Aging and Riding
This metal sign was delivered to my home. From who I don’t know. But I have to think it relates to a video I posted recently on YouTube that explores the question — When is it time to stop riding?
That video seemed to touch a nerve as thousands watched it and hundreds commented. I’ll post the video below.
Getting older is strange. And things seem to happen faster and faster all the time. In the past couple weeks I’ve learned I need hearing aids and that I’m developing cataracts and the pressure in my eyes is increasing. The hearing aids went in my ears today and it was sort of shocking how much I wasn’t hearing. And there was good news with my eyes in that the cataracts aren’t bad enough to warrant surgery.
I’ll take those wins.
Itching to Ride
The weather for the past month has been cold, wet, snowy, dreary, and generally not ideal for riding. There was a time I would brave the elements but I’m wiser now.
But enough is enough sometimes and the itch to ride was strong enough that I went out on the Vespa ET4 when the temperature rose above the freezing mark and the roads were only wet.
Winter is a State of Mind
My dogs remind me that snow and cold weather are something to enjoy and not hide from. I’m still learning that lesson. I’m finding it easier all the time to relax into an easy chair and watch the weather from a warm indoor vantage point. I can barely drag myself out to play with the dogs let alone go for a ride.
It’s amazing how just a slight rise in temperature can stimulate me to go outside for a walk. Having dogs pushes the point. They constantly remind me of what a wonderful world it is…
Video Production
It is probably obvious to those of you who follow Scooter in the Sticks here that I’ve been paying a lot more attention to making videos for my YouTube channel that I am writing essays for the blog. I’ve given up trying to manage both well and just do what I enjoy doing. And right now the puzzle of creating videos makes me smile.
What doesn’t make me smile though are the cantankerous GoPro Hero 8 cameras and their finicky controls. And worse, the crappy batteries.
I ignored the slight swelling of the lithium battery. And then it swelled enough in the camera to defy removal. I pulled the top off the battery trying to remove it and promptly separated the top from the battery. A search on YouTube showed how to get the battery out along with the dangers of fire and explosion.
I’ve always hated these cameras so I was not sad to get rid of it. And now I have one GoPro and that’s enough.
***VESPA GTS REPAIR UPDATE***
I spoke with the mechanic and he has all the work completed except for the front end. I suspect that’s complete now and will probably hear from him this coming week. The only unexpected find that I didn’t outline was a failing rear wheel bearing. Now the GTS is sporting a nice new one.
Hopefully I’ll have the scoot back in rotation in early February. Just in time for the warm weather!
Happy New Year, Steve…and I’d like to add that your comments about aging really struck a note for me. I promised my good wife I’d quit riding as I reached the great age of 85, and I did, and I think there’s nothing I miss as much as hopping on the scooter and taking a ride…and I think I could still, but for a promise made…and kept. Keep up the great work, Steve.
I think riding until 85 is a fine run. And I suspect at whatever age I stop, and for whatever reason, I’ll be sad. But we’ll have great memories of all those years on the road.
Steve-
A very thought provoking video. I’m sorry, but I have no answer for you. At 66 years old I am faced with very similar issues such as you described. Hearing loss, arthritis, vision compromised by cataracts as well. The most concerning for me at this stage of my life is my memory-not quite to the point where I can hide my own Easter eggs, but getting closer. All I know is riding is one of the few pleasures in life that’s still enjoyable for me, so I’ll continue to do it until I can’t. Life is to be enjoyed, not endured.
Best Regards
Richard
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences Richard. Change happens too fast when we’re older. I have a couple other pleasures but nothing like riding. So I’ll be reluctant to stop. I just want to be sure I don’t stubbornly refuse in the face of the obvious need to stop. Whenever that day comes.
Good morning Steve,
I thought I’d share a story with you about the first time I wore hearing aids. I walked out of the audiologist’s office with them on, and as I walked across the parking lot, I heard so many birds chirping that I literally began ducking and swatting, thinking they were swarming all over me. I had no idea how many birds I had not been hearing. Please continue to do what you enjoy doing!
It is pretty amazing how much hearing aids reveal.There’s a sharpness to my hearing now that I didn’t even realize I had lost. And this morning the bird sounds were almost too much to endure. I opened my hearing aid app on my phone and lowered the volume by two points.
I was out on a ride this afternoon. Reminded all over again of how much I enjoy riding…
Good morning Steve. I think the answer to your question can be summed up in one word: MODIFICATION. You may not have to give up riding completely but it may be wise to MODIFY when you ride, where you ride and with whom you ride.
Some years ago, I took a course to learn how to scuba dive. One of the important rules was NEVER DIVE ALONE; YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU MAY NEED SOME PERSONAL ASSISTANCE.
I hope that as you age, and I age, now at 79, that we will make smart choices and listen very carefully to what our body is telling us.
I have never forgotten what an elderly woman told me years ago, “GETTING OLD SUCKS”. I’m sure that is true, but, we have the freedom to make the choice to make the best of it all the way to the end.
Have a great day and now a great New Year.
Karl Stumpf
Modification of my approach to riding is a good term to use. I’ve already modified some things. Like downsizing from the BMW to a more manageable Himalayan and W650. The scooters are both still fine in terms of weight.
I’ve not made a decision yet about riding alone. I’m not concerned about being alone on paved roads but some of the riding in dirt in remote places is troublesome. I think riding with a partner makes great sense.
I hope to stay in close touch with my body and keep riding until I finally hear it tell me that it is time to stop.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the subject. I appreciate them.
Ageing. When I walk out the door I usually turn around and walk back in because I forgot one of my “crutches,” glasses, sunglasses, various keys, hearing aids which I also forget when I get into the shower, assortment of pills which I take throughout the day, sun hat or cold weather hat, sunscreen, ad nauseum.
See P M email regarding hearing aids.
I get that way when I’m in a hurry. When I’m relaxed and going slow I seldom forget anything.
Thanks for the messages about hearing aids. I am already a believer. I hear so much now.
As part of my planning for old age I have in my possession four vehicles. A 750 Kawasaki, a 250 Honda Nighthawk, a 250 Helix clone and a 170cc China scooter. Now I’m sure the 750 Kawasaki has a shorter shelf life than the rest but the 170cc scooter will be the last to go. Probably when I’m in my late 80s. Although my Dad rode his 750 Kawasaki until he was 89 so maybe after having to give that up all the others go too. If you think about it the ET-4 is in the same boat as my 170cc. Quick enough to get you around and light enough not to challenge your physicality.
I have a similar thought process related to continual downsizing. At least if I am otherwise able to ride and weight is the only issue. The ET4 may be the last ride in the garage as it is currently but I’ve already visualized a 50cc Honda Ruckus in my future. I don’t see a trike or side car rig though. They just don’t possess the required ability to stimulate the sense of flight. I’ve ridden both and at best they were sort of boring for me to ride so it is hard to see them in my future. But who knows, things change.
Vieillir et continuer à rouler en moto, c’est quand on en a envie et si on n’a pas envie de rouler, on ne roule pas…
Aussi simple que cela !
Getting older and continuing to ride a motorcycle is when you want to and if you don’t want to ride, you don’t ride…
As simple as that!
Laurent (France)
But what if I want to ride and I can’t because of a health or external reason? Then I’m left dreaming about something I cannot have…
Mais que se passe-t-il si je veux rouler et que je ne peux pas pour des raisons de santé ou une raison externe ? Ensuite, je me retrouve à rêver de quelque chose que je ne peux pas avoir…
Great topic, and essentially unavoidable.
I still ride, but I no longer ride Vespas or motorcycles. I ride a bicycle.
I agree with modification as a key part of the answer to the questions that aging poses.
I love being on two wheels. Whether I have a motor or pedals propelling me, doesn’t really matter. It changes the experience, that’s certain, but in some ways I prefer pedalling in my very urban environment. It’s just a better fit.
I think that if I lived in the Sticks, with very few competing vehicles on the typical rides in your neck of the woods, I would still be riding my Vespa. Particularly if I had a chance to ride with you to provide that second rider support in the event of misadventure.
My decision to stop riding motorbikes was based on risk, pure and simple. Riding safely in Toronto, recently rated as the third most congested city in the world, requires a degree of alertness and motorcycle riding skills that can only be achieved by regular and frequent rides. That’s what I was missing, and the perceived risk of infrequent riding made the decision clear and simple.
One way I suggest to mitigate the risk when you are riding solo with poor to no cell coverage, is to carry an emergency satellite communicator (such as the Garmin inReach Messenger and there are others). Our late friend Bob Leong never undertook his long moto travel adventures without an emergency satellite communicator. I think I would feel safer in the Pennsylvania countryside with a means to reach out to people that didn’t rely on cell coverage. If you went that route, the good news is that if you decided to start climbing mountains, or trekking in deserts, or paddling to Europe or Africa, you’d have emergency coverage there too.
Another possible option is simply to upgrade your phone. On iPhone 14 or later, you can use Emergency SOS via satellite to text emergency services when no cellular and Wi-Fi coverage is available. There are also many other SOS features that communicate autonomously in the event of a fall or crash.
Whatever you decide, I plan to follow on your blog and YouTube channel. You have been a key source of inspiration for me from the moment I stumbled on your blog.
Safe travels Steve, and say hello to Paul for me.
By the way… your videos just keep getting better and better. I am considering returning to video production this year, as I wind down my practice. We’ll see how that goes.
Aging is indeed inevitable. And different for each of us. Some seem young at 90 and others old at 60. Our behaviors play a role as does genetics. I tend to forge ahead in moderation of all things and just accept what comes along.
I used to commute to work on my still in the garage 1979 Schwinn mountain bike. Every few years I still get on it thinking it would be great exercise but all I get is the screaming from my joints — shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, and lower back. The pounding without any suspension system is rough. There’s a new bike shop here in town. I should probably look at something 40 years newer. Maybe they’ve made advances.
There’s is an iPhone 14 in my pocket now and I’ve run the demo and satellite connection check and it appears to do what I need it to do in terms of calling for help when there is no cell coverage. But a better option still might be to not ride in remote areas alone. Remembering Bob, I learned a lot from him. And he is responsible for the exquisite carbon fiber tripod I still use while riding. He was a thoughtful rider when it came to figuring out how to deal with challenges.
My blogging has slowed considerably. Mostly because I’m not commuting anymore and have less to write about. And it’s your fault that I started making videos. You kept telling me I should try it and when I finally did I found the entire process from planning to posting more fun than I could have imagined. The only downside is the technical challenges and desires escalate in a manner than wasn’t there while blogging where I just needed a little pocket camera. Now I have multiple action cameras, 360 camera, video camera, wireless mikes, gimbal, tripods, extension poles, and on and on. And now I’m fighting the irrational desire for a drone.
But I’m still smiling and excited to ride and make content like I’m a kid!
I’ll say hello to Paul. He’s probably out shopping for another motorcycle!
Oh that made me smile, then laugh!!
A drone… yes I have thought of that often. When I do get back to videos (you are right, they are fun, like 1,000 piece puzzles of clouds or beach sand) I am planning to try using my phone, a simple tripod, and my AirPods rather than a ~$500 DJI mic. I ran a little test and the AirPod lets me get far enough from the phone to suit me. Time will tell.
If Paul does get a new bike, you should do a video on his collection.
I rely a lot more on my iPhone 14 now for good 4K footage. But there is no comparison with the sound quality difference and flexibility of the DJI Mic 2 versus my AirPod Pros. Sound was long a pain in the butt. The DJI mikes make life much better and easier.
Paul and I are discussing new motorcycles now. His collection is fluid. He buys one and sells one. He doesn’t amass a collection at once. Only in the aggregate over time.
My decision was easier than yours. I pretty much stopped riding my scooter when COVID hit. No way did I want to be in an ER then. After things settled, I realized that I couldn’t ride until I had and recovered from a hip replacement. (I’m 71.)Then karma struck. While walking my dog, a Vespa rider stopped to let us cross the street. I asked him if he knew anyone who was looking for a Vespa. Two days later, my ride was sold. I am sorry I didn’t take a last ride and get a picture of me on her. My hubby’s is still in the garage (not being ridden) and I’ll always have my splenectomy scar to remind me of my years of riding. I just got my driver’s license renewed and made sure the M stayed on my new one.
Thanks for Scooter in the Sticks. Good luck making your decision. (And Kim gets a half vote.)
COVID. I forgot about that. I stopped riding much during the pandemic too for the same reasons. Our ER was jammed and I didn’t want to end up there either.
Karma does have a way of helping us along. Even though your scooter is gone perhaps you can sneak a little ride on your hubby’s scoot from time to time.
I will continue to ride. I’ve made some changes and modifications to my approach and now I expect to go on until some health event sidelines me.Kim just edited an article I wrote about when you know it is time to stop riding. Not once did she suggest I should stop. So I guess her half-vote is to keep going!