Age to stop cycling



mary wrote:
> My in-laws stopped biking in their mid-70's because they were concerned if
> they fell they would brake bones which would have a hard time healing. I
> figure I have a good twenty years left,but would like other opinions.

Would
> buying a three wheeler reduce falls. but most of them I have seen look
> poorly built.


Someone here once said something to the tune of "I'll stop cycling about two
weeks after I can no longer tap on the inside of the coffin."

It sounded like a good idea to me.

Austin (not planning on moving into the coffin soon)
--
I'm pedaling as fast as I durn well please!
There are no X characters in my address
 
mary wrote:
> My in-laws stopped biking in their mid-70's because they were
> concerned if they fell they would brake bones which would have a hard
> time healing. I figure I have a good twenty years left,but would like
> other opinions. Would buying a three wheeler reduce falls. but most
> of them I have seen look poorly built.
>

I ride the most difficult motorcycle rally in the US which is all heavy
bikes in mud, rivers, over boulders, up to 14k feet passes - I mean real
scary stuff for 3-4 days of trails that it's tough to walk over.
Invitational only so few hear of it. Our oldest competitor is over 70. So I
say stop riding bicycles due to age is plain old bullshite.

-paul
 
"David Kerber" <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] says...
> > David Kerber <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> wrote:
> > > In article <[email protected]>,
> > > [email protected] says...
> > >> Pat <[email protected]> wrote:
> > >> > Your in-laws sound like my stepfather who told me that when I
> > >> > turned 40 I should not ride any more "because adults do not ride

bikes."
> > >>
> > >> interesting definition of grown up. i need to remember to take

advantage
> > >> of the few years of childhood i have left. i may disagree with their

opinion
> > >> about riding as an adult but i'm with 'em 100% on the adulthood

starts at 40.
> > >
> > > Why so young?

> >
> > give me a few years to change my mind. i'm still in my thirties.

>
> Ah, that explains it!! With maturity comes the ability to change your
> mind, and to realize that adulthood only starts when you want it to.
> (How's that for a turn of a phrase?)
>
> --


I like your way of thinking. I guess I'm not ready to enter adulthood<g>

Beverly - 61 and still riding




> Remove the ns_ from if replying by e-mail (but keep posts in the
> newsgroups if possible).
 
sdorrity <[email protected]> wrote:

>According to some stats that I have seen the oldest successfull PBP
>participant was 78 in 2003


My wife met a couple well into their 80's doing RAGBRAI (ride across
Iowa). The ride averages around 100 miles a day for just over a week
(give or take - I've never done it). This couple did the ride, then
turned around to ride BACK.

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $695 ti frame
 
Mark Hickey <[email protected]> wrote:
> My wife met a couple well into their 80's doing RAGBRAI (ride across
> Iowa). The ride averages around 100 miles a day for just over a week
> (give or take - I've never done it). This couple did the ride, then
> turned around to ride BACK.


RABGRAI. well, sure .. but then i'd have to goto iowa. (the minnesotan in
me made me say that .. i've always wanted to do that ride).
--
david reuteler
[email protected]
 
I read an article on the effect of age on cycling, I think it was in Bicycling
Magazine a few years back.

Anyway, they claimed that at a certain point, one's sense of balance starts to
go and that is pretty much the end of cycling for that person. Now I don't
know if balance does go with age, but it would seem plausible that it would.
Also riding without a sense of balance would seem to be a dicey proposition
especially if you had brittle bones, like most aged people. Not only can you
not stop from crashing, but if you crash, you will break something BADLY. Hmmm
not a nice prospect.

It is nice to hear all the accounts of people still active on their bikes even
at advanced ages. I LOVE cycling and I never want to stop.

This does bring to mind my grandfather. He was fit and vigorous into his 80s.
He routinely walked 3-5 miles briskly (really briskly) per day and swam .5 -
1.0 mile per day. His health, hearing and eyesight all sort of went together
when he was in his 90s and got "old". In his case, there was no one thing that
really curtailed his activities, it was a number of things all acting together
and ganging up on him. He had to hang up swimming out through the breakers and
out into the ocean about the same time he gave up watching ball games on TV
because he could not see the picture or hear the commentary.
 
>I read an article on the effect of age on cycling, I think it was in
>Bicycling
>Magazine a few years back.
>
>Anyway, they claimed that at a certain point, one's sense of balance starts
>to
>go and that is pretty much the end of cycling for that person.


1. If true, that would be quite different for each person, and needs to be
evaluated per person.

2. I would think little balance is needed to ride a trike, so that would not
be the end.


http://members.aol.com/foxcondorsrvtns
(Colorado rental condo)

http://members.aol.com/dnvrfox
(Family Web Page)
 
David Reuteler wrote:
> Pat <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>Your in-laws sound like my stepfather who told me that when I
>>turned 40 I should not ride any more "because adults do not ride bikes."

>
>
> interesting definition of grown up. i need to remember to take advantage
> of the few years of childhood i have left. i may disagree with their opinion
> about riding as an adult but i'm with 'em 100% on the adulthood starts at 40.


Since I'm having too much fun riding, and didn't quite grow up when I
turned 40, I don't think I shall grow up. Sounds too boring!

Pat
 
"mary" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> My in-laws stopped biking in their mid-70's because they were concerned if
> they fell they would brake bones which would have a hard time healing. I
> figure I have a good twenty years left,but would like other opinions.


My parents' friend is in his late 70s, and still rides STP (200 miles
from Seattle to Portland in two days) every year. He does it with his
grandson, who flies from Israel each year to do it with him.

Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm
 
"Pbwalther" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> Anyway, they claimed that at a certain point, one's sense of balance

starts to
> go and that is pretty much the end of cycling for that person.


Nonsense. My sense of balance goes all to hell after about a half a dozen
beers, but it never stops me from riding.

Dave
 
"mary" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My in-laws stopped biking in their mid-70's because they were concerned if
> they fell they would brake bones which would have a hard time healing. I
> figure I have a good twenty years left,but would like other opinions.

Would
> buying a three wheeler reduce falls. but most of them I have seen look
> poorly built.
>
> Tom



Actually, if their Depends are thick enough, they have a reduced chance of
breaking bones. 8)

Chuck D
 
On Wed, 7 Jul 2004 13:15:36 -0400, "Chuck Davis" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>
>"mary" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> My in-laws stopped biking in their mid-70's because they were concerned if
>> they fell they would brake bones which would have a hard time healing. I
>> figure I have a good twenty years left,but would like other opinions.

>Would
>> buying a three wheeler reduce falls. but most of them I have seen look
>> poorly built.
>>
>> Tom

>
>
>Actually, if their Depends are thick enough, they have a reduced chance of
>breaking bones. 8)
>
>Chuck D


You joke, but ya know, there is actually pretty good armor gear that
BMX/MTB guys wear that one could buy. Might be a dumb idea, and many of
these ancient riders have pretty deep experience which have keep them out
of trouble this long, but if it help psychologically, why not.

By the time we reach that age, of course there'll be personal force fields.
;-D

-Badger
 
Raoul Duke <[email protected]> wrote:
> "Pbwalther" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>> Anyway, they claimed that at a certain point, one's sense of balance

> starts to
>> go and that is pretty much the end of cycling for that person.

>
> Nonsense. My sense of balance goes all to hell after about a half a dozen
> beers, but it never stops me from riding.


you said that out loud. & in public.
--
david reuteler
[email protected]
 
mary wrote:
> My in-laws stopped biking in their mid-70's because they were concerned if
> they fell they would brake bones which would have a hard time healing. I
> figure I have a good twenty years left,but would like other opinions. Would
> buying a three wheeler reduce falls. but most of them I have seen look


I made a page about trikes some members of my family bought. Two of
them were having balance problems of various sorts and just didn't
feel secure riding bikes any more. A well made trike can be a good
option in such a situation. They're also a heck of a lot of fun.

BTW, it IS possible to ditch a trike, even well made ones with a
relatively low center of gravity. However, the type of thing that
makes you fall on a trike isn't at all what makes you fall on a bike.
On a trike it would be a sudden sharp input to the steering while
going at a reasonably fast speed. As long as you have the common
sense to avoid sudden sharp turns, you'll never go over on a trike . .
..

Here's the trike page:

http://www.brenthugh.com/trikes/

--Brent
bhugh [at] mwsc.edu
 
When I was young & strong, I often rode with a man in his late Seventies
who could easily outclimb me while carrying on a lively conversation. My
own dad continued to ride until cancer stopped him in his Seventies.
Injury and illness take you off a bike, not age.

--
Robots don't kill people -- people kill people.
http://www.irobotmovie.com/
 
When I was young & strong, I often rode with a man in his late Seventies
who could easily outclimb me while carrying on a lively conversation. My
own dad continued to ride until cancer stopped him in his Seventies.
Injury and illness take you off a bike, not age.

--
Robots don't kill people -- people kill people.
http://www.irobotmovie.com/
 
>
> > My in-laws stopped biking in their mid-70's because they were concerned

if
> > they fell they would brake bones which would have a hard time healing. I
> > figure I have a good twenty years left,but would like other opinions.

>

My two cents worth:
Check out this month's Bicycling Magazine. It features 90-year-old John
Sinibaldi of St Petersburg, Florida. a.k.a. "The Legend". Article is
entitled: "Going 90" and features "A 90-year-old - who can kick your butt".
 
I am 76 years old. I stopped riding about ten years ago because of
arthritic pain in one hip. Almost a year ago, I had that hip replaced, and
I had a discussion with my surgeon about going back to biking. His
comments: 1.) An artificial hip is easily broken. 2.) If I break this
hip, my life will never be the same again. 3.) It's a quality of life
issue. Am I willing to take some risks to resume a sport I really enjoy?

YES! I decided to ride without toe clips, so I can get my feet down quickly
and reliably. I started doing some trail riding, cautiously at first, and
I'm getting back in shape, and enjoying it immensely. I am enjoying it
doubly, because I am doing things, and going places I thought were over for
me.

And, I think the aerobic fitness could add ten years to my life. Others may
have a different view, but I say, "You only live once."