Jun 5, 2008
Seventy-one-year-old Buddy Rosenbaum
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Biker defies age, heads cross country
“Getting older shouldn’t keep you from doing the things you really love,” said Buddy Rosenbaum of Lewisboro Hamlet as he sat down on Sunday with The Ledger to discuss his upcoming 3,600-mile motorcycle trek across America.
The 71-year-old Mr. Rosenbaum believes firmly that anyone interested in pursuing a beloved sport or hobby as they grow older should think in terms of making adjustments to accommodate their age and physical capabilities rather than just give it up.
To make his point, Mr. Rosenbaum will be using a new road bike manufactured by Piaggio, best known for the popular Vespa, for his trip. The innovative all-terrain bike, the MD3-500 model, has two wheels in front and one in the rear, making it more stable and easier to handle than the traditional two-wheeler. It also features an engine with plenty of power and pep.
Mr. Rosenbaum approached the manufacturer this past March after seeing the bike and thinking he could use it to illustrate his philosophy of staying as active as possible as the years roll buy. Piaggio accepted the idea enthusiastically and made arrangements for a cross-country promotional tour. Mr. Rosenbaum and his good friend, Californian Bob Chase, depart from San Francisco on June 13.
The pair is scheduled to arrive in Times Square on July 14 after following the Lincoln Highway “from sea to shining sea.”
The Lincoln Highway, established in 1912, was the first practical auto route linking the east and west coasts. The highway, which uses U.S. routes 30, 40, 1, 40, 50 and 93, runs from Time Square in Manhattan to Lincoln Park in San Francisco. It runs through 14 states, 128 counties and 500 cities, towns and villages on old-fashioned “two lane blacktop.”
Longtime interest
Mr. Rosenbaum has pursued motorcycling for many years.
A New York City native and industrial psychologist who headed his own successful firm for many years, Mr. Rosenbaum and his wife, Linda, have lived in Lewisboro since 1971, raising three sons: Eric, Adam and Jason.
“Both Linda and I have always enjoyed motorcycling and have pretty much traveled the world on our bikes, starting in 1979,” he said. “Her career as a travel agent helped us to get involved with tours and treks in many different places.
“We have been all over Europe and the United Kingdom, the Himalayas, northern India, the old Soviet Union, north and south Africa and many other place both here and abroad. In 1999 we made one of our longest trips, traveling from Santiago, Chile, down to Tierra Del Fuego at the tip of South America, a distance of about 5,000 miles round trip.”
Mr. Rosenbaum said his bike of choice until now was the BMW-GS. “This is an excellent on- and off-road bike with a powerful motor than can take you anywhere you want to go,” he said.
But the familiar bike grew a bit harder to handle in the past few years. “As I got older, it became more demanding physically,” he said. “But I still felt passionate about the sport and didn’t want to give it up.”
A new approach
Mr. Rosenbaum thinks the new Piaggio motorcycle will fill the bill.
“It’s the only bike like it in the world,” he said. “When I first saw it I immediately thought it would be the answer to my needs and was very happy that the company responded favorably to my offer to take it across country.”
He said a lot of the Lincoln Highway runs parallel to old U.S. Route 30 and does not use interstate highways. “The original plan involved camping out, but we are now committed to producing a daily blog, with photos, of our experiences,” he said. “A hotel room will make it a lot easier.”
Mr. Rosenbaum said he hopes the trip will help to alter some stereotypes about the aging process as it relates to maintaining activity levels.
“The simple fact of aging should not keep anyone from doing what they really want to do,” he said. “I believe creative thinking about your hobby or sport can help you keep at it for many, many years.”
Staying positive
Mr. Rosenbaum said he has been fortunate to enjoy good health throughout his life and works out regularly at The Ridge Club in Vista.
“Taking care of yourself is very important, but so much of it is mental attitude,” he said. “A big part of my mission on this trip is to show people that you don’t have to abandon an active lifestyle for a sedentary one as you grow older.”
Mr. Rosenbaum attributes his excellent physical health in part to a positive attitude towards life.
“Linda and I have been fortunate to be happily married for 48 years and share the same interests,” he said. “I got a lot of satisfaction from my career as an industrial psychologist and remained active in consulting after I sold my company.”
Mr. Rosenbaum said he and his wife have “the best of both worlds,” with an apartment in Manhattan and a home in Lewisboro. “We love the city and we love Lewisboro, where we have many roots and connections,” he said. “The contrast between the two makes each one more enjoyable.”
Mr. Rosenbaum is determined to keep up his active lifestyle indefinitely. “I have been lucky and have a great life,” he said. “I am looking forward to the cross-country trip and hope that it will inspire others to stay involved in the things they love.”
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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