Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Fifty Plus (50+)
Reload this Page >

65-85+ Thread

Notices
Fifty Plus (50+) Share the victories, challenges, successes and special concerns of bicyclists 50 and older. Especially useful for those entering or reentering bicycling.

65-85+ Thread

Old 07-30-19, 11:12 AM
  #2901  
LesG
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: N. Kentucky
Posts: 105
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 36 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 26 Times in 12 Posts
You will get better and more confident. Our stories are a bit similar. I turned 70 this past April. After 20 something years, I bought a bike last summer (end of June, early July). Around here, it's a mix of hills (steep ones) and flat but mostly hilly. The first month I started, after 5 to 8 miles, I'd had it. Now I'll do anywhere from 15 miles to 25 miles and I try to get out at least 3 days a week, more if possible. Some days seem easier than others but what gets to me the most and is often said around here, it isn't so much the heat but it's the humidity. Exercise and fitness are my main goals and the bonus is I have fun doing it... it's not like "geeze, I have to go exercise". Anyway, hang in there, if you keep at it, you'll gradually do longer rides and things will get easier.

One thing my wife and I enjoy are some of the near by Rail Trails in Ohio (we live in N. Ky.). Trains needed pretty flat ground to run on so those are nice and flat to ride on. Those rides we go at a leisurely pace which I call a "smell the roses" speed. Generally we'll do around 30 to 35 miles with those. We simply take in the scenery, take breaks when we want to and just simply enjoy the ride with no fitness goals on the agenda... although even slow pedaling there is fitness gains. So if you have any rail trails nearby give them a try.

Over the winter I didn't get to ride nearly as much as I wanted to in order to keep up the fitness gains I had made. I did end up getting a stationary bike which helped keep me ready for Spring. Nothing expensive but does have a LCD display where I can "ride" several different trails/areas... that and I have the news going on the TV. It isn't as much fun as really riding my bike but between the on screen trails and the TV going it does help make it seem a little bit less like being a job to do.
LesG is offline  
Old 07-30-19, 11:45 AM
  #2902  
LesG
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: N. Kentucky
Posts: 105
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 36 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 26 Times in 12 Posts
Originally Posted by DaveLeeNC
I am hardly new to BF, but new to this thread (DOB 1949). I am posting this in the category of "how I dealt with some cycling specific, age related pains" (in case it is helpful to others). For reference I ride anywhere from 120 to 240 miles per week (roadie, but not a racer).

1) I have osteoarthritis in both knees, although the left knee is far worse on X-Ray/MRI. Oddly it is the right knee that back in 2016 started to ache about an hour into a long ride. I ended up with one of those high end lateral stability braces (complicated plastic and metal with hinges, etc). And I started getting hyaluronic acid injections (once every 6 to 12 months). I am pretty close to knee pain free when I ride (and I now get injections in both knees). My ortho doc is adamant about me keeping my activity level up, but not running on hard surfaces. He also said that he has seen X-Rays not as bad as my left knee (the less problematic one in my case) who literally could not walk up stairs. You never know about this stuff. He also said that hyaluronic acid has, in his experience, a success rate of around 60%.

2) I was getting a relatively severe pain in my right wrist, to the point that after an hour of riding I had trouble shifting. I could not believe this worked, but this went away completely when I changed to riding gloves with really good padding and got off my Gatorskin tires and dropped my air pressure a bit (unfortunately 23/25 mm is all the room I have in my bike).

In case this helps anyone.

dave
Dave, glad you wrote that. We are about the same age. I was also born in 1949. I had arthroscopic on my right knee about 30 years ago. Basically I've got about 1/3 of the cartilage left in that knee. All these years I've babyed that knee, never running due to the "pounding" that produces. I alway keep the exercise to a Nordictrack or rowing machine or simply doing squat type exercise for the legs. That knee has given me problems off and on for years. So far a hydrocortisone injection keeps thing nice for several months. Thing is you can't have those every month as it would end up causing more damage if done too frequently. I've always wondered if hyaluronic acid would help. Unlike cortisone, repeated injections won't further degrade things. Problems are now starting to show up in my left knee as well. Gettin' old ain't for sissies.

Also I'd like to add something that I'm experimenting with on myself now. I started taking low dose lovastatin (10 mg) about a year ago. About 2 or 3 months later I noticed my knee (even my left one to a lesser degree) were significantly more achy which progressed to down right painful. At the time I thought they (knees) were simply getting worse due to more use and the resulting wear and tare of time. I've long suspected that the lovastatin was adding to the pain problem. Not necessarily the root cause but significantly exacerbating it. About 6 weeks ago I stopped taking lovastatin. About 3 weeks after stopping the lovastatin the knees felt significantly better. Not like when I was 20 but significantly better. Thing is I don't know if stopping the lovastatin and the knees feeling better was/is "cause and effect" or coincidence. So, as part of the experiment, I'm going to go back on the lovastatin. If the more severe pain comes back, I don't think that would be coincidence. But then if the more severe pain comes back then I'm in a "damned if I do, damned if I don't" situation!
LesG is offline  
Old 08-02-19, 12:20 PM
  #2903  
linberl
Senior Member
 
linberl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 3,460

Bikes: Trident Spike 2 recumbent trike w/ e-assist

Mentioned: 25 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1321 Post(s)
Liked 374 Times in 288 Posts
Another 1949'er here, lol. I just recently picked up a OneMotor friction drive for my bike because certain ascents were making my knee hurt so bad I'd be off the bike for a few days after. The drive is a few seconds to put on or off the bike, so I leave it off for rides where I know I'm not going to be doing a climb. And I turn it on and just use it when I need it on rides that would otherwise really hurt. I don't want to stop taking those rides, they're the most beautiful views. Still 90% manually riding, and sold my car 6 months ago, so using the bike(s) for everything. I am taking collagen peptides and Costco's Triple Action Biocell Collagen for my knee and other joints; seems to be helping a lot. And it can't hurt, anyway. I ride 10-20 miles a day typically, between errands and exercise.
linberl is offline  
Old 08-02-19, 12:52 PM
  #2904  
FrenchFit 
The Left Coast, USA
 
FrenchFit's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 3,757

Bikes: Bulls, Bianchi, Koga, Trek, Miyata

Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 361 Post(s)
Liked 25 Times in 18 Posts
Originally Posted by FrenchFit
I am thinking this old fool is about to come face to face with a bit of heat tolerance reality ... we'll see.
Well it was disappointing, and not nearly as hot as I hoped. A couple of days the humidity was in the 90s and it was a sticky mess, but still...hotter would have been OK. I ran in the mornings but more because I didn't want to get sunburned and the air seemed fresher. Glad to be back on the west coast, the Maya Rivera was something of a flop.

Global Warming ! Count me in dude.
FrenchFit is offline  
Old 08-03-19, 06:04 PM
  #2905  
rdlange
Junior Member
 
rdlange's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 139

Bikes: '76 Peugeot Mixte UE-18, Bridgestone 'Submariner' picklefork mixte, Bridgestone KABUKI picklefork mixte, TREK MT220

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7 Post(s)
Liked 10 Times in 2 Posts
Lost interest for a year because of dog incident. Discovered two vintage Mixte's recently. Got them. Also got some bear spray. Rode the Kabuki SMD yesterday. Maybe 12 miles. Apparently it was 98f or so. We were slow. 4 pts of water is a few more pounds too. EVERYONE passed us. No aches today so probably a bit lazy. We were 71 last week... 62 years of biking.
rdlange is offline  
Old 08-06-19, 11:33 AM
  #2906  
linberl
Senior Member
 
linberl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 3,460

Bikes: Trident Spike 2 recumbent trike w/ e-assist

Mentioned: 25 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1321 Post(s)
Liked 374 Times in 288 Posts
Originally Posted by rdlange
Lost interest for a year because of dog incident. Discovered two vintage Mixte's recently. Got them. Also got some bear spray. Rode the Kabuki SMD yesterday. Maybe 12 miles. Apparently it was 98f or so. We were slow. 4 pts of water is a few more pounds too. EVERYONE passed us. No aches today so probably a bit lazy. We were 71 last week... 62 years of biking.
Does it matter if everyone passes you? I've noticed on rides with my 31 year old son that he doesn't really "see" things as he rides because he's focused on speed. You can miss a lot if you don't take the time to look around....he's missed baby deer and a baby horse and other things he was upset to hear he didn't notice (but he still won't slow down). I love that biking at a reasonable speed allows me to enjoy the world around me as I go. Spent too many years rushing around during my working years.....
linberl is offline  
Old 08-06-19, 03:00 PM
  #2907  
delbiker1 
Mother Nature's Son
 
delbiker1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Sussex County, Delaware
Posts: 3,111

Bikes: 2014 Orbea Avant MD30, 2004 Airborne Zeppelin TI, 2003 Lemond Poprad, 2001 Lemond Tourmalet, 2014? Soma Smoothie

Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 838 Post(s)
Liked 1,414 Times in 801 Posts
One person's reasonable speed is not another's reasonable speed. I like to keep a good pace going most of the time, that is just how I like to ride. My good pace today is definitely slower and I make more short stops. When others pass me I do not let it bother me, most of the time anyway. I also ride solo at least 95% of the time, so, others pace doesn't affect mine. I have one guy I ride with occasionally, he is a strong rider, and I feel challenged to keep up at times.
delbiker1 is offline  
Old 08-06-19, 04:06 PM
  #2908  
Jac of Hearts
Senior Member
 
Jac of Hearts's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Greensboro, NC
Posts: 131

Bikes: 2012 Trek Dual Sport 8.5 Gary Fisher Collection

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 38 Post(s)
Liked 77 Times in 46 Posts
Originally Posted by delbiker1
One person's reasonable speed is not another's reasonable speed. I like to keep a good pace going most of the time, that is just how I like to ride. My good pace today is definitely slower and I make more short stops. When others pass me I do not let it bother me, most of the time anyway. I also ride solo at least 95% of the time, so, others pace doesn't affect mine. I have one guy I ride with occasionally, he is a strong rider, and I feel challenged to keep up at times.
I was looking for a slower more leisurely riding group in my area and couldn't find one. Like you I do most of my riding solo but some social activity with other like minded cyclists would be welcome. Since I couldn't find a group, I'm starting one. We'll see how that goes.
Jac of Hearts is offline  
Old 08-06-19, 05:06 PM
  #2909  
delbiker1 
Mother Nature's Son
 
delbiker1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Sussex County, Delaware
Posts: 3,111

Bikes: 2014 Orbea Avant MD30, 2004 Airborne Zeppelin TI, 2003 Lemond Poprad, 2001 Lemond Tourmalet, 2014? Soma Smoothie

Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 838 Post(s)
Liked 1,414 Times in 801 Posts
Thanks for the reply. What is your location? There is a club here in south coastal Delaware, Sussex County Cyclists, that I have done rides with. I was a member one year. They have 4 or 5 categories and all their club rides state what category is doing the ride. A cat. is fast, cruising speed around 22 mph and sometimes 25 to 27 for periods. I believe D cat. is the slowest with speeds averaging 12 to 14 mph and occasional 16. My problem with riding with them is having to drive somewhere to meet up, usually 12 to 25 miles each way. Their riding season runs from end of April into middle October. That is summer prime time in this resort area and traffic is a PITA.
delbiker1 is offline  
Old 08-06-19, 06:04 PM
  #2910  
Jac of Hearts
Senior Member
 
Jac of Hearts's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Greensboro, NC
Posts: 131

Bikes: 2012 Trek Dual Sport 8.5 Gary Fisher Collection

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 38 Post(s)
Liked 77 Times in 46 Posts
Originally Posted by delbiker1
Thanks for the reply. What is your location? There is a club here in south coastal Delaware, Sussex County Cyclists, that I have done rides with. I was a member one year. They have 4 or 5 categories and all their club rides state what category is doing the ride. A cat. is fast, cruising speed around 22 mph and sometimes 25 to 27 for periods. I believe D cat. is the slowest with speeds averaging 12 to 14 mph and occasional 16. My problem with riding with them is having to drive somewhere to meet up, usually 12 to 25 miles each way. Their riding season runs from end of April into middle October. That is summer prime time in this resort area and traffic is a PITA.
I thought that was in my profile but I didn't set it up. Greensboro, NC

We have A, B and C rides in the area but no real "Beginner" rides so that is what I'm working to start.
Jac of Hearts is offline  
Old 08-07-19, 04:37 PM
  #2911  
jppe
Let's do a Century
 
jppe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 8,316

Bikes: Cervelo R3 Disc, Pinarello Prince/Campy SR; Cervelo R3/Sram Red; Trek 5900/Duraace, Lynskey GR260 Ultegra

Mentioned: 59 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 651 Post(s)
Liked 879 Times in 408 Posts
Originally Posted by Jac of Hearts
I thought that was in my profile but I didn't set it up. Greensboro, NC

We have A, B and C rides in the area but no real "Beginner" rides so that is what I'm working to start.
Great idea! There are a lot of cyclists in your area. I rode in the 7/4 Apple Pie ride out of N Guilford HS last month.
__________________
Ride your Ride!!
jppe is offline  
Old 08-08-19, 12:20 AM
  #2912  
Jac of Hearts
Senior Member
 
Jac of Hearts's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Greensboro, NC
Posts: 131

Bikes: 2012 Trek Dual Sport 8.5 Gary Fisher Collection

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 38 Post(s)
Liked 77 Times in 46 Posts
Originally Posted by jppe
Great idea! There are a lot of cyclists in your area. I rode in the 7/4 Apple Pie ride out of N Guilford HS last month.
I was hoping to ride the short ride on the Apple Pie Run but had to work.
Jac of Hearts is offline  
Old 08-12-19, 12:35 PM
  #2913  
bikejoel
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 24
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Liked 8 Times in 5 Posts
The new Kid in the group

I feel kinda like a”kid” in this group but at 65 I qualify. I have an affinity towards single speed bikes ( not fixies) I call them the bikes of truth. I mostly like mtn biking over Road biking but unfortunately there is not a lot of mtn biking close to where I now live.
bikejoel is offline  
Old 08-12-19, 12:49 PM
  #2914  
bikejoel
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 24
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Liked 8 Times in 5 Posts


Just about finished. Russian made magnesium frame, lots of Ti bits, and other neat stuff. 21Lbs. This should a lot of fun too.


My current daily rider 21.8 lbs and lots of fun
bikejoel is offline  
Old 08-17-19, 09:43 AM
  #2915  
CSG
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Idaho
Posts: 237

Bikes: 2002 Novara Ponderosa HT MTB 2011, Brompton M6L

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 15 Post(s)
Liked 10 Times in 5 Posts
I've been on this forum on and off for some years. Like most of our generation/s (I'm pushing 69), I've ridden since I was a kid. I go back and with cycling, sometimes laying off for a couple years. Living in Idaho, our comfortable season is short and in my part of the state, we have one paved trail that's about 10-11 miles round trip. Everything else is riding on the street or MB trails. I like to ride alone, always have. I don't think I've ever ridden in a group as I'm out wandering around looking at the sights.

Cleaned up my two bikes over the past couple days (stored in the garage with flat tires, dust and cobwebs). Even a short ride, I felt but I readjusted things and am looking forward to the coming cooler weather. While I prefer riding my Novara Ponderosa HT MB I bought in '02, I use my '11 Brompton M6L more as I can carry inside my vehicle. I've got a camping van and stowing the Brompton inside makes life and transporting it so much easier than dealing with a bike rack for the MB.
CSG is offline  
Old 08-17-19, 11:41 AM
  #2916  
Carbonfiberboy 
just another gosling
 
Carbonfiberboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 19,501

Bikes: CoMo Speedster 2003, Trek 5200, CAAD 9, Fred 2004

Mentioned: 115 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3873 Post(s)
Liked 1,920 Times in 1,369 Posts
I've always been one of the slower climbers among those who ride a lot. Took me a long time to stop being off the back on every hill. But as I've gotten older, I've simply kept at it: riding, skiing, gym, hiking, all the usual stuff. As a result, I've kept going when others have given up on the game. Never quit is one of my mottoes, another being that denial is not just a river in Africa. 74 this year and rode RAMROD again, 153 miles and ~9500', ~11:30 ET. I was 14th oldest rider, came in 199th out of 800 or so. Another good ride in the books, though ~1:30 slower than I was 20 years ago. Getting slower is inevitable. Now I climb the steeper pitches in a 26 X 30, whereas 20 years ago is was in a 30 X 25. Got a power meter this year, of all the crazy things. As I've gotten older, I've looked for every little advantage I could find: fast 23mm tires on 24mm rims, CX-Ray spokes, aero bars of course, whey protein, TrainingPeaks account, whatever works.

I'm just saying, keep at it, don't give up. Getting old is happening, aging doesn't have to. A couple winters ago I met a 95 y.o. Alpine skier still making beautiful turns. I do OK, can still ski bumps. I think backpacking, gym work, and stretching have been really important to me. I'll go for a run today and then to the gym for Stepmill and weights.
__________________
Results matter
Carbonfiberboy is offline  
Old 08-20-19, 10:02 PM
  #2917  
Lightning Pilot
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Peoples Democratic Socialist Republic of Madiganistan (formerly known as Illinois)
Posts: 113

Bikes: Lightning P-38

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 48 Post(s)
Liked 32 Times in 26 Posts
There are too many hours on this airframe …

… yes, I said "airframe." I'm 68, going on 69. Forty-eight years ago I was paralyzed from the waist down. Ten years after that I started riding again. When my back couldn't handle an upright bike, I got my first recumbent. Three years later I got a faster one. In 2014 I switched to a Lightning Cycle Dynamics P-38. In spite of other serious medical problems I'm still riding, and plan to keep riding until I die, because I'd rather be dead than not ride.

Pain is the universe telling you that you are not dead—yet.
Lightning Pilot is offline  
Old 08-21-19, 07:06 AM
  #2918  
Ballenxj
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 1,019

Bikes: Diamond Back Apex, Mongoose IBOC Aluminum Road Bike, SR road bike

Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 515 Post(s)
Liked 166 Times in 116 Posts
First, WELCOME to the forum.
Originally Posted by Lightning Pilot
… yes, I said "airframe." I'm 68, going on 69. Forty-eight years ago I was paralyzed from the waist down. Ten years after that I started riding again. When my back couldn't handle an upright bike, I got my first recumbent. Three years later I got a faster one. In 2014 I switched to a Lightning Cycle Dynamics P-38. In spite of other serious medical problems I'm still riding, and plan to keep riding until I die, because I'd rather be dead than not ride.

Pain is the universe telling you that you are not dead—yet.
Forty eight years ago, you were paralyzed from the waist down? Ten years later you started riding, so, you made a recovery from being paralyzed? If I read this right, CONGRATULATIONS!
Ballenxj is offline  
Old 08-21-19, 08:39 AM
  #2919  
Lightning Pilot
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Peoples Democratic Socialist Republic of Madiganistan (formerly known as Illinois)
Posts: 113

Bikes: Lightning P-38

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 48 Post(s)
Liked 32 Times in 26 Posts
Originally Posted by Ballenxj
First, WELCOME to the forum.

Forty eight years ago, you were paralyzed from the waist down? Ten years later you started riding, so, you made a recovery from being paralyzed? If I read this right, CONGRATULATIONS!
Thank you! The recovery was due to luck, three very good orthopedic surgeons, and stubbornness. In the case of a massive spinal injury, pressure on the nerve has to be relieved within a short time, about 15 hours, if I recall correctly. They started cutting at 16 hours, and two of the three didn't expect me to walk again. Third guy won the bet, although I had permanent nerve and muscle loss on both sides. The next ten years were hell. Physical therapy wasn't even a gleam in an orthopod's eye. However, the body can compensate a certain amount if you are stubborn enough. I was stubborn enough, and my body was able to compensate enough. That was the second of my severe medical challenges, and I'm glad it happened—it prepared me to deal with cancer therapy about fifteen years later, the nerve damage from a Schwannoma removal, and a hip replacement just last year. There are, indeed, "too many combat hours on this airframe," but I'll keep "flying," regardless.

And I hope this is encouraging to others facing similar challenges. As the Stan Rogers song says:

"No matter what you've lost,
be it home, a love, a friend,
turn to and put out all your strength
of arm and heart and brain.
And like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again!"
Lightning Pilot is offline  
Likes For Lightning Pilot:
Old 08-22-19, 07:16 AM
  #2920  
Ballenxj
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 1,019

Bikes: Diamond Back Apex, Mongoose IBOC Aluminum Road Bike, SR road bike

Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 515 Post(s)
Liked 166 Times in 116 Posts
Originally Posted by Lightning Pilot
Thank you! The recovery was due to luck, three very good orthopedic surgeons, and stubbornness. In the case of a massive spinal injury, pressure on the nerve has to be relieved within a short time, about 15 hours, if I recall correctly. They started cutting at 16 hours, and two of the three didn't expect me to walk again. Third guy won the bet, although I had permanent nerve and muscle loss on both sides. The next ten years were hell. Physical therapy wasn't even a gleam in an orthopod's eye. However, the body can compensate a certain amount if you are stubborn enough. I was stubborn enough, and my body was able to compensate enough. That was the second of my severe medical challenges, and I'm glad it happened—it prepared me to deal with cancer therapy about fifteen years later, the nerve damage from a Schwannoma removal, and a hip replacement just last year. There are, indeed, "too many combat hours on this airframe," but I'll keep "flying," regardless.

And I hope this is encouraging to others facing similar challenges. As the Stan Rogers song says:

"No matter what you've lost,
be it home, a love, a friend,
turn to and put out all your strength
of arm and heart and brain.
And like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again!"
Good to hear, and I'm sure a big relief to you! Again, CONGRATS on your recovery.
Ballenxj is offline  
Likes For Ballenxj:
Old 08-23-19, 06:54 AM
  #2921  
DougG
Road Runner
 
DougG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Rochester Hills, MI
Posts: 1,285

Bikes: 2017 Felt VR5, 2013 Specialized Crosstrail, 2020 Specialized Vado 4.0

Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 113 Post(s)
Liked 46 Times in 21 Posts
Originally Posted by Lightning Pilot
And I hope this is encouraging to others facing similar challenges. As the Stan Rogers song says:

"No matter what you've lost,
be it home, a love, a friend,
turn to and put out all your strength
of arm and heart and brain.
And like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again!"
Congratulations from me also on your recovery and victory against the odds.

But I have to say that you're the first person I've "met" who knows who Stan Rogers was. I live in Michigan and am close enough to Canada that we picked up on his music quite a while ago and have most of his CDs. But now, even in Canada, I'm not sure how many people remember him. I remember a a friend who came back many years ago from a vacation in Nova Scotia who said to me something like "What's the deal in every bar in Halifax where everyone keeps singing this Barrett's Privateers song?" I've never been there but I wonder if anyone's still at it.

Goddamn them all, I was told, we'd sail the seas for American gold,
Fire no guns, shed no tears,
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier, the last of Barrett's Privateers.
DougG is offline  
Likes For DougG:
Old 08-23-19, 09:59 AM
  #2922  
philbob57
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Chicago North Shore
Posts: 2,331

Bikes: frankenbike based on MKM frame

Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 714 Post(s)
Liked 602 Times in 371 Posts
Yikes! I haven't even thought of Stan Rogers for at least a decade.... I'm very glad you beat the odds. I can't imagine how much effort you had to exert.
*****
I turned 75 a month ago. I stopped riding in 2002, IIRC. On July 5, 2013, I was watching the TdF on TV and thought, 'Gee, I used to like riding. Why sit on my ass watching people do what I enjoyed?' So I got my bike out, pumped up the tires, and I've ridden every season since. I've also extended the season each year, riding earlier and later, as my health dictates. I did 1001.5 miles (that's what my bike 'puter said) in 2017, about 1050 last year before an infection that sapped my energy hit, and it's likely I'll be at 900 miles this year before August 31, with 2+ more months in the season.

In previous years, I've had tough rides and great, enjoyable rides. This year, virtually all of the rides were enjoyable. On the 21st, I cut my ride short because the sky was dark at 2 PM, rain was due, I saw lightening in the direction I was heading, and I knew the prediction was for a sunny day on the 22nd. I was out yesterday (8/22), and my morale was sapped by the wind, but I still had energy left when I got home after 28 miles. But on both days I enjoyed the ride while I was riding, and I was very glad I had ridden after I was done.

Before 1986, I always went a little farther than I thought I could go comfortably. After hurting my back in 1986, I had to change to ride just a little less than I thought I could; otherwise, I ended up with significant back pain for several days. What amazes me now is that I can actually go farther than I think I can without injuring myself. 6 years of riding can do amazing things.

Don't get me wrong - I'm slow and weak. The only way I can do real hills, I think, is to walk. I had to do that last year when I rode from Washington Heights to the Hudson Greenway and back in NYC. Of course, my lowest gear is 42/26, which is a young person's climbing gear.

I enjoy riding, and I really enjoy riding farther and (slightly) faster and feeling great as every season progresses. I hope to ride every year until I die.

I'm still riding the bike I put together in the winter of 1981-82. I had the rear DOs reset to 126 mm a few years ago, and I expect to replace my ultra-6 freewheel with a 7-speed freewheel today, but I don't ever see modding it to a 24/36 speed or a 1-by-7, though I'm hoping eventually to put a triple on the front for those hills in the East.

If anyone has read this far, thanks. In any case, I appreciate BF for giving me the opportunity to write down the above.
philbob57 is offline  
Old 08-23-19, 10:08 AM
  #2923  
Lightning Pilot
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Peoples Democratic Socialist Republic of Madiganistan (formerly known as Illinois)
Posts: 113

Bikes: Lightning P-38

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 48 Post(s)
Liked 32 Times in 26 Posts
Originally Posted by DougG
Congratulations from me also on your recovery and victory against the odds.

But I have to say that you're the first person I've "met" who knows who Stan Rogers was. I live in Michigan and am close enough to Canada that we picked up on his music quite a while ago and have most of his CDs. But now, even in Canada, I'm not sure how many people remember him. I remember a a friend who came back many years ago from a vacation in Nova Scotia who said to me something like "What's the deal in every bar in Halifax where everyone keeps singing this Barrett's Privateers song?" I've never been there but I wonder if anyone's still at it.

Goddamn them all, I was told, we'd sail the seas for American gold,
Fire no guns, shed no tears,
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier, the last of Barrett's Privateers.
I'd love to be able to say that Stan Rogers was a friend of mine, though I never met him. My love of his work started in 1982, with purchase of Northwest Passage. His music helped get me through some of the worst times of my life. We own every one of his albums, and used to sing his songs to keep ourselves awake and alert on long drives. About a year after his untimely death, I spoke with Ariel Rogers by phone. I sang her a modification (in memory of Stan) of the last verse of MacDonnell on the Heights. By the time I finished we were both in tears. He was my kind of people.

Folk singers and their ilk (including filkers) still remember him and his songs. Many Canadians are surprised that I know the history behind Northwest Passage.
Lightning Pilot is offline  
Old 08-23-19, 10:14 AM
  #2924  
Lightning Pilot
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Peoples Democratic Socialist Republic of Madiganistan (formerly known as Illinois)
Posts: 113

Bikes: Lightning P-38

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 48 Post(s)
Liked 32 Times in 26 Posts
Do we ride to live or live to ride?

Yes. Next question?
Lightning Pilot is offline  
Old 08-23-19, 10:53 AM
  #2925  
philbob57
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Chicago North Shore
Posts: 2,331

Bikes: frankenbike based on MKM frame

Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 714 Post(s)
Liked 602 Times in 371 Posts
My SIL performed on at least one bill with Stan Rogers. I won't repeat her comments. No matter what he was like in person, many of his songs are very powerful, meaningful, and entertaining. I can see how you think very highly of his work and of him. I pretty much don't listen to music because my hearing is bad and my hearing aid distort music ... but I might put some records on my turntable....

I think we tend to cling to life no matter what (up to a point). Riding is just one of the reasons.
philbob57 is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.