Originally Posted by
zandoval
I slug along on my safe, no traffic, short local routes and sometimes I see riders older than me blasting by at full speed smiling... Bravo Youse Guys!
Bravo on You, for riding at Your pace, on Your chosen route, on a bike adjusted for You.
Riding at full speed (or maximum efficiency or some other "performance" or fitness metric) is not the be-all/end-all of cycling, despite what some compulsive types might think is necessary for a "real' ride. Don't let the smiling fool you, there are plenty of videos of smiling jackasses doing all sorts of stuff on YouTube