Slower than Heck!!

7-2-14 252lbs, 56 pounds lost since 8/30/11
25 minute Windy Grind

Tonight's "spin" through the neighborhood was pretty enjoyable, but it showed me a lot about aging and bicycling - especially for me personally! I started out just rolling through the neighborhood, impressing girls (chuckle) and after a few minutes ended up on Edgemere Parkway to ride up and down. Edgemere Parkway is a nice long park, bordered on both sides by relatively quiet Edgemere Street. In the center of the parkway was a bicycle path, but a few years ago they put "No Bicycles Allowed" signs on it, so it disintegrated into a baby-stroller walking/jogging path. It was probably my fault that bikes were banned from the path. Back in "The Day" (late 1970s, early 1980s) I would bomb up and down the path at breakneck speed frightening everybody. It was not a pretty sight.

Not really me . . .

So now we have to ride on the actual street with the cagers. It's still not a bad ride, though. One thing about it is the wind. It's a big tailwind one direction, and a big headwind the other. Occasionally, it's a big headwind both directions, which I can't figure out.

Anyway, tonight I was doing the ride Eastbound and I was having severe difficulty with the headwind. I was going about 9mph, suffering, breathing heavily, sweating like a pig, and suddenly a herd of road cyclists passed me. Which is OK, except that they did it quite effortlessly. Chatting, laughing, not perspiring, not panting. It was pathetic. Or, rather, I was pathetic.

So I immediately became depressed. That was, of course, the only possible response.

This is why I ride bikes by myself. I'm old and slow. Since when is 61 old?!?

When I got home, I dug out bike logs from 20 years ago - 1994 - during my Colorado Mountain bicycling "heyday" and compared notes.

• 1994 average road speed (flat surface, no wind) 18mph. 2014? 13mph if I'm lucky.
• 1994 favorite rides - Mountain passes, especially steep challenging Battle Mountain. 2014? A slow, steady cross-town route to my daughter's house, with several rest stops.
• 1994 average TIS (Time In Saddle) 2 hours per day. 2014? 25 minutes.
• 1994 Mileage - 2500 or so. 2014? I just passed 520 half way through the year.
• 1994 reaction from observers? "Wow, what dedication to make that entire climb!" 2014: "Wow, look, an old guy on a bike! How cute!"

Old guy on a bike. Hrmph.