Boomers on Bicycles

I have seen some pretty amazing bicycle riders, mountain and road type. At Northstar-at-Tahoe last summer I saw a young man “riding” his mountain bike down to the base area–his  back tire was blown out, and he was sitting on the handle bars, moving, quite competently, downhill, faster than I would have ridden on a bike with two good tires. One of my friends, whom I ride with somewhat regularly, a Boomer, just simply rockets downhill, off road or on paved roads. He’s a pretty advanced rider. He says he not an expert. I’m not sure what an expert is, if he isn’t one. He’s also ended up in the hospital when things haven’t gone quite right. I was talking with a young man the other day about riding (I’ve known him since he was a little boy) and he really likes riding his mountain bike on bumpy, torn up terrain. Long smooth rides don’t interest him much.

I just like riding my bike. It’s a mountain bike simply because of where I live. Sooner or later I run out of paved road when I ride, and the road bikes just won’t do it off road too well. I also like to look around when I’m riding . The scenery, even if it’s a ride you do all the time, changes with each passing day and season. I’m ok with speed, up to a point. Everyone is different when it comes to tolerating “fast”. I generally avoid anything too rocky or with too much debris on it. Others seek that very sort of thing out.

Taking a trip over the handle bars while heading, fast, downhill on a bumpy, rocky, trail just doesn’t interest me. One of the things I know for sure is that I don’t bounce like I used to, and recoup time is much, much longer, and hurts more, than in my younger years. I’d like to keep riding my bike for as long as possible. Pain isn’t part of my formula or plan. The whole point here is that, unless you’re a pro, or a competitor of some kind, you don’t actually have to attempt to do what the younger, more agile, and faster healing, group does. In fact, you probably can’t. Just ride, and enjoy what ever level of riding that you do. Enjoy what the pros do: watch a mountain bike race or a downhill race, or a road race, and be amazed. It is inspirational to be sure. Just remember that you’re not required to do the same thing.

Ride, ride safely, and have a great time on your bike.

Rats. Well, this year’s Tour de France has come and gone, in typical grand fashion. My biggest question now is what am I going to do with my early morning hours? For the duration of the Tour I am up early, cook breakfast, and hit the couch, TV on Versus, lots of coffee ready to swill. For sheer pageantry, drama, strategic plots, attacks, and counter attacks, it simply is the best there is.

The commentary is outstanding and the rolling history lessons as the tour rides through Europe are almost as fascinating as the race itself. Roll, Sherwen, and Liggett are always a big part of the show. When you have three experienced riders giving the wheel-to-wheel commentary it’s hard not to laugh and learn right along with them.

I have a great deal of respect for all the riders in the Tour and the massive effort it takes to participate in and finish such an epic ride. Lance Armstrong, a cancer survivor, has a special place for me, as I am one too: a rider and a survivor.

So, what do I do now that it is over? Savor the experience is one thing. Ride my bike is another. Oh yes: get ready for next years Tour. What else can you do?

Lance Armstrong, Alberto Contrador, Levi Leipheimer, and the rest of Team Astana, are proving to be a formidable presence at the Tour this year. The Tour is certainly one of the greatest sporting events of the year, every year. All the riders do more than 100 miles per day. The crowds are enormous. Versus does an excellent job of covering the tour. Bob Roll, Phil Liggett, and Paul Sherwen make this one of the most enjoyable events of the day. Not only do you get a rolling commentary about the riders, and strategy, you get an ongoing view of the route and all of the history that goes with it. Incredible, just incredible. Lance Armstrong, just in case you didn’t already know it, is just as good on a mountain bike as he is on a road bike. His dedication to cancer research makes a lot of us survivors especially appreciate his efforts. Watch the tour!

The Tour de France began on July 4. It will end on July 26. Every day of the tour is worth watching, either on TV (Versus), or through your computer (Bicycle magazine, VeloNews etc). The sheer spectacle of the whole thing is worth either getting up early enough to watch it, or making sure you record it somehow. Mark Cavendish of the Columbia High Road team is quite possible the best sprinter on the tour right now. Enough of this though. Go to the links above, participate, enjoy, then get out on your bike and ride!