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

[salsabike]

Not to thread-hijack, but at the moment it's 89 here--mimitabby was speaking metaphorically about the "82--don't know what to do" thing (she's quite right).

And I'm still 54 (just to stay on topic...).

What is also interesting to me is when people started riding AGAIN---that is, for those of us who haven't been riding for years. I hadn't been on a bike since high school, till I started again a few years ago. Had to learn about gears for the first time. I have other friends in that boat, hesitant to ride because they're sure they'll never figure out the gears, brakes, clipless, etc. It can all be done! So in addition to your age, how many of you had to learn really new skills?

[Geonz]

46 ... rounding puts me there...

[mimitabby]

Speaking of Idaho... when i was about 22 years old tops, I went bike riding with a group of friends of mine on some "nice" 95 degree summer day in Boise, IDaho where i lived at that time. We went less than 1/2 of a mile when we all decided that it was too hot and no fun.
I didn't ride again until my husband gave me a 10 dollar bike it was a PUGH and had little short straight handlebars and 3 speeds, only 2 worked though. I couldn't go much over 9mph for whatever reason, and after not very long, i literally ran out of steam; could not muster the strength to go very far.

He bought me a better bike, because by now he was in training for the Seattle to Portland ride and rather gung ho, but even with the better bike (with cool click shifters on the handlebar ends) I still had no "guts" so to speak.
So, on that bike i learned a lot of stuff; shifting, sensible use of my energy; but after one gruelling and all day 35 mile ride on mostly flats (my poor husband, we must have been going 6mph !!!) I decided i didn't like to ride more than 5 miles or 10 at the very most at a time.
Meanwhile, he had our sons training for the STP and Tom at 10 and Jo at 12 did a 200 mile bike ride (in 3 days, 35 miles the first day, 80 the second and the rest that sunday)..
time passed, boys left home, husband lost his best biking buddy (moved to California) and he had no one to ride with.He had just gotten a diagnosis of plantar fasciatis, so we couldn't go hiking anymore; He was depressed and gaining weight; and i was gaining cholesterol.
So I decided, i'd start riding again. The year I turned 50, he trained me (my very own personal trainer!) so I could do that STP in two days. He bought me a new bike on mother's day; 6 weeks before the STP (it was my raleigh cross) to help me get the ride done even though I wanted to do it on my trek. No, I"m not stubborn, no, really i'm not.
As you know, your significant other is NEVER easy to train or teach anything; but we persevered and I did it.
Even though I did not enjoy that ride and never want to do it again; I am very glad to have done it because that one ride is what turned me into a biker... at the age of 50.

[Aint Doody]

I turned 57 in January--I guess that makes me 57 1/2! Remember how we did that as children?!

Hot here in Eastern OR, too--about 101 today--but no humidity. If you're in the shade it feels OK.

[Bad JuJu]

I'm 53, or, to go along with Aint Doody's reasoning, 53 1/2. Did lots of riding in my 40s, just getting back to it now after a couple of injuries. Loving it!

[brok]

I hit the big 50 in April I had a road bike in college and have started again due to restriction on running from a knee "issue".

[DebW]

I'm 50. Never quit riding or wrenching since the early 70s, but haven't had a major bike upgrade in 25 years. Just keep riding the Columbus steel frame and replacing those chains and freewheels. Downtube friction shifters still do the job! And a 22 lb bike is still pretty decent. But I do need a new headset now. Maybe I'll splurge on a new frame one of these years and enter the modern era (freehub, cassette, more than 12 speeds, STI shifters, threadless headset). I do lament the demise of certain favorite components, like the Regina Oro chain and freewheel. And I can't find Campy grease anymore (but Pedro's is just as good).

[withm]

54. Not the oldest and only been doing this for 4-5 yrs. But those first 4 yrs were on a bike that was way too small and I came home sore and tired for days. It was killing my knees. In August I bought a fabulous bike, and it's a whole new ball game now. What a joy to ride!

I am lucky to live in a very mild climate so I can ride nearly year round. I don't like to ride if it's colder than 42-45oF, wind over 20-25mph, or not sunny (must have 2 of the 3 conditions) but can almost always meet that except for in February. I live a mile from the Atlantic Ocean so it's pretty flat. I did 26 miles yesterday and plotting the route on that new routeslip.com program that someone mentioned on here the other day, managed to climb all of 20 feet! The graph looks more dramatic than it really is.

Welcome to the fold.

[Granny M]

Almost 48!

[MomOnBike]

I'll be 51 in less than a month.

Hated the Beatles - because they were so stupidly popular.

I remember going to Sunday school with my cousin the Sunday after JFK was killed. Someone asked "Why?" I still haven't gotten that answer.

Saw Hair on stage. We had front-row balcony seats.

Several of my friends came back Not The Same from Vietnam. The one I've kept track of has never recovered.

We watched Ed Sullivan, and Sing Along With Mitch, and Friday Night Boxing. There were 3 possible TV channels at the ranch, one that came in reliably.

[Fredwina]

I remeber having 3 channels too. Also, having to state your phone number as
CI(circle)3-xxxx

[mimitabby]

I remeber having 3 channels too. Also, having to state your phone number as
CI(circle)3-xxxx

OR(orange) 6-6570!! how do i remember this? that was in 1957!!!

we had more channels though, 10 miles from manhattan! 2,4,5,7, 9, 11 & 13!!

[Lise]

Can you blame me?
http://www.bobbysherman.com/

With all love to Donny and David, but oh....those eyes!

We had 4 channels, as I recall: 2, 5, 7, 9. Then PBS came along, and we got 11. Big city life. Remember turning the dial from VHF to UHF when we got those channels? and the coat hanger you could use if you didn't have an antenna?

[cosc]

I'm an exciting 57, but only in 20's when on my bike.

[IFjane]

I am 53....and in my 30's when I'm on my bike....but when I start climbing hills I think I age a bit to around 40. Or 45....