BamaRider
Guy
I'm alive and well, and I still ride. Although I'm retired from long-distance riding, I still enjoy weekend rides and day trips. I'm healthy and not hurting anywhere, but as I approach a million miles on two wheels, I sometimes wonder if my luck is due to run out. I've never fallen off a bike or been injured on one, but at age 70, there is no such thing as a minor injury. A broken hip at my age or femur, and the numbers say death within 5 years, that's a sobering thought. I'm not frail and still run 5 days a week without any issues (just slow), but if you fall off a bike, there's a good chance you'll break something. There is so little room for error when riding, and you must be 100% accurate every time out.
I still have five bikes. 2018 RT, 2004 ST, 2014 FJR, 2017 CB 1100, 1974 CB 750. I have to keep a chart of which bike is next to ride, but currently, the ST is down with a dead battery and needs new tires. When I ride, it's 100 miles over the roads I've been riding since I was 14 years old.
When it comes to long riding, I've accomplished everything I felt like I needed to do. I know the land as few others do. Between writing novels, running, and spending time with Debbie, I ride a few miles when I can, because there's nothing like being in the wind. Having done it since 1969, I know the window is closing quickly. I have to realize when the time comes when the risks outweigh the benefits.
I took my last cross-country ride in 2019. Will I do another? I don't know. I don't want to be away from my wife of 48 years for two to three weeks, at our age. If she had an issue and I were in California, it would not be good. She endured my long absences for 20+ years without complaint, so I owe her.
I have a local 80-mile loop through three counties that I ride several times a month. It is rural and quiet, except for the first and last five miles. I first charted this loop when I was 15, riding my CB 175. I can't imagine when I'll no longer be able to ride it, but that day will come, it does for all of us. I know I'll have to sell my bikes to recover the garage space. I won't keep them if I'm not riding.
I still have five bikes. 2018 RT, 2004 ST, 2014 FJR, 2017 CB 1100, 1974 CB 750. I have to keep a chart of which bike is next to ride, but currently, the ST is down with a dead battery and needs new tires. When I ride, it's 100 miles over the roads I've been riding since I was 14 years old.
When it comes to long riding, I've accomplished everything I felt like I needed to do. I know the land as few others do. Between writing novels, running, and spending time with Debbie, I ride a few miles when I can, because there's nothing like being in the wind. Having done it since 1969, I know the window is closing quickly. I have to realize when the time comes when the risks outweigh the benefits.
I took my last cross-country ride in 2019. Will I do another? I don't know. I don't want to be away from my wife of 48 years for two to three weeks, at our age. If she had an issue and I were in California, it would not be good. She endured my long absences for 20+ years without complaint, so I owe her.
I have a local 80-mile loop through three counties that I ride several times a month. It is rural and quiet, except for the first and last five miles. I first charted this loop when I was 15, riding my CB 175. I can't imagine when I'll no longer be able to ride it, but that day will come, it does for all of us. I know I'll have to sell my bikes to recover the garage space. I won't keep them if I'm not riding.
), I'll be 73 - 17 orthopedic surgeries and some plumbing fixes along the way.
