Back 9 years ago, the BBC did a story on MAMILs -
I’ve had to face the reality that, at 65, I can’t claim to be middle-aged anymore.
From now on, I’ll be called an OMIL. I’m sure you can figure out why O replaced MA.
MAMILs and OMILs
CFLBob
(Central Florida Bob )
#3
You might find it doesn’t take much, if anything, to get it ridable. I was surprised how little work my two required. Maybe it was being stored in an air conditioned garage, but other than pumping up the tires, they just needed to have the dust brushed off.
(Not sure if this will do what I think it will)
The second picture, the Airborne Ti bike became my regular ride. After a couple of hundred miles, it felt like it needed a good cleaning, so I did that last December.
Sometime around December, I spent my first pennies on the bikes in 10 years. I bought daytime running lights for the Airborne.
Jody2
(Jody)
#4
If your portly husband buys another stupid fluorescent jersey, buy yourself another pair of shoes.
That way, at least one of you can look good.
I live in a rural area in Wisconsin and I’ve noticed, the MAMILs have been appearing out of nowhere in recent years. Luckily every town has a handful of bars, so they don’t have too far to go between pit stops.
PaulL
(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing)
#5
My bike sorted me out, a few years ago. After a couple of months in hospital and rehab, I decided to let it be. Besides, even sixty pounds lighter on keto, I still don’t look great in Lycra.
CFLBob
(Central Florida Bob )
#6
Paul, was the hospital and rehab from a bike accident or unrelated?
Having been hit by a pickup truck while riding, this gets my attention.
PaulL
(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing)
#7
I went sailing over my handlebars for an undetermined reason. I had just bought the bike and was still getting used to it and may have braked wrong, or perhaps I hit a rock.
In any case, the bike was fine, but I was not. I received complex fractures of my distal right radius and my proximal and distal left humerus. I was blessed to have no head, spine, or leg injuries, and the surgeons succeeded at patching me up so well that I have been able to continue my career as a church organist.
The road I was riding on sees a fair amount of traffic, so I was fortunate as well not to have to wait for someone to find me (and I landed in the shoulder, not in the main traffic lane, thank God).
Rclause
(Scott)
#8
I enjoy my street bike to run errands, get exercise or my favorite ride to the taproom. I am to scared to get out on long rides unless it is a really wide road (two lanes each way) and at sunrise when it is quiet. I swear I see so many people staring at their phones I just can’t justify the risk. When I run it is at 4:30 am and I don’t even need to observe the traffic lights it is so quiet out.
CFLBob
(Central Florida Bob )
#9
Going over the handlebars is a bad idea. I would try not to do that again, if I were you. (do I need the mythical sarcasm font?)
My wife and I were hit by a pickup truck while riding in the bike lane of a four lane road. The road takes a slight jog to the left there and the driver didn’t follow the road. A common fear is getting run down from behind by a vehicle going 30 or 40 mph faster than they’re riding - this was that accident. I broke my L1 vertebra, but not badly, and also broke my tailbone. I walked out of the ER within a couple of hours - never wore a turtle-shell brace, never had physical therapy, nothing. My wife wasn’t so lucky. She broke L1 but needed massive surgery. She was in the hospital 10 days, then a rehab hospital for three weeks. Today she has one minor lingering effect. I have more problems, with an area on my left thigh that hurts and goes numb if I stand too long.
This was the day before New Years’ Eve, Dec. 30, 1999. Because everyone was terrified of it being Y2K, they didn’t do her surgery until that fizzle was over. Also, because it was almost 20 years ago, there was no texting while driving, but there were phones to talk on.
@Rclause, I tend to ride around 9 or 10 AM and mostly stay on back roads. Not trails, just two lane neighborhood roads. That’s what I call “retiree’s privilege”. Workdays are better. That’s a time when almost exclusively anyone who passes me is on the job and they’re careful. My bet is everyone just “knows” if they cause an accident they’re fired. On weekends, it’s more crowded, more people on bikes and in cars.
I’m still not comfortable riding high traffic roads because of the texting while driving thing. These are roads I’ve ridden hundreds (thousands?) of times that I’ve ridden once or twice since getting back on my bike last September. Some I’ve still not ridden.
Rclause
(Scott)
#11
Sometimes you never know when it will happen. My brother was on a ride when his hat started to blow off. In his attempt to catch it he turned and threw his arm up but managed to also clamp the front break without thinking…boom.
