Are you ever surprised by who rides?

[BaltimoreGS]

Ok, I swear this is my last post for the night.  I stopped in a local Redwing shoe store to get some toe caps for my work boots a few weekends ago.  The old guy behind the counter saw the helmet and asked what I rode.  We started talking and it turned out he was a life long rider.  His favorite bike was an old Norton he once owned.  He told his wife he'd quit riding when he turned 75 years old.  Now at 77 he has a Virago hidden at his friends garage that his wife doesn't know about.  Are you ever surprised to find out who is a fellow rider?

-Jessie

[gsJack]

I'm never surprised by who rides and rarely meet a rider older than myself.  Others are sometimes surprised that I'm still riding, I'll be 77 this August.  So the "old guy" told his wife he'd stop at 75?  That sounds familiar, I told my wife I'd only ride until I was 65 when I bought my first bike at age 52.  Approaching 65 I promised 70 and 5 years later I said 75 and now when I say 80 she just laughs.  

[O.C.D.]

My wife was just telling me the other day about her distant relative who had been in a mental institution for the majority of his life.  For some reason at 80 he got out and has been riding for the last 5 years.  He has never been happier and has no signs of dementia anymore.  I guess they should have let him ride 50 years ago?!

I am new to street riding, but I can promise I will do it until my last days.  So if I am 30 now, I have at least 40 plus years to go! 

[PaviSays]

Heh, well I'm 17, and just trying to comprehend someone who is 77 years old is pretty hard for me to do, let alone picturing him riding down the highway.  Hiding it in his friend's garage, that's awesome hahah.

[Toogoofy317]

Trust me I get told that by everyone that doesn't know me well. You shouldn't be riding with a heart problem yada yada yada! My docs okay it and so I got my little handicapped plate and I go out and live my life!

Riding is about the only thing I got left that makes me feel normal!

"Everybody dies but not everyone Lives!"

Mary

[gsJack]

[werase643]

I bought my first dirt bike when i was in 7th grade at a yard sale
I stored it at friends house and ended up selling it to friend to keep my mom from catching me having a bike

[applecrew]

 

Well, I'm gonna be 52 later this year; bought my first bike at 48 (a 73 YAM RD350) but really couldn't ride too much - loved the bike, but TOO much maintenance for the mileage I wanted to ride (13,000 miles last year).  The bug bit, and it bit hard.  I don't know how many more years I'll be able to ride... so I ride everyday I can, trying to make up for lost time.

Funny thing is, however, if I had discovered riding earlier... I would probably have been a statistic.  Wisdom (or at least a little sense)  does come w/ age.  You older guys (funny from a 52 year-old, right?) are an inspiration. I hope I'm still riding in 25 years!



Mike

[Toogoofy317]

Yup, I got mine too GsJack!



Mary

[gsJack]

 

[RyanClarke]

I used to be surprised by who I saw riding.  I was walking down the street in Boulder, CO last summer and I saw 2 guys and a girl about my age (I'm 25) walking in full gear walking towards 3 bikes.  There was a new B-King, a Hayabusa, and a Kawi 500.  I obviously pegged the girl to be on the Kawi, as she was about 5'5" and maybe 120 lbs with her gear on, and what does she do?  She walks right up and mounts the 'Busa!  I was blown away.  So now nothing really surprises me as far as who rides or what they ride.  So next time you see a smoking hot blond, just remember, she may ride a bike with 800 more cc's than you do!

[ohgood]

Heh, well I'm 17, and just trying to comprehend someone who is 77 years old is pretty hard for me to do, let alone picturing him riding down the highway.  Hiding it in his friend's garage, that's awesome hahah.

i'm betting (no experience) it's allot like trying to remember how fun everything was @ 17. no worries, no obligations, etc

i'm still surprised by people i meet that ride. the ham fisted ones usually stand out though