Rowan

Mine's rapidly approaching. The half-century is a pretty significant milestone. Our 21st seems to be the other one.

How did you celebrate yours? How different was it from your 21st?

Of course, the more bike content, the better.

EDIT: Thanks for the subject line clean-up.

Trsnrtr

My 50th birthday was on June 2, 2001. Seemed like a good day for a ride, just me and my bike. Here's a pic of the speedo after the ride.

berny

It was April '91 and we (all the group) went away up the north coast of OZ on a surfing week end (I wasn't riding then). Had some good waves Saturday and a few ambers. We booked a restaurant and had the most awesome night followed by more surfing the following day although I wasn't terribly fit after the party

I didn't start riding untill ten years later when I did my first BNSW BigRide. https://www.bigride.com.au/ Turned 60 on that ride.
Seems like a long time ago

TysonB

Ran 17 miles on a 100F Oklahoma day. What was I thinking?

Tyson

Trogon

My wife successfully snuck my kids and mother in from out of town and we had a big family get-together dinner. It was great, because I was feeling a bit down. Only birthday I've had that made me feel that way.

stapfam

Can't remember my 50th, but thats age and dementia setting in. However in 97 It was cold so my usual ride would have meant that I had to pay for breakfast on the ride.

Lonestar1

Can't remember doing anything special. I seem to remember the wife baking my favorite
cake & I probably pigged out.

denisegoldberg

I celebrated my 50th birthday by riding my bike across the United States. I'd had a cross-country trip in my dreams for a long time, but I wasn't able to get the time I needed away from work. The year of my 50th birthday happened to coincide with my working for a company that was going under, and I was laid off right before my birthday. I took that as a sign that I was meant to celebrate that milestone birthday by riding my bicycle!

DnvrFox

While 50 is indeed a big event, to me turning 65 was far more significant, as it marks the "traditional" turn from working to a non-working environment. While few actually "retire" at that age, it is deeply ingrained in our culture.

This seems to be the age when one becomes more "non-meaningful" to society. Mine happened to coincide with a whole mess of medical problems I never dreamed I might have.

"Elderly," "senior," "retiree," come to mind as synonyms. Biases of those younger tend to get stronger. I.e., all of a sudden you are no longer considered a good driver, despite a spotless 53 years of driving (yes, I started driving when I was 12).

There - that is my cheery contribution to this thread.

So, in any event, please enjoy 50 - you are still considered by society to be among the living!

Oh, the good news is we sold our condo in the mountains this morning. We sold because we can use the money in more creative ways, rentals were getting harder to get, and management was becoming difficult and a real chore.

Anyway, please enjoy your 50th in a great and exciting manner.

JavaMan

I didn't ride that day because it was pouring rain. I got a haircut, bought some new knee warmers, and just took it easy. That evening, my wife and I had dinner at a very nice Italian restaurant. Life is good.

Looking forward to many more years of cycling. My dad just turned 80 and is in excellent health despite smoking for 40 of those years.

G.L. Andrews

On my 50th I went to work, then to the "Y" for swimming lessons only to pull a leg muscle. Came back home wanting to soak in a nice hot bath only to find the tub full of birthday balloons.

Garry

tom cotter

My wife threw me a surprise party. We had a good time. Last year, year 52, I got a new Trek 520. I enjoy riding it long distances. For Christmas Santa left a new Lemond Zurich under the tree. As for the differences from my 21st birthday, lots more candles on the cake which is neatly counter balanced by lots more cash in the bank. My take on getting older is that I'd rather be over the hill than buried under it.

Bokkie

We were in Florence, Italy, on March 10th last year when I turned 50. I sat for almost an hour in front of Botticelli's The birth of Venus in the Uffizi delighting in all that Florence had to offer. It was cold and wet, but I'll always remember that day and how really special it was.

webist

50th was in 2001.
Quit drinking.
Bought a Giant Sedona DX and resolved to lose weight. (Doctor was rather insistent.)

zacster

I bought this



then went out to dinner with my wife and 10 friends.

Prosody

I turned fifty last August while on vacation with my family in Navarre Beach, FL. No riding, but a beautiful day on the gulf coast while a hurricane menaced south FL. I had a gift of single malt scotch, a blue sky, and a gulf breeze.

John E

My 51st birthday was special, because it coincided with what would have been Tullio Campagnolo's 100th. I went for a little ride with the Vintage Bicycle Association.

zonatandem

Can't remember what I did on my 50th . . . .that was 22 years ago!
On my 21st, had just come back from Korea and presented my girl with a diamond ring.
Great move! Celebrated 50 years of real happiness with her!
. . . and yes, she is a tandem cyclist and we've been riding as a duo for over 200,000 miles!
Enjoy your 50th . . . growing old is not for sissies!

Glewis333

My 50th was 8/19/97 and I celebrated by riding 100 miles, going home to a birthday party and then dancing the night away. On my 58 birthday, in Aug. I'm going to ride 116 miles.

Rowan

Ahh, there's an interesting correlation -- start with 100 miles on your 50th, and just double every next birthday for the celebratory ride distance. I like that...

It doesn't seem to be a hugely exciting deal, this turning 50. Interesting.

megaman

It wasn't very exciting for me cause I worked. I always seem to work on my birthday. But I figured out a while back that getting older is more a state of mind(for me at least) than an actual thing of being.
In other words you're only as old as you want to be.

Velo Dog

Mine was 10 years ago (just turned 60 a few weeks ago). I'd been a road cyclist for years, but had just bought a decent Cannondale mountain bike to replace an old Mongoose. Suspension was still rare, and the Dale had a solid fork. Some buddies gave me a Rock Shox box, beautifully wrapped, and of course I tore the paper off and got all misty-eyed and said "Aw, Jeez, guys, thanks a LOT, this is way too much..." Then I opened the box and it was a couple of pieces of galvanized pipe and a rock.... But I did get the fork the next day.
BTW, if you think 50 is a blow, just wait. At 50 I sort of realized I was older than my parents, because most of my memories of them are from when I was growing up, and I moved out when they were in their early 40s. When you turn 60, though, there's not no way around being an old f@rt.

Sigurdd50

I turned 50 on 1/22, so
MY GAL and signed up for the Bike Northwoods tour (up the middle of wisconsin to lake superior in June) 360 miles in a week.
she will turn the century in October, so she celebrated by buying a Trek 1500 WSD... then proceeded to chide me to celebrate by getting a nicer roadie... so I bought the FELT.

We are really having to work our way back into shape, but are challenged to make the best of it

Rowan

I sincerely hope she turns the half-century in October. Either that, or cycling really is the be-all and end-all of longevity!

Al1943

I bought myself a new ski boat with a Corvette engine. I was less conservative on my 60th.