Ride Your Age Mileage? (page 2) - CycleBlaze

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Ride Your Age Mileage? (page 2)

Robert FlynnTo Scott Anderson

Thanks Scott ! Down south sounds good but I am stuck here in Michigan which makes it very hard to get enough miles in before April to do the ride . They keep the highway near me plowed real well and it has wide shoulders so that is where I ride when it is above freezing and little wind .

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1 year ago
John SaxbyTo George Hall

Good on yer,  George! 

Earlier this year, I treated myself to a new bike as a 75th birthday prezzie -- a Thorn Mercury Mk 3 (named Freddie, of course.)  In late June, I took Freddie for an initial overnight camping trip, 160-plus kms.  (Report on that can be found here: http://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/...  See reply #42 and following.)  Using my own handicapping system, I'm declaring that a Birthday Mileage Ride:  The ride was a tuneup for a hip replacement a month after my 75th; and there'll be a matching op before the next season begins in April.

Cheers,  John  

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1 year ago
George HallTo George Hall

Well, this has been an interesting, informative, and inspirational thread for me - thanks to all who responded.  I see that riding one's age mileage on birthdays (or close to it) is an established tradition for many.   And several folks older than me have continued riding their age well into their 70's and even up to 80 and beyond - so now I'm inspired to try and do the same!     Some ride their age in metric miles (Suzanne, others), some ride an e-bike to compensate for their maturity (Mike, others), and at least one of us (Jeff) rides way more than his age each birthday!  Some, like Scott and Robert and John, have been doing it for decades and some (like me) have only recently commenced this tradition. 

Jean-Marc noted that the variation in bike types can make a difference - it certainly can as there's a big difference in the effort required to propel a lightweight road bike versus a touring bike versus an e-bike versus - whatever.   FWIW, I ride a Fuji Tour bike for my usual daily-recreational-training rides, and that's what I rode for my birthday mileage.  I have a different touring bike that I ride on tours.  Even though the Fuji with fenders, seatbag with tools, handlebar bag, and water bottles, weighs about 41 pounds, it's lighter than the bike I ride on tour and feels much more "lively" and responsive than my main touring bike.   

Whatever you ride, and whether you ride imperial or metric miles, it's great to have a challenge to keep us all young.   I usually only ride 15 - 20 miles for my more-or-less daily rides, and I only build up to longer distances when getting ready for a tour.  So now I have a reason to build up to longer distances in the fall before my birthday - thanks to all of you for giving me some inspiration to continue this in future years. 

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1 year ago
Graham SmithTo George Hall

George the birthday ride tradition is much easier here in Australia with kilometres. To make my 60th more memorable, I rode 60 km and then swam 6 km in our local Olympic length pool.

The ride was no problem, but when I completed the 6 km swim my legs refused to work and I could not exit the pool without massive cramps.

All I could do was stand in the shallow end near the steps, and calmly ask the lifeguards to hoist me to dry ground. After about 15 minutes sitting at the pool edge, and pondering about turning 60, I was able to walk slowly into my next decade.

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1 year ago
George HallTo Graham Smith

That's a great story! Thanks for sharing it.  

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1 year ago
Wayne EstesTo George Hall

I have never consciously done a birthday ride in the past, but the itinerary of my next bike tour has me pedaling 62 km on my 62nd birthday, June 6. That officially makes me an SI (metric) birthday rider. With a whole lot of sixes, by coincidence.

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1 year ago