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

A Hard Lesson For 50+ Cyclists!

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.

A Hard Lesson For 50+ Cyclists!

Old 10-03-19, 12:38 PM
  #26  
TiHabanero
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 4,434
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1724 Post(s)
Liked 1,350 Times in 705 Posts
The last wheelie I did on any two wheeled machine was on my 1970 Honda 350. I flipped it. No longer do wheelies on anything.
TiHabanero is offline  
Old 10-03-19, 12:56 PM
  #27  
big john
Senior Member
 
big john's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: In the foothills of Los Angeles County
Posts: 25,095
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8183 Post(s)
Liked 8,839 Times in 4,390 Posts
Originally Posted by indyfabz
Dig this...Spent two weeks riding in Italy in 2013. One Sunday morning a club ride was coming towards us. Hanging off the back was a guy riding a MTB with...wait for it...no fork and thus no front wheel. Perpetual wheelie. Our host told us there used to be a rider who would climb nearby Monte Grappa that way.
big john is offline  
Old 10-03-19, 01:18 PM
  #28  
Hondo Gravel
Life Feeds On Life
 
Hondo Gravel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Hondo,Texas
Posts: 2,143

Bikes: Too many Motobecanes

Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4385 Post(s)
Liked 4,496 Times in 3,008 Posts
Originally Posted by indyfabz
Take off that skirt and put on your big boy pants. I jumped the Snake River Canyon on a fat bike, succeeding where Evel failed.
After some thought I decided to keep both wheels on the ground
Hondo Gravel is offline  
Old 10-03-19, 01:24 PM
  #29  
PedalingWalrus
Senior Member
 
PedalingWalrus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Maine, USA
Posts: 1,612

Bikes: Corvid Sojourner, Surly Ice Cream Truck, Co-Motion Divide, Co-Motion Java Tandem, Salsa Warbird, Salsa Beargrease, Carver Tandem

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 533 Post(s)
Liked 435 Times in 227 Posts
Originally Posted by jppe
As a 50+ rider was crossing the finish arch at today’s Cycle NC, he decided to pop a wheelie in front of the folks sitting off to the side enjoying a cool one. Unfortunately he must have forgotten to feather his rear brakes and he reared up too hard.

The front wheel came all the way over and he landed hard on his back. He couldn’t get up and EMS was called. They put him on a gurney and carted him off to the hospital. Not a very spectacular finish....

Leave the wheelies to younger guys like Sagan!!!
Just because You haven't seen a youngling fail at popping a wheelie does not give You the license to call at seniors to leave shenanigans for the juniors. :-)
PedalingWalrus is offline  
Old 10-03-19, 02:14 PM
  #30  
jppe
Let's do a Century
Thread Starter
 
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 ab_antiquo
I strongly disagree with this fatalist world view.

Many folks over 50 keep riding wheelies, manualing, etc. because they don't let the kind of fear on display here dominate their thinking.

Leave the wheelies to those with skills. It's not about age.

Were you the fella they carted off????
jppe is offline  
Old 10-03-19, 02:23 PM
  #31  
ab_antiquo
Banned
 
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 62
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 44 Post(s)
Liked 25 Times in 17 Posts
Originally Posted by jppe
Were you the fella they carted off????

Nope. I'm just a fella who doesn't blame someone's age because they loop out. I'm also someone who is 50+ and has no trouble with wheelies, manuals etc. so your fear-based and age-based response is really odd to me.

What you saw isn't a "hard lesson for 50+ Cyclists" but your fatalist, ageist reaction to it is very telling ("Leave the wheelies to younger guys like Sagan!!!").
ab_antiquo is offline  
Likes For ab_antiquo:
Old 10-03-19, 05:19 PM
  #32  
big john
Senior Member
 
big john's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: In the foothills of Los Angeles County
Posts: 25,095
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8183 Post(s)
Liked 8,839 Times in 4,390 Posts
Originally Posted by ab_antiquo

Nope. I'm just a fella who doesn't blame someone's age because they loop out. I'm also someone who is 50+ and has no trouble with wheelies, manuals etc. so your fear-based and age-based response is really odd to me.

What you saw isn't a "hard lesson for 50+ Cyclists" but your fatalist, ageist reaction to it is very telling ("Leave the wheelies to younger guys like Sagan!!!").
Seems a little harsh. Maybe his point was that our age the consequences are a little higher than when we were younger.
big john is offline  
Old 10-03-19, 05:27 PM
  #33  
CliffordK
Senior Member
 
CliffordK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,600
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18318 Post(s)
Liked 4,486 Times in 3,336 Posts
Originally Posted by jppe
As a 50+ rider was crossing the finish arch at today’s Cycle NC, he decided to pop a wheelie in front of the folks sitting off to the side enjoying a cool one.

The front wheel came all the way over and he landed hard on his back. He couldn’t get up and EMS was called. They put him on a gurney and carted him off
So, did he actually cross the finish line?

That would be an embarrassing DNF, inches away from the line.
CliffordK is offline  
Likes For CliffordK:
Old 10-03-19, 05:30 PM
  #34  
CliffordK
Senior Member
 
CliffordK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,600
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18318 Post(s)
Liked 4,486 Times in 3,336 Posts
Originally Posted by TiHabanero
The last wheelie I did on any two wheeled machine was on my 1970 Honda 350. I flipped it. No longer do wheelies on anything.
Hmmm
I was riding no-handed back in the early 80's. Around a gentle curve. Bars flipped to the side, and over the wheel I went.

Mile walk back home with bent rim, and that was the last time I rode no-handed.
CliffordK is offline  
Old 10-03-19, 07:12 PM
  #35  
ab_antiquo
Banned
 
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 62
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 44 Post(s)
Liked 25 Times in 17 Posts
Originally Posted by big john
Seems a little harsh. Maybe his point was that our age the consequences are a little higher than when we were younger.

If that was his point, he certainly didn't make it, especially with the "Leave the wheelies to younger guys like Sagan!!!" fearful nonsense.
ab_antiquo is offline  
Likes For ab_antiquo:
Old 10-03-19, 07:25 PM
  #36  
CliffordK
Senior Member
 
CliffordK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,600
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18318 Post(s)
Liked 4,486 Times in 3,336 Posts
Depending on the bike, I've done quite a few hill climb accidental torque wheelies. I try to avoid them, but so far haven't crashed.
CliffordK is offline  
Old 10-04-19, 06:45 AM
  #37  
FiftySix
I'm the anecdote.
 
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: S.E. Texas
Posts: 1,823

Bikes: '12 Schwinn, '13 Norco

Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1110 Post(s)
Liked 1,176 Times in 795 Posts
Wheelie Gene. That seems about right. I had friends that could wheelie any two wheeled machine, and others that could barely pop the front wheel up or instantly flip the machine over.

I haven't ridden wheelies on purpose since my early 40s, I think. I could ride them pretty well if they were done without forethought. Doing them on demand with spectators nearby usually made me look inept.
FiftySix is offline  
Old 10-04-19, 09:30 AM
  #38  
smullen
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: Fredericktown, Mo
Posts: 67

Bikes: Trek 4900, Giant Anthem x 29er 4

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 21 Post(s)
Liked 16 Times in 10 Posts
Originally Posted by ab_antiquo
I strongly disagree with this fatalist world view.

Many folks over 50 keep riding wheelies, manualing, etc. because they don't let the kind of fear on display here dominate their thinking.

Leave the wheelies to those with skills. It's not about age.

As someone under 50, but does not have the Skills to do wheelies, or manuals(I do want to lean) I agree...
There are many over 50 who have skills and can out ride me, be it flatland or ramps...

Maybe don't try showing off past your skill level, no matter your age.

If you do want to try stuff like this, I'd try a smaller audience till you get the skills.
smullen is offline  
Old 10-04-19, 10:01 AM
  #39  
bbbean 
Senior Member
 
bbbean's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Missouri
Posts: 2,689

Bikes: Giant Propel, Cannondale SuperX, Univega Alpina Ultima

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 672 Post(s)
Liked 413 Times in 246 Posts
Originally Posted by jppe
Leave the wheelies to younger guys like Sagan!!!
Age has nothing to do with it. Skill does. Don't do anything at a race you aren't 110% sure you can do when exhausted, HR>170, and with 20 guys bumping your elbow. Those rules are the same whether you're 20, 30, or 60.
__________________

Formerly fastest rider in the grupetto, currently slowest guy in the peloton

bbbean is offline  
Old 10-04-19, 10:30 AM
  #40  
jppe
Let's do a Century
Thread Starter
 
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
What was meant as a light hearted post has been taken WAY, Way too seriously by a few. To try and reduce disagreements I’ve edited it to NOT reflect age. I also edited it to attempt to remove any reflection on gender before anyone took a shot at that. Hopefully everyone will find it more enjoyable post with the edits.
jppe is offline  
Likes For jppe:
Old 10-04-19, 10:35 AM
  #41  
bbbean 
Senior Member
 
bbbean's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Missouri
Posts: 2,689

Bikes: Giant Propel, Cannondale SuperX, Univega Alpina Ultima

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 672 Post(s)
Liked 413 Times in 246 Posts
Originally Posted by jppe
What was meant as a light hearted post has been taken WAY, Way too seriously by a few. To try and reduce disagreements I’ve edited it to NOT reflect age. I also edited it to attempt to remove any reflection on gender before anyone took a shot at that. Hopefully everyone will find it more enjoyable post with the edits.
Change the title and you'll fix it. Nothing in this post is exclusively relevant to 50+ cyclists.
__________________

Formerly fastest rider in the grupetto, currently slowest guy in the peloton

bbbean is offline  
Old 10-04-19, 10:39 AM
  #42  
ab_antiquo
Banned
 
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 62
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 44 Post(s)
Liked 25 Times in 17 Posts
Originally Posted by jppe
To try and reduce disagreements I’ve edited it to NOT reflect age.
???

"A Hard Lesson For 50+ Cyclists!"

"As a 50+ rider "

If it's not about age why is it a hard lesson for 50+ riders?

If it's not about age then why mention the rider's age?

I get that you're trying to walk back your post but all you're doing at this point is stumbling.
ab_antiquo is offline  
Likes For ab_antiquo:
Old 10-04-19, 11:36 AM
  #43  
Flip Flop Rider
Senior Member
 
Flip Flop Rider's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: South Carolina Upstate
Posts: 2,103

Bikes: 2010 Fuji Absolute 3.0 1994 Trek 850

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 761 Post(s)
Liked 553 Times in 320 Posts
a lot of nerves struck lol, but it's typical BF!!
Flip Flop Rider is offline  
Old 10-04-19, 11:36 AM
  #44  
bogydave
Senior Member
 
bogydave's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: ALASKA , SoCal
Posts: 914

Bikes: /Skye/ Torker mt, Sirrus flat bar

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 188 Post(s)
Liked 24 Times in 10 Posts
Originally Posted by TakingMyTime
"A man has to know his limitations"
+1,
but First,
“a man needs to find his limitations “
then
as we get older
use the wisdom gained
for good
”risk assessment “
bogydave is offline  
Likes For bogydave:
Old 10-04-19, 12:01 PM
  #45  
rumrunn6
Senior Member
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,520

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5218 Post(s)
Liked 3,564 Times in 2,331 Posts
sketchiest thing(s) I did last year was ride over raised walkways. I guess the MTB ppl call them "features" but I'm sure these are wicked tame for the youngins


yes the tires have studs & the snow was just starting
rumrunn6 is offline  
Likes For rumrunn6:
Old 10-04-19, 12:30 PM
  #46  
ab_antiquo
Banned
 
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 62
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 44 Post(s)
Liked 25 Times in 17 Posts
Originally Posted by Flip Flop Rider
a lot of nerves struck lol, but it's typical BF!!
Correct. My ulnar nerve (aka "funny bone") has been struck repeatedly while reading this thread.
ab_antiquo is offline  
Old 10-04-19, 12:43 PM
  #47  
CliffordK
Senior Member
 
CliffordK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,600
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18318 Post(s)
Liked 4,486 Times in 3,336 Posts
Originally Posted by bbbean
Change the title and you'll fix it. Nothing in this post is exclusively relevant to 50+ cyclists.
It is still posted in the 50+ subforum, and as mentioned the title (which Mods can change, just click on the red button). But, with a few pages of replies, the cat is already out of the bag.

And, overall, it probably doesn't matter.

CliffordK is offline  
Old 10-04-19, 02:07 PM
  #48  
jppe
Let's do a Century
Thread Starter
 
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 ab_antiquo
???

"A Hard Lesson For 50+ Cyclists!"

"As a 50+ rider "

If it's not about age why is it a hard lesson for 50+ riders?

If it's not about age then why mention the rider's age?

I get that you're trying to walk back your post but all you're doing at this point is stumbling.
Thank you for your insightful feedback.
jppe is offline  
Old 10-04-19, 02:36 PM
  #49  
big john
Senior Member
 
big john's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: In the foothills of Los Angeles County
Posts: 25,095
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8183 Post(s)
Liked 8,839 Times in 4,390 Posts
Originally Posted by ab_antiquo
???

"A Hard Lesson For 50+ Cyclists!"

"As a 50+ rider "

If it's not about age why is it a hard lesson for 50+ riders?

If it's not about age then why mention the rider's age?

I get that you're trying to walk back your post but all you're doing at this point is stumbling.
This forum is usually friendly and light-hearted as jppe said. He is not "stumbling", he is trying to be polite. Give the guy a break, he's a nice person.
big john is offline  
Likes For big john:
Old 10-04-19, 02:37 PM
  #50  
big john
Senior Member
 
big john's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: In the foothills of Los Angeles County
Posts: 25,095
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8183 Post(s)
Liked 8,839 Times in 4,390 Posts
Originally Posted by CliffordK

And, overall, it probably doesn't matter.

It doesn't.
big john 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.