Long time, hanging it up

[Black Dog]

Sorry to hear about your experience. Like others have said. Give yourself a tiny bit of wiggle room to come back to cycling in the future. It may look very different or may not. Your future self may thank you. I do respect your decision and like many here I have changed aspects of my riding to make it safer due to the increased risk that distracted and unskilled drivers create. A complete break from the sport can be a very positive and beneficial experience. You can always come back to it if you wish. In the meantime explore and enjoy the other possibilities that are there for you!

[oldpotatoe]

You have to do what's comfortable for you. Yes, 'some' can 'what if' themselves into or out of anything but if riding a bike means stress all the while you are on it..then get off. It is supposed to be a leisure time activity. Not a job, not a problem to solve, not unreasonable risk taking..

Nobody is surgically joined to a bike..you'll find something else...

[LIRider]

Sorry to read this post, especially on the heels of the Johnny Gaudreau tragedy. I feel your pain - both physical and mental, having had 2 ambulance rides myself. I’ve not felt totally at ease on the road since, especially with my area of northern Long Island being increasingly built up. I’ve gravitated more to club rides and travel over an hour to ride on more open roads. It sucks that getting on a bike is as much a mental challenge for me these days as a physical one.

Take some time to decide what is best for you, only you know. It took me 2 years to get back on a bike. All the best to you, Tim.

[2metalhips]

Tim, I see you are in Connecticut, there are two really good gravel trails which I ride semi regularly. The Hop River trail and the Airline trail. There is also the Charter Oak trail. You may have to drive a bit to get to these but it will be well worth it. Hang in there and give gravel a try.

[merlinmurph]

A heartfelt post, for sure. I'm glad you're actually able to write it.

Take a year off, try other things and see where you are.

Good luck in your recovery and I wish you the best.

[bicycletricycle]

I do not accept your resignation.

[david]

I'm sorry to hear this.

Many of us have had similar thoughts. And the day will come for all of us where age will take its toll and we'll simply not able to ride safely. I dread that day.

But if you can still handle a bike safely, I'd like to make a case for putting off your retirement from cycling for as long as you can. Not to talk you into continuing to do what you've calculated is no longer worth the risk. But to look for alternative places to ride where the safety factor is more in your favor.

It sounds like the most recent incident involved a car. As others have noted, perhaps you could get off surface streets? Gravel? MTB? Granted, that type of riding has it's own set of risks, but at least you'd avoid interactions with traffic.

I've spent most of my 45 years cycling on the roads of northern California and around Westchester, NY. The exposure to dangerous drivers is wearing on me. And the inherent risks associated with piloting a fast-moving bicycle along twisty roads, with fast descents, and unpredictable surface conditions have become more front-of-mind lately.

Still, I just love it too much to give it up. I genuinely believe cycling changed my life. In my early 20s, it diverted me from an unhealthy path, taught me discipline, made me appreciate healthy living, and became a lifetime source of joy. Last January, I had serious abdominal surgery and my recovery was phenomenally speedy. I attribute that to the fitness that cycling has allowed me to maintain.

So, how to keep cycling and keep the risks in check? Well, three years ago we began renting an apartment in New Orleans. I won't ride on the surface streets down there. So I spend all my riding time on the Mississippi River Trail and it's actually been terrific. I never would have thought I would enjoy it. It's five minutes from my front door. I can ride non-stop ride for 47 miles one way and then turn around and head back. No cars, it's never very busy, and you can get yourself in a really focussed head space because there's nothing you need to focus on other than pedaling.

There's plenty of wildlife to observe, you can race the tankers on the River, and the wind is always changing in direction and strength so even though you're on the same route day after day, no ride feels the same.

I recently retired and my wife and I are not sure where we'll ultimately end up, but we do know that a safe cycling venue is a must. I know it's not easy to change your living situation so that you can have a similar option near you. But I throw it out there for consideration. I hope you can find a way to safely keep riding in your life.

Below is a phot of a guy I see out on the levee almost every day. He often rides over 50 miles a day, dressed just like that, on that bike. I hope to be like him one day. God bless him. Of course, I do wish he'd wear a helmet!

[Louis]

Tim, I know you realize this, but I'll mention it just the same: there are lots of fitness alternatives to road riding, some on two wheels, some on none at all:

[DeBike]

Kudos to TimS for making his hard decision. I wish him the best in his endeavors. I am 3 months post crash and am now scheduled for surgery to repair my right shoulder, including a torn rotator cuff that was surgically repaired in 2011. I've been struggling with the shoulder, had an MRI last week. Also, I have recovered well from 2 broken ribs and 3 fractures in my neck, with the neck still being stiff and sore, especially getting up in the morning.
I plan on keeping active, in some way, while recuperating. That will include a bike on a trainer. I have for a long time said that if I reach the age of 80, I would like to still be cycling on a regular basis. I'll be 72 on 9/6, I want to be ready to pursue another minimum of 8 years of riding bikes, 75 or 76 years after I first learned. Nothing does the same thing for me that riding a bicycle does, that feeling of childlike freedom, and being released to fly.

[JMT3]

Having been hit 3 times and having a serious brain injury the last time I totally understand. That is why I leave town and away from traffic. Only a mile to escape town, radar unit and the fact I don’t remember getting hit the last time has me still riding. Riding is what keeps me sane and my anxiety level in check. My wife always says I dread the day when your age or health forces you to not to be able to ride. Same with my motorcycles. I love riding them but way more mileage per year on a bicycle verses a motorcycle. The bicycle is good for the body and head while thew motorcycle is only good for the head.

[biker72]

Tough decision Tim but you've got to do what's best for you.

After my ride in an ambulance, surgery, and weeks of rehab I never once thought of not riding again. I was 81 then and a lot of people thought I'd wind up in a assisted living facility.

My co workers at the bike shop encouraged me to try a 3 wheeled recumbent or an electric bike. I did try a recumbent but hated it.

Long story short, at 86 I did a local hilly route on my Lynskey Helix this morning. The hills would probably qualify as Colorado speed bumps but were challenging for me. I need to ride more....

[OtayBW]

Moment to moment, everything presents anew. Heal up. You'll know what to do. GL!

[Brian Smith]

I wonder, do you give credence to the opinions, regarding this choice, of those who rely on you?
If it's a choice strictly for yourself, then those opinions don't matter.
If it's a choice mainly for those reliant upon you, then it perhaps warrants asking if your current choice is the future they, too, favor.

As someone reliant upon others, I accept and prefer that they take the decisions they would like to take in absence of said reliance.

[19wisconsin64]

Tim,
Thank you for sharing, and good luck with your healing. I'm also in CT, there are some boat clubs and other places you should be able to check out kayaking and rowing.

[bikinchris]

Avoiding that possible car/bike crash is one reason why my wife and I moved to Little Rock and we ride the Arkansas river trail exclusively. She was not going to ride on the road anymore.