Old age?...aah, YEAH!

shootnlead

shootnlead

Active Member
One of the things that I love about as much as I do guns and most of the things associated with them, is cycling. I have ridden bikes for years and thousands of miles...it is truly addictive and GREAT exercise. It was a great way for me to stay in shape during middle age...and look forward to working my butt off. But, as with most things...wrinkles come along and cycling is no different.

After all of those years and miles, physical issues literally put me off the bike. It has been nearly 5yrs now..of trying intermittently to restart riding. Each of the these restarts have culminated in being forced off the bike in short order. So, finally, after this series of failures and gaining nearly 30 unanswered pounds...I have embarked on my only recourse...a recumbent bike. I have put it off as long as I could...the denial has run it's course.

So, I drove 200 miles and bought this recumbent, there was not one available locally as these are something of a cult segment of cycling...the cult being old guys that can no longer tolerate the riding position of an upright bike. To say that there is a learning curve, is an understatement. About the only thing that riding this bike has in common with a regular, upright...is they are both on 2 wheels. Even the pedaling is different because you use different muscles to generate most of your power, on the recumbent.

At any rate, I have not put many miles on it yet...kind of a crawl before you walk deal....but I am getting there. I have ridden it a little on the rode, but primarily, I have been inside with the bike on the trainer...trying to clean up my pedal stroke so as not to wobble the bike while pedaling. But, it is nice to get off it and not have that infernal pain that the upright generated.

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J

JohnD

Member
"One of the things that I love about as much as I do guns and most of the things associated with them, is cycling."

Nice lookin' ride. Congratulations! I like the triple crank. That should serve you well on all sorts of routes.

I started road cycling in 2006, and since then I have been on the road more than at the range and in the woods. I retired at the end of September 2015 and still able to ride upright bikes.

I have been a hand loader of straight-wall cartridges, lead, plated, and jacketed, for years. Currently I am working on becoming a caster and also loading for 22 Hornet... both new adventures for me.

Good luck, keep riding!
 
shootnlead

shootnlead

Active Member
JohnD said:
"One of the things that I love about as much as I do guns and most of the things associated with them, is cycling."

Nice lookin' ride. Congratulations! I like the triple crank. That should serve you well on all sorts of routes.

I started road cycling in 2006, and since then I have been on the road more than at the range and in the woods. I retired at the end of September 2015 and still able to ride upright bikes.

I have been a hand loader of straight-wall cartridges, lead, plated, and jacketed, for years. Currently I am working on becoming a caster and also loading for 22 Hornet... both new adventures for me.

Good luck, keep riding!
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Thanks, John...

I am looking forward to betting back on the road...it does a body good.

Good luck with your casting...it really adds another dimension to guns. In my case, it has really been responsible for teaching me more about the guns that I hunt with and shoot, than any thing that I have done.
 
Ian

Ian

Notorious member
It would be quite a challenge to ladle bullets while pedaling that thing. :p

My deal was running. Had to give it up about eight years ago due to not wanting to be in a wheelchair when I'm 50, so I know how it is to be denied an exhilarating and healthy activity. Glad you found an alternative you can live with.
 
smokeywolf

smokeywolf

Well-Known Member
Part of me being in shape I'm in now (muscle cramps, pinched nerves, all stove up) is the weight lifting I did through the early '70s to the early '80s.
 
shootnlead

shootnlead

Active Member
smokeywolf said:
Part of me being in shape I'm in now (muscle cramps, pinched nerves, all stove up) is the weight lifting I did through the early '70s to the early '80s.
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Same here...some of the issues that put me off the upright is due to nerve issues in my back and neck that came from that craziness during the same time frame that you mention.
 
I

Intheshop

Banned
Nice bike....be careful,cell phone wielding motorists are making drunk drivers looking rather anemic .

Have been on 2 wheels (go-fast sport bike M/C's) for almost 50 years.If I wasn't working all the time,a new GSXR750 would be the next ride....replacing a 636 Kwack.

The cell phone dipsticks are a real threat.
 
JonB

JonB

Halcyon member
I love bicycles (I also went through a motorcycle phase, but that's another story for another time).

Back in the 1980s I had a side business going...repairing/rebuilding bicycles. I 'played' mechanic on a number of 100+ mile bike-a-thons...of which I was participating as well. In the mid 1990s I got into Off-road bicycling, as the local landfill manager was a former Olympian, and setup miles of bicycle trails on the wooded/hilly "buffer" land that the landfill company owned. The Manager started a club (through the Bike shop), free to join and no dues, but you had to sign a waiver to gain access. The property was near a small river, so there were some beautiful bluffs on the course as well. The Company decided to close that down due to liability reasons. Another property owner tried to give it a go, but membership wained...then, I injured my Knee, and gave up the Bicycling all together around 2000.

When the Gas prices spiked in 2008 (or whenever?) I bought a cheap walmart street bicycle(to run errands in town and save gas), and my knee seemed to tolerate it, casual street riding is much easier on the body than off road, LOL. A year later, I upgraded to a fairly expense Redline street bicycle, with the basket, while it looks like my Mothers 3 spd bicycle from the 1960s, it has all the latest features of a custom bikeshop Bicycle. It has 7 speeds, no chain derailer (I hate those), all the gearing is inside rear hub, like the old 3 speed, but much smoother shifting. It also has internal drum brakes, much like the ones on the 1960's japanese motorcycles had, only much smaller (both front and rear brake hubs...a huge improvement over other bicycle brakes). Shocks on front fork as well as seat stem...giving the ride feel like a Cadillac, compared to a cheap Walmart bike being like a pickup truck.

While I have riden a 1970s "adult" 3 wheel bicycle (not to be riden over 5 MPH, LOL, they are dangerous), I've never riden a recumbent bike. Glad to hear you are starting to ride again.
 
shootnlead

shootnlead

Active Member
Intheshop said:
Nice bike....be careful,cell phone wielding motorists are making drunk drivers looking rather anemic .

Have been on 2 wheels (go-fast sport bike M/C's) for almost 50 years.If I wasn't working all the time,a new GSXR750 would be the next ride....replacing a 636 Kwack.

The cell phone dipsticks are a real threat.
Click to expand...

I concur on the cell phones...that is the reason that I try to ride backroads as much as possible. Fortunately, I live in a rural area and once you get off the main thoroughfares, the traffic goes way down...although, they bear watching all of the time.
 
shootnlead

shootnlead

Active Member
JonB said:
I love bicycles (I also went through a motorcycle phase, but that's another story for another time).

Back in the 1980s I had a side business going...repairing/rebuilding bicycles. I 'played' mechanic on a number of 100+ mile bike-a-thons...of which I was participating as well. In the mid 1990s I got into Off-road bicycling, as the local landfill manager was a former Olympian, and setup miles of bicycle trails on the wooded/hilly "buffer" land that the landfill company owned. The Manager started a club (through the Bike shop), free to join and no dues, but you had to sign a waiver to gain access. The property was near a small river, so there were some beautiful bluffs on the course as well. The Company decided to close that down due to liability reasons. Another property owner tried to give it a go, but membership wained...then, I injured my Knee, and gave up the Bicycling all together around 2000.

When the Gas prices spiked in 2008 (or whenever?) I bought a cheap walmart street bicycle(to run errands in town and save gas), and my knee seemed to tolerate it, casual street riding is much easier on the body than off road, LOL. A year later, I upgraded to a fairly expense Redline street bicycle, with the basket, while it looks like my Mothers 3 spd bicycle from the 1960s, it has all the latest features of a custom bikeshop Bicycle. It has 7 speeds, no chain derailer (I hate those), all the gearing is inside rear hub, like the old 3 speed, but much smoother shifting. It also has internal drum brakes, much like the ones on the 1960's japanese motorcycles had, only much smaller (both front and rear brake hubs...a huge improvement over other bicycle brakes). Shocks on front fork as well as seat stem...giving the ride feel like a Cadillac, compared to a cheap Walmart bike being like a pickup truck.

While I have riden a 1970s "adult" 3 wheel bicycle (not to be riden over 5 MPH, LOL, they are dangerous), I've never riden a recumbent bike. Glad to hear you are starting to ride again.
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JonB, I hear ya on the off-road riding...I have a mountain bike as well as a road...that I used to ride...and the off-road is a lot rougher on the knees.

I am going to keep the mountain bike as I can jump on it and ride it a little...but I have a nice road bike that I need to let someone else own as I am done with it and no use in it staying here to take up space and have the tires to rot.
 
RBHarter

RBHarter

West Central AR
Oh the tires I wore out ........ When I was about 30 I gave up bicycles after an unfortunate fall (doing something completely adolescent ) and a partial shoulder separation . When I was about 40 I got a deal on a Honda XR650R that I rode off road 25 miles a day to work it burned less than a 1/3 of the fuel of the cars and I dropped about 20# the 1st season . I rode 3 more springs and summers and down to 40° mornings in the fall . The rules changed , security and an exceptionally enthusiastic NHP all came together and brought that to and end ......

As I look back on my life .......
If I'd known I was going live this long I'd have taken better care of myself isn't my line , it's more like if I'd known I was going to be this tore up anyway I'd have had more fun .
2nd by .... It's neither the years no the miles but rather the roads traveled .
That 3yr of 4" washboard road after I discovered I'd been on it for about 6-10 yr took the fire out of my socks .
Wouldn't change it , well maybe the depth of the ruts and the weight of the rut digger .....

After the move I think Ms and I will be seeking or building an adult peddle car for 2 .
 
JonB

JonB

Halcyon member
JonB said:
I love bicycles (I also went through a motorcycle phase, but that's another story for another time).

...SNIP
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I'm not gonna tell a story about my motorcycle phase, but I did take my only motorized 2 wheeler out today, First ride of the Year.

Most of the time, Mid-February in Minnesota means shoveling snow. There is still some snow and ice in spots, but Today, the roads were mostly dry and temp is about 45º and sunny, My cold blooded scooter started after I kicked and kicked and kicked and kicked it, which has been typical for the first go around of the year with this Honda. I drove it out to the City's compost site and found a couple of trees to cut up, so I went back home to get my truck and chainsaw...A real great Day.


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Brad

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
We are forecast for mid 60s this Friday. I forsee a day of emptying cases. Lots of cases.
 
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