linberl

Wow, if it has lasted since 2016 that's really encouraging. I see my doc next month for routine physical; will definitely ask. Surgery would just be more time off the bike :-(. I swear riding is more mental benefit for me than anything; I don't ride, I get super cranky. Yeah, no needles if I can help it and I can't put stuff in my eyes, either. Weird. I don't mind getting old, it's just my body that objects, lol.

jbbr

I feel your pain. I have also had to deal with a mandatory shut down/ cut back/ rest period when I would have no part of it. In 2016, pulled up lame in a 5K road race. No pain- just felt something wasn't right in a knee and cut the race short, walked back to the start/ finish and had an early beer. Tried to run on the bad right knee two days later and really bottomed out cause I couldn't. Well, R.I.C.E., weights, PT was to no avail. Ortho found a 2" stress fx to the femur. Ten weeks without being able to run.

Panic, depression, worry for a few days but what can you do. Well, cycling was ok. Mountain biking helped. Bought a road bike. Had one in 94, a nice Cannondale but sold it cause, well, I was a runner, you know.

It's 2019 and I still run( maybe 10 miles@week on the mill or dirt) but, I ride on the roads or singletrack when the weather allows and compete on Zwift in the winter. I'm happy, fit but, I know the damn knee could tell me tomorrow its had enough and its time to care of me-the knee(again!). Was told in 2016 to expect a knee replacement in a couple years. Last summer had a repeat MRI and re-eval. doc said it looks good-- "what are you doing to keep it together?". Told him everything I could think of- weights, cross training, primarily cycling in a serious but, realistic way for a 67 yr old. He said-- "Well, whatever you are doing, keep doing it"


My take on where you are - be patient, be kind to yourself and realize that what you truly love and think you can never do without may not be sustainable. It well might be but, it may be time for a change.

Good Luck to you, linberl.

linberl

Thanks. I haven't found anything that gives me the kind of mental release I get from cycling. It truly is an addiction. If the knees don't cooperate in the future, I'd try all sort of options before giving it up: electric motors, recumbents, etc. There's even an adaptive cycling shop near me where they make bikes that are pedalled by hand cranks instead of foot cranks. I'm gonna be like Keith Richards and just
keep on in spite of what medical science says!

Alloyboy

ctpres

I love the part about 1931 model year. There are so few of us 80'ish guys still pedaling. WELCOME!

Alloyboy

McBTC

Interesting factoid, fyi-- those big splotcy red spots out of nowhere on the backs of your hands and arms that turn purple and fade and are gone in ~3 weeks -- due to bruise, poking, etc. -- that, you sometimes don't even remember what you must 'a done...

… they have a name: ‘Bateman’s Purpura’

Artmo 

HM70

I think your achievement matters a lot. I just finished my longest ride since turning 70 and all the aches and pains that come from aging seem to melt away. Or at least get pushed into the background the more I ride. Best medicine for everything. It just makes me feel so young again. Congratulations to both of you!

Carbonfiberboy 

My wife had her 70th a few days ago. We rode her age on our tandem, now a 143 y.o. team. Two of our riding buddies came with us on their singles. The great thing about doing that was that it kept her mind occupied with having fun on the bike all day instead of on aging. Then we went to a party I'd planned - filled our favorite restaurant with all our biking friends, took almost every chair. It was a wonderful day. It felt good to be so young. The next day we drove to our off-the-grid, wood stove heated cabin in the Okanogan highlands. it snowed! I chopped wood. We walked the fence and repaired a bit of it. We paid $6000 for that 20 acres many decades ago. Good times.

eja_ bottecchia

ctpres

Carbonfiberboy: GREAT story.

Wildwood 

+1
Super story, and relationship.

@Carbonfiberboy - I really should come your way for a ride with you.

Wildwood 

@Alloyboy - Welcome to BF. Congrats on model year, musta been a good one.
You got 2 decades and a month on me.
Looking forward to reading a few 'pearls' in your posts,
as I'd like to be a cyclist 2 decades and a month into the future.

When you hit 10 posts, love to see an image of that Cinelli and Raleigh.

Ride on!

Carbonfiberboy 

Whatever they're called, I get 'em too. Any little bump does it. BUT! There's stuff that helps them go away called Dermend. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MTC1IJT/
It works, sort of. Not a quick fix but they go away quicker and occur less frequently if I use it. Makes the skin look nicer too. Not cheap so depends on how vain one is. I use it . . . I bought the last bottle Dec. 6.

Carbonfiberboy 

Yeah, on your tandem! Ours is an '03. I pretty much only ride the tandem outdoors now. My singles are too easy. More pain is better and all that crap. We do a group ride out of Redmond, Snohomish, Monroe, or Woodinville almost every Sunday year 'round. We're the oldest riders now: those older than we aged out of the ride. We're also the slowest and get dropped as soon as the road tilts up. Our moving average was 15 on that birthday ride, 2300' of gain. This Sunday's ride might be something like this: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29688003 We've ramped up the distance and climbing because April. That's gonna hurt.

I have riding buddies who spent their honeymoon in jail, back in the day.

Alloyboy

McBTC

good tip... this outfit not impressed: https://shaundona.com/dermend-reviews.html

...however, perhaps the daily body lotion on the forearms also is helping.

Carbonfiberboy 

That's a typical BS website which competitors put up. Very common in the supplement and self-care world. Note the "buy ours" msg at the bottom. 70% 5-stars on Amazon. I'm cheap and only use it once a day.

Wildwood 

Dan Burkhart 

Welcome to the club. Living in Oakville now, but originally from the Elmira area just to the west of you.

Alloyboy

Thank you for the Welcome Dan. I love this new way of writing letters. No stamps to lick and ride your boneshaker to the post office to mail it. Stay warm.
Jim.

McBTC

You should be the 'senior' member... Cheers!

DougG

Ah, yes -- my neighbor across the river (north of Detroit). I think I went through Guelph a long time ago (almost 50 years!) en route to a friend's place in St Catharines. Aren't you right near the top of the escarpment? I really long for the days when going over to Canada was just a matter of making the crossing and answering a couple of questions -- not like the major, military-style atmosphere these days. A favorite biking route was to take the ferry from Algonac to Walpole Island (First Nations territory!), ride up along the river, then cross back from Sombra to Marine City. Now the border crossing is not only a hassle, but the Marine City Ferry has been out of service over a year with no known rebuild date (if ever) .

Alloyboy

Hello DougG,
Yes we had such wonderful times in Michigan years ago without the crossings hassle encountered nowadays.
I always used the Sombra to Marine City ferry to cross the river. We loved the bike riding all along the lake to the camp ground south of Marine City. Each year there was a flyin for planes with floats at the camp ground and all the pilots had fun showing off their planes and renewing old aquaintances from former years. Much fun was had by all indeed. Thankyou once again DougG.
Regards.
Jim.