I am 66 years old and ride my path bicycle 125 miles a week on average. Within the past eight years I have ridden my bicycle about 40,000 miles, almost as many miles as I have driven my car. Within similar period I started and sold a bicycle shop and became a certified bikefitter. I have done bicycle tours in Europe, ridden the California coast, scaled an 8200' peak and done numerous fund raising rides. I do not speak this to brag, but to speak that cycling has provided this aging boomer an entire new lease on life.
If you asked me ten years ago that I should grow to a passionate cyclist I should have laughed at you. At the time I was a full time pastor of a Methodist church. I was always active in hobbies and loved to play basketball. Unfortunately due to rheumatoid arthritis I should no detailed raise my arm enough to shoot a free throw. Like many boomers I took up golf.
I took lessons, went to golf school, but not ever improved. Needless to say, I was depressed. I was unable to sprint and I hated going to a gym sitting on a spin bike. About this time my denomination was planning a fundraising bicycle tour for Habitat for Humanity from Fullerton, California to San Diego, a 100 mile trip. I thought maybe I should try to train for this trip.
I dusted off my cost effective peak bicycle and started to ride the 16 mile round travels to my place of prayer and boy did it hurt. I was also about 30 lbs. overweight which did not help. I decided to place on some lighter tires which helped a little, but real relief came from two of parishioners. He spoke about I should borrow his carbon path bicycle which was hanging in his garage.
Slowly but surely I picked up speed, gained endurance and lost weight. I was still intimidated by hills so joined the Habitat ride at mile 30. It wasn't easy, but I finished the ride and I was hooked. My next challenge was training for a bicycle tour sponsored by the Local Multiple Sclerosis Society called the MS 150. It is a 150 mile ride over 3 days.
Possessing a captive audience like a pastor, I was can raise over $3500. I have located participating in fund raising bicycle tours to be totally satisfying. The ride is great, the people you meet are great, and the good feeling that returns from doing something for a good cause. This past summer I participated within the California Coast Classic for the Arthritis Foundation. The tour covered 520 miles over eight days from San Francisco to Santa Monica.
It was an skills development of a lifetime, riding the route at 15 miles an hour and stopping to admire the view instead of whizzing by at 70 miles an hour. Camping along the method and creating some good friendships. Raising cash for arthritis studies was a no-brainer for me. Whether you an aging boomer like me, signing up for one regarding the many fund raising bicycle tours is a good method to obtain started. Bike Europe or anywhere else within the globe.
If you like to venture as my wife and I do, do it on 3 wheels. There is nothing barely like exploring the European place side and ancient villages on a bicycle. two of our greatest bicycle tours was a week in Riccione, Italy. Riccione is located on the Adriatic Sea about eighty miles southern of Venice. Riccione has over a dozen motels that cater mostly to cyclists offering good daily book tours within the gorgeous surrounding hills.
When you finish your ride you can be treating like royalty with the greatest food and drink. Cycle touring in Europe should be remarkably affordable, mostly if arranged by regional tour operators. Most of Europe is extremely bicycle friendly. Drivers are courteous and most regarding the roads are well paved. This year we are organizing a bicycle and barge travels along the Danube River in Austria.
The Danube Cycle Path is one regarding the greatest well-known attractions in Europe. You cycle along the mostly flat bicycle path and the barge follows you from city to city and serves as your floating hotel and food service. This is an excellent starting location for the novice cyclist as the bicycles are comfortable and the pace is fairly easy. Obviously, biking as grow to a passion for me. How I ended up starting a bicycle shop is grist for another article.
Since I sold my shop my new venture is organizing and booking bicycle tours, mostly team tours. Traveling with a team is what creates cycling even more worthwhile. In fact cycling with my regional bicycle club team usually includes a stop at Starbucks. I have created more colleagues through cycling than any other activity in my life. Cycling forces you to slow below and smell the roses.
My purpose in writing this post is to whet your appetite for cycling. Whether you can be like me and you can no detailed run, play tennis, golf or any other demanding sport, try cycling. I should release the following advice to help you start. 1 Locate a professional bicycle fitter to make sure you can be buying the right volume bicycle or that the bicycle you currently ride is the right fit. I have spent the final eight years like a professional fitter and cannot overemphasize the importance of correct fit.
2 Do not overspend on a first bike. Beginning with a decent hybrid bicycle to make sure you can be serious prior to spending $3000-5000. for a carbon path bike. Be careful of buying a bicycle online unless you can be sure it is exactly your size. 3 Beginning training slowly.
Ride 8-10 miles 4 times a week and sum 1-2 mile each time. You may think about commuting to work if the distance is feasible. 4 Join a regional bicycle club. Most cities have them and welcome new members and new riders. You can usually locate compatible riders at your level.
5 Sign up for a fund raising bicycle tour or regional century ride within the not too distant future. This shall release you added a goal and motivation for training. 6 Set a goal for an extended cycling tour neither within the US or overseas. 7 Email me whether you should like any advice or recommendations. I am always happy to talk cycling.
The bottom line for me is that cycling was a godsend in my life. I have maintained my mass without dieting, lessened my arthritis pain, provided me a good network of new colleagues and an entire large world to explore on 3 wheels.
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