Before we had children Sue and I used to ride a tandem. They are wicked fast on rollers and on descents they're like a runaway freight train. We had a lot of good times on that beast.View attachment 113352 These guys did something stupid to .
Scott
I did something stupid today
- Thread starter slo town
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Scott
wemay
Site Donor 2023
Be careful buddy. Often times we don't know it's too late until... it's too late.
I resemble this at only age 55. I don't have anywhere near the peak power I used to, but I have more experience and better stamina. I hope and plan to be in your shape when I reach your age.
Nice... my wife and I have been riding the same Santana tandem for over 20 years. We used to do century rides back when we lived in CA (Holstein Hundred, Marin Century). As you know, 2 skilled riders on a tandem SMOKE single bikes in efficiency/speed and there's nothing like drafting off a tandem. On those long rides we used to collect a full gaggle of riders drafting behind us on the flats & rollers, and when we started the climb they'd all pass us one by one yelling out "thanks for the pull!" and then buy us a drink at the end of the ride. Great memories. For a while we had our daughter behind the tandem on her half-bike, so it was a 3-some on one bike! Over the years wifey tapered into more casual cycling. We still ride the tandem, but my serious cycling is on the single bikes, road or MTB.
that's great a 1/2 bike ona tandem. The 2 extremes. Do they still sell the 1/2s?
Aint seen 1 in yrs. Cute to see da kid there~
Aint seen 1 in yrs. Cute to see da kid there~
Maybe if you're not getting enough, but supplements are typically overrated. A regular diet normally has plenty of protein for muscle strength. Maybe if they were a vegetarian and didn't get much protein, but otherwise there shouldn't be a need for it.
Agreed. Even vegans get enough protein. The body's protein needs are modest and we can get all the protein we need from vegetable starches. Not to mention legumes. Not getting enough protein is rare in people who eat enough calories. More people suffer from eating too much protein, than not enough. Maintaining muscle strength past middle age, delaying or offsetting sarcopenia, is mainly about getting proper exercise.
food is medicine. See the research...
Corollary is, there is a reason maca rhymes with caca.
Research on food varies from complete bunk to some decent studies.
Food is not medicine. Some food can have medical properties, many types of food by their nature and composition are necessary for life. Medicine is not necessary for life. Medicine can save or kill.
Sue and I had some great times on our tandem. She and I rode Marin 3 or 4 times on it. One time on a descent I hit 51 or 52 mph, which really angered her.
We did the Delta Century a couple of times as well. The Delta Century is flat as a pool table. Sue and I loved playing with the single bikes. Sometimes we'd slowly increase our speed until they burned themselves up and dropped off the back. Other times we'd quickly hammer and drop anyone who tried to get on our wheel. We rode a 55x12 on that monster. Great times!
Scott
20 miles and 1800ft climb is a "short ride"? Good for you my man, especially at 69. I'd love to do more riding, but it's quite dangerous in my area to ride, even on the quieter back roads. Just a few weeks ago someone was struck by a car a few streets over from me.
Stay safe out there.
Stay safe out there.
This -- getting off the streets -- is a contributing factor to the popularity of gravel bikes & riding. Since the 1980s when I started serious cycling, I don't think road riding is any more dangerous than it used to be. Maybe a bit safer now as more drivers are aware of cyclists, but maybe a bit more dangerous as more drivers are distracted "pixel zombies". I still get the occasional redneck pickup truck buzz and horn when riding in those kinds of areas. Very occasional, like once every couple thousand miles of riding or so. When that happens I just remember the license plate, vehicle type & color, and call it in to the police as reckless driving complaint.
Forgive my ignorance, but what are gravel bikes/riding? Mountain bikes designed for gravel roads? We have some old railroad lines converted to trails around here, and I've done them a few times, definitely a great alternative to street riding.
Gravel bikes are closer to road bikes than mountain bikes. They don't have suspension, they have 700c size wheels, and frames that are more robustly built, designed for shocks/bumps and rougher terrain, with clearances that can take wider tires (like 45mm or so). They also have different gearing: shorter than a road bike but taller than a mountain bike. And also tend to have frame connectors for bags and such.
Think of it as a road bike optimized / adapted for light off-road use like gravel, but more efficient than a mountain bike which will have wider tires, suspension, etc.
Think of it as a road bike optimized / adapted for light off-road use like gravel, but more efficient than a mountain bike which will have wider tires, suspension, etc.
I've been riding bikes for about 50 of my 69 years. Both your body and mind learn and adapt to it. And like I said earlier, riding bikes is the only time I enjoy a complete Zen. So in that sense it makes it easy for me.
When riding you have to think and focus on how your body is responding to the effort. How long are you going out? How hard should your effort be given your route and mood? Riding where I do it's a series of continuous big rollers, stiff climbs, and fast descents - with anything from heavy braking 180 degree hairpins to 45 mph downhill sweepers where you're tucked into an aero position. The scenery and roads are idyllic but they're also challenging.
I'm blessed with having a pair of fully custom, high end road bikes. These beautifully designed and constructed bikes have precision controls with perfect brake modulation and virtually instantaneous, almost imperceptible, shifts even when under high drivetrain load. When riding you want to hit corner apexes properly, and be in the right gear so you can power out of them. To me riding a bike is like having my own F1 Grand Prix machine. And also too, maintaining a high situational awareness - especially important on road bikes - adds to the complete mind engagement.
All these factors add up and force your mind to fully engage with something you enjoy doing. That's my Zen. That's why my 20 miler was a "short ride".
Scott
Since we're talking roads and all, here is a GoPro video of just a short segment of a ride I do 4 or 5 times a week (and realize, I had to climb to get up to this summit). As you can see, not only is it beautiful but there are virtually no cars - and this is one of the busier roads I ride when I'm riding in my side of town.
Roads like this are a big part of my Zen.
Scott
grapes'n may B almonds, pretty dry'n no sno.
Surprised at the woods on 1 up hill climb. Helps me wonder what it looked like when the Spanish 1st arrived.
Looks a lill like Ojai where my niece left after too many fires. Not so good 4 her kids~
Surprised at the woods on 1 up hill climb. Helps me wonder what it looked like when the Spanish 1st arrived.
Looks a lill like Ojai where my niece left after too many fires. Not so good 4 her kids~
My wife and I used to ride motorbikes so she's not afraid to go fast or to lean in the turns. Tandems can reach crazy fast speeds on the downhills. We hit those kind of low 50s speeds on the tandem on any moderate size hill and we've hit low 60s once or twice on big steep hills. She doesn't mind. At high speeds the Santana feels as solid and planted as a motorcycle. That makes me sound like a crazy tandem captain but I'm actually quite conservative, only hitting these kinds of speeds when there is no traffic, no blind turns, no streets ahead opening into the road, etc. And making sure the bike, tires, brakes, etc. are always fresh and maintained in like-new condition.
