# I'll be 50 on Saturday and I'm...



## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

Going to ride fifty miles of trails. 
I've done fifty and 100 miles on pavement but never fifty miles of dirt in one day. 
I'm going to start early and hit a 20 mile trail out on Eastern Long Island. I'm going to work my way back toward home hitting trails and adding up miles. Next, a 14 mile loop, then a six, then a 12 to wrap it up. 
Hopefully, I wrap this up around four pm and go out to dinner with the family. 
My stepson is going to join me on the first trail. Second leg I'm solo, third, my oldest friend and last, my brother. 
Can't wait.


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## Barman1 (Jan 8, 2014)

Sound like a great birthday.
Have a blast!


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## HawkGX (May 24, 2012)

I take off to ride on my birthday every year since I started MTBing (4 years now). Tough part is my birthday is in late January and I live in the Midwest so it can get a little cold. I'm turning 50 in a year & a half and your 50-mile plan sounds like a great birthday experience (assuming the weather is warmer than what I deal with!!!). 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

Should be 64 degrees. PERFECT!


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## Rock Surf (Aug 28, 2010)

Happy B-Day! Sounds like the perfect day.


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## santacruzr (Aug 11, 2015)

I do this weekly with a group of friends. The secret to doing long mileage rides is, ride away from where you parked for half of your intended distance. Then you have to ride back to the car and then you get the mileage you were aiming for. Having cold beverages waiting for you in the car makes for a great incentive to return! 
Good luck and enjoy!


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## Crankout (Jun 16, 2010)

Nice!


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## velo99 (Apr 18, 2014)

Happy birthday and welcome to the old farts club.


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## Velobike (Jun 23, 2007)

santacruzr said:


> ...The secret to doing long mileage rides is, ride away from where you parked for half of your intended distance....


Mine is a bit like yours, take a train or bus to a long long way away, then there's no option.

Hasn't failed to work yet.


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

velo99 said:


> Happy birthday and welcome to the old farts club.


Thanks. I'm still good and immature though.


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## velo99 (Apr 18, 2014)

I'll never grow up. It's been a lifelong goal of mine. Might be the only one I ever reach.


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## camp10 (Mar 2, 2015)

That's awesome. Happy birthday!


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## always_last (Jun 7, 2012)

Sounds like an interesting plan. I'm turning 50 next year and I've been thinking about how I'll celebrate on the bike. A 50 mile road ride is a normal weekend ride for me and I'll do 100 mile road rides a couple times a year, but frankly I get bored being on a road bike for that long. I've never done 50 miles of trails in one day and there's nowhere nearby to log that kind mileage off road. Time to start looking elsewhere!


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

Damn... I forgot about this thread... Old age settin' in. 

I started an hour later than I wanted to on Saturday. Got to the first trail alone and blew out 20 miles. Drove to the second trail and met my stepson there. We only got about 9 of the 14 miles I expected to get. He had a mechanical and I was out of time. Had to meet my long time friend (40 years) for lunch and the next trail. 
We got to the restaurant and had the day's special... Ready for this? BLT with a softshell crab on it. I could eat that all the time. 
My buddy and I then rode a very technical 6 mile trail which meant a lot to me since he hasn't ridden regularly for many years. 
I drove to the last trailhead where my stepson met me again with my 11 year old son. The three of us rode about 8 miles due to time constraints. It also looked like it was about to start raining, which it did shortly after we got home. 
My son was bothered by the fact that I didn't get in all 50 miles but I pointed out to him that I spent all day on my favorite trails with him, his brother and my best friend. I had an awesome lunch and now, we're going to a kickass cajun restaurant for dinner where I had crawfish tails in a spicy peanut honey sauce and Dixie Blackened Voodoo. 
We had cake when we got home. 
I couldn't have asked for a better birthday.


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## Jing (Sep 4, 2013)

Good for you, congrats


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

Thank You.


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## camp10 (Mar 2, 2015)

Sounds like a great way to spend your birthday!


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## kosmo (Oct 27, 2004)

Nice work!

But I suspect that with all the planning you did for the 50 miler, you're already scheming to hit it again, full-length, when the opportunity arises.

Or maybe 51 miles next year?!


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## rlouder (Jun 26, 2007)

Congrats on the birthday. I went riding for my fiftieth, but it sure wasn't close to fifty miles. Congrats on that too.


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

Thanks, guys.
Yes... Next year will be 51 miles. Now that I know pretty much how long everything will take I'll make it happen easily. 

When I woke up the next morning, I had to cancel on my normal Sunday morning ride. I was way too stiff. I spent some time stretching and using the foam roller and went for a ten mile loop around noon. My wife couldn't believe it.


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## Guest (May 19, 2016)

I do that too. I usually alternate between road and trail rides so my friends who don't ride one or the other can join in. We usually ride to a half-way stop for lunch and a few beers at the end of the day. Participation varies, but even on the cold and wet days someone shows up. This year is a 54 mile road ride. Sorta thinking about doubling it (for a Century +8) since it's a road bike year.


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