Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 48 total)
  • Riding and ageing process .
  • oldfart
    Full Member

    60 this year 🙁 Work wise I get a week off every other week 🙂 I’ve fallen into the trap of riding every day in that week besides house and garden jobs , finding sometimes riding suffers and climbs I used to manage can sometimes be a mare 🙁 Is this inevitable ? My mate even suggests taking some time OFF the bike 🙄 Thinks that might help ? I told him the week I work is off the bike but he pointed out that I still commute by bike between 8 and 12 miles each day depending on route . So who’s right ? Off to the Quantocks today , haven’t ridden apart from work since Sunday so will see if there’s any difference . Got a weeks riding in Spain in May so time to ride smarter perhaps ?

    slowjo
    Free Member

    As a comparative youngster (mid 50s) I find that a couple of really intense sessions every week sets me up nicely for a long ride at the weekend.

    I think I rest a bit more but this allows me to give 100% when I ride. I have found that back to back to back sessions leave me knackered so I am a bit ‘smarter’ about when and how I ride.

    FWIW a friend of mine celebrated his 65th birthday by riding all the big climbs in the TdF. I am sure it was Alpe d’Huez that he was timed up. It seems his time was in the region of what one would expect of a first year pro rider. You may be clocking up the years but it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to slow down (that much).

    BadlyWiredDog
    Full Member

    I’d do some digging into ageing and performance;. Outside, the American outdoors mag, recently ran a feature on age and performance which was interesting. The gist of it was that as you age, it helps to concentrate on short intense efforts to maintain power – intervals, sharp hill climbs etc – and it also suggested you need to eat a higher proportion of protein in your diet.

    http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/bodywork/the-fit-list/How-to-Tweak-Your-Training-After-50.html

    More generally, I don’t see why you shouldn’t ride every day on your off week, but you might need to think about mixing up hard and easier days to give yourself a chance to recover properly. I usually have one complete rest day per week and avoid more than two hard-ish days in a row. If I feel dire, I knock things back a bit.

    Dion’t listen to the hopeless cases on here who think as soon as you hit 40+ you’re doomed, you just need to box a little cleverer I reckon.

    Denis99
    Free Member

    I finish work tomorrow and am retiring.

    I am 60.

    My plan is to mix it up a bit.

    Ride one day, gym the next concentrating on a different muscle set as opposed to aerobic activity.

    Regaining my fitness at present, so a mix of road and off road riding.

    Also plan to put some yoga in there as well for flexibility.

    Variety of exercise will be my goal, I’m not too concerned with slowing down , more concerned with getting out there and enjoying the riding.

    ton
    Full Member

    I am a bit younger, but a 5 year layoff from proper riding, now it seems a heck of a lot harder.
    might be the layoff, or is it being 5 years older?

    globalti
    Free Member

    I finish work tomorrow and am retiring.

    I am 60.

    You lucky, lucky fella! Congrats and best of luck. I am 59 next month and an beginning to look forward to retiring and re-starting real life. The rat race and my job are beginning to hack me off and I can’t wait to get out. I hope I don’t have to carry on like this until I’m 66.

    Best advice I can give is to give yourself plenty of time to rest and recover after big efforts and not to get over-tired. We don’t recover as fast as we used to! Oh, and be sure to drink plenty of beer.

    Denis99
    Free Member

    Beer sounds a good option to me…..

    One of my new hobbies will be home brew in the garage, I can see more time spent in the garage than ever before………

    towzer
    Full Member

    not just riding (I’m 55), I gave up football and league field hockey quite a few years ago (2 hamstrings in a season), and now I’m beginning to wonder about indoor hockey as I seem to do a calf strain several times a year (then 2 weeks limping etc), riding is good for me (nothing breaks etc) but it is harder (tho this is partly due to house move/ etc etc sfriends having kids etc etc, I’ve been out less). Looking to move to part-time, do the allotment, do more cycling and travel. Had a 3 month sabbatical last year and was loving everyday biking in the summer on dry dusty trails

    br
    Free Member

    At 50 I find I’m as fit (if not fitter than younger guys) and am riding harder (especially climbs) than I’ve ever done – main riding buddy is also 50.

    But, also find I can’t ride 3 days on the trot like I previously could – and if I’m planning a big day, certainly won’t go riding for a few days before.

    P-Jay
    Free Member

    God, I love reading about riders in their 50’s and 60’s – I know they say “old” is always 10 years from now and “young” is always 10 years ago, but when I took up riding for the second time 10 years ago I thought I’d be hanging up my 5.10’s about now.

    I didn’t take up riding till my late 20’s – when I did I reckoned 40 would be my limit and the body wouldn’t take it, I’ll be 38 in a few weeks and if anything my body is recovering from riders faster and easier than it did 10 years ago, the idea that I could still be in love with it 20 years from now is fantastic.

    Not sure I’ve got another “big crash” in me though.

    patentlywill
    Free Member

    I finish work tomorrow and am retiring.

    I am 60.

    My plan is to mix it up a bit.

    Ride one day, gym the next concentrating on a different muscle set as opposed to aerobic activity.

    Regaining my fitness at present, so a mix of road and off road riding.

    Also plan to put some yoga in there as well for flexibility.

    Variety of exercise will be my goal, I’m not too concerned with slowing down , more concerned with getting out there and enjoying the riding.

    I’m 59 and just retired – this ^ is the plan I’m on, on/off road and a balance paying particular attention to yoga for flexibility etc, swimming for flexibility and upper body, and currently new veg plot digging

    Stevet1
    Free Member

    I thought this thread would be about how much younger you are than someone who does not cycle due to travelling at a speed closer to the speed of light.

    Lester
    Free Member

    im 62 and still riding, only mountain bikes though.
    ride every Tuesday and Thursday from Hertford in any weather, i ride with a group of very talented riders and riding with them i am getting fitter and more skilled (slowly)
    Planning to do the 3 countries tour in the summer which is already booked, gulp!
    i spend as much time as i can with them at hertford trying to learn some skilz, berms, gap jumps, drop offs and woodwork.
    Im not talented and im a slow learner but im keen and i doubt many people enjoy it as much as me.
    However i do find it harder to do 2 consecutive days as i find i now need a day in between rides, but i do try hard so would like to think that is part of it

    chambord
    Free Member

    didn’t take up riding till my late 20’s – when I did I reckoned 40 would be my limit and the body wouldn’t take it, I’ll be 38 in a few weeks and if anything my body is recovering from riders faster and easier than it did 10 years ago, the idea that I could still be in love with it 20 years from now is fantastic.

    +1!

    I’m on the cusp of my 30s and didn’t think I’d be on the MTB as long as in to my 60s. I’m sure my partner will be delighted!

    rOcKeTdOg
    Full Member

    I’m 48 and I think I’ve reached a plateau, that said I’m a he’ll of a lot lighter & faster than I was at 38, using you 60+ lot as inspiration that I’ve still got room for improvement though. Riding with guys in their 30’s is great motivation. The only thing I struggle with is recovery from injury

    rocketman
    Free Member

    Keith Bontrager sums it up for me

    “From the saddle, my view is that not much has really changed as I’ve grown older. I know I’m going slower, but not much slower. I still get off on cleaning the technical sections or doing big climbs, or riding flowing sections of trail fast. The thing I think about often is avoiding ‘game-enders’, big crashes that break me irreparably, a head injury to push my already scrambled-from-multiple-concussions brain over the edge, or smashing anything that would be so slow to heal it would effectively be the end. It doesn’t keep me from riding technical sections, but sometimes I’ll pass now too. Being sensible. Living to ride another day and all. That’s critical. As I get older I find that it’s far easier to stay fit than to get fit. Coming back from long periods off the bike is tough so it’s best not to have to.”

    shermer75
    Free Member

    I would agree with the advice above. The only thing that I would add is that a short, gentle ride is better than a complete rest day

    freeagent
    Free Member

    I’m 42 and only been riding 4 years after a 15 year lay-off.
    I rode from London to Llanberis last September, and am doing Ride London 100 later this summer.
    I’m hoping to keep going through to retirement and ride a whole lot more for as long as I’m able.
    Hearing about all you 60+ guys still riding is great!!

    reluctantwrinkly
    Free Member

    just turned 59 and still riding with the local group. Find my mojo comes & goes a bit these days but that is partly down to other interests. Been MTB’ing for 25 odd years now but still enjoy it although the novelty of cleaning a filthy bike back to sparkliness has worn off a bit and neglect is taking it’s place! Still reasonably fit & can generally keep up with the youngsters. Main thing is my mileage has dropped off a bit and that impacts how well I can maintain my fitness. No intentions of giving it up though. Bike wise I ride full sus, rigid singlespeed (which I love) & also road

    qwerty
    Free Member

    Age isn’t a barrier

    for some!

    😉

    whitestone
    Free Member

    I’m almost 56 and find that it isn’t the riding per se. that’s the problem – I did over 10,000Km last year (about 2000km of that was off-road) – but recovering from “minor” tumbles. As you get older amongst other things your ligaments become less flexible so you don’t “bounce” as well meaning that a simple fall on to your shoulder say doesn’t just bruise that shoulder but the shock gets transmitted to the rest of your upper body so your ribs hurt and you have a sore neck etc. Recovery takes longer so the thought of that in your head does hold you back.

    Fitness wise: I’m nowhere near as fit as I was in my 20’s but I can keep up with the quicker guys in our club on the road (it’s hard work though :oops:); I’ve a few Strava road top tens (this is say 5th out of 1000) where the only people quicker are either pro, semi-pro or sponsored riders; off-road I’m handy on the climbs but my descent times will vary from 1.5x to 3x the fastest Strava time.

    Joe Friel has a bit to say about the aging cyclist on his blog – he’s approaching 70 (might be 70 now) – he’d probably burn me in to the ground!

    yorkycsl
    Free Member

    Congrats Denis99 jammy bugger! enjoy your retirement.

    A relative nipper at 51 & a life of working offshore month on month of most of my life which is rubbish for trying to maintain a reasonable level of fitness as it tails of during the month away then the hard work starts the day I get home but like all of us I love it.
    The job is taking it’s toll on my knees nowadays but not due for the Op table just yet or a electric bike but in years to come won’t rule it out.
    I accept it gets tougher but I will never give up, atop a good climb I may be puffing when first home but the smile never goes away soon as I put my helmet on what ever the weather. Keep on rolling.

    We should have a Old Blokes meet up ride & celebrate grey hair or even having any!

    TiRed
    Full Member

    I’m 47 and my road racing fitness is still improving in my third season. I race and keep up with riders 20 years younger, but think a first cat license is probably now unlikely. Recovery is an overlooked aspect of training, and it becomes more important as we age. Friel basically says that if you exercise with sufficient intensity, then peak performance does not decline appreciably. Endurance may decline and recovery takes longer, so the balance of intensity and volume may change (lower volume), but there is no reason to lay off the intervals.

    MostlyBalanced
    Free Member

    50 now and various little aches and pains are telling me I shuld ease off and mix my activities more but when it comes down to having an hour or two to myself very little appeals as much as jumping on a bike.

    Last autumn I did my first XC race in the over 50s category and was genuinely surprised by how competitive they all were. Having had regular top ten results in the over 40s I thought a podium position might be realistic. I finished 12th.
    Also found out that my cousin put in a 3:07 marathon on his 50th birthday.

    EDIT: But I still won’t be fitting gears to my XC bikes for some time yet.

    ton
    Full Member

    We should have a Old Blokes meet up ride & celebrate grey hair or even having any!

    we are doing, stw touring weekend in april. 😀

    mr-potatohead
    Free Member

    I’ll come if you get to celebrate no hair !!!!!

    Denis99
    Free Member

    Thanks for the comments congratulating me.

    I have two new bikes to enjoy now.

    Cannondale F29 Carbon Lefty,

    Ritchey Logic road bike.

    Sun is shining here in South Wales right now, hope it turns out to be a good summer!

    epicyclo
    Full Member

    I’m 70 in a few months, and I have seen a marked decline in performance since I turned 60.

    I’ve learned to avoid sprints if it’s a long ride, and I’ve got more careful about my use of my resources. It’s important not to get overuse injuries – rest and recovery take longer. I’ve got an all day pace, and if I stick to it I’m ok.

    Like Bontrager I am also very careful to avoid potentially game ending crashes especially as I’m on blood thinners. I believe the blood thinners also are inhibiting my performance to quite a degree – sort of a reverse Lance Armstrong drug.

    However I can still manage a 24 hour on my SS, but with less than stellar results – although I haven’t scored a DFL yet. 🙂

    I aim to hang on to SS as long as I can, and then when I’m too frail for it, I’ll get gears, followed by an eBike, so hopefully I’ll be on 2 wheels for quite a while yet.

    I realise it isn’t going to get any better, but what I have today is better than I’ll have next year, so I try to make the best of it – age is no reason to stop what you enjoy.

    5thElefant
    Free Member

    You need HRT. A mate’s dad went on testosterone patches. He thought they were great. His wife was less enthusiastic.

    seanole
    Free Member

    I’m 50 next Saturday, off to Gran Canaria for some sunny warm rides. I have been struggling with sciatica pain in the lowerback which affects my hamstring, neck and shoulder, used to do a lot of circuit training, A few weeks ago pulled my calf which is painful, now I find I have ligament pain in my ankle. I can ride all day, no stress. Walk and I feel like I’m 90. I have a desk job which is painful sitting. 10 years ago I could do it all, now not so good,

    uponthedowns
    Free Member

    Mid 50s here and faster than I ever have been since discovering structured training when I was 50.

    I bike around 8-10hours a week which is fine for finishing in the top 25-30% of the sportives I ride which include stuff like the Marmotte. Any more than that I think I’d have trouble recovering. I’m now starting to think about introducing some weight training to make sure I maintain my muscle mass and bone density.

    To the OP, you may not think it but you’re doing a hell of a lot of biking. I’d suggest throttling back a bit and schedule some rest days which are exactly that- no biking or physical labour and see if things improve.

    I think the Bontrager approach is sound although I still seem to be able to recover OK from minor injuries.

    As a comparative youngster on this thread I’m glad to see guys going strongly in their 60s.

    Joe Friel who’s 70 has had access to a power meter since he was 50 and he says his FTP is the same now as it was at 50 so age is no excuse. He trains hard but pays more attention to resting and diet.

    epicyclo
    Full Member

    uponthedowns – Member
    …Joe Friel who’s 70 has had access to a power meter since he was 50 and he says his FTP is the same now as it was at 50 so age is no excuse. He trains hard but pays more attention to resting and diet.

    I think the problem isn’t so much maintaining fitness as you age, but avoiding major medical nasties. For example I’ve been partially paralysed and then twice an emergency admission to the cardiac unit. Every little setback ratchets you down a bit.

    My 68 year old brother who has managed to avoid these is much fitter than I am now. He recently ran/scrambled up Bellender Ker (mountain in Australia) with Mick Hannah and our nephew who was in the Oz triathlete team.

    You have to train hard to be as crap as you were last year. I prefer to just enjoy my riding. 🙂

    seanole
    Free Member

    My riding buddies are both 60, recently retired, and so looking forward to sunnier rides. Even to the point of going out before breakfast to help lose weight. Knowing there out and me watching the miles they rack up on Strava is quite difficult. If I feel as good as they do at 60 I shall be most happy. Riding is good for the soul.

    Andy-R
    Full Member

    He recently ran/scrambled up Bellender Ker

    😀

    seanole – Member
    My riding buddies are both 60, recently retired, and so looking forward to sunnier rides. If I feel as good as they do at 60 I shall be most happy. Riding is good for the soul.

    If I was retired at 60 I’d probably feel as good as them too. As it is, I’m not, so I don’t 😥

    Pawsy_Bear
    Free Member

    Will be 57 this year, retired 55. I ride most days road, MTB and days off the bike (rest days) are gym about twice a week. I’d suggest that you need to mix up riding length and intensity. If you ride about the same distance, same time, same intensity you will plateau and actually lose fitness as your body adapts to the physical load.

    Change ride length, add hill, session, longer rides, shorter rides, fast rides. include gym session to balance the increased strength of your legs. Strong arms, back and core will make you faster. Add skills session where you practice climbing, drop offs etc etc

    busydog
    Free Member

    72 1/2 here and starting to think this might be my last year to ride seriously. I am noticing my balance is getting a little sketchy and that leads to hesitation—–and I learned long ago that hesitation is not your friend on a MTB.
    Moving from New Mexico to Southeastern Washington state in a few weeks and will be living right near the confluence of the Columbia, Snake and Yakima rivers that have lots of trail systems along the river that should present some less-technical riding.
    Of course I did mention to Mrs busydog that I had my eye on a kayak now and got the “are you f****** serious” look 😆

    bikebouy
    Free Member

    I don’t honestly get the age thing.

    I ride with a 60 yr old on occasion and he’s fitter and faster than I am, I think it’s all just about application and listening to your body.

    Ride on I say.

    rsvktm
    Full Member

    mid 40’s and race vet class, it’s great to see a good showing in the grand vets 50 + but what makes me hopeful for the future is the super vets 60+ That’s another 20 plus years of racing then, hopefully 🙂
    Seriously at 45 I know I don’t bounce as well and consider risks more now than when I did at 20 and I am sure that this will continue, however I am willing to put more work in now to maintain and improve than I did then.

    taxi25
    Free Member

    Mid 50’s here, definitely believe in hard rides keeps fitness up as you get older. I ride 3/4 times a week and get bored just pootling. I enjoy pushing on and going into the red at some point more or less every ride. Can’t see there’s been much change in my performance’s over the last 10yrs 😀

    dekadanse
    Free Member

    Very impressive busydog – I aspire to be you in 9 years!

    Fraid at 63 and three quarters I work too much (but I have been lucky enough to find something just as I was turning 50 that I have a passion for) but happy to say that I ride every day, if only for 2 or 3 miles at night around local loops. I’m blessed that I can ride from my door and hit tracks and trails within a couple of hundred metres, and I’m also able to work from home for some of each week, meaning I can plan my day with little rides in the breaks. So I normally clock up between 30 and 50 miles a week.

    Sure, joints ache a bit more, and stretching exercises are a must, but the endorphin release is a huge reward. I had a big tumble last year and sheared the ligaments holding my clavicle to the other shoulder bones, but it mended pretty well (I was back on the bike within a week) even if it looks a little weird.

    So no reason why I shouldn’t carry on for many years to come. Climbs have always been a challenge but are probably better now than 7 or 8 years ago (better routine perhaps) and I very rarely do mad stuff in the air. I ride off road because I love it – the buzz, the wildlife (came face to face with a muntjack deer one night last week – I don’t know which of us was more surprised!) and the views. And on bright sunny days Mrsdekadanse deigns to come too – far better for her than endless combat and spin sessions at the gym say I. Brrr says she when the wind blows………

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