Do you remember when you got your first "two-wheeler"? Graduating from a tricycle—a measly kid's toy—to a bicycle has been a significant rite of passage for most children in America for many decades.

When we mastered our bike, we felt big, independent, and brave. We were part of the crowd we'd watched enviously as we puttered up and down the sidewalks on our trikes. Now we were in the streets. Now we belonged.

None of us could have foreseen it, but a return to bicycling in our later years is marking another rite of passage—with perks more numerous and stakes higher.

Whether we bike across America, ride 30 miles locally with a group of cronies, or scoot around our neighborhood after dinner, we're keeping our bodies fit and our brains fresh. We're big, independent, and brave. And in a new way, we belong.

Through two Johnson County women who are avid bicyclists, this story shares the joys of a later-life decision to return to two wheels.

Barbara Bartocci

Barbara Bartocci, of Overland Park, is an author, motivational speaker, and editorial consultant who leads workshops on career development, creative writing, and spiritual growth. Her varied career includes work as a college trustee, radio talk-show host, managing editor, advertising executive, and public relations director. Her articles have appeared in a host of popular magazines, including Family Circle, Good Housekeeping, Woman's Day, and Reader's Digest. Her nine published books include a series titled Grace on the Go. And now she's at work on a novel.

Bartocci, whose spiky silver hair and blue eyes shine, has biked in Belgium, in Iowa's famous RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa), across Wisconsin, and across Kansas. It all began in the early 1990s in Colorado, when she bought the first bike she had owned since age 8.

A "military brat," Bartocci attended 14 schools in 12 years. Her childhood included being evacuated out of mainland China and time in Japan. She married and spent 10 happy years with her first husband, who was killed during military service in Vietnam. When a second marriage ended in divorce in Colorado, she says, "Riding was my saving grace. I thought, If I can cycle for 60 miles at a time, I can recycle my life."

After obtaining a graduate degree in creative writing, Bartocci eventually moved to Kansas City for a job at Hallmark. After her three-year sabbatical in Colorado in the 1990s, she returned to Kansas City because of friends and her grandchildren.

"I've become a real fan of Kansas City," Bartocci said. "It's the warmth of the people, the friendships, and yes, the bicycling."

Bartocci encourages seniors to at least consider bicycling.

"It's good for your joints," she said. "You get to enjoy the ambience of the outdoors. You can go so much farther on a bike than when walking. You get to experience the feeling of sweat on your body, and the scent of flowers in the early morning."

But she agrees that, "When choosing a form of exercise, you have to find out what's fun for you."

In her cycling shorts, both of Bartocci's legs show the scars of knee-replacement surgery. She notes that many of her fellow cyclists are runners whose knees gave out. Now that she's turned 70, she sometimes brings up the rear of her group, but she doesn't feel embarrassed about being the "caboose." She knows she's not a drag on her cohorts.

As long as she can do it, she'll be bicycling. One reason is that "people who stay physically active stay mentally active, too," she said. She joins group riders on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday mornings and often rides on Sundays.

Marlene DeBruyn

Marlene DeBruyn, of Overland Park, a poster person for physical activity, plans to climb Mount Kilimanjaro with 12 other people in celebration of her 70th birthday later this year. To acclimate to altitude and prepare for the rigors of the climb, she'll live in Breckenridge, Colo., for three months this summer. Her recently graduated granddaughter has asked to join in for two weeks to do hiking and cycling to "get in shape before college"!

A climb like that seems only natural for a woman who's been physical all her life. Born and raised on an Iowa farm where the family grew everything except the staples, she worked hard.

"The chores were intense and laborious," she said. "But what a wonderful way to grow up!"

No one in her family had ever been to college, but DeBruyn was determined so she lived with her grandmother while attending Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, working three jobs to pay her way. Later she attended Iowa State Teachers College. To raise money, she repaired arrows for the archery program, helped in the cafeteria, and taught square dancing.

All that diversity made her flexible in the job market, much like Bartocci. She has been a physical education teacher ("I loved the outdoors and thought teaching sounded attractive, but I couldn't be hemmed into a classroom"), owned a gymnastics studio (built under the same cover as their horse barn), owned a real estate and mortgage company, managed a horse barn, worked as an Internet banker.

De Bruyn's adult bicycling began in rural Iowa with a used three-speed Schwinn in the late 1970s, when her youngest child was still a kid. Since then she has biked across Iowa (RAGBRAI) 12 times; has biked in the Canadian Rockies, the Finger Lakes in New York, Wisconsin, and France; and just returned from Italy, cycling from Venice to Florence.

De Bruyn, who is also bright-eyed, trim, and enthusiastic, biked across the entire United States in 45 days, from Seattle to Washington, D.C., when she was 57. The 700 cyclists had raised pledges for the American Lung Association.

"Three in our group rode with one of their own legs and a prosthesis," she said. "One paraplegic powered the entire 3,600 miles with only the use of his arms, hands, and shoulders! Two people were scheduled for a lung transplant, and a month prior to the start of the trip were taken off the list because cycling had improved their conditions. There were amazing stories of what cycling had done for people's lives as we cycled and camped."

She describes with emotion her arrival in Washington, D.C., at the end of the adventure.

"We rode two abreast through D.C. and stopped in front of the White House for the closing ceremony," she recalled. "I realized I'd done it! That brought tears and the most amazing feelings. We had endured snowstorms, a tornado, and hypothermia. A lifetime memory!"

DeBruyn moved to Johnson County in 1990 following a divorce, to be near friends. She loves to share her passion for bicycling with her grandchildren; the bikes currently nestled in her garage bear testimony to that. Just recently she went to the store for a birthday gift and came home with a bicycle for one of her grandsons. That totals 13 bikes she has purchased so far for her nine grandchildren.

"Exercise is a key factor to prevent, or at least forestall, the effects of aging," she said. "Yoga has also been instrumental in helping me feel good. It has helped to manage the stenosis in four of my vertebrae. A 20-year sciatic problem is nearly gone, joint pain has been reduced, and the increase in my strength and flexibility is very noticeable. Health is a good reason for us all to keep exercising, even when it gets harder as we age."

To prepare for Mount Kilimanjaro in September, De Bruyn has been working out with a trainer several times a week, using weights and doing aerobic activities at the Jewish Community Center and 68 Sports.

She isn't on the go every moment, though.

"Even though I love adventure and activity, I also love the sounds of birds, the fresh air, and the smells of trees and flowers—and at the end of the day, I love the quiet of a good book!" she said.

Like Bartocci, she agrees that "The key is to find out what you enjoy."

She promotes bicycling because "You can have an affliction, like the plantar fasciitis I have, and you can still bike."

She notes that she had meniscus surgery but was quickly back on a spinning bike.

Both women encourage seniors to bike with groups, which range from 15 to 40 people.

"It certainly helps with safety," Bartocci said. "And we always eat at the destination! The social factor is wonderful."

Polish your chrome and your knowledge

More older adults than ever before are participating in cycling.

If you are cycling for the first time in many years, you will need to brush up on current laws and rules that relate to bicyclists and sharing the road. If you are continuing a lifelong cycling habit, you may confront some physical issues that require new solutions.

Although you may have decades of traffic experience under your belt, you may not be accustomed to the ways that bicycles function in traffic today. These tips from online sources can be helpful:

• Visit your doctor for a good read on your overall physical condition.
  
• Look at your body carefully. Are you the rail-thin cyclist you used to be, or are you a bit more pear-shaped than in the past? Consider dropping those few extra pounds that, along with the force of gravity, are adding pressure to aching muscles and joints.
  
• Look at your exercise program. Low-impact aerobic exercises like walking, stationary cycling, and swimming help to reduce weight and promote well­being. Resistance training builds muscle tone. Stronger muscles around your back and joints can take up the slack and ease some of the pain of weight-bearing activity.
  
• Spread your time in the gym over many different types of activity. You may have to spend some time getting in shape to cycle, rather than getting in shape by cycling.
  
• Is your bike appropriate for the cycling you're doing these days? If you own a road bike, when was the last time you got down in an aerodynamic crouch, with your hands on the lower portion of those drop handlebars? If you have a hard-tail mountain bike, when was the last time you careened down the side of a hill? Your choice in bicycles can contribute to or lessen the pain factor in cycling. It's an emotional process to think about putting an old bicycle out to pasture, but your body may demand it.
  
• If you're not ready to change bicycles right away, consider changing seat posts. The new suspended seat posts are inexpensive and adjustable, so you can accommodate your weight and the amount of cushioning you want. Make sure you have a fully padded seat with the correct anatomical cutouts to protect sensitive areas.
  
• If you've made the decision to change bicycles, consider a "hybrid," or "cross-trainer" model. With a more upright riding position and a fully suspended seat and front fork, you won't experience as much road shock as on other types of bicycles.
  
• Consider a recumbent, the ultimate easy chair on wheels. Anyone with serious back problems will love this bicycle, whose solid comfort is hard to beat. It might take you awhile to get used to turning and pedaling up hills, but it's a small price to pay for the pleasure it provides.
  
• And of course there is the aptly named "comfort bike" or "step-through" bicycle. While it may look like the old 40-pound two-wheeler from your childhood, today's version is made with lightweight alloys, a longer wheel base, and internal hub gearing that requires no derailleurs. Comfort bikes are designed for the cyclist who wants to ride shorter distances at a slower pace.
  
• Look at your pre- and post-ride regimens. Stretch before and after you get on your bicycle. Bring along ice bags and anti-inflammatories. Use them before the pain starts. Stay ahead of the pain curve. Drink water before you are thirsty so you stay adequately hydrated.

By making these little alterations in your cycling life, you can extend your love affair with your bicycle for years to come.

Bicycling groups and resources

Bicycling is great exercise for seniors. An aerobic form of exercise, it's a form of fitness that uses oxygen and the lungs. This type of exercise is generally very good for the heart and circulation, and is believed to help reverse some of the physical effects of aging.

Cycling can also help reduce symptoms of other health problems such as asthma, hypertension, arthritis, and even depression. However, if you suffer from a heart condition, obesity, high blood pressure, or other health problems, or if you smoke, see your doctor before starting.

If you can find a group to cycle with, you can add another benefit, that of increasing social interaction. As we get older, we tend to become set in our ways and limited in our new social contacts. Meeting new people helps with broadening the mind and keeping it active, both vital to staying mentally alert. This is just one of the ways that an exercise program such as cycling can help us regain or hold onto our youthful energy.

Almost all the local senior cycling groups are a mix of men and women.

"The good thing about riding with guys is that they'll fix your tires if you get a flat," Marlene De Bruyn said with a laugh. "The bad thing about riding with guys is that you get used to it, so when you ride alone, you forget how to do your own mechanics!"

Once you've found a group, you'll quickly learn what matters most. Barbara Bartocci and De Bruyn offer these cautions: Don't ride without a helmet; don't ride in the rain when you're just learning; don't ride without water; don't ride without a spare tire or a repair cartridge; and always carry a cell phone, a bike lock, personal identification, and a rear-view mirror that attaches to your helmet, glasses, or bicycle.

Here are some resources for readers who might like to take to the roads this summer on two wheels:

• LocalCycling.com
  
• BikeWalk KC.org
  A regional bicycle safety and advocacy organization covering both sides of the state line. Ask for Eric Bunch for everything you want to know about bike and safety education.
  
• The Turtles in Brookside: http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/brookside_rides
  
• Johnson County Bicycle Club: http://www.jcbikeclub.org

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