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Birthday Ride!

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Birthday Ride!

Old 07-01-19, 02:50 PM
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BCDrums
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Birthday Ride!

I am inspired by this thread from NomarsGirl. I took my birthday ride last week, a week before my 67th birthday. We were on Cape Cod for a visit, and I took advantage of the flat and beautiful Cape Cod Rail Trail.

A birthday ride is riding the years of your birthday. This never occurred to me in my twenties, thirties, forties, or even fifties, because it was not a special event for me to ride those distances. But now, as a sexagenarian, I don't often ride past fifty miles for recreation. Most of my rides are in the 25-35 range, so doing my age seems like an event.

I know there are lots of geezers riding distances that exceed their ages on a regular basis. I met a guy on a club ride who was in his seventies. He had ridden more than 316 consecutive monthly centuries! And that was in 2018. To look at him you would never guess. And he's still out there.

I like to do a birthday ride because it gives me a goal, an achievement for my ancient self. This year, I will probably ride a local century, just to show myself I can. So I will do it while I can, until the equation backfires on me. I understand that the death rate remains at 100 percent!
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Old 07-01-19, 03:50 PM
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Originally Posted by BCDrums
I am inspired by this thread from NomarsGirl. I took my birthday ride last week, a week before my 67th birthday. We were on Cape Cod for a visit, and I took advantage of the flat and beautiful Cape Cod Rail Trail.

A birthday ride is riding the years of your birthday. This never occurred to me in my twenties, thirties, forties, or even fifties, because it was not a special event for me to ride those distances. But now, as a sexagenarian, I don't often ride past fifty miles for recreation. Most of my rides are in the 25-35 range, so doing my age seems like an event.

I know there are lots of geezers riding distances that exceed their ages on a regular basis. I met a guy on a club ride who was in his seventies. He had ridden more than 316 consecutive monthly centuries! And that was in 2018. To look at him you would never guess. And he's still out there.

I like to do a birthday ride because it gives me a goal, an achievement for my ancient self. This year, I will probably ride a local century, just to show myself I can. So I will do it while I can, until the equation backfires on me. I understand that the death rate remains at 100 percent!
I wanted to add a tad more fun to my birthday ride this past April and did my age in miles on the trails of Central Mass.
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Old 07-01-19, 04:01 PM
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bruce19
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I do a Century minus my age. Much more reasonable.
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Old 07-02-19, 11:52 AM
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Nicely done.
.................The weather forecast at Cape Cod Rail Trail. looks AWESOME compared to here. Just finished up a time restricted ride of 62 miles with temp at 92°F.

Week from tomorrow is my 69th. Down here in SW FL, flat but wind, birthday distance ride is just a normal ride so next Wednesday, weather permitting, 2 times age + a bit more.
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Old 07-03-19, 10:01 AM
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My wife rode her 70th as stoker on our tandem this past April. 70.1 miles, 2350'. I'm not bothering. Rode 90.3 and 5200' on my single this past Sunday. Surprised myself with some long solos off the front.
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Old 07-03-19, 03:36 PM
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Congratulations. As for the guys who ride farther, let me say 67 miles sounds like a great accomplishment. My goal is to ride my age + 1 in kilometers.
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