-sting-ray.htm

[divingbiker]

Get it painted

or

http://popular.ebay.com/motorcycles/...-sting-ray.htm

That's the bike I bought with my newspaper delivering money!

But what about the blue saddle and handlebar grips? Those just wouldn't do.

[mudmucker]

50 years and 27 days here. Been riding road for 27 or so years and mt for 23 years.

[tzvia]

Coming up on 51 in November. Rediscovered cycling in '08 as a way to lose weight and get fit after a bad car accident in '02. Lost 40 lbs, and every once in a while, I dig out one of my old shirts to wear around the house as a kind of inspirational high-five. I call them my moo-moo shirts . Gave away all my once-tight 14 pants, and wear my 6s with belts now.

Can't believe I am 50 though, and friends and co-workers think I am crazy. But heck, it's my time machine- in it, I ride back to my youth and health. And drop some stress along the way.

You rock girls! High-five to all!

[OakLeaf]

I did it because a half iron at half a century just sounded so cool.

I did the same thing with the half marathon and figured that that would give me until I was 100 to train for my first full.

Whoops.

[KnottedYet]

I did the same thing with the half marathon and figured that that would give me until I was 100 to train for my first full.

Whoops.

Sr. Madonna Buder does fulls, and she's 80. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madonna_Buder

Keep training!

(I want legs like this when I'm 80: http://www.tonic.com/article/80-year...hlete-ironman/ )

[Ann G]

I'll be 60 next month. I've had a bike around almost my whole life, but I started seriously cycling more at age 52.

[maryellen]

52--started cycling at 45