OK, this is for the over-60 crowd, so you can stop reading now unless you’re approaching it.

At 73, I decided I’m probably not going to be running again, especially with a torn meniscus. So I grabbed my bike, hopped on and… I forgot how to ride the damn thing.

I couldn’t friggin’ believe it. You’re not supposed to forget how to ride a bike. Everybody knows that. Except apparently nobody told my brain.

I felt like a five-year-old. What was I supposed to do, just start going fast when I didn’t even know if I still had my balance? So I carefully navigated back and forth in my driveway, a little tipsy, truth be told. Eventually I went one block. Then two blocks.

The next day I ventured out a little farther and made it to a cross street about half a mile away. Today I rode 8 miles.

So why am I telling you this?

Because somewhere along the way, as we get older, we stop doing things. And then one day we discover that something we assumed we’d always be able to do isn’t quite there anymore.

Bike riding is awesome. It’s exercise. If you’re still jogging, great, but that’s a little hard on the joints. Plus, biking requires balance and coordination, and maybe just as importantly, it’s fun. Those are all things we need more of as we get older, not less. And if you’re lucky enough to have grandchildren, you could be out riding with them instead of sitting in a rocker watching them ride.

So forget “you never forget how to ride a bike.”

The better expression is use it or lose it.

But here’s the part I’m happy to report: you can get it back. Just don’t wait too long.

P.S. I still haven’t mastered standing up while pedaling. That’s probably next week. But I’m already looking forward to joining other people on 20- or 40-mile bike rides in the not-too-distant future.

Not bad for the 73-year-old who was wobbling around his driveway a few days ago.

Photo: Me then and now — AI-generated using real photos of me.