I never saw the wet blanket ????

………………………………………….

Next time , I think we need to start looking for the picture item I didn't get this time:

Long-Horn Bull and a  Buffalo

..............................................

So after the Texas trip , I put a new "Bigger , Beefer" spring on my kick-stand to end that stuff of the motor missing a few beats with every bump I hit.    Well , its a lot stronger that the factory spring that is 13 years old this year.    
So  I pulled up into the car port and flung the side-stand with my toe  and in the same motion let the bike land on the side stand ... or ... so was the plan ... what actually happened was the side stand hit the end of its travel space and bounced back up to the ridding position .    Yea ... so to the observer it must have looked like I just pulled-up and fell over when I stopped !!!    .    I normally have those palm gloves for that first contact in a fall but I'd just been to the mail box so I didn't bother with them this time   .   The rip in the skin is almost healed .  

We all have our moments !  

Well, naturally we were all concerned about you, but that's apart of the adventure.  It all worked out in the end and we enjoyed your company.  

Picked up my new helmet today.           I must be contagious. Buddy, age 70, went down on his new racer at the local road track. (Yes, he is still competing.) Aches and bruses, but nothing broken.    Another friend, 72, went down on his Triumph  and tore up the rotor cuff in his left shoulder... All three of us came out in worse shape than our bikes....     I'll take the Thumper out tomorrow morning and see how it goes...  

Guys, speaking from what happened to me on the last trip with MM and Dave I have to open up a subject that none of us likes very much -- at all.

We can't do what we used to do at the PACE we used to do it at.

I, for example, need to schedule shorter trip segments and plan for more rest at each stopover.   Last summer I was sitting at Mo's tables talking with the old white haired rider crew of 70-80 year old white headed ones and they were right blunt about it --- they connect the dots at no more than 200-300 miles per full riding day and their recovery layovers have grown to 2 days at each stop for some of them.  

It is all their bodies can do.

This would be totally useless to a younger 50 something group of riders.   It offends me too, but if it is all the body will take you trying to do a bunch more is a recipe for disaster.  

In the past few years I have out-ridden my body (rode to exhaustion), fell over/crashed due to shoes slipping on pavement (as the sole of a shoe came off) and I have had my left leg simply not able to support the weight of the bike due to simple fatigue.   It just didn't work right when I stopped on it and I fell over.  

The issue is me, my age and my creaky leg conditions.

Can I ride with a younger rider group -- no, not really.   They all like to zip fast and run full out for longer periods than I can stand and I need more leg rest breaks than they want to take.

Painkillers are not always your friend up in the mountains.   Killing the pain with effective painkilling drugs leads you to outstripping your body even worse than before and riding far too too long before stopping.

Wife was after me to get rid of the bikes for the last few weeks now, but she has modified her position since to insist I take shorter trip segments and LAY OVER for a day to recover at each segment.   She has read up on it and guess what happens to us when we stop riding completely and sell out bikes ---- RIP in 3 years is a possibility she does not like that action much at all.

PACE yourselves better, plan shorter trip segments, do not ride with young kids or crazy older riders who can still go at it full speed for 300+ mile days.

GROUP TRIPS

The trip leader needs to BE AWARE of his riders and their conditions.    

Our injury rate on trips due to fatigue and various body factors is on the rise as we all get older.

Pride and self-image is a force making aging riders attempt to do too too much.  I am certainly guilty of this one, big time.

Oldfeller--FSO wrote on 06/19/18 at 20:52:12:



Before a group ride event - I think it is necessary to prepare yourself for the ride and get your body ready.  I don't think it is possible to go on 200/300/500 mile rides if you haven't been working up to it.  In the same way you would prepare your body before you go on a long hike or bicycle ride or participate in any sport - you need to get your body ready.  In addition to doing frequent rides - you need to do some long rides so you can get acclimated to sitting in the seat for long periods.  It is just not possible to go from "not" riding to "endurance" riding if you don't get your body ready for it.

Saturday mornings I try and get a 2-4 hour ride in - both for mental therapy and to get my bottom used to sitting on a motorcycle for extended periods.  On one outing I rode 160 miles on the little Ninja Cafe' with the tiny seat.  I also have started to ride the little Ninja for doing errands that can be done without the need to haul big items - it gets 70 mpg and is cheaper to operate than my car......even in the 90+ temperatures last weekend I was riding the Ninja on errands.

It is also very important that you do physical exercise to keep your body, heart and muscles as young and strong as possible - staying strong is very important as you age.  If you are going to grow old - you might as well do it as gracefully as possible.  MMRanch and I are both very active on the our farms and that helps considerably - I heat my house with wood and cutting/splitting my wood supply is a good workout.

We also need to eat less food as we age and our metabolism slows down - we should not be eating like we did when we were 18.  

   

Hey Old.feller. I agree that we are all getting older and suffering the consequences. Yes, we all need to pace ourselves and be careful, but I'll tell you this, even though I may be a bit younger and maybe in a bit better shape, I don't believe I will ever be able to ride as well as you do now, let alone when you were at your peak.

Enjoy life. Enjoy riding at your pace and thank God for every minute of life that he gives us.

Oldfeller--FSO wrote on 06/20/18 at 05:47:14:



Oldfeller:

I wasn't singling you out - we all need to establish a healthy exercise and eating routine for our senior years (It hit me hard when I just typed that, as it is hard to admit I have become a "senior citizen").

With retirement and a less active lifestyle - we are not as physically active and likely to lose strength and conditioning if we don't do something to keep our bodies fit.  A less active lifestyle and decreased metabolism also doesn't allow seniors to eat as much food as we used to.....I suppose that is why restaurants have senior portions and why senior couples often share a single order).

You have also had major surgeries and then pushed yourself too hard - too soon and tried to go on long rides before your body was ready.  The trip to Franklin, NC after your heart valve replacement was too much/too soon.....and the recent ride to Suches likely was also more than you were ready for.

All of our members need to prepare their bikes and bodies before they embark on a week long ride event.  There is a big difference between making 30 minute rides around town - and going on a 7 day ride event with 200 - 300 mile daily rides.  I have friends that ride bicycles, and before they go on the "100 mile ride events" they work up to it and do several weeks of training rides - the same thing happens for folks running 5k, 10K running events.  We have to prepare ourselves for rides that require us to ride the motorcycle 10 hours a day!