Any 50+ yr olds here?

Welcome to the club! I'm like you as well. I haven't slowed down much but I have much better self preservation instincts!!

Be happy you still have the health to do those these things, and congratulations for taking care of yourself so you can.

I think a lot of people have the aches and pains catch up with them and it drags on the motivation to get out there and do those things your doing. I know it does for me and Im "only" in my early 40s.

I'm getting close. I'm about to turn 45 and I look at a lot of guys I went to high school with and they look/act like old men. But then again, a lot of mornings after riding, I feel like an old man myself! LOL

Sandberm wrote: Be happy you still have the health to do those these things, and congratulations for taking care of yourself so you can.

I think a lot of people have the aches and pains catch up with them and it drags on the motivation to get out there and do those things your doing. I know it does for me and Im "only" in my early 40s.

Good point - I have only had minor injuries (knock on wood) and I am not a fast rider, but I am content with my speed- I just want to twist the throttle and have fun.

52..race and ride more now than I ever have. Bottom line is after over 30 years I still just love to ride.

Sandberm wrote: Be happy you still have the health to do those these things, and congratulations for taking care of yourself so you can.

I think a lot of people have the aches and pains catch up with them and it drags on the motivation to get out there and do those things your doing. I know it does for me and Im "only" in my early 40s.

Funny thing is, I have TONS of aches and pains from riding, racing and especially working hard all my life, but I just deal with them and live my life as best I can. It's all in your head really. If you start thinking you are old, you will feel and act old. I do fun stuff that keeps me young. I'm not stuck in the past like most of my friends and family. I live and let live and don't judge younger people on how they look or how they dress. I listen to old music sometimes, but I LOVE a ton of new music as well. You just have to give it a chance and not be an old fart. Like I said, it's all a mind set.

I'm 67, still ride but slowly now (heck I was always slow). I have some medical issues and those keep my throttle from being twisted hard. My brain says I could do it, my body says don't go there. But it really doesn't matter how slow we get, the important thing is to be on the bike. Two strokes forever!

Be 51 in December, still ride and race a bit.

Kids still like to camp at the track, and do some riding. We've gotten to the point where the racing is almost secondary to seeing all the friends and getting some seat time.

The Saturday practice days are a blast, and I usually ride just one class now... Down from 2 or 3 in the past.

As time goes by, the one constant is when spring time hits there are a bunch of people wtih bike fever at my house.. :-)

I guess I am just super exited tonight. Maybe i feel guilty I just put new tires on my CRF and new wheels and tires on my Specialized Epic. This weekend I'm gonna rip it up!

Wandell wrote: I'm getting close. I'm about to turn 45 and I look at a lot of guys I went to high school with and they look/act like old men. But then again, a lot of mornings after riding, I feel like an old man myself! LOL

I'm kinda like Waddell there.......55 y/o here and I feel like I'm 80 some mornings after a good Cascades trail ride for 60+ mi.
I do believe it's important to keep it real though(I have remind myself sometimes I'm not 20 y/o)and we're not as quick and strong as we were as young pups. Doesn't mean you can try and hone technique and wk on keeping yourself in decent shape. But as I've found out on several occasions, that ground's a lot harder these days.

If you want to try something else, hook up w some good single track trail riders and hit the woods. You'll be surprised at what it requires of you technique-wise and conditioning! Just watch those trees....

Wandell-sorry

I turned fifty this year and I am one race away from the plus fifty championship,and I blew out my ACL 5 weeks ago,and after the knee injury everyone in my life was like your to old for this and I guess you'll finally quit riding now,but my 13 year old daughter was like dad you gotta get the championship and motivated me to try riding the very next sunday(much to my wife and doctors disdain)anyhoo I got some CTI braces and I'm now a tenth place or better finish away from the big trophy for my girl,,,ps, the nurse@ my first dr.visit about fell on the floor laffing when I told the doc I was to young to take up golf (nothing but golfing pictures on his walls)

always get a chuckle seeing old dudes at the track..cause when i think of older men, they are jut boring, working stiffs who live in their past or are obsessed with baseball/football/etc

life is a participant sport!!

I'll be 50 next year and MX is still my obsession. I try to ride twice a week when the weather is good. I just hope I can make my body last long enough for the +60 class.

Yes, were still fast too! 56, dammit!

Winning 50+ and getting a 25th overall a couple of weeks ago.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=384535431615428&set=a.276745975727708.59999.266272920108347&type=1&relevant_count=1 Its good to be 56.

I havta admit hitting 50 (54 now) has been "Hitting the Wall" for me. Each yr is tougher to get the desire to race even as much as I enjoy it.



The 40's was no problem but I'm also CONVINCED Crestor (Statin drug for cholestrol) has aged my body physically bad. Joints, muscle aches and fatigue are just a few of the side effects & I've taken this crap about 9 yrs. It's genetic and I eat good for the most part (90%).

Just had my first surgery (knee) 4 weeks ago and getting ready to do this AMA Dual Sport out of Payson in 2 weeks. Haven't been on a bike since May as the weather is finally starting to "break".... lol

https://picasaweb.google.com/103236087598437918425/MogollonRimRendezvous#slideshow/5398242862473151042

Just like you guys riding keeps me young mentally as the dudes at work are doing things I have no interest in, but they probably think the same thing about me.... lol

Oh well--I wouldn't trade riding for nothing and try to keep it well rounded by doing MX, DS, Trailriding and I have a FZ1 for the street that has been a blast.

part-timer wrote: Just wondering if any of you feel this way - I turned 50 a few months ago. I always thought when I was this age I would be
one of those mellow guys who slowed way down and was content to work, hopefully have some financial security, a decent house ,etc.
I'm lucky enough to have all those things but I still want to ride dirt bikes and mountain bikes ALL the time......most of my friends and co-workers act like a bunch of old men and it just pisses me off! I never want to be like that!
I just spent 2 hours in my garage wrenching on my CRF and one of my mountain bikes and I just LOVE this stuff!

Glad that you are out there kicking ass!

I'm 33, and one of the guys I ride with is 54...He's still racing Expert class locally and HAULS ASS. I've been there many times when we had a half dozen young guys riding motos with us, and he is out there twice as long and going faster than them the whole time. He's an inspiration to me for sure. My dad died at 53 from lung cancer caused by 30+ years of smoking and a stressful, sedentary lifestyle....It was his death 7 years ago that has kept me motivated to live clean and be active for as long as I possibly can.

I'm bigger into MTB than moto myself...Mostly because i'm faster pedaling than twisting the throttle. I also ride with a few older bikers that can tear up a trail, and have watched younger "fit" guys drop out of our group rides when they couldn't keep up with guys in their 50's!

-Gabe

50 this summer and doing sightlap speed a few times this year. Only when sun is shining. Going to Dubai for off road tour with friends (48-54) on James Wests Emirates bikes tour. Want to mark it on my 100 list. Maybe Spain tour next year if economics gets little better. Set up "goals" with fun things to do or see every possible time makes life happy is my belife. Cleaning wardrobe, car or shopping, gardening, golf is not a goal....

52 now and riding every weekend with my kids. I was late coming into the sport (50 years old when i first got on a bike), but have acquired my kids obsession with the sport. I remember my first race after about 3 weeks on the bike. I entered the beginner class since there was nobody there in my age class. When I went to staging the guy running the race wanted to boot me out of the beginner class, saying "I've never seen a 50 y/o beginner". I just told him to watch me closely then, since he was about to see his fist one. A lot of guys my age who have raced their whole lives quit riding because they realize they have to back it down a bit and they don't really enjoy it if they can't go all out. With me, I am slow, but slow is all I've ever known so I have a blast.

I'm 62 an I can relate with you. Last year I rode every weekend an raced some also in the 50 an 55+ classes. I still work on bikes for the extra cash to go riding. But this year it is getting tougher as I have a few minor ailments. I got 3 bikes that I ride or race. I have been doing this since 1969. Best exercise there is, because you can have enjoyment while doing it.

Just turned 57 and still going at it. Not as much as I would like to, but too many things in day to day life seem to get in the way. An injury or two over the years have definitely slowed me down, like loosing my right lower leg in a jet ski accident 19 years ago. My goal is to be able to still be able to race when 80 plus rolls around. Thank goodness for Auto Clutches and Electric Start.

I hate to whine, but I am having motivation problems. I have to race +30B and +40B to get enough laps in on race day.
Well, three weeks ago in the +30 I get pushed to the back on the start and that's okay.
Until a 40-something racing the combined +30A and who got a worse start than me, railed my ass from the outside before we got a 1/2 lap.
He sent me FLYING through the air!
Thought I broke a femur or dislocated my hip! They red-flagged while he faked injury and we both made the restart, me without a back brake.
I am 60 and feel a bit embarrassed that my enthusiasm is a bit de-tuned.
Here is a photo of the damage he did to my bike, note the hose is ripped out, upper mount bent and the lower bracket is broken and I haven't even fixed it yet:

Highsider wrote: I hate to whine, but I am having motivation problems. I have to race +30B and +40B to get enough laps in on race day.
Well, three weeks ago in the +30 I get pushed to the back on the start and that's okay.
Until a 40-something racing the combined +30A and who got a worse start than me, railed my ass from the outside before we got a 1/2 lap.
He sent me FLYING through the air!
Thought I broke a femur or dislocated my hip! They red-flagged while he faked injury and we both made the restart, me without a back brake.
I am 60 and feel a bit embarrassed that my enthusiasm is a bit de-tuned.
Here is a photo of the damage he did to my bike, note the hose is ripped out, upper mount bent and the lower bracket is broken and I haven't even fixed it yet:

Jim I can feel for your experience. I had something on that line last year at the Red Bud Senior Series happen to me. Pulled my left shoulder out of the socket. Wish we lived a little closer together. I would have someone to race with an not take me out.

OldGuy wrote: I'm 62 an I can relate with you. Last year I rode every weekend an raced some also in the 50 an 55+ classes. I still work on bikes for the extra cash to go riding. But this year it is getting tougher as I have a few minor ailments. I got 3 bikes that I ride or race. I have been doing this since 1969. Best exercise there is, because you can have enjoyment while doing it.

because you can have enjoyment while doing it.
That's a homerun!

Turning the big 50 this January. Still train 3 to 4 days a week so fitness is not an issue. Riding sucked this past summer-no time with my daughter playing soccer. Trying to free up more time to ride and race next year. That is the beauty of the winter-having the goal to ride in the spring! Absence makes the heart grow fonder so they say.....

I have less than 2 months to go to reach 50. Seems like just in the last year my body has started to complain more. Mostly the elbows.

Around the Portland area there are quite a few guys in their 50s who still haul and smoke most of the kids and a lot of guys who still ride and race more casually. The vet practices and races are often the largest classes.