Can I still make that long trip....
#11
In '15 I "encouraged" my cousin to trade-in a '92 Heritage (that I sold to him in '94) on a '15 Tri-Glide, while we were on a trip down the Natchez Trace Parkway. At that time I think he was 68 years old and had started having a hard time with holding his bike upright when making sudden or unexpected stops.
Four years later (in '19) he rode up from TN and I rode from MI to meet him in Erie, PA for a trip that took us to Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, back to MI, with thin then riding from MI back home to TN.
For me this was a 21 day/ 6100 mile trip but for him it was a few more days and a bit less than 7,000 miles and this was during this trip we celebrated his 72nd birthday!
The following year he traded-in the '15 Tri-Glide on a new '21 and also buying his wife (she is actually my cousin) a new '21 FW.
Unfortunately, his health started declining abut he did get to ride the new trike some before he/they decided that they could no longer ride,
Seeing how well he was enjoying his trike "motivated" me to get one also!
I had been having (and still do) issues with my knees and the Ultra was beginning to get a bit heavy, so at the age of 67 I got my 18 Tri-Glide.
I didn't ride it much in '18 as I had it in the garage "customizing" it and I was still riding the Ultra.
I did manage to get the 1,000 mile service and many of the "updates" done on the trike before I had some serious medical issues in late '18 but recovered enough in '19 to take a few trips, including the one to Canada with my cousin.
During our trip, my cousin sorta thanked me for encouraging him to get the trike as it probably added several years to his time in the saddle and he used some of that time to ride with the Patriot Guard escorting funeral processions and other veteran events.
I'll be turning 73 shortly and in a way I've came "full circle" to riding solo as my wife has stopped riding and the closest (and only) riding partner that I have lives 70+ miles away from me but I (and we) still ride and have at least one major trip in the works this year and I may do one more l-o-n-g trip west myself this year.
I've had people ask me how I can take those long trips and I reply "it's like eating and elephant, one bite at a time"!
There's NO rule that I (or you) have to ride umpteen hours or hundreds of miles per day!
I've found that 400 miles or 10 hours per day is enjoyable. with 500 "freeway" miles per day becomes more like work than play.
As along as I am healthy enough and can do it safely I'll remain in the saddle too!
Like Clint said "A man has to know his limitations".
Four years later (in '19) he rode up from TN and I rode from MI to meet him in Erie, PA for a trip that took us to Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, back to MI, with thin then riding from MI back home to TN.
For me this was a 21 day/ 6100 mile trip but for him it was a few more days and a bit less than 7,000 miles and this was during this trip we celebrated his 72nd birthday!
The following year he traded-in the '15 Tri-Glide on a new '21 and also buying his wife (she is actually my cousin) a new '21 FW.
Unfortunately, his health started declining abut he did get to ride the new trike some before he/they decided that they could no longer ride,
Seeing how well he was enjoying his trike "motivated" me to get one also!
I had been having (and still do) issues with my knees and the Ultra was beginning to get a bit heavy, so at the age of 67 I got my 18 Tri-Glide.
I didn't ride it much in '18 as I had it in the garage "customizing" it and I was still riding the Ultra.
I did manage to get the 1,000 mile service and many of the "updates" done on the trike before I had some serious medical issues in late '18 but recovered enough in '19 to take a few trips, including the one to Canada with my cousin.
During our trip, my cousin sorta thanked me for encouraging him to get the trike as it probably added several years to his time in the saddle and he used some of that time to ride with the Patriot Guard escorting funeral processions and other veteran events.
I'll be turning 73 shortly and in a way I've came "full circle" to riding solo as my wife has stopped riding and the closest (and only) riding partner that I have lives 70+ miles away from me but I (and we) still ride and have at least one major trip in the works this year and I may do one more l-o-n-g trip west myself this year.
I've had people ask me how I can take those long trips and I reply "it's like eating and elephant, one bite at a time"!
There's NO rule that I (or you) have to ride umpteen hours or hundreds of miles per day!
I've found that 400 miles or 10 hours per day is enjoyable. with 500 "freeway" miles per day becomes more like work than play.
As along as I am healthy enough and can do it safely I'll remain in the saddle too!
Like Clint said "A man has to know his limitations".
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#12
#13
Yup. This, a couple years ago. Hip arthritis made it so uncomfortable I wasn't having fun anymore. PLUS, Limited Ultras aren't getting any lighter every year. I just lost interest in my bike, almost overnight. To make a long story short, I'm now in a Miata ragtop convertible, and loving bein' out in the wind again! Give it a try. I'm having a blast. Still getting the wind in my hair, the WV & NC twisties are really fun in the Miata, and I don't have to travel with a rainsuit anymore! The top comes back up in about 5 seconds. I had the hip replacement when I was 66. I'll be 69 this year. Give it a try. You might just like it.
Last edited by Geezr Glidr; 03-10-2024 at 07:16 PM.
#14
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#15
#16
I'm also 67 but still working full time driving trucks locally for a major metals recycler.
I get in a semi once in a while but mostly run a roll off drop box rig which requires getting in and out of the truck many times a day so that helps keep me in shape.
Arthritis is a bitch and gives me trouble as well but I don't let it stop me,there are remedies that help some so if you haven't done so already talk with a doc.
A good chiropractor and or physical therapist can do wonders as well.
Most important is get plenty of exercise walking may not be enough for strength training, eat well and take supplements like fish oil magnesium a good multivitamin etc.
I'm still rocking an Electra Glide two up,the wife and I did a 9 day 3700 mile ride last September and are planning another one this September,she's 68 now and I will be October 1st.
Don't throw in the towel just yet!
I get in a semi once in a while but mostly run a roll off drop box rig which requires getting in and out of the truck many times a day so that helps keep me in shape.
Arthritis is a bitch and gives me trouble as well but I don't let it stop me,there are remedies that help some so if you haven't done so already talk with a doc.
A good chiropractor and or physical therapist can do wonders as well.
Most important is get plenty of exercise walking may not be enough for strength training, eat well and take supplements like fish oil magnesium a good multivitamin etc.
I'm still rocking an Electra Glide two up,the wife and I did a 9 day 3700 mile ride last September and are planning another one this September,she's 68 now and I will be October 1st.
Don't throw in the towel just yet!
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#17
We all have to do what works best for us.
I've done my "fair share" of trailering bikes to create more "saddle time" for me (and my wife) in order to conserve and maximize vacation time. Before (and after) I retired and she was still working the "fly & ride" option allowed her to ride in places that she would have never been able to do a full "round trip" ride in the limited amount of vacation time she was allowed.
It also makes good sense to have easy or quick access to a ride home in the unlikely event of a serious breakdown, or Lord forbid, a serious accident.
As for convertibles, I have mine and she has hers and they're lots of fun and we usually try to take at least one trip in one of them per year.
I've done my "fair share" of trailering bikes to create more "saddle time" for me (and my wife) in order to conserve and maximize vacation time. Before (and after) I retired and she was still working the "fly & ride" option allowed her to ride in places that she would have never been able to do a full "round trip" ride in the limited amount of vacation time she was allowed.
It also makes good sense to have easy or quick access to a ride home in the unlikely event of a serious breakdown, or Lord forbid, a serious accident.
As for convertibles, I have mine and she has hers and they're lots of fun and we usually try to take at least one trip in one of them per year.
#18
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#19
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#20
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My Father in Law at 75 was having problems keeping the Ultra upright with his wife on the back. He very reluctantly got a used TriGlide. He really hated it, for old people etc. About three years ago, after he got the trike, him and I left the ladies home and rode over to the Cabbage Patch for a beer. He was feeling his age that day and really felt like a dumb *** on a Trike. I told him, we just rode 30 miles to a bar, a very attractive scantily clad young lady served us beers, he of course flirted with her (old habits) and we were enjoying the band on a warm March day. I was like, really!??!?! Most guys your age are 6 feet under or in a nursing home gumming their food. I am pretty sure you are doing pretty dam good.
Well last year after his 78th Birthday he spent the week in Sturgis with us. They usually ride with us every other day, taking a rest day in-between. Works for them, no judgements. They trailered out with other friends. I was just at their place for Daytona Bike Week, both of them feeling better than they had in a long time. Rode with me almost every day, partied like an "older" rock star and had a great week. He is going to be 79 in July and still having a good time and still enjoys riding.
It took time, but he gets it and is enjoying three wheels. Anything is better than a Prius. Good luck, use it or lose it.
Well last year after his 78th Birthday he spent the week in Sturgis with us. They usually ride with us every other day, taking a rest day in-between. Works for them, no judgements. They trailered out with other friends. I was just at their place for Daytona Bike Week, both of them feeling better than they had in a long time. Rode with me almost every day, partied like an "older" rock star and had a great week. He is going to be 79 in July and still having a good time and still enjoys riding.
It took time, but he gets it and is enjoying three wheels. Anything is better than a Prius. Good luck, use it or lose it.
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