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

[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.

[wavedancer]

I'm 57 and really got into cycling about 3 years ago.

The last bike I had was a Motobecane 10-speed that I found in a snowdrift in my yard in Welfleet during the Blizzard of '78. Too big for me, but the price was right and I rode it around the Cape for several years.

I got into mountain biking a little over a year ago, and have to remind myself that I am not 20 anymore! Full suspension helps.

Really enjoying road cycling and working toward that benchmark century this fall. Did my longest ride this year today: 48miles. Felt pretty toasted, need to get better with the fuel and fluids thing.

[bcipam]

I'm 55. I finally qualify for senior discounts! Whoo - Hoo!!!

[Trek420]

Fredwina "does 45 count?"

yes, 45 counts Fredwina and Geonz, rounding up puts you with us.

[Flatlander]

I'm 49 and just got into cycling a few months ago. My fast little bike still scares me sometimes--especiallywhen I go downhill!

I don't remember riding around campaigning for Kennedy, but I do remember decorating my bike with crepe paper every fall for the hometown's State Fair Parade. Blue and gold were my favorite color combos for the parade...

P.S. This is my first post on this forum. Hi y'all!

[Tuckervill]

Round me up, too.* I'm 44. I saw a women's bike tour for the over 50 set and I'm aiming for that!

What I want to know is what folks were doing before you started riding, if you began riding (or began again) after 40.

Karen

*oops...round me down. lol.

[margo49]

I am 50 years,3 months and 3 days old *today*
[can you hear the singing in the background? Oh, look they've made me a cake too!]
Learned to ride at 12 as b4 then we lived up-hill
Never been off 2 wheels since; tho' at times have had more and less gears (sometimes simultaneously eg messengering in central London in the early 1980's on a G-D knows-how-old Raleigh Sports with 3-speed Sturmey Archer and a Raleigh Touring 14 of my very own on which I toured in USA and Europe)
Rode while pregnant, rode through chemo (not much tho')...

That is my herstory...
the rest you-all know from the forum
and of course
The Best Is Yet To Come

[Quillfred]

I'm 51!

I'm older than Trek, ha-ha-ha ha-ha-HAAA

I shock the "kids" at work when I sing it to them.

[salsabike]

See---what great stories we're getting!

I was a quite serious dancer (ballet, some jazz; not professional but small regional studio/school) for about 14 years, from about 1976-1990. It was and remains the only thing I loved so much that I let it "own" me, so to speak. At the height of it, I was taking 2 hours of class a day, 6 days a week. Got fibromyalgia and had to quit dance because I kept pulling muscles. Took a long time to find something else my back would tolerate and that I loved. Cycling doesn't feed ALL the same needs, but I do love it and am so happy it came along in my life. Thanks to spouse for helping with that!

[Kitsune06]

I just wanted to put in a little note...

you ladies are a huge inspiration to me. Sometimes I think "Gawd... I can't do this... These hills... these legs/joints/underused muscles/abused lungs!" or I look at my 10 mile potential work commute and go "That's just TOO FAR!" ...then I read about your races, or your 35 mi "just for fun" rides, etc etc (need I go on) and I'm just inspired to whip out the arnica and try 'er again tomorrow.

Thank you.