Long time, hanging it up

[shinomaster]

Originally Posted by TimS

I remember when this was a Serotta site. I bought 2 back then, an Atlanta and Legend. I have loved them from the day that I bought them. They have been painted and re-painted, upgraded, and pampered. I write this just as a testimony to my cycling life and how I will miss it, but it is time to go.

I have been in back of an ambulance 3 times. Most recently I went over the hood of a car landed on my head. The helmet did its thing but my neck was broken. I am on the mend today after some insane pain, a 3 hour surgery and 2 weeks of time. Surprisingly it does not hurt at all and I could, I could get back on my bike. But I wont. It is time, my time to end.

From 2000 to today I have ridden most every day. My miles are logged and timed. 7,500 was my most in a year, 2,400 this past - and many in between. Events, so many events.

My bikes have been my true joy - I will miss them terribly. It is not just about me anymore, others count on me. And this last one was close - so close. I will be putting one of my bikes on here shortly, it is old but it is as close to perfect as an old bike can be. The Atlanta will be stripped and will find its way to my wall, where it belongs.

I hope that I can find that rider that loves the road as I loved the road. Riding a bike saved my life when i needed saving so many years ago. I don’t need the hurt like I needed it before.

I swam across Long Island sound once, maybe I’ll turn back to swimming, maybe I’ll run. I know whatever I do I will be thinking of the bike.

It has been a good ride, Thank you and goodbye.

Tim

Cheers and good luck on the next chapter. I lost my only brother to a cycling accident 10 years ago, and the roads have only become more dangerous since then. I really worry I will be hit ( knock on wood) soon as Portland has become an absolute disaster, it's just unreal how selfish people have become. I have had an Atlanta for the past 25 years and still sometimes ride it, keep yours if you ever change your mind. BE well.

[PSC]

People ride for a couple of reasons. 1. For their mental health and for me in particular I like to ride alone. 2. To socialize and ride with others, that's my brother. I wish I could be like him, but riding with others takes planning and fitting it into other peoples schedule. I love riding and have been doing 5k miles a year for decades, but I have come to the point where I want put my cycling in a different space. Will always workout, continue to run and have been ERG rowing for 7 years. I just have to mentally prepare myself for the change, not happening today or the next few years, but it will happen. Turn 60 in a couple months.

[bironi]

Originally Posted by PSC

People ride for a couple of reasons. 1. For their mental health and for me in particular I like to ride alone. 2. To socialize and ride with others, that's my brother. I wish I could be like him, but riding with others takes planning and fitting it into other peoples schedule. I love riding and have been doing 5k miles a year for decades, but I have come to the point where I want put my cycling in a different space. Will always workout, continue to run and have been ERG rowing for 7 years. I just have to mentally prepare myself for the change, not happening today or the next few years, but it will happen. Turn 60 in a couple months.

I’m not dissing your post, I agree with your perspective.
However, riders ride for many reasons.
Yours is valid.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by bironi

I’m not dissing your post, I agree with your perspective.
However, riders ride for many reasons.
Yours is valid.

Correct..people do or don't do just about everything for many, many 'reasons'.

I rode cuz I enjoyed it..Didn't matter how far or how fast, I liked it. When I didn't like it any more, I stopped..Nobody is surgically joined to any 'tool'. It's just a tool..the bike. Some may feel is some sort of mystical thing, the 'bicycle', that does some sort of mystical thing..and that's fine but to me, just a tool. I felt the same way as a runner...until it stopped being fun...

[AngryScientist]

The other thing about cycling is it will always be there. Take a year or two or three off, do other stuff, but if the desire comes back, just take the bike off the peg and ride it.

(Unless you have an electric drivetrain. Then you probably have a bike with corroded in place batteries that doesnt shift )

[GParkes]

A friend was recently struck by a motorist and had to have major surgery on his leg (tibial plateau repair/knee). He's young, has an 18 month old, and big life ahead of him. He's a very, very good racer, but I'm curious to see where he lands after the past month. Strangely, I've had some near misses right after his incident. I swear that I'll never get off the road, but my wife now has the MTB bug. So, who knows. Maybe I get my pedaling fix in the woods.

The only thing I can say to Tim is enjoy your life in whatever way you choose to. With or without the bike, savor every minute with your family.

[FastCanon]

My wife and I thought about the dangers/risks of cycling a lot. Three accidents are a lot. I have my share of accidents but it's mostly because I was careless or a little reckless - I flew off my mountain bike going downhill at fast speed, carrying a bag full of magazines and it caught my front wheel causing me to flip over, and getting hit by some girl who maybe wasn't expecting me. The last one might have been my fault because she was turning right and looking at her left while I was riding on the sidewalk against traffic. Luckily, she stopped just in time, but it dented my steel frame.

I learn to be careful by riding as much to the right as possible and even if I have the right of way, I ride more towards the curb. When I go downhill, I don't bomb downhill unless it's open road and I can see everything in front of me AND no cars, but even then, I don't go that fast.

So if you can reduce many risks like not going too fast, and staying away from certain scenarios like high traffic, is cycling still risky?

[thwart]

Originally Posted by FastCanon

So if you can reduce many risks like not going too fast, and staying away from certain scenarios like high traffic, is cycling still risky?

Yes.

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by TimS

I remember when this was a Serotta site. I bought 2 back then, an Atlanta and Legend. I have loved them from the day that I bought them. They have been painted and re-painted, upgraded, and pampered. I write this just as a testimony to my cycling life and how I will miss it, but it is time to go.

I have been in back of an ambulance 3 times. Most recently I went over the hood of a car landed on my head. The helmet did its thing but my neck was broken. I am on the mend today after some insane pain, a 3 hour surgery and 2 weeks of time. Surprisingly it does not hurt at all and I could, I could get back on my bike. But I wont. It is time, my time to end.

From 2000 to today I have ridden most every day. My miles are logged and timed. 7,500 was my most in a year, 2,400 this past - and many in between. Events, so many events.

My bikes have been my true joy - I will miss them terribly. It is not just about me anymore, others count on me. And this last one was close - so close. I will be putting one of my bikes on here shortly, it is old but it is as close to perfect as an old bike can be. The Atlanta will be stripped and will find its way to my wall, where it belongs.

I hope that I can find that rider that loves the road as I loved the road. Riding a bike saved my life when i needed saving so many years ago. I don’t need the hurt like I needed it before.

I swam across Long Island sound once, maybe I’ll turn back to swimming, maybe I’ll run. I know whatever I do I will be thinking of the bike.

It has been a good ride, Thank you and goodbye.

Tim

Very well put. Exactly my experience. And, it’s why I won’t be “hanging it up” even though I respect your decision.

[FastCanon]

Originally Posted by thwart

Yes.

It's a stupid question on my part

[buddybikes]

Good friend of ours, in fantastic shape for 69 year old woman, riding with friend to go to dinner. In crosswalk near other side of road, hit a groove - she has broken bones in her arm and food. She's cyclist, kayaker, hiker...hope she recovers but this beautiful fall is for not

[RWL2222]

That's a hard way to leave the sport. We would all probably like to segue out on our own terms. I picture always keeping at least a bit of jra joy, (maybe with some gyroscopic assist), even if it's just to reach a sunny spot down the path.

I hope you heal up quickly in all regards, and find a sense of peace and pleasure looking back at your riding life.

[Ralph]

Based on what you say, don’t blame you a bit for hanging it up. Hopefully you will find a replacement sport. Like you, got enough old man health problems without adding cycling injury to list. I’m fortunate in that here in Central Florida we have wide smooth paved trails going all over I can ride all day from my driveway and not mix it up with vehicles. Some don’t like this kind of riding, but like you, I’m done with riding on public roads wondering when a distracted or angry driver runs me over. Cheers!