Hitting 50? Better put the brakes on.

When I was younger I remember seeing various 'old fellers' on bikes. Ken at Reg Barnett's bike shop & De Laune CC in Peckham was over 70 and still riding around (slowly) when I was 15. On my return to cycling in about '99 I was reasonably sure that I'd be able to keep going for another 10 years or a little more, probably up to the age of 50.

Now I'm 51.

There's a side of me that's wanted to go riding still, but I've come to realise that it's all too much effort for not enough fun and enjoyment. If I can't go fast, do silly things & come through relatively undamaged, generally lark about and have fun on a bike then I'm not interested. Over the last 3 years I've made several attempts to re-start cycling, each one ending after a few weeks due to illness or, in the case of this last time, several broken bones. The first ride after recovering had me drop the front wheel down a (concealed) hole and go over the bars again, though without injury. My right calf also still has 4 teardrop-shape scars from catching a chain ring earlier this year.

So I'm seriously considering giving up properly, since I can't seem to get started properly any more. Wonder if I'm being told something?

And TBH I don't have significant amounts of free time or energy now. To keep riding I need best part of every Saturday, preferably with occasional serious week nights out too. There's no way I can manage that, and I already feel torn between the need to be at a men's group and the need for one day of the week where I don't have to be up early to do stuff for the church or work.

So I've pretty much come to the conclusion that my cycling days are over. My bikes both need some attention too, and I don't want to spend £150+ having shock absorbers serviced, plus trying to get new bushes etc and the cost of a new machine is out of the question.

Time to close another chapter of my life then. Maybe I'll ride again if I make it to retirement?