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When should we stop riding? -- perspectives of an older rider

R1-Limited said:
When should you stop riding?

If your asking yourself the question then you have a few reasons to answer for yourself.

Everyone has asked themselves or others that same question. For me, I always felt that if I am not enjoying it anymore or to the point that my entire conscious thought while riding is not on riding but in a different world while riding it is time to hang it up.

I will stop when I am no longer able to pull a leg over a two wheel bike, then its time for a 3 wheel. My goal is 93 on my 93rd birthday and that is for a few reasons. The year will be 2050, the month will be March the # 3 the Date will be 29th I have no idea what the numbers mean but I figure it was cool just putting them down :)
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hmmm arnt you 93 now ;)
 
I am not going to read 11 pages of posts so if I'm being redundant, please excuse me. My father taught me to ride, or at least gave me a taste for it, when I was fifteen. He's nearing seventy and he still rides. I knew another gentleman who kept riding until he was closer to mandatory retirement age than you will be for a few years yet. As others have stated, it's about your level of enjoyment and comfort with risk. You could die in your own home, you have expressed a desire to. We don't know when we will go but, we can enjoy the time we have. Make the most of it and trust your own instinct. My grandfather stopped driving without being told. He knew what it was time and I'm proud of that.

I'd rather have a heart attack and ride off a cliff in to the ocean than to die in the arms or the bed of someone I care about. I would not wish that pain and suffering on anyone.
 
CHICKenstrip said:
Commuting seems riskier to me BUT if I didn't commute nearly every day, my skills would not be as sharp. I think if I was a weekend, seasonal rider only, I'd be in trouble out on the roads.
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Agree. I commute every day it isn't raining and enjoy the twisties on the weekends. This keeps my skills sharp, my awareness heightened and situational reactions strong.

CHICKenstrip said:
The problem with people saying to stop when it feels right is, just like with many automobile drivers, we may not be so quick to see when it's time to give it up...or refuse to acknowledge it.
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Very good point here. At 50 myself I can't foresee giving up riding anytime soon. Especially since I only started riding 4 years ago. I can't stand the thought! But who knows what the future will bring? I have always been a gym-rat, have a good sense of balance, am very alert and don't feel that old (yet). But, I wear contact lenses because I don't see as well as I used to, have old aches and pains that haunt me and maybe my reaction times aren't as fast as they used to be. But then that's a maybe.

I think riding is helping me stay young(er). I have the stamina and endurance of alot of people half my age, my mind seems sharper because of the mental demands riding places upon me and my muscles are more in-tune with my body than ever before. My reaction times seem faster now because of riding.

I've heard it said that people who ride live longer. There may be a lot of truth to that. But I digress. At what point do you decide it's time to park the bike? I don't know the answer but hope for many, many years ahead to ride. For you and your wife too. And I hope that if and when that time comes for me, I realize it's time before someone tells me I can't anymore. I would really hate that!
 
My grandfather is 77, he does it in the dirt(albeit on a quad now) and on the street still. He has had some serious medical issues in the past years and this has changed the amount of riding and certainly the speed and aggressiveness but so long as he can operate his bike he will ride.

I think hanging it up before you really have to would lead to a very sad life
 
Did Ernie post on this thread? He's more than 60 and still racing on occasion, still riding well...hope to follow in his footsteps!
 
We will all get old like you mention but it all comes down to when GOD has are ticket ready for us..
 
Just my .02 worth,
keep riding till long after everyone else has told you to stop,your body will even try to tell ya that dont listen ;)

.. a good riding buddy is 73 n still rides,switched to a smaller ride & still is loving it..
 
When should we stop riding? -- perspectives of an older rider
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I got to thinking of this again.....

There is only two reasons I would stop
  1. I am dead
  2. There is no other reason
 
Just turned 60 and bought a newer bike. I have been riding for 45+ years and still love it. The day may come when I will have to hang up my boots, but for now, I just enjoy the ride. Riding does keep you younger and helps to keep your senses sharp. See you on the road........
 
i started riding at 26 and only been riding a year. its a shame i didnt started 10 years ago but from what i can tell i will never get off my bike. there is no reason to stop
 
I saw Locke McCorkle at Laguna Seca this week, riding his new BMW S1000rr. I believe he's 81 or 82.
 
afm199 said:
I saw Locke McCorkle at Laguna Seca this week, riding his new BMW S1000rr. I believe he's 81 or 82.
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Good to know :thumbup

I met Locke on my very first SMR, almost exactly 11 years ago, on his 71st birthday, so I guess that would make him 82 :)
 
Joebar4000 said:
Good to know :thumbup

I met Locke on my very first SMR, almost exactly 11 years ago, on his 71st birthday, so I guess that would make him 82 :)
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I remember Locke from when I showed up in the Bay Area and began riding here. Almost a quarter century ago.
 
I think that it's less about your age and more about what kind of shape you're in and how quick your reactions still are. Can you run up a flight of stairs and not get winded? :) How fast can you hit the brakes? How hard is it for you to hold up your bike? Do you play with the younger people, or sit down and drink with the adults? Regardless, motorcycle driving is relatively safe as long as you drive defensively and don't drink and ride.
www.mothernaturesolar.com
 
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