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Hello (again) from an old timer!
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greglepore
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 1724
Location: SE Pa, USA

11/30/17 5:48 AM

Numb legs? I get that. Flipped my Ducati in 2010, spent 3 months in a rehab hospital, quad for some of that time. Had a great surgeon and result, and have most of my function back. Long rehab, but I'm getting back to where I was.

Still have a couple droptops, but I do wear a hat. Gave up the track cars too, as it was a time/money/fitness drain.

I get the retirement thing. I did the same at your age, after a brief run as a restaurateur failed due to the '08 recession, then my injury made me realize life isn't predictable. Yeah, living on savings requires an adjustment-no more trackdays, less travel, more dining in, but the freedom to ride or do whatever is great. And my days don't seem to have any problem getting filled. I work one day a week and that seems almost too much.

Speaking of old bikes and posters, I dug the Anvil out of storage, it was dinged in a crash after my big accident when I tried to get on before my head was straight, and added another screws to the ones already in my right arm. Good to think of Don, and get back in touch. Posted the bike on facebook and heard from Evan. Small community here but wow, it's loyal. Just wish we could attract some young blood.

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LeeW
Joined: 13 Jan 2004
Posts: 453
Location: near Baltimore, MD

11/30/17 6:35 AM

Welcome back Wayne. I used to enjoy reading your posts to see what kind of "adventure" you had encountered with your equipment.

I too can understand the retirement urge (I am quasi retired and work about 1 day/week). I knew several friends that didn't even make it to 60 before the Big C took them and I was getting tired of the Gov't regulations and rounds of corporate BS initiatives, so I announced retirement a couple years ago. However, my old boss (who I did like) convinced me to remain available for limited consulting and also review of proposals, so I gave it a try and it works for me.

Cheers

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sanrensho
Joined: 20 Feb 2004
Posts: 835
Location: North Vancouver

11/30/17 1:41 PM

Welcome back to the forum. I think I was still a lurker during your posting days, but remember your equipment posts.

Speaking of WA posters...anyone know what happened to Kevin Grady?

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PLee
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 3712
Location: Brooklyn, NY

11/30/17 3:17 PM

Kevin retired a few years ago. I haven't heard anything about him since.

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April
Joined: 13 Dec 2003
Posts: 6593
Location: Westchester/NYC

11/30/17 5:34 PM

Hmm... who here still hasn’t retired yet? ;)

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Steve B.
Joined: 19 Jan 2004
Posts: 769
Location: Long Island, NY

11/30/17 8:42 PM

Still working at 62. Theater lighting, been at it since ‘75.

Ready to retire, don’t have as much interest in learning the new gear for what is an increasingly and technically complicated business. Few years to go, want to pay of the mortgage first.

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Marc N.
Joined: 12 Jan 2004
Posts: 457
Location: Israel

11/30/17 9:45 PM

Retire...what`s that?
67 and going strong. Granted, Israel is not the United States as far as salaries, cost of living, and economics are concerned. Add to that, living on a kibbutz since 1972, with all the changes it has undergone, retirement is something, that while I can afford to do, it really is in my interest to postpone for a few more years. Fortunately, I enjoy my work, (operate a small water treatment plant that supplies the drinking water for my corner of the world...about 10,000 people ), the hours are convenient, and the perks are good.

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dan emery
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 6884
Location: Maine

12/1/17 5:08 AM

Me too

Like Marc, I'm 67 and still slogging away. I like work and would be bummed if I had to stop.

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April
Joined: 13 Dec 2003
Posts: 6593
Location: Westchester/NYC

12/1/17 7:11 AM


quote:
I like work and would be bummed if I had to stop.

I like my work. But I also want to do many other things that I don’t get to do because of work. Like, travel around the world as Wayne does! Better yet, I would love to see it from my bike/ski/kayak.

My family hints indicates time maybe on my side. So there’s not much urgency to “live life now before it’s too late”. But that also translates to I need to save for many more years of living & “play” expense.

So, I’m undecide if I want to work longer vs go see the world now. If I don’t like my job, that would actually be an easier decision. But as I do like SOME aspect of it, A LOT. So with money being the additional factor, I’ll work for as long as I can find GOOD PAYING work.

(unlike a few of you, I actually found more work that are interesting to me the last 10 years. So if I “retire”, it would be giving up one fun activity to have more time to do another. Only that unlike biking, I can’t easily “pick it back up” once I drop out of my professional career)

Last edited by April on 12/3/17 6:40 PM; edited 2 times in total

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dfcas
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 2815
Location: hillbilly heaven

12/1/17 7:38 AM

Semi-Retired

I go out most days and tune 1, sometimes 2 pianos. I like working a little but glad I don't have pressure to work more. I can set my own schedule so I'm working on my own terms. No plans to stop.

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PLee
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 3712
Location: Brooklyn, NY

12/1/17 12:36 PM

At 64, but I have a couple of years left in me. Neither of my parents made it to 80, so I have that staring me in the face. But I really enjoy my job. I signed up thinking I would stay for 3 years but it's coming up on 10 this January. Frankly, I have enough resources to retire, but this is just too much fun, running the legal department for a real estate development and investment management company.

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Wayne Lim
Joined: 18 Jan 2004
Posts: 87

12/2/17 4:43 PM

Sparky, I have the lever off and the cable looks good. I've got to go get some solvent and just soak it for a day or so. If I can get this running again, I've got at least some more time to find out if I want to go full bore into some electronic system.

I've also got to find a box to ship my wheel back to Powertap. Say, I still have some Spinergy wheels from a long time ago - wonder if I can find them. I think they're in their original boxes. . .

Greg, wow, that's scary. I bought my Miata those years ago just as a commuter vehicle, but also on the list was a motorcycle and a Vespa. The missus nixed the motorcycle idea and that was probably good for me. Of course, some time a little later, my next door neighbor who commutes on a motorcycle, had an incident where he came off on the freeway during rush hour. They have a young kid. The bike got sold and he's now driving a VW Golf.

I'm just getting used to my retirement. I've suffered worse every year with SAD, and last winter we had the rainiest October through January ever. There was one point where it had rained something like 78 days out of 90. I remember sitting at my desk at work and looking out the window at those few sunny periods and thinking I wished I could at least get that little bit of sun. But now that I don't have to be anywhere at any particular time, I find that when the SAD hits, I just sleep and sleep and sleep. Just last night, I went to sleep at 8:30 p.m. and woke up this morning at 10 a.m., just because I could. I think it's worse rather than better.

But everything else is better. I'm in the gym every day, and we look to have a couple of sunny weeks coming along. The missus and I are already planning a short getaway to do some hiking later this week. That stuff just wasn't possible before. And kind of in my field, it's practically impossible to get into a tech position on a very part-time basis, and doing project management is too much headaches without the clout to hold people's feet to the fire. I think if I ever have to go back to work, I'll need to practice saying "Would you like fries with that?".

Ahh, Kevin Grady. I saw him just out and about once several years ago. We said we'd keep in touch but we were both in a very busy time in our lives and we didn't. I still have that picture of Parkin, Kevin, his brother, and I on that short-seatpost ride all those years ago.

Okay, I got a message saying my 94 year old mother-in-law has already fixed dinner and we are starting mah jong early. Yum!

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Brian Nystrom
Joined: 26 Jan 2004
Posts: 5096
Location: Nashua, NH

12/3/17 6:10 PM

I hit the big Six-O this year

As for retirement, I'll probably have to work until they start shoveling dirt on me. ;-)

Linda and I have done some fun bike trips in Utah, Quebec, Provence and Tuscany. We're in the process of deciding where we want to go next year, but it will probably be somewhere in Europe. While we'd like to go somewhere new, like Switzerland, Spain or Portugal, we enjoyed Italy so much last year that we may just go back again.

When it comes to gear, electronic drivetrains are all the rage, but the latest mechanical systems are outstanding performance-wise, lighter and a lot cheaper. You may not have heard about it, but Rotor has a hydraulic shifting system out that sounds pretty interesting.

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PLee
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 3712
Location: Brooklyn, NY

12/3/17 7:51 PM

I took my 20+ yr old steel Tomassini out for a spin today. It has 9 spd triple Campy Record on it and the shifting was crisp, quick and quiet. I can't imagine any need to update or upgrade.

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Wayne Lim
Joined: 18 Jan 2004
Posts: 87

12/11/17 12:09 PM

Progress! The last week or so has been super busy but I've managed to clear out some space in the garage and am about to start taking apart my bike. I also realized that I need new shoes - I'm still wearing the Sidis that I got probably 15 years ago and they're getting pretty long in the tooth.

I've got a ton of old parts and stuff that needs to be gone. I'm not sure if it's worth anything to anyone, but the CFO says that anything I make from selling it can be spent towards things she wouldn't approve of. Score! But I think I'm being played here just so I'll get rid of what she considers "junk". The first thing I pulled out from the cobweb infested corner of the garage are a pile of old, separate 8-speed cassette cogs. Are these old enough to be brought to Antiques Roadshow yet? I wish I had something truly valuable. I do know that somewhere, I think I might have a set of arc-en-ciel rims - those might be in the crawlspace though. Is this stuff all headed for the recycle bin or are there actually people out there who want a mish-mash of 20 year old parts?

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

12/11/17 12:24 PM

Wayne, have you ever sold or listed things on your local Craigslist? It can be fruitful, albeit time consuming unless you sell it all as a lot.

Suggest neutral meeting places, like the gas station up the block VS having strangers come to your place. You want to keep the CFO from firing you after all...

You get to meet all manor of folk via CL ads. Some real winners...

If you are going to try that, make your ad list and post it here. A few of us could probably ad value as to suggesting asking prices and/or ranges.

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Brian Nystrom
Joined: 26 Jan 2004
Posts: 5096
Location: Nashua, NH

12/11/17 1:49 PM

There are plenty of places online...

...that specialize in vintage parts and there are forums for vintage bike enthusiats. Do a bit of searching and you'll find buyers.

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sanrensho
Joined: 20 Feb 2004
Posts: 835
Location: North Vancouver

12/11/17 4:49 PM

Rather than recycling in the trash, you might want to donate the parts to Recycled Cycles in the U District. (Give them a call first of course.)

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Steve B.
Joined: 19 Jan 2004
Posts: 769
Location: Long Island, NY

12/12/17 6:47 PM

@Brian,

Highly recommend the Umbria region. I’ve spent 2 weeks in Tuscany and l loved it, then another trip with 2 weeks in Umbria. Every bit as enjoyable. The Tiber river runs right up thru region so when you get tired of riding endless hills (as in Tuscany), you’ve got a break in a beautiful valley.

Agree with your assememnt of electronic shifting. SRAM stuff, while easy to install is just hughly expensive. Ultegra Di2, while involving wires, is cheaper but still pretty expensive. I’m watching prices currently, thinking about a basic upgrade, but that’s still over a grand. And it’s only moderately better the the 105 11spd stuff I use and which just shifts great. Hard to justify.

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Steve B.
Joined: 19 Jan 2004
Posts: 769
Location: Long Island, NY

12/12/17 6:56 PM

@Brian,

Highly recommend the Umbria region. I’ve spent 2 weeks in Tuscany and l loved it, then another trip with 2 weeks in Umbria. Every bit as enjoyable. The Tiber river runs right up thru region so when you get tired of riding endless hills (as in Tuscany), you’ve got a break in a beautiful valley.

Agree with your assememnt of electronic shifting. SRAM stuff, while easy to install is just hughly expensive. Ultegra Di2, while involving wires, is cheaper but still pretty expensive. I’m watching prices currently, thinking about a basic upgrade, but that’s still over a grand. And it’s only moderately better the the 105 11spd stuff I use and which just shifts great. Hard to justify.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

12/12/17 7:13 PM


quote:
Ultegra Di2, while involving wires, is cheaper but still pretty expensive.


I have cobbled two Di2 Ultegra groups together including remote shifters averaged under $550.00 about [minus brakes]. Mostly new parts, one used rear DR and one used front DR.


quote:
I’m watching prices currently, thinking about a basic upgrade, but that’s still over a grand. And it’s only moderately better the the 105 11spd stuff I use and which just shifts great. Hard to justify.


Shimano Ultegra R8000 5-piece Groupset
$477.55 @ Colorado Cyclist. UK full R800 is $799.00 apparently.

Looks like a full 6800 groupo from the UK for $530ish with brakes is done/gone/over. Seems like that is $670ish, yen musta recovered.

I also cobbled a 105/5800 Group [for about 365.00] and concur it shifts beautifully. The STI have a plastic feel to me, but you forget it quick if it even would be a bother. I noticed it, clicks are plastic feeling though the bats.

I also see some issues with the way the 5800/6800 DR are implemented. If your short WB road bike takes a 28mm tire, it may not due to the FD if depending on the cable route coming up and the cable attachment method needed.

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Steve B.
Joined: 19 Jan 2004
Posts: 769
Location: Long Island, NY

12/12/17 8:20 PM

If I were doing Di2 I would do the newer 8050 group as an upgrade with no brakes, crank/b-bracket, chain or cassette. The 5800 stuff works just fine for that.

The lure of the 8050 stuff is the revised shifters with improved click response as well as reshaped buttons, to help alleviate complaints about using the 6050 with winter gloves. The newer battery and WiFi unit with BlueTooth makes setup a breeze with a smartphone/tablet app (who would have thought you’d configure gearing with an app ?). As well you get the buttons on top which can control a Garmin or Wahoo.

Best prices seem to be about $1150. Havent seen cheaper from any of the UK sites, which seem to be the cheapest. Best prices I’ve seen on 6850 upgrades with WiFi is $950 from Texas Cyclesports.

And I just found out today I need a blower assembly on a hot water heater - $1050, so maybe next year on Di2.

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Craig
Joined: 12 Jan 2004
Posts: 591

12/13/17 12:27 AM

"If I were doing Di2 I would do the newer 8050 group as an upgrade with no brakes, crank/b-bracket, chain or cassette. The 5800 stuff works just fine for that.

The lure of the 8050 stuff is the revised shifters with improved click response as well as reshaped buttons, to help alleviate complaints about using the 6050 with winter gloves. The newer battery and WiFi unit with BlueTooth makes setup a breeze with a smartphone/tablet app (who would have thought you’d configure gearing with an app ?). As well you get the buttons on top which can control a Garmin or Wahoo.

Best prices seem to be about $1150. Havent seen cheaper from any of the UK sites, which seem to be the cheapest. Best prices I’ve seen on 6850 upgrades with WiFi is $950 from Texas Cyclesports."




Every single word of that has me wanting to hoard more mechanical 10 speed Campagnolo.

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Brian Nystrom
Joined: 26 Jan 2004
Posts: 5096
Location: Nashua, NH

12/13/17 9:25 AM

I hear ya, Craig

I'm still running combinations of Super Record, Record and Chorus 10 on three bikes. Small parts are becoming scarce now; the last time I looked for G springs and shift index gears, it took some digging to find the springs and I couldn't find the gears anywhere. I've been needing to rebuild the shifters on my primary road bike for a while now. Hopefully, the index gears are OK and I just need to replace the G-springs. Otherwise, I'll have to start searching for low-mileage 10-speed shifters or take the costly plunge and upgrade to Campy 11 speed mechanical.

While I'm reasonably satisfied with the Di2 on the 'cross bike - I hate the shape of the hoods, but it performs well - I won't be switching to it on the road. Campy EPS is way too expensive, so if I ever do go electronic, it will probably be SRAM, once the price drops.

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Steve B.
Joined: 19 Jan 2004
Posts: 769
Location: Long Island, NY

12/13/17 6:24 PM

@Craig, yeah I hear ‘ya. I’m a gadget junkie.

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