Life in the Bike Lane: I'm not getting old, you are

It wasn't that long ago I was averaging 7,200-7,500 miles per year on my bike. Now, I know that's no record and you may know someone, or be someone, who rides more. In 2019, I had an accident 31 miles into a 545-mile ride I had done 14 times before – SF to LA. I was off my bike for 3½ months. But the next year, I was back to 7,000-plus, even during the pandemic. (However, because the bakeries were closed, we ate far fewer doughnuts.) Sprinkled throughout those thousands of miles were some 100-milers and plenty of 70- to 80-mile treks. Ride to Cool? Sure. Let me grab a water bottle. Pedal to lunch in Old Sac with 15 other old people? Will there be French fries? A crumb doughnut is well worth a 50-mile bike ride. I have 55 bike jerseys, and 65 percent of my T-shirts are bike-themed. I write this column weekly and another one monthly. I'm a ride leader and a quasi-officer in my bike club. I made sure to buy a car my bike would fit IN. I taught two grandchildren to ride. But, I noticed a few years ago I seldom had a time when I was riding at my full potential, as anemic as that potential might be. There always seemed to be something not quite right, often a bike fit issue. But I never shied away from a challenging ride and although I am not a great climber, roads with "Mount," "Grade" or "Hill" did not intimidate me. As mentioned in a previous column (check your archives, you six loyal readers), my average speed has dropped only .6 mph/4 percent, (2017 compared to 2024), but that is actually quite significant and becomes obvious on the road within the peloton. When you do something long enough, when it becomes woven into the fabric of your identity, it's hard to back away from it, whether it's age, injury or simply the forces of life. Unless, of course, you discover something equally enthralling and healthy. You can't just quit your passion, even when the execution of it has become more subdued. My days of epic rides might be behind me, but I have a plan. At the moment, I am battling what I hope has been a temporary (albeit not temporary enough) issue. I intend to get back to what felt normal just a few months ago. Embrace each new day. The ride continues.