superdex

Well kids, today I'm "officially" "allowed" to wander around in here. For whatever that means (har) --I've been on BF for a long time, and until now (literally), didn't feel it was proper etiquette to post/reply in this forum. NOT ANY MORE BUAHAHAHA!

Anyhoo, happy to be here. I think. Still working through the "ok, so WTH does turning 50 [i]mean/[i], anyway?"

Some will point to kids being out or nearly out of the house; mine are 11 and 13, so still have a few years yet (and honestly, I'm totally looking forward to them). Closer to retirement? Sure, except I see myself working (in some fashion) into my seventies. Ooh! I can enter in Masters categories in local races. Yeah that's fun. In Colorado, where ex-pros come to retire and blow the wheels off of anyone, anytime, any age. So yeah, kinda "just another birthday" but I'm trying to find some significance, at least to equate the hoopla that's going to surround me tonight. So maybe it's now I can come hang here, with you all. Okay, that's comforting.

Now off for a bday ride, where I'm purposely planning in multiple brewery stops. Fifty!

Ogsarg

Welcome to the over 50 crowd. Now you're getting close to the average cyclists age....or at least that it how it seems to me based on the ones I see on the streets or at the recent charity ride I attended recently.

Carbonfiberboy 

The significance is that age is going to start giving you a little cachet. You'll start getting, "I hope I'm as strong as you when I grow up" kind of thing. Maybe not yet, maybe another 8 years or so, but you're starting to get there.

Welcome to the club. It's not all downhill from here . . . yet. Live long and prosper.

HeyItsSara

we have fun! so glad you're joining us!

Iride01 

Welcome!

It's always nice to have others to commiserate with and share in the misery of getting older. <grin>

It's not all bad though. It's nice that careers start slowing down a little and leave time to ride more and do other things. Though I'm still wondering what was meant by these being the golden years that I use to hear about all my younger life.

big john

50 meant nothing to me. It wasn't until after 55 that I started to notice the decline in on-bike performance. I'm now 68. I wouldn't advise working into your 70s, if you can help it. Unless you really love your job. To me, retirement was the best change ever in my life. I retired at 65 and wish I could have done it sooner,

John E

My father told me he didn't start to feel old until I hit 50. (He was 71, my current age, at the time). He told me he really felt old 2-1/2 years later when my brother turned 50.

We celebrated my mother-in-law's 97th birthday a couple of weeks ago. Her four kids, of which my wife is second-eldest, now neatly straddle age 70.

My wife and I enjoy empty-nesting, particularly since our sons and their families live within a 5-mile radius of our house. We were just about in your situation in 22 years ago, with a 16-year-old and an 11-year-old in the house. Things were a bit tight, because we never upsized our housing situation when the boys were growing up, which means we are once again "right-sized."

gobicycling

Never fear, lots of milestones ahead. There's the Facebook group which I run for 65 Plus, there is another Facebook group for which I qualify for 80 plus. So you got a long ways to go, but companionship along the way.

freeranger

You'll find that 50 (for some) is not a lot different regarding cycling than any other age, at least for those of us who have been graced with good health. Been eligible for this forum for 21 years now, and happy to still be doing the riding I do. And though I don't accumulate the mileage of some here, always inspiring to hear of those "older" riders with high goals and the accomplishments. Looking back, while trail riding, and reaching the top of a particularly challenging hill (and passing a younger rider), had a funny moment. We all stopped at the crest of the hill, to cool off. The "youngster" asked how old I was. At the time I was 50 and he remarked that he hoped to still be trail riding at my age! LOL!! Here it is 21 years later and still riding (road mostly but off-road also)). Yeah, things are a little different-might pass on sections I'd ride prev., but still at it!! Welcome to the "older"? forum. Only another 15 yrs. 'till you're eligible for another one!

downtube42

Under 20 is childhood.20-29 is unquestionably young.
The thirties, being next to the twenties, are still young.

The forties are only a decade away from young.

Fifties. Well this gets harder because they are next door to the sixties, which are unquestionably not young. But still, the fifties are not the sixties, so now we've transitioned from claiming youth to denying being old. So still good.

Sixties you can stop playing the young game. No, seriously, stop. The good news is, with a bit of luck and some good choices early in life things might still be functioning pretty well. Enjoy every day.

rsbob 

What does turning 50 mean? It means you will get countless solicitations from AARP, just to rub it in. For those of us who keep working out/cycling 50 doesn’t feel any different than 40. And 60 doesn’t feel any different than 50 and ….. not quite there yet.

gthomson

Welcome to the club. The conversation is usually very chill on this site yet the experience and knowledge of the group is vast!

SurferRosa

"What did he saaaay?"

[skip to 1:57]

jppe

If it helps any all of my PR's, longest rides and greatest cycling memories occurred after the age of 50!!! Of course I didn't start cycling until I was 50 so there you go........