Bill, that is a wonderful story. "Chat" is allowed, so I'll tell you mine.
In 1968 I was 21 years old. The Norwegian cycling federation selected 4 riders (I was one of them) as prospects for the Olympics in Munchen in 1972. We were amateurs. No money in it. I did get free bicycles from a company in Sweden for a couple of years, but little else. Had quit school after grade 9 to pursue the dream. By 1972 I would have been 25 years old, with no education, and no Olympic medals. So I went home and quit.
Back to school.
In 1972 I was towing beer commercial banners over northern Germany in a Piper Cub (Schultheiss Bier), with a freshly minted Commercial pilots license. The rest, as they say, is (my) history. I still own a 1980 racer built in Italy for the Norwegian DBS factory (Den Beste Sykkel), who did not build high end bikes. Now I am too fat to push those tall gears up the hills, so I ride a modern Carbon bike with lower gears.
So it was in my destiny to be able to hoist a Norge (we pronounce it "Nor-geh"), or in my case a Breva, onty the centerstand.
All those lonely hours racking up the miles also gave me a love of the open road, and I still have a strong preference for riding alone.
It's been said that the average male gains fifty pounds between age 20 and and age 60. I am a poster boy for that, but I still have those thigh muscles....
I also need to apologize for calling the factory workers "fat". At 230 lbs+, I have no right to judge anyone else, especially the nice people who built my favorite bikes.
Well, we are the same vintage, but your story sure topped mine!
Oh, and I got on the scales this morning. I should do that at it night as it can sour the day.
I will not show your mention of your (impressive) still riding a pedal bike to my very fit jockette wife -- and Perfect Pillion & Polish Princess!
-- Kathi, or she'll "get ideas." 
In 1979, I asked Alcide Basso to make a bicycle for me. He measured me from crown to toe and, a month later, presented a splendid machine to me. I still have it, tho now it is an antique objet d'art hanging in the Moto Grappa. A few years ago, I thought I'd bring it back to life -- and, wistfully, me, too; hope springs eternal -- by swapping out the sew-ups with modern wheels, but that project soon fell into the "too hard to do" and "no time" boxes, so there it hangs. Besides, even with a new machine such as you ride, as grand as are the roads here out of my driveway for motorcycles, they are way too dangerous for a bicycle. Yes, excuses, excuses.
Closeups if desired. BTW, those pix follow a serious effort in 2020 at decluttering the "Grappa side" (code for unheated and the like) of the Moto Grappa. As you are a Nordmann, I am wary of using the trendy Swedish Dostadning.
Anyway, that lasted for many months before returning to a state of squalor. As it's supposed to hit c.55ºF here today, and Moto Grappa Tech Days are 18-21 February with much undone, Kathi and I plan to go down there today to return it to some some semblance of neatness.
Suppose -- to avoid getting banned or younger folks here euthanizing us
-- we should start a separate thread if we want to continue this Old Guy Reverie of Days of Yore theme.
Best,
Bill
