Does anyone cycle?

Karmalady, also 75, and I was out today cycling up the Taff Trail, Wales is a great place for cycling but only did 20 miles as I have chronic pain so it does limit mr. Good news is I have treatment for it and in a week or so should be so much better. Just love to cycle and often sing the Queen song I love My Bicycle when I am struggling up hill.

After a toe operation in his early 70s DH was feeling seriously unfit so a friend suggested cycling. At first we hired bikes a few times and enjoyed it so much that we bought bikes and started riding on safe off road routes around London, often canal tow paths. It became a regular weekend activity and we covered most of the Lea Valley and a lot of the Grand Union canal. Sadly DH then diagnosed with dementia and eye sight got too bad to cycle safely. We miss it.

I've never driven, so cycle everywhere. I don't see cycling as a sport. Two wheels are my form of transport and carrying. Having panniers and a front basket, it enables me to get a hefty amount of shopping from my nearest supermarket.

My first bike, in the 1950's when I was around 12yrs was a 'Pink Witch', there's been a succession since then but (hopefully) my last one I use now is a sturdy grey Raleigh.

Good to hear of others cycling well into their 70's. I ride to work on non-rainy days on my e-bike. We do have quite a few hills, so a regular bike would be work up a sweat!

Our town doesn't have cycle lanes, so my routes are limited, but I do love it!

My first bike was a Pink Witch, dad walked nearly 5 miles into town to buy the bike and cycled home.

I wanted a Pink Witch more than anything but had to be content (!) with my older sister’s cast off (and cast iron, from the weight) black bike with a curved cross bar which was always slightly too big for me. No gears or anything and I used to have to lug it up and down the 23steps in front of our house to get to the road. Is it any wonder cycling and me never formed a meaningful relationship and I don’t think I could even ride a bike now 🚴‍♀️

Weird - only not really, it’s down to algorithms I expect- immediately after posting here I got a pop up for the Col du Galibier in the French Alps - a high pass popular with cyclists .
Why weird? Because I au paired there in 1968 in my summer vac from university! I have never been back although D and SIL have had skiing holidays not very far away.
But what a blast from the past!

I have cycled, but I have dyspraxia and very poor balance and I struggled. I recently, when driving I came up behind a cyclist like I was, and I recognised myself, someone who you could see was balanced - just -, but the slightest thing could overset them - and it was terrifying to see them and it left me wondering about the 1,000s of drivers I must have equally terrified over the 4 years I cycled to and from work.

In the end one of my hips began to play up and I had to stop. Were I to cycle again, it would need to be a tricycle.

Barmeyoldbat, I used to cycle the taf trail. I loved cycling in wales, we used to take our bikes to west wales, oh that was so nice

There is a lady, several years older than me and she gets all her shopping via her tricycle. She has a wicker basket on the back. Good for her. She also attracts people who stop for a chat when they see her parked up

Right, saddles, they stop me going further. I have brookes saddles on my three bikes and the wide sprung saddle on my e bike is very comfortaable and I don`t notice it when cycling. The other two are different and both in process of being broken in. I wear padded shorts under trousers when on my ebike and padded leggings from fatladattheback on the other two bikes. Thinking about it, the saddle on my e bike has been used for 15 years. That is the solution

Re balance, cycling is so good for that. I can almost stand stillon my bikes. Btw, I have short legs and normal height body so cannot reach the road while sitting on my saddle. I have to jump off each and every time I halt, hence the balancing act

Barmeyoldbat, that queen song was played when my husband left the church after his funeral. He was always a cyclist, schoolboy champion etc and he actually died on his bike, as he would have wanted. I never even had to put air into my tyres, maintenance was a steep learning curve afterwards

We used to live in a village near Cowbridge and then in Pontyclun and if dd ever decides that they would like to move back to Wales, I would follow her like a shot. I lived in Wales for 37 years

Down in North Devon at the moment and just my 3rd day of cycling, average 18 miles a day and plan for one more trip tomorrow. Karmalady I use something called Bot Butter on my bits as well as padded knickers. Makes a difference

No, even my neighbour has given up. Poor cycle lanes pot holes, but mainly people driving dangerously. Such a shame,as visiting family in Holland I see their cycle lanes. Mind you with motorised scooters allowed in them, you still take your life in your hands.

I hadn't cycled for years until lockdown when the gym and pool shut. My OH is a keen cyclist so I started going with him and took to it like a duck to water. Have now got a gorgeous Isla Janis bike for road cycling and a Trex sport hybrid. Last year I had quite a bad fall and ended up with a broken collar bone. I soon recovered but was more wary. I have just had a kit fitted to the Trex to give it a motor that I use on the very steep hills. Only do 10 to 15 miles at a time but may do more with the new kit.

Susynan

We (OH - 75 and I - 74) have a motor home and often go away for a few days, or longer. Always take our bikes with us. If we’re not away, we generally go for a longish cycle ride at the weekend.

My OH and I have a campervan and 2 electric bikes. We go all over the place with them whenever we can, including the Continent. My balance is not great and I have been known to wobble off on occasion. OH is 80, I am 74 and he leaves me standing!