how old are you?

[oldrider]

Hey Ixion and scumdog, do you remember the crass old schoolyard jokes about the night cart? new ones almost every day.
Did you hear about the driver that fell into the tank and couldn't swim?
So what happened?
He just went through the motions!
Schoolyard stuff, but oh well. Cheers John.

[oldrider]

Hello crazyxr250rider, If you are only 13 and I am 65 we must just about be at each end of the spectrum on this forum. How do you do young man I am sure pleased to meet you, I wish I could shake your hand. All my kids and grand kids ride bikes, the youngest is 5. Good luck with your riding. You youngsters really impress me with your skills and daring. Cheers John.

[Dadpole]

You youngsters really impress me with your skills and daring.

NEVER!! My generation were better - and the previous generation said the same. And so on and so on....
Would not mind being a spring chicken these days. Better bikes & equipment. Pity the nanny state tries to take the fun out of biking

[skidMark]

18 umm yer been riding about ummmm 3 months? on my mini and about to get my learners then hop on my tzr im told it's not a good learner bike but anyway so yer im 18 lol

[Ixion]

Hello crazyxr250rider, If you are only 13 and I am 65 we must just about be at each end of the spectrum on this forum. How do you do young man I am sure pleased to meet you, I wish I could shake your hand. All my kids and grand kids ride bikes, the youngest is 5. Good luck with your riding. You youngsters really impress me with your skills and daring. Cheers John.

Skills and daring. You don't know what skills and daring are until you've had to start a 500 Velo that's in a bad mood. That takes skill and raw courage! And stupidity. See , we could smash ourselves up without even getting the engine started. Nowdays they have to crash to achieve what we could achieve just by ignoring the ignition AR lever. Electric starters - pah !

[Dadpole]

I used to think of watching people starting (or trying to) those old brit bikes as a spectator sport.
Brought tears to my eyes on many occasions

[Wolf]

Skills and daring. You don't know what skills and daring are until you've had to start a 500 Velo that's in a bad mood. That takes skill and raw courage! And stupidity. See , we could smash ourselves up without even getting the engine started. Nowdays they have to crash to achieve what we could achieve just by ignoring the ignition AR lever. Electric starters - pah !

Yeah and before you had bikes that kicked you over the handlebars you had transport that would kick you through the fence if you weren't gentle enough removing that stone from its hoof (or just for the Hell of it...)

[eliot-ness]

Skills and daring. You don't know what skills and daring are until you've had to start a 500 Velo that's in a bad mood. That takes skill and raw courage! And stupidity. See , we could smash ourselves up without even getting the engine started. Nowdays they have to crash to achieve what we could achieve just by ignoring the ignition AR lever. Electric starters - pah !

The ultimate in kick start horror stories must be the Panther 650single, or 'leg breaker'. Had Phelon and Moore continued to increase the capacity England could have had the first man in space. Was also the longest running design. 44yrs with only basic mods.
Looks like the dubious distinction of oldest rider falls between 'Oldrider' and myself. It's down to birth dates now and as my 66th is December I may have to concede defeat. May have the longest family history in biking though. Dad rode from the mid 1920s to 1964. His Dad from first world war to 1930s. Me from 1955. Younger brother from 1959 and still riding a Velo Clubman. Three other brothers rode in the 60s. Both sons rode. Oldest for a few years. Youngest for 15yrs. No young guys coming on to keep the tradition going though. Oldest grandsons, 18 and 15, not allowed bikes. Great pity. They're going to miss out on a lot of fun.

[Wolf]

May have the longest family history in biking though. Dad rode from the mid 1920s to 1964. His Dad from first world war to 1930s. Me from 1955. Younger brother from 1959 and still riding a Velo Clubman. Three other brothers rode in the 60s. Both sons rode. Oldest for a few years. Youngest for 15yrs. No young guys coming on to keep the tradition going though. Oldest grandsons, 18 and 15, not allowed bikes. Great pity. They're going to miss out on a lot of fun.

I'll have to find out from my Uncle when Grandad started riding bikes, because I may be a contender in this particular "pissing contest" My grandfather turned 15 during WWI so he and your grandfather could have been on the roads around the same time - I don't know.

Grandad, at least one great uncle, both parents, at least one uncle, one female cousin that I am aware of, both my brother and I, at least one sister (I think), both brothers-in-law, a couple or more nephews and one niece - and my 2- and 3-year-old boys are showing all signs of being part of the 4th generation in our family to ride bikes.

Bugger that there are no new young-uns in your family to take to the saddle and even bigger bugger about your grandsons not being allowed to ride. (Here's hoping they do so anyway)

[oldrider]

Eliot-ness, I would be only too pleased to lose the age distinction to you but I am 25 October 39, damn it. All of a month or two!!!
Hey you win hands down on history. My old man was a real bloody wowser when it came to bikes. He locked mine in the shed because the police were always at the door. I chopped the door down with the axe and rode merrily off into the sunset. Fixed that lot but things were never the same at home.
As for the old bikes and all their vagaries, there is a fitting signature on this forum (Can't remember the user name) "yeah I done a course in all that". I wouldn't want to go back to those days though, modern tech will do me. Cheers John

[Wolf]

OK, elliot-ness, will have to concede the history thing to you. I just spoke with my uncle who is the family's chronicler and he said grandad started riding around 1920, "possibly a little earlier", so that puts your grandfather in the lead.

[parsley]

I work with a guy who claims his grandfather had the first bike in NZ. Apparently someone restored it recently. I'll have to ask him what it was...

[eliot-ness]

OK, elliot-ness, will have to concede the history thing to you. I just spoke with my uncle who is the family's chronicler and he said grandad started riding around 1920, "possibly a little earlier", so that puts your grandfather in the lead.

Yeah, but as you'll be riding long after I'm gone you'll be taking the record back. All my hopes to stay ahead rest on my youngest grandson, 4yrs old, and me riding for another 12yrs. That would make me 78. Possible, but unlikely. Pm me in 2018 for an update. A guy I looked up to a long time ago was Sir Ralph Richardson, the Brit actor. He turned up for a world premier of a film on a new BMW. He was 82. Always hoped I could beat him. Surprising how biking runs in families though. I read the Brit bike mags and see the same names as I saw in the 60s. Another guy, Tony Moss competed in five classes at the IOM TT. Best placing. 21st Finished in all races. Age. 64. Only been racing four years. Now why can't I do that??? No regrets about getting old. Retirement means I can pick the days when I want to ride. No waiting for rainy weekends, if the sun's shining I'm riding. Life's good.

[calmone]

Any one from the Hutt Valley or Petone? Ask your Oldies what it was like when the City had their own traffic cops and Petone had MOT traffic cops. Then ask them if they want to return to those days. It was diabolical but a lot of fun. They had to stop chasing you if you crossed the border and they had different radio frequencies too so they couldn't chat. From 15 to 21 I had enough tickets to cover my wall. They hadn't started taking your licence off you like they do now back then. The real cops used to drive big black Humber Super Snipes and they didn't very often do traffic, if at all. One Hutt City traffic cop was named Arnold Barr. Ask your oldies if they ever heard of him he was notorious as a real mean dude in those days. They nearly all drove Mk 1 Zephyrs or Ford V8 coupes. Oh well I guess that's just boring, thought you might be interested. Cheers John.

Hello John I got my first bike licence in Petone 1964,my father had a transport business in the area and used a lot of the cops as relief drivers and new them all. When I got picked up I was always told no ticket but we will tell your father. I think that I was fairly lucky in that respect. Arnold Barr from memory had no friends.

[Wolf]

A guy I looked up to a long time ago was Sir Ralph Richardson, the Brit actor. He turned up for a world premier of a film on a new BMW. He was 82.

I think it was Sir Ralph that Jon Pertwee (Third Doctor Who) used to meet up with at Hyde Park each morning (while they were on their way to their respective jobs) and they'd have a quick couple of circuits of the park before going on their way.

Both of them rode bikes late in life - I plan to as well.

Why is it unlikely you will be riding at 78 years old?