The Octogenarian Ride

 

Some 30 odd years ago I got serious about biking as way to get some exercise. After riding around my neighborhood on an old bike I bought a new one and joined the Princeton Freewheelers. It took me a few rides to get use to riding in a group and doing more than the 5 and 10 mile rides I had been doing. 

I was lucky to have met a few really nice people in the club who not only showed me how to become a better rider but also how to have fun along the way. There passion for biking was infectious and I quickly went though the normal milestones of a new biker. First 50 miles, First Metric and First Century. 

Eventually I became a regular out of Cranbury, Mercer County Park and Bordentown and looked forward to my weeknight and weekend rides. It went from a way to exercise to part of my social life and a way to have some fun. I had found my tribe and it made my life better. 

Some of the people I started riding with then were probably in their late 40s and 50s and it impressed me how healthy and active they still were.

Even though it is 30+ years later as I write this post some of these people that I started out with are still around and still riding. Today was a beautiful sunny day which was welcome after last weeks rain. It was a perfect day for a ride so I planned to get the posse together and sent out an email and got a few takers. 

Then I saw an email about an Octogenarian ride to the Olde World Bakery where some of the people I use to ride with 30 years ago would be. Although I had seen a few of these people on the all paces some I hadn't seen in quite a while and wanted to try and be part of the ride catch up with them.

The actual Octogenarians along with some younger 70 something riders started from Chesterfield to make it a shorter and easier ride whereas the other groups left from Byron Park in Allentown.

Because I needed to be home in the early afternoon I didn't want to ride one of the scheduled rides out of Allentown as they were more miles than I wanted to do and would be bigger and slower rides. I tried to get a few people to join me on my shorter faster ride but they all bailed out at the last minute. 

Still I'm glad I went to where the group rides started, in Allentown, because I caught up with a lot of people I hadn't see in a while. Then when the ride started I went left out of the parking lot and everybody else when right. 

It was a beautiful day to ride and for the most part the 23 miles down to the Olde World Bakery were traffic free. When I got there the Octogenarian rider, which had started from Chesterfield where already there. The oldest rider there was Spencer who is 89 and still riding. They club had bought some cinnamon, apple and pumpkin cakes which were cut up and waiting in the bakery. I sat at the tables catching up with Ira, Barbara, Joe M and a few other people. I also saw Dennis there although he did not ride today. 

There was a brief presentation and some general merriment as we gave a certificate to the Octogenarians. Although not all of the people I use to ride with 30 years ago are still around (Miss you Howie, Don, George,...) it is good to see that some are doing well. 

I rode the first 5 miles back from the bakery with the Octogenarian ride just to see what my future might look like. They may do shorter rides and not be a quick as they once were but they are still out there and enjoying themselves. Hopefully 30 years from now I will still be out there too.