Why I’m Still Riding at My Age

Life in the Bike Lane

Tom Frady

I’ll admit it — I have a distorted view of age, at least when it comes to cycling.

Ninety-nine and a half percent of the folks I ride with are in my general age group (70++), and about 78.49% of them are better riders than I am. If every one of the mountain goats in our group came down with the flu and I showed up feeling 110%, I might almost be able to not keep up.

Out in the real world, people are often amazed when they hear we rode 25 miles just to get a donut and still had 25 miles to go to get back home.

Why do I ride? Because I can. Sometimes, that’s reason enough. But there are plenty of other good excuses to swing a leg over the saddle after 70.

I tried jogging once — well, shuffling. Then I realized that if you stop moving your feet, you stop moving. That seemed like a design flaw, so I started looking for fitness alternatives.  Enter cycling.

Cycling is great therapy — and my bike has never once asked, “How does that make you feel?”  It never judges.  And, bonus: telling Mrs. Bike Lane that I need “alone time” or “quality time with my riding buddies” is still the best way to avoid yardwork.

When you get to a certain age — I mean OLD old — every ride feels like a small victory. You’ve conquered the couch yet again, pushed back against creaky joints.  Even so, if something doesn’t hurt after a ride, I start wondering if I’m still alive.  But maybe, just maybe, we inspired that 30-something donut-wrangler at “Donuts Is Us” who watched our grey-bearded crew roll in and said, “I should really get back on my bike.” You should. You won’t.

Sure, you can call me a senior. “Elderly”? Uh, no thanks.

Don’t ask me how many cycling caps I have (29), or jerseys (55), or pairs of bike socks (33-ish). I’ve lost count — but I do know I love that gear, especially if it reminds me of a special ride or event from my past.  It’s part of why I ride.

I’ve ridden the roads from Lincoln to Auburn to Folsom more times than I can count. But each ride tells a new story, even if no one else wants to hear it.

I think I’ve mentioned “smile moments” before — those perfect little flashes when everything feels just right: cruising at 18 mph, warm sun on your back, a deer by the trail, and a donut in the very near future.

And sometimes — just sometimes — that smile is all the workout you really need.