Its just a number, I'm 45 this year and don't feel any different to what I did when I was 35, I go to france every year and ride my bike like I stole it. OK I do think about safty a little more so I were body armour and a full face helmet but apart form that I'm as quick if not quicker going down the mountains. I'm a little slower going up but I should ride my bike more and that wouldn't be a problem either.

I go out and get drunk on Cider/Beer and still mix my drinks and get the hangovers to go with it but the older I get the pubs full of under age teenagers don't appeal so much.

Its about RMA (right mental attitude)

live today, tomorrow you could be dead.

Up to 30 I used to hate getting old then realized it's just a number and i'll always be 19 inside.
I'm currently doing a day release at college were i'm old enough to most of their dads. When I look around at them and see how hard they are trying to be cool it makes me laugh. I had a coversation with a yoof in my class about how I didn't give a Sh*t what people thought of me and he thought that was weird.
38 1/2 and completely comfortable with who and where I am in life. 😀

I'll be 50 in July, already wear a flat cap a lot of the time (got three to choose from 🙂 ), and am really starting to look like my late Dad in photos, but apart from the potential for cheap(er) insurance and the like, I can't see it's going to make the slightest bit of difference to me or to the things I do.

The only downside I can foresee is having to endure four and a half years of ribbing from my friend that age-wise she's in a different decade to me, until she too joins the Saga Set… if she's lucky. 😈

already wear a flat cap a lot of the time

I've never understood hats…

you don't understand long trousers, simon!

Couple of weeks before i turned 40, got told there is a 99% chance i have MS, so turning 40 was a bit more of an event than i hoped. Still in limbo land as to a confirmed diagnosis so life is sorta on hold.

"live today, tomorrow you could be dead"

Good overall sentiment there.

i suppose it doesnt matter. SFB has it pretty bang on.i used to be a right selfcontious mess when i was in my twentys. now im so much more confident im like a new person. i guess im just worried about what people think of me and as stated, i just shouldnt give a stuff.you cant be arrested and removed from a pub/club for being to old. i was fine at thirty as i could still be in contact with my twentys, but know they are seeming far away.just going through a process of adjustment i suppose…

shoei, you posted whilst i was writing.sorry
hope all is ok bud…

I've been described as a 'big kid' (37 next) and I have a mate who is 42 who (to me) is the biggest kid out there!

you don't understand long trousers, simon!

oh, I understand them – I just don't agree with them 🙂

I just recently started wondering what the triggers were for mid-life crises, as I was fairly sure my life is in pretty good shape and I would avoid most of the worst of it, but then started wondering whether just thinking about it would probably be the worst thing I could possibly do as there are always things that you wonder if you could be doing better.

This is actually a really pleasant, life-affirming thread. Much to look forward to, it seems.

Thanks all.

Can I just add.

In the first 30yrs of my life Ive shot at people, vandalised, roamed around derelict buildings, exposed my self to bouncers, slapped strangers, punched strangers and various other things.

In the last 5yrs I've done sweet fuckall. I can see the future at 40+ as being bleak and very very dull 🙁

I wouldnt see any return to form as 'midlife crisis' but a return to form 😈

I feel like I am the living embodiment of the phrase "life begins at 40".

It's the big 4 0 for me next month, and I will be in Brazil, with Mrs SimonRalli, then getting ready to do my dissertation in Peru. Once that is handed in in a few month's time, I will emigrate to Brazil for a very new phase of my life. I finally feel happy in myself and what I am up to. So yeah, it's not that bad to be honest really.

A view from the otherside (a little bit playing the Devil's Advocate here) so I expect some flack
:
40 is, for many a realisation that things will never be the same again.
The fat will not shift, so what you have will remain, and more will accumulate.
Your liver will be close to being pickled (maybe) your ears will become forests of unwanted hair, what’s left still on your head hair will recede and also go grey.
“Distinguished” you might be thinking. "Old" others will comment.

Ask the ladies on non-mtn bike forums for a more balanced view but you're beyond 1/2 way to the end at 40 (average age of men is 78) so yes, technically you're on the other side of the hill.

The thing is, that the gradient this side of the hill (45) is very much steeper than I personally imagined but what’s quite worrying is that you can see the end point, which is likely dementia from 65, or caring for a partner with dementia. This will be brought home to you as you witness your own parent’s slow demise, both their mental and physical abilities will rapidly diminish almost monthly & they’ll eventually look at residential homes for their own future. This is not pleasant.

Your ability to attract a mate diminishes too, although the desire wanes somewhat (!) and you start to think back to how fast you used to be, or how many 36hr sessions you could pull, or that your pects were once seriously impressive.

The slimmer and fitter you are in your late 30’s, early 40’s the better off you will be. Into your mid 40’s there’s a real sense that there was some Y junction at 40, and much of the population had no choice but to take the less-fit route (leading to all manner of health related issues later on down that path), where as you might have the other route available to you; which is by far the better option.

The answer: do everything you can now, this side of 40, just so you do not have regrets & it will set you up for this un-spoken about Y junction. Push hard, take lots of pictures to amaze / bore the fellow residents of your own care home 35 years from now (!), get your priorities correct and go and enjoy the remainder of your life before 40 ‘cause the prospects of you making any real gains beyond 40 are slight, although you’ll be in the Vet’s category by then! Fitness will help you no end & mtn biking or any cycling can be a key to feeling no different about 40+ than did 30+.

I was 40 last month, had my best season road racing last year and so far this year had a 2nd, 8th in TT's and got 33rd overall in the Whinlatter Challenge (Not done a MTB race for over 10 years)

Dont care what anyone says or thinks, just try not to offend anyone.

Actions speak louder that words.

Love hammering young lads on bikes who think they are the new Cavendish/Absolon 8)

I am having a mid life crisis BTW as I have not had my haircut this year and im growing a "Euro Mullet" to wind my three kids up, who think they know it all and will be severly embassed. 😕

funny i blogged about this yesterday, in the end i came to the conclusion, that i'll just keep doing what makes me happy, age makes no difference.

http://www.mudandgears.com/2010/03/is-age-barrier-to-my-riding.html

i was inspired by this

http://vimeo.com/10094009

54 in a couple of weeks and shall celebrate it by getting serious jollied in Manhattan. I've got mates of 67 and 70, brothers who are in a band, frequent Amsterdam and new orleans for fun and put lots of younguns to shame in terms of vivaciousness. I shall be doing some challenging cycling soon with a mate, well known on here, who's well into his 60s and I spent last summer surfing Byron Bay with a 60 year old big wave rider. Age is an attitude but I do think that youthfulness is wasted on the youth of today. My only word of caution about aging is don't take your health and fitness for granted, they have to be worked on.

and I will be in Brazil, with Mrs SimonRalli

that was quick work!

"don't take your health and fitness for granted, they have to be worked on."
good point.i went wake boarding a year ago and whilst i do it very rarely, i considered myself fit.
a guy turned up who i thought was in his early 50's. he goes once a week, cos he is retired and 65!, said it help him keep his hand in when he is not showboarding.
i felt pathetic!

odannyboy – Member

shoei, you posted whilst i was writing.sorry
hope all is ok bud…

No worries.
Last year was a right off. spent too much time dwelling on the bad side of things. Had to give up road riding and downgrade my camera due to problems with my right arm.
This year it s a case of f*$% it, it aint gonna kill me, i suffer after doing any thing like out on the mountain bike, lots of driving, but thats a price to pay for my sanity.

i love going out and acting the fool

Not sure what "acting the fool" means. I hope it doesn't mean stumbling home pissed as a fart and pissing in your front garden (in which case you should've grown out of that by now)…
Anyway, what was the question?

I was 40 in Feb 🙁

However, I can now legally grump all the time.

And my eyebrows have started growing at an exponential rate. They now act like cats whiskers great for going through tight trees in single track 😉

People have started calling me Private Fraser from Dad's Army.

that was quick work!

Can't hang around, am about to turn 40 next month 😀 I guess you havent seen my facebook profile lately.

simonfbarnes – Member
already wear a flat cap a lot of the time
I've never understood hats…

here's a clue; they keep heavy rain and snow off the top of your head and glasses, and the sun of of yer eyes.
Two of my favourite sayings: “growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional”, and “you don't stop playing because
you get old, you get old because you stop playing”. I'm 55, going toe see The Joy Formidable tonight, just bought a pair of Howies Tomproof jeans, I'm wearing Howies jeans, a Lush t-shirt and Oakley skateshoes. And a hat
I refuse to grow old gracefully.

to be fair at 40 you've got no chance i'm 25 and quite often the oldest one out on a friday night/ at gigs etc. just go with it – tbh most of the yunguns are thinking 'i hope i'm that cool when i'm that old' as compared to their parents!

"text me and wait a few doors down" etc. Dad does so, son walks out to car with mates needing lifts hme, dad is…dressed as a woman!

brilliant!! 😀

All I can say as I pass my 59th birthday this week is forget the numbers and do what you want. I bought an Orange 5 a couple of years ago and I know I will never push it to its true potential. What the heck-I drove around in crappy cars and vans until I was 50 because that was all I could afford. I think I deserve a little luxury. Fortunately my wife has similiar interests to me and she has gone full sus over the past 2 years. I accept that she is probably better than me in many respects but at 59 life has stopped being a constant competition with my fellow man and indeed woman. The competition now is with the inner me and can I achieve the goals I set for me. The odds are I will fail in some of these challenges but they still make life worth living. I am grounded at present with two slipped discs and await surgery. Once that's sorted its back on the bike.
Advice?: Try to enjoy each stage of your life-this is not a dress rehearsal and the shroud has no pockets

BillMCs last few words would be my only caveat

I've recently had my first real signs of age (apart from being quite bald) at 34. I had a bit of a flat spot when I wasn't able to bike much or do other things, and I've noticed my general body condition slip a in a way that it never has before. My upper body is quite a lot weaker than it used to be.

It's not that 34 is especially old, but I think it's around about this point when you really start having to work harder at keeping yourself trim.

(Had a lunchtime training ride today.. out tomorrow.. must get back to the rock climbing someday, that was good exercise…)

I remember taking the day off on my 32nd birthday and going to a local jump spot in some woods near me, spent the afternoon throwing myself about on the jumps, and I remember thinking at the time, "I really should stop all this nonsense". Had the same feeling a couple of weeks ago when I rode past the same jump spot on my 42nd birthday having taken the day off again, but this time going for a nice relaxed 100k roadie instead. I have a belt that my partner brought me in my 20's it's still fastened on the last hole, I ran for a hour last night, just because I can, I look at some of my non biking friends, I wonder when was the last time they saw their feet. I still go to gigs (only now I go with my lad rather than the missus) we're planning a whole family trip to Morzine, I can't wait to take my lad on some of the DH runs.

life's for living.

45 here and very happy with my lot.

A lot more confident than I was at 30, sex just gets better, people ask me my opinion and anyone serving me calls me 'Sir'.

Oh, and my age has brought car/motorbike insurance down so far I don't even consider it when changing/choosing.

This thread is proof that riding bikes keeps you young 🙂

48 here and loving life. I think as you get older,you appreciate everything so much more…food,beer(drink less,enjoy more),the bike and my family.
We are all getting closer to the old folk's home,so enjoy life.

im 41yrs old. look 60 but feel 15! 🙂

We are all getting closer to the old folk's home

not me, I intend to die first 🙂

I firmly agree that life begins at 40. Never believed it until it happened. Me & the missus were born on the same day & year, so when we were 40 it was a bit of a do. Lots of well wishers popping in, balloons, cards, presents etc, we went away for a few days without the kids for the first time ever. From that day on everything seemed to have 'clicked', we felt very,very happy with what we had – we had been together for 25+ yrs, we had kids, dog, house etc, nothing flash but we were very content all of a sudden, something which I cant really explain or put into words, everything was just great.
Two years later the missus died of Cancer………….enjoy it while you can & dont worry about anyone elses opinion…

Im 42, its nowt to worry about.
Just take a little more care of yourself and you'll be fine

40 last week. Got a new bike as a present, so not all bad. Kids have more effect on my life than my age. It gets harder to keep the weight off, that's about all (and the hairy ears).

Don,t wait,start the diet now

It gets harder to keep the weight off

or rather, that's what everyone tells you …

I'm 54 and 18 months ago was bumbling towards retirement as a postie .Since then i found out i had 2 fractured vertebrae in my spine and been diagnosed with Osteoporosis .Last July i took the money and ran (sort off ! )Been cleaning part time and in May am off to Whistler for 5 months as a chalet maid !Oh probably get a chance to do a bit off riding while i'm there !Mid 30s ? Christ bloody whippersnappers ! 😀