Seniors on bikes find fun road to fitness

Seven senior men, ranging in age from 67 to 72, find the beautiful hills of Fallbrook a great starting launching place for several bike rides weekly, ranging from 40 to 60 miles each.

“The rides keep us in great cardiovascular shape with a mid-ride coffee stop which is great socially,” said participant Jim Meyer. “In fact, we riders have become best friends.”

Ron Reeder is the originator of the group. He has been riding since the early eighties. He is called “the rabbit,” since he prefers to take the lead.

“After about 50 miles my “batteries” are drained and I slow down,” said Reeder. “We call ourselves the SOB’s (Seniors on Bikes). Our rides involve Fallbrook to San Diego, up to Anaheim, and out to Poway or Valley Center.” He began the group in 2005.

Chet Bierbrauer said, “I have been riding with the group for several years. My wife, Kathy and I have been riding bikes together for about 40 years. When I began riding with this group, I could not come close to keeping up. After several upgrades in bicycles and a vigorous training period, I can keep up most of the time now. That first year was gruesome. I would ride one 40-mile day with them and it would take me a week to recover. The highlight ride with the group was, ‘Ride Across Oregon,’ a 457 mile trip (27,000 vertical) in seven days.”

All of the seniors say they feel like kids again, or like teenagers riding bikes with their buddies. They find the coffee shop stop in the middle of each ride a great time to rest and discuss the latest book read or collaborative attempt to solve the world’s problems.

“There is never a shortage of opinions,” said Bierbrauer.

Jim Nelson has been riding seriously for 35 years.

“Hilly rides are my preference and fortunately our beautiful Fallbrook has plenty of hills to ride,” said Nelson, who is 70 and has been married to wife Judy for 41 years. “Although the physical conditioning that results from riding an average of 6000 miles a year is important, the camaraderie is equally rewarding.”

Joe Ajello is credited with naming the group the SOB’s. He is a senior research scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He likes to balance the mental exercise of his profession with the physical exercise of riding bikes.

Ajello said, “cross-training is important; running, swimming and biking,” to achieve a balanced workout. He has participated in several triathlons.

“At 70, just finishing pretty much guarantees a trophy,” said Ajello.

Ajello said his favorite experience is when the group of guys does a week of camping and biking in longer rides. They have ventured to Colorado, Oregon, and Minnesota so far, with more to come they said.

“We get to return to our childhood,” said Ajello.

Melvyn J. Michaelian is the newest member of the group. He has been an avid runner. He joined the bike group when his sons bought him a road bike as a retirement gift.

“Biking with this group of seniors has been fun, challenging and rewarding,” said Michaelian. “We live in such a beautiful area that the magnificence of God’s creation is wonderful to behold on each ride.”

John Petersen is the only non-Fallbrookian. Petersen hails from San Juan Capistrano.

“I started riding with Ron Reeder about 10 years ago, when Ron was still living in Orange County,” explained Petersen. “Ron and I continued to meet for rides after he moved to Fallbrook. As he made new friends, our group grew to seven.”

“Ron is very creative in finding new routes for our rides,” said Petersen. “When I would ask Ron how far we were going to ride on a particular day, he would always say ‘about 30 miles.’”

“I later learned that this means ‘never less than 30 miles and typically between 40 and 50 miles,’” said Petersen.

For the members of this group, it’s not just about bicycling.

“The SOB’s are like a combination of exercise buddies, a gourmet coffee and pastry club and a book club,” said Petersen.

It’s obvious that Seniors on Bikes have found their secret to health and wellness through the fun of bike riding with friends.

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