BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

Congrats on defying UPMC's expectations. Take it as far as it amuses you to, probably mark walk at the end of the day, and roll on.

Also, whaddya mean, you only use one form of transportation? I'm not 65 yet, but when I do, I doubt I will be doing much different from what I'm doing now, biking to a bus. These people need to know about -- and know how to handle instances of -- multimodal travel.

If anybody knows Walter Goldburg, emeritus professor of Physics at Pitt, he looked 65 in the rearview mirror a very long time ago and still bikes up Schenley Drive to Sq Hill most days.

When I receive that, I will likely check "I need assistance, please contact me", and let them know I will be needing a 2025 genetically fabricated carbon Trek Madone v18 with infinitely variable telepathic shifting. To get to appointments, you know.

im 59 and ride 10 miles a day

I think I've got everyone who posts here regularly beat on the age. Mick probably comes closest -- if I remember right he's 60. Got him beat by 6 years. I live 1/2 mile from work, so I don't have a commute - I can walk. I still managed 1400 miles this year on the bike with no bike trips or tours. I got slowed on the distance because over the summer I found out I have a congenital heart defect I never knew I had -- a bicuspid aortic valve. It's inherited. I think it came down from my maternal grandmother's side. I did the usual -- cut back on the riding. Missed the annual Elk County ride I do with friends up the Allegheny Plateau. After the echocardiogram, the doctor called and said it was not very bad yet, and cleared me to ride again with no limitations. The day I went back to see him for a formal review of the situation, I decided it would make great theater if I rode my bike to see my cardiologist. How often do you get to do that? So I put on the bike clothes and rode there. The look on the receptionist's face when I plopped my helmet down on the counter was priceless. Everybody was dumbfounded, amazed, impressed and laughing all at the same time. Had just the effect I wanted. And they will always remember me when I go back. What a hoot, dudes!!

Almost 62, just passed 3k annual miles last week, and find that I always have to tell docs to wait until taking my vital signs (unless they are running late) to wait until my pulse and pressure settle down from riding there. I don't see my mode of transportation changing any time soon.

@helen s -- I am with you on this. AAA-MEN, brother! Maybe we should consider staring a new group ride and call it something like the Old Farts Ride (or OFR for short if that's more proper).

Old Farts? That's unbecoming. Anyway there's already a label for it: Masters. In defense of UPMC, they do list walking as an option... Though of course the peon assembling the questionnaire should have known enough to include "Other" as an option. Treating an open set as closed is just wrong.

@ahlir -- I apologize if I offended you. I was merely trying to make facetious joke. I guess I failed. The point of this thread as I understand is that none of us at this age and in normal health are too old to bike. I completely agree and submit as evidence most of the people who have so far joined this thread.

Offended? Of course not! I fart pretty much every day. But I'd hate it if it became the only thing that the casual observer notices about me.

As for forming a group, I like "Geezers with Gears," using "geezer" as a gender-neutral term to replace the egregiously patronistic "senior;" "geezer" conveys independence and a bit of cussedness. Good point about multi-modal transportation. I never have tracked miles--just ride to ride or ride to get there as I've been doing since learning how around 1957.

I suppose Old Cranks is out of the question?

The Golden Gears

"Geezer" works for me. Honest. See me on the street? I'll respond to it.

could work... so as long as you stay off my lawn.

By the time I'm ready to join you guys, they'll probably have hipster leather cane holders (assuming there isn't some kind of catastrophic global collapse in the next 40 years)

I was in a picture featured in Geezer Jock magazine a few years ago. To me, geezer sounds like someone with respiratory difficulties.

I just never noticed the years going by. I've been on wheels since before kindergarten, 40 years since 12/25/1973 when I added a unicycle to my wheel fleet. I suspect I might even try unicycling to my first doctor's appointment after my Obamacare kicks in on 1/1. It's only about three miles.

I am apparently not as old as I thought.

Dammit, I can't keep up with folks who are senior citizens. They definitely ARE 'Masters'

Rode my single speed all over the city today on beautifully empty streets. Geezer with ONE gear--