[Closed] Just had a thought.. I'm 43 now I may have only 10 years left on the mtb

what do you reckon ? Still riding at 53.. ?

How old are you ?

53 😛 . . . and wot davy-g said 😈

In our mtb group oldest bloke is far over 60 years and he is one of the best biker in our group. We mainly ride technical (rocky and rooty) single tracks. I am now 43 y. and I hope, that I still have at least 20 y left in my mtb career.

Only 51, but my racing and riding plans take me up to 65.
A lot of the old fellas I know are very fit.

Funnily enough I was on a 200k training session today, and I couldn't believe how well I'm still going. Got overtaken in the last few miles by some MTBers on road bikes 😳 mind you I was cooked.

I think they say 'wind ya neck in'

Some of us didn't [b]start[/b] mountain biking until we were 53 . . .

51 here no plans to stop riding for at least two decades.

Go mama! Go Tess!

8)

I ran my 10k PB in 2003 (was 30) and thought age would slow me. With less training I raced last year and was only 30 secs slower. But guess what, even tho I was in top 20, almost everyone ahead was older...
You stay as fast and fit as you want to IMO 🙂

I'm 51 and thinking about buying a new bike later this year.

consider yourself lucky sunshine

my gf started mountain biking at 54...........

A guy in our club is a regular on rides, the other week he did High Street, followed a few days later by High Cup Nick, at the age of 74.

I'll be 54 in 30 something days time, no one told me I was going to have to stop

STOP

49 in july. just a bit slower. cant seem to keep up with 20 year olds up the hills, trying more stuff each week, enjoy

Seen a 62 year old riding A.M climbs and downhills.

Still had years left in him and a ****ing nice bike too!!

In his 50's my dad did

Ran the yorkshire 3 peaks in under 5:30
Did the welsh 3000's twice

I did my first fell race in December, windchill c-15 to -20 and I had just been overtaken on the approach to the summit by this guy, who proceeded to finish about 8 or 9 minutes ahead of me and I was mid table. AWSOME, well into his 60's

[img] [/img]

The beauty about getting older is that you become more secure in doing what you want to do so the opportunities to enjoy yourself actually increase; something for the OP to look forwards to 8)

I'm not as fast as I once was, my eyes aren't as good and I enjoy far too much fine food than is conducive to riding uphill but I still love throwing a leg over the bike in my 50s. A group of my riding buddies are off to Morzine later this year; 3 are in their 60s and another 3 in their 50s. The hardest part of getting older is keeping up with the ever-developing social media to keep abreast of what's happening in the MTB world! 🙂

im 43 this year. you only grow old when you stop

40 Today ... So thanks for all the inspiring stuff, looking forward to another 40 years on a bike!

I'm 46 and enjoying my new Anthem 29er…just completed a 24hr and one of the competitors putting in good lap times was 66 - so I figure that I'm good for another 20 years and a few bikes yet!

I love this thread! 😀

All these older folk laughing at us younger ones for being a bunch of lightweights, and dusting us in races; and quite right too!

In a couple of weeks I'll be 59 and I'm enjoying riding as much as at any time over the last 20 plus years. I think that I'm riding better than I used to and I'm definitely getting out a lot more.
I can't see me giving up unless ill health forces me to do so, although what I'd do without riding bikes I really don't know...

As far as considering giving up at 43 - I only [b]started[/b] riding mtb's when I was in my late 30's.

Tess,

You'll have some competition in the TP this year. I happen to know that there's a 59 year old taking part this time!

All these older folk laughing at us younger ones for being a bunch of lightweights, and dusting us in races; and quite right too!

& I've got all me own teef y'know

43! thats 20 years older than mrsconsequence... time to retire and buy some slippers i think old man! 😆

i'll be in a wheelchair by the time i'm that ancient so realistically i should really spend all my savings on shiny bikes and enjoy them now yes? 😀

Did anyone see 'The Adventure Show' this week? This man ran the 'Carnethy five' - 5 big hills off road in February for the 43rd year- tough race - he was 78!

Thats a very defeatist out look on life, and if thats how you feel then quite probably you will be old before your time 🙂

I know lots of people in their 50 + who are incredibly fit and have no intention of packing it in because they are too old.

The only thing to say of course is that the older you get the more chance that falling off the bike etc will result in a broken hip or a bad fracture that doesnt heal as well etc. But hay thats life.

51. Finished the Kielder 100 last year. Not last and not the oldest. Probably give it a miss this year while I focus on getting better at drops and jumps. Looking forward to the Gravity Enduro

Suddenly I feel much younger-didn't realise there were so many kindred spirits on here 🙂

Started MTBing in 92 at the age of 30. Had a few years break at the 'turn of the century' but got back into it again 2003-ish.

New trails, new bikes, new kit I'll stop when I'm dead.

riding is about that inner child, i ride and i can hear him giggling 🙂

Slightly off topic but a pal of mine got a Pb at london this year. Fastest time for 10 years. Granted only 3 min faster that his last pb.
But at 50+ [Not sure exactly] A 2hr.55min marathon aint bad! He has just set up a new running company to, guiding in yorkshire.
So isnt it a case of get on with it and buy better suspension if you really have to? 😀

riding is about that inner child, i ride and i can hear him giggling

watching footage from rides made me realise its not my inner child giggling, its me! i giggle a lot whilst riding and didnt even realise

riding is awesome 😀

A guy in our club is a regular on rides, the other week he did High Street, followed a few days later by High Cup Nick, at the age of 74.

I'm a youngster at 44, so I've a while to go before I can retire but I intend to ride Lakes and Calderdale every day when I do 🙂

riding is about that inner child, i ride and i can hear him giggling

That's [b]exactly[/b] it. Nail on Head.

Jedi-Quote of the week 🙂

age is only numbers, you must listen to your body and adapt to what it will allow. one thing though is a cert do it now cause they'll be a time when you cant and wished you had..

http://pre65trials.blogspot.com/

we few we happy few

Schweiz,

When I did Trans Provence 2010 one of the guys (who was 30 odd) said he was going to come back and do it again with his Dad. I did feel if I do go back to it 2012 I would be taking some youngsters more rightful spot but having read this thread I now feel fully entitled to consider applying again 2012. Out last night on Shipley Glen, out again on Friday over Haworth/Oxenhope hope the sun still shines.

I'm only 33, but two of my regular cycling group are over 50, and one guy we sometimes meet up with who can kick all our asses in terms of fitness, is 62! He regularly does 12 and 24 hour events so you've got plenty of years left yet!

OP - face facts - you're dead, might as well bury yourself now and be done with it

Or [url= http://www.vtta.org.uk/newsite/php/vtta_records_all.php?pageNum_rs_records=1&totalRows_rs_records=122&type=men&mach=bike&solo=solo&road=road ]take a look at this[/url]

And look at GRF - he's 75 - he will only stop riding when he shrinks so much he can no longer get a bike small enough

[i] Just had a thought.. I'm 43 now I may have only 10 years left on the mtb[/i]

are you expecting your legs to fall off ? 😉

Kev

This thread makes me feel better cos I've not been enjoying being 35!!! Never mind 43

Schweiz,

When I did Trans Provence 2010 one of the guys (who was 30 odd) said he was going to come back and do it again with his Dad

That would be me!

craig1975 - Member
a good friend of mine is 53 and he's still battering down the trails as fast as any of us.....

U spend all your 40,s worrying about it and all your 50.s getting on with it.The big down side of entering your 50.s how much faster your age group races are compared to the youthfull youngsters.

Hi Schweiz I did wonder if it was you on that post cos I remember talking to you in the lounge tent and you mentioned you wanted to persuade your Dad to do TP - that is brilliant Good luck to both of you.

This has really cheered me up! I was having occasional thoughts like the OP as things seem to break down more as my body is literally coming to bits (I'm off the bike for a while after this weekend as it's ankle operation time) and I was absolutely dreading having to face winding down; also a lot of people on here recently seem (to me) to be about 10! As someone said above, I hadn't realised there were so many of us "veterans" - thnaks for the encouragement, I can keep going for a few years yet then!