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Gerrin' Owd
Blog Date - 13 March 2026
I'm 54.
It seems the majority of the folks that regularly comment on this here website are older than I. I do wonder if there are any younger readers out there, lurking silently but too cool to comment on a website that features no naked ladies, no tips on how to do wheelies, and no reviews of the latest KTM 1390 with knee down shots. When I switch my bike on I want the dash to read "READY TO BIMBLE" not "READY TO RACE".
More of a dawdler than a speed freak.
So compared to the commentors I'm a young pup. But I am 54. I'm statistically around 2/3rds of the way through my expected lifespan. I'm old enough to have lost friends to heart disease and cancer. I'm old enough the doctor wants to check my blood pressure and tell me to lose weight, I even get poop sample kits through the post. I've lost 3 friends these last 10 years at age 57 and 58. Death once seemed something that happened to old people, it feels a hell of a lot closer now.
I was talking to a work colleague about the current Iranian situation and I mentioned the Gulf War, I then realised he wasn't even born when the whole Kuwait thing kicked off. "You know you're getting old when the policeman looks like a child in uniform" is awfully real. I work in IT but all this new fangled tech is just starting to pee me off these days. I ride past housing estates and sigh - "I remember when this wur all fields..."
When Sharon and I were in our 30s we knew a delightful couple in their late 50s at the local biker hangout. They used to ride off for long holidays around The Med on their R1150RT, we'd listen enviously wishing desperately we could too. Well he got prostate cancer and while not terminal it's taken the wind out of his sails. They're still going and still happy, but the energy to do such things has left the building.
In 2008 we made it to Scotland - we'd have been in our mid to late 30s. (Check out the headlight.)
For eons I've always said youth is wasted on the young and age is wasted on the old. When you're young and fit and good looking you spend your days worrying about your hair and is your bike cool and is your jacket sexy, rather than having a bloody good time. When you're old you're not bothered about your hair and your happy if your jacket keeps you warm. Plus you can afford a nice bike and half decent holidays - but you're too bloody tired to be arsed taking them.
I'm already acutely aware that I have less energy than once I did. I'm happier to sit around and chill, I used to always have ants in my pants. I'm aware that in my 50s I'm running the gauntlet of heart disease. It feels like time could be running out. Admittedly I'm a bit late for a mid life crisis and anyway, I already have a motorcycle and a cute girlfriend.
Sharon is easy on the eye and comes with her own motorcycle.
So what should I do?
The real problem is I have savings, and therefore some options. But not enough savings to retire and go do all those things I'd like to do before I either die or can't be arsed any more. I have sufficient funds to take a year or two out and take a tour around Europe (subject to the $%&*ing 90 day limit due to £$!#ing Brexit). That's all very well and good but at some point I'll have to return to work. I have thought about selling my body but the only people interested wanted me to pay them.
Plus I'm 54, I might be 56 by the time I return to the workplace. I'm already blessed to have a job in IT at all at my age and no-one will want a stick in the mud Windows 95 type of dithering old biker trying to get to grips with AI and "the internet". Heck AI will be doing all the coding by then anyhoo.
What can an old fart with a gammy leg and a bad attitude do? I think my bricklaying days are long gone. I could do the gentler aspects of landscape gardening? Shelf stacking at Tesco? I'd be no good at selling motorbikes - "oooooh no, you don't want that one, waaaay toooo fast, here, the CB125F will be right for ya and give ya good fuel economy".
If I honestly could figure out what I'd do on my return I'd feel a lot more confident about taking a sabbatical. Fiscally the correct thing to do is keep on working, keep on pumping funds into the pension, and plod on until I'm about 64, 65 and retire well. But I might be diagnosed with cancer before then. I might retire well but have zero energy to do anything.
There's no right answers here. For every well retired pensioner there's another wishing they'd taken the goddam trip. For every well travelled rider there's another penniless before retirement. For every well retired pensioner there's another who died at 66 with a million pound pension pot. For every well travelled rider there's another rider who only ever went to Spain 3 times in his life and never got to Italy... or Croatia... or Poland... or Bulgaria......................
Maybe... maybe... but what do I do when I run out of wonga?
Reader's Comments
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Wonga. The route of all evil, maybe not?
You almost seem to be wishing your life away Ed, please don't. Every day counts and I think all you need to do is what you can, when you can. I was very fortunate to retire at 50, although that brings with it first world issues. You know, how long will the money last, am I too young to hang up my boots, will I be bored, etc. I was also fortunate that I had some skills I could utilise in volunteering and this I did for about the first 8 years or so.
I've never been bored but I do think about the wonga situation, don't we all, but I haven't been bored for a moment and I don't feel the urge to disappear for months on end to far flung places. In reality we have travelled closer to home and mainly by bike, we hadn't flown for 14 years until last autumns jaunt to Abruzzo. Long distance flights ain't cheap.
If I was you, would I do a Reggie Perrin with Er'Indoors and wander off for two years, no, but that's me. You probably won't die next week Ed, work won't probably be too bad, Sharon will still put up with you, but what I would do is consider my future carefully. Could you move on to pastures new, could you take a 3 month sabbatical to enjoy that long European ride, would it be so bad driving the Tesco grocery truck to get the savings back upon your triumphant return?
Whatever you do Ed, enjoy every day, they won't come round again.
Now where's my paint brush?
Upt.
16/03/2026 09:02:03 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
The old "Live each day as if it's your last".
The philosophy is sound, the practice is much harder. You see if you said to people "you ARE going to die tomorrow" they wouldn't go into work, subject to the shock and terror of their impending doom most people would choose to have "a wonderful day". Go buy a fast bike and thrash it, sod the tickets and fines and points. Go punch that boss that annoyed you. Buy 20kg of chocolate and eat it all. Rent a Ferrari and dine out at some expensive Michelin starred restaurant/
The thing is statistically it's quite likely you're not going to die tomorrow. As such you'd then be facing being banned from riding, assault charges, obesity, and fiscal ruin.
16/03/2026 09:59:44 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
In other words, carpe diem. It is true that you don't know what's going to happen. I was a (relatively) fit 74 year old a couple of years ago. A bout of shingles left me with a post-viral fatigue state much like long covid which still persists. Hopefully it will ease in time but no guarantee. Recenetly twisting my knee only adds to the problems; that is slowly recovering but means I can't start the little BSA to sort out its charging problems.
While I can still do the things I want to I can't do them for anything like the length of time. 20 minutes using the lathe and I need a lie down and a restorative mug of cocoa. I can't see me making any more continental bike trips. But as long as I can still ride and do those other things, even if much less than before, I'm OK. As Upt' says, having enough income though far from being rich helps enormously.
My wife and I have a suicide pact and the means are in the garage just in case........
16/03/2026 10:10:26 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
I would never live by the mantra of, "live everyday as though it was your last", you can't and it's a bit daft. "Enjoy everyday" is a very different philosophy, yes I know you can't actually embrace everything that happens in every day. When they were cutting a BCC off my head before Christmas I'd have to say it was difficult to see the enjoyment; but I made sure I had a damn good steak and a bottle of Italian red for dinner.
Making the money last is the hard one to get your head around but simple mathematics can help. I think the real danger is dying with savings in the bank instead of the other way round. What is right for one will not be right for the next man/woman/transgenderist anyway. My brother still works at over 70, loves it, can't stop. Pays well too. He enjoys life outside of work but can't wait for the next business opportunity to come along.
Plus don't forget the large elephant in the room, government policy on taxation, pensions, benefits etc.
Which brings us full circle, there are only two certainties in life, death and taxes. Avoid the first for as long as possible and minimise the second.
Upt.
16/03/2026 12:54:38 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Incase you're wondering I found my brush, matt white edging, dulux of course.
Plus the posties just been and delivered Bosch Longlife H7's and Capless, plus a standard H9 for the Strom. Spring must be approaching.
16/03/2026 13:00:36 UTC
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