I was riding with a mate the other night, and it turns out he’s nearly 50. Not a massive deal at all, but he’s entering the Mega this year and on the year of his 50th, which I thought was pretty cool.

This year a mutual friend is competitive in the BDS Super Vets category, and regularly puts riders 30 years his junior to shame. He’s a bit of an inspiration.

Another friend has recently stopped nightriding, preferring to do big local loops without too much tech, blaming his eyesight. He’s 75.

I’ve been riding for 20-odd years now and am in my late 30s. I’m not as fast or as fit as I once was, but I now have a ‘responsible’ job and a family. I also have to stretch more than I ever did, am carrying several chronic injuries and generally take longer to heal. But all this got me wondering what the average riding lifespan of a rider could be.

Which leads me onto the title of the thread: when do you see yourself riding to? 60? 70? 80?

Off road .. hopefully,between 60 and 70

Road … till my body won’t let me.

Mid fifties and no sign of giving up yet. In fact, getting more out of my riding now than at any time since the mid 1980s when I took the sport up.

Off road – pretty much given up now. Just don’t get a buzz from it anymore.

Road bike – trying to do twice a week at the minute.

Can’t see me riding into my 70s! (I’m 45 now).

Till they pry the handlebars from my cold, dead fingers (or about sixty or so).

I want to be one of those old boys who still does 40/50+miles in his 70’s. Albeit a little more slowly than I do aged 40 at the moment!

We have blokes in my club in their 70s, pretty speedy still too.

If I make it to 60 with no earthly ties or responsibilities, I’m simply going to ride off into the sunset.

I’m already speccing a roughstuff/CX/touring build for taking the long walk ride. 8)

I felt the same the-muffin-man as I got bored blatting round the same old trails week after week. Sort of a mid-life trail centre ennui so I tried something different. Still riding offroad but the challenge changed from blasting through artificial singletrack to longer distance stuff in as many different permutations as possible.

On the road….I had essentially hung up my road bike many years ago but have rediscovered it. I now combine the two, doing road and offroad rides each week. I’ll clock up maybe 100+ road miles and 80 odd off road miles in a typical week (at least during the spring/summer/early autumn months).

When the doctor orders me to. Although I suspect it’ll be mainly road riding by that point.

Ive already given up MTB’s and I’m sticking to road bikes (only 31). I don’t have the confidence for off road stuff.

Couple of years ago I was in the lakes with a mate (driving, no bikes) and we passed some guy who must have been in his 70s huffing his way up Honister Pass. We stopped at Whinlatter for a brew and just as we pulled out of the car park he arrived. I hope I’m that fit when I’m that age.

when they gaffer tape my bloated corpse onto whatever bike I’m on by then, set fire to to it and launch it down something steep and gnarly….may also be my pb fastest down hill.

I’d hope to be riding bikes for as long as I’m basically mobile.

Trying to progress my mtb riding is quite likely to stop the next time I really hurt myself as I’m bouncing back from injuries a lot less well than I used to.

🙂

nearly 50 and enjoy it more now than ever

Why stop if your legs still work? Here’s me and some mates on last years Tour de la Wash in Lincolnshire, blokes with me are 80 and 69. We’re currently debating whether to stay UK this time or head over to Holland. Bit more genteel, 10-15 miles between stops and there’s no reason not to. Still great fun, out and about, seeing the world and drinking it’s beer.

Never. I’m going to ride to my own Funeral.

Here’s my hearse

Grandpa Nice only gave up riding his bike (very slowly) when he was past 80. He said that while he didn’t mind falling off it was unfair on other people if he did it in front of their car. I plan on riding until I’m no longer capable of staying on the thing.

Bikes are so ingrained in my life, I’ve never stopped to think “when will I stop riding”.

Health permitting, I want to be racing Super Vets category – BMX, DH and likely XC…

I’ll clock up maybe 100+ road miles and 80 odd off road miles in a typical week (at least during the spring/summer/early autumn months).

😯

Impressive!

He said that while he didn’t mind falling off it was unfair on other people if he did it in front of their car.

😆

My Grandfather is 95 this year and still rides his bike to the paper shop every morning at 6am…. I’m 36 and i drive there.

Edit: his bike is a 1954 Raleigh superbe so it makes him extra cool!

I’m 55 this year, entered Mayhem for the 12th year running. I’m coming to terms with the fact that I’m not going to be posting the fastest lap in our camp (ages in our 3 teams run from late teens through to, er… me), but I’m still going to enjoy the ride.

not until i have to for medical reasons. 48 earlier this year and loving it. I did have a big crash just before Christmas which knocked my confidence and has reaffirmed my need to keep both wheels on the ground from now on though. It did qualify me for top spot in MBR ‘old blokes’ pics tho 🙂

Grandpa Nice only gave up riding his bike (very slowly) when he was past 80

A guy in my village was still riding fast and long and steep well into his 80’s. 1000s of miles a year.

It seems an odd state of mind to imagine you’d want to, or need to, give up something you enjoy, particularly if its something as easy as riding bike.

When they prise my cold dead hands from the bars.

55 now and doing lots.
I’d like to keep road racing until I’m 65, longer if possible.
I might give up CX racing a bit earlier, seems silly an oldfart plodding around.
No need to give up mountain biking.
Started Audaxing with avengence now, 400kn tomorrow.
So as long as I’m not harming anyone I have no plans to give up.
One of my acquaintances is 75 and recently (I think) bought a 29er Superfly, can still kick ass on the road as well, he was a Holdsworth rider though.

Edit 54 now, **** me, that’s old age, what a ****.

fasthaggis – Member
Off road .. hopefully,between 60 and 70

Road … till my body won’t let me

This!

Recently bought a bike off a CTC member who spent his youth racing against the likes of Tommy Simpson et al. In later years he thought nothing of London-Edinburgh-London in a few days. Bike was a Roberts Audax built for him that he was selling because 100mile+ rides were becoming a bit tricksy. He is 83 😯

never, when i’m unable, I’ll get one of those new fangled electric bikes! 😀

never, if I get a bit wobbly would get a trike

At 51 i have moved from having a petrol engine to diesel. Takes me a while to warm up, ie 25 miles, but after that i seem to be able to keep going at one speed for hours.
Planning on entering Cx races this winter for the first time and have a 240 mile road ride planned for some time in the next 12 months.
Bike bivvying on a regular basis.
Only minor concession is planning on selling my Cotic Soul to replace with a full suss as my back needs some more protection.
But no plans to give up.

Won’t give up until my body does.

Really like the idea of the guy doing the mega for his 50th birthday – might aim for that myself! (got a fair way to go yet though)

I can’t imagine not going out on the bike.
Was out the other week with Doug Collins who’s in his 70s and still pretty fast. Maybe not as fast as when he was 3rd in London-Holyhead in 1962….

50 this year and don’t appear to have slowed down significantly although my knees and hips have been dropping occasional hints that perhaps I should singlespeed a little less.

I like the idea of Audax but spending that amount of time away from the family would be unfair so for now I’ll stick with two hour ‘rip my legs off’ rides.

I’ll be buried with my bikes!

I read last year in one of the local newspapers about a wife complaining about her husband doing his daily 100k rides in the mountains. She reckoned he should be taking things easy at his age…. he was 82!

I’m 59 and all of my riding buddies are younger than me, 30-10 years younger, in fact. I’m still managing to keep them in sight (well, most of the time!). However, falls really hurt now and it takes ages to recover. I thought I would try to keep at this level for another few years and then just maybe stick to trail centres and road riding. Possibly.

A friend of mine did a London-2-Paris a couple of years ago, to celebrate her Dads 65th birthday party.
They went with his cycling club, the oldest in the group was 80, and apparently kept pace with the ‘fast’ group.
Turned out he’d been a Pro cyclist living in Belgium when he was younger, and had been riding ever since.

I see a group of ‘old boys’ out for their Saturday morning ride in my Village on Saturday mornings, most are well into their retirement, and some look bloody ancient!
Some of them have pretty nice bikes though!

I got chatting to a group of old boys when I was out for a road ride last week, they had been on a day trip to the South Downs earlier in the week as one of them wanted to try out his new full susser!

I hope I can be one of those people….. and unless a doctor insists you give up, gentle cycling into older age can only be a good thing..

when I die.
hopefully getting a heart problem mended soon, so I will be in the market for a new bike.
in the 4yrs I have been ill, enduro events have taken off, I have plans to ride a few of these.

never give up something you love, just try a different flavour now and again.

When I’m dangerously infirm.

58 now still smashing Strava times!!

Never, there’s always recumbent bikes and trikes if yr bones become so old yr doc says no riding. Keep riding as long as you enjoy it 🙂