Family Chill & Grill
After several weeks of work to rehabilitate an angry lower back injury, I felt well enough to explore the physical limits with a short ride. Nothing like a sore back to make you feel old. I’ve read the yoga adages, “You’re as young as your spine is flexible.”
I’ve not been feeling young.
My friend Paul and I departed for a short ride to breakfast at the Family Chill & Grill and Firehouse Pizza in Tyrone, Pennsylvania, just 15 miles from home. A reasonable distance to appraise how things are going. Unfortunately the place was closed — Labor Day — requiring us to move further down the valley to find a place to eat.
BMW and Vespa
Eventually we made our way to Altoona and Kings Restaurant. Paul commented on all the old men gathered for breakfast. I gently reminded him we’re old men…
By the time I rolled the Vespa back into the garage there were 85 more miles on the odometer. As long as I don’t have to pick up anything heavy (like a dropped scooter or a quarter) my back is pretty good. Another week and I should be back to normal. Whatever that is now for me.
Paul got rid of his Ducati Hypermotard and replaced it with a 2005 BMW R1200 RT which he plans to ride to New Mexico in November. With a full fairing, heated grips and seat, and spacious hardcase luggage it will be a fine machine for a ride like that.
I’m not thinking that grand. I’ll be happy when I can put the dog food dishes on the ground without supporting myself with a walking stick.
Old age and youth — two sides of the same coin. I need to keep tossing it.
I spent the weekend in the zero gravity chair because of my lower back. Last week at work one of the young guys at work was giving me the Old Guy treatment, it made me think of when I started & was the young guy in a shop of old guys, now I’m the old guy in a shop of young guys. No, I don’t want to change places.
Kim and I have talked about a zero gravity chair. Maybe it’s time…
Getting older has opened an unexpected perspective on things for me. Your description of going from young guy in a shop of old guys to an old guy in one full of young ones applies to me as well. I’ve thought more than once if I would want to be young again but so far I still like where I am. Aside from some minor regrets I’m exactly where I should be.
Riding helps sort out the noise and chaos so I can embrace the present. Old age is fine.
Feel better, my friend. Few things hurt like a back out of whack.
Thanks Bill. A bad back does negatively color the world. At least in my case. Slow but sure, things are improving.
BTW, I like Paul’s new RT. Among the others, I have a 02 RT 1150, which I like very much. My only complaint is the cost of service at the BMW shop == crazy.
BMW: Bring More Money
BMW: Bring More Wampum
I’ve heard a few stories about repair costs. A friend at work has a 1975 R75/6. That machine is simple enough that he can do his own repair work. But the new ones… yikes.
Feeling old. Well that’s what happens when you hang out with a young whipper-snapper like Paul.
Paul pushes and pushes. I hope he doesn’t discover skydiving…
Hi Steve,
Hope all is well….you will be back on fine form in no time mate.
Are you coping well on the back roads or do you need smooth asphalt under the vespa tyres?
Regards
Len
Right now I’m sticking to paved roads or gravel that’s smooth. I would not want to try and negotiate ruts and holes that would jar my aching back.
Mostly things are improving. Not as fast as I would like but heck, I used to going slow on a Vespa, so a slow recovery should be easy.
I went through a period of blindingly painful back pains….turned out to be the shoes I wore had worn out on the outer edges of the heel …. new shoes and some sessions with a chiropractor and it’s been good for years.
Of course, as I age further, it’s coming back in subtle ways…. oh well.
Ride on Steve….
oh, and just a reminder….old age ain’t for the weak.
Old age is for adventurers!
I’ve tried that route and had some expensive orthotics for my shoes. Turned out I had psoriatic arthritis. Medicine helps. The orthotics not as much.
I fully expect my arthritis to continue to chip away at my joints. Medication theoretically can keep the damage at bay but who knows how long. It’s part of the story now. I just keep turning the pages.
As a fellow back pain sufferer, I know that nothing is right with the world when the pain hits. As for the getting old part, I am starting to venture into that territory myself.
I was on a really long twisty ride up the Pacific Rim highway this weekend and was pretty tuckered out after 4 hours of intense technical roads with a lot of Cliffside twisties and sharp grades, and was particularly feeling the in the 50’s part of the age bracket.
I also smiled to myself when I was leaving and saw a 6 pack of vespa riders tackling this amazing road and thought good on ya!
You are right about nothing being right with the world when the pain hits. Amazing how persuasive it is.
Four hours of intense riding would drain anyone. Still fun though despite the reminders from the body.
A six-pack of Vespa riders. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a thing!
Maybe the really upright riding position isn’t the best for your back. Any bumps on the road are absorbed by your spine…
Just wondering.
Once things heal the upright position actually is best. The problem was caused by a muscle pull and subsequent spasms that ends up irritating a nerve and things just get messed up from there. The cure is to not tax the back. Patience is required and acceptance that a lot of things aren’t going to get done.
Right now — bumps on the road can hurt. I stand for some. Like I’m a Vespa motocross rider!
Steve I wonder if you put a gel cushion on your seat if it might help absorb some of the shock to your back when going over bumps? just a thought.
Not sure about the gel seat. I’ve not seen one for the Vespa but I have read about long distance Vespa riders taping a pillow to the seat. Looks but but feels good. I’m far enough along now I don’t need it but will look for some gel seat solutions. Thanks for the idea.
Steve keep working on that back if you can over come your back problems you can keep young …that’s what I have been doing. I do the reclining pigeon pose….look it up…it relieves any lower back tightness you have… it really is a magic lower back stretch. I have shown several friends and it has worked miracles for them also. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6tNHYhF0GM
Pigeon pose — that looks painful right now. I’ll have to experiment. Thanks for the tip though. I’m always open to miracles!
If you have disc or spin issues ignore me it it is sore muscles on the lower right or left try it. If it is between the shoulders and muscles I have another one for you.
If you have disc or spin issues ignore me it it is sore muscles on the lower right or left try it. If it is between the shoulders and muscles I have another one for you.
Back is improving but progress is frustratingly slow. My inflammatory arthritis flares when I do something stupid with my back. A cascade of things happens and it’s just a long, slow recovery. Ugh.
“Once things heal the upright position actually is best.”
Actually not so much. I read years ago that the human spine was designed to be a suspension bridge not a tower. Leaning forward onto handlebars is probably more in keeping with the design of our bodies than the upright position of a scooter. Recently I had a chance to do back to back 156 mile rides with both the Rebel and the Helix clone. My body fared much better on the trip with the bike than the scooter. Most long distance scooter riders resort to a back rest mounted for just this reason. I bought a kidney belt for long scooter rides.
Not sure why but for me, leaning forward on the bars, oh man it’s bad. Dead straight up with legs at a 90 degree angle to my spine is working best for me. My chiropractor actually has me doing strengthening exercises that simulate that position.
I’m getting better and promised to not do anything stupid this weekend to cause a relapse. We’ll see how that goes.