Still 48 for a couple of months more. 16 in my head which doesn't always go well as I don't bounce any more. Been riding MTB since about 96.
Also currently mysteriously broken.
I didn't start MTB until I was about 53 - for me one of the great things about our hobby/sport is how inclusive it is for us 'veterans'. Social rides, organised events or competitions all have a place for us and we're welcome. I did my first EWS at 58!
I'm 62 now and on weekend social rides I'm mid pack age wise with the group I ride with in North Devon.
56 and feeling it.
This may come as a shock, but the last time we had an age survey I was the median age and it was 49. I'm 51 now, so doubt it has changed much.
For the record, I do not work in IT, nor do I drive and Audi.
Welcome.
Seems I'm just a youngster after all, who knew? Great to hear of so many people refusing to grow up and enjoying ripping up the trails at all ages. It really is inspiring, though you've robbed me of my main excuse for being slow! Genuinely chuffed by the welcome guys 'n' gals, thanks 👍
104yrs young between the two of us & we took up tandeming off road this year - it's like the first time mountain biking all over again 😀
Also currently mysteriously broken
broken buddy!
internet diagnosed mine to upper ITB inflammation, maybe due to riding a HT in Scotland* in -10 temps
*i.e. proper trails with "features" rather than mid english featureless ones
59, work in IT, only one of our cars is an Audi and none of my bikes are an Orange. Bought my first MTB (a Trek 830) in 1989.
I'm 16 and a few months. 594 months to be precise but still do all the things I did at 16, except I don't smoke any more. Or race in the same category.
Welcome, by the way, and if you need a guide around the cheeky bits of Cannock Chase I'm your man. Unless it's windy (and above 10C) when I'll be off windsurfing.
mature
🤣🤣🤪
Yep- I'm a bit older than you and still riding the trails, even though the doctor would prefer I didn't.
Keeping fit it a major problem but you just got to keep going.
I’m 74 and about to call it a day. Simply put I have nobody to ride with now and as an older, slower rider do not feel particularly welcome anymore. Lack of easy riding opportunities in my locality don’t help either.
I would be up for an oap group ride,
A wrinkly wobble somewhere as long as its not too uppy or too downy, too gnarly or too long, too hot or too cold, at a time when I haven't got a hospital appointment or a funeral to go to or having my ear hair trimmed.
Turning 52 in febuary , been riding bikes for years but really only started 'trail' riding about 10 years ago, started racing enduro 2013 and got hooked on the the excitement of it all, still rubbish though, highlight, entered the megavalanche last year.
old_mtber
Member
I’m 74 and about to call it a day. Simply put I have nobody to ride with now and as an older, slower rider do not feel particularly welcome anymore. Lack of easy riding opportunities in my locality don’t help either.
I’m not quite your age but I’ve pretty much given up riding with other people because a) they have to fit in around work and I don’t and b) they mostly don’t have the same sort of approach to riding as I do. I seek out steep, technical descents that (usually) don’t have to be ridden paricularly quickly and I’ll happily spend an hour or two experimenting with different, stupidly steep, lines and approaches until I can reliably clean it. Once a trials rider....
I have one guy that I sometimes ride with who’s happy to do the same, and after all, a clean doesn’t count if there’s no-one there to see it.
I don’t care how long it tskes me (within reason) to winch myself back up again and a lot of it is frequently a carry anyway, which is something else that pisses some people off.
When I say easy I mean of access. It’s a 50 mile drive to get to trails worth riding and to be honest I’m fed up with the effort.
I have considered an ebike but would mean a new vehicle and still the problem of solo riding. How to lift over gates, fences etc.
Unfortunately I live in the wrong county for off road!
I’m 74 and about to call it a day. Simply put I have nobody to ride with now and as an older, slower rider do not feel particularly welcome anymore. Lack of easy riding opportunities in my locality don’t help either.
That's a real shame, whereabouts are you?
Welcome OP. I’m 54 too, out 2/3 times a week , more if the chance arises. I’m one of the older guys on our regular night rides but we have a great spread of ages from 12 to mid 60’s
52 in June, started in mtb maybe 15 yrs ago, this year am faster and fitter than ever (might not be saying much) as I've been riding with some significantly faster and somewhat younger folks (40s 🙂 ) , also putting in a good bit of turbo time. Planning on a fair bit of xc and enduro racing this summer and May Finale trip booked. Sure someone has to make the others look good.
Why are blokes in their 50's bothering to post ?
You are not old ffs !
I'm 61 years young and been riding moors and mountains for 22 years ..and I'm one of the youngest in our group...however the the younger kids that ride with us are still in their fifties ..
Could well be interested in an old giffer group ride next year if it's in reasonable striking distance of Northumberland
Why are blokes in their 50’s bothering to post ?
Because the OP is 54.
..ok then ..why are blokes in their fifties including the OP calling themselves old ?..
Is that any better Scotroutes ..
🙂
I didn't say I was old, I just stated my age, if you think that's old, young, whatever, that's your prerogative.
Old physically or old mentally. There's a world of difference.
I ride my bike more often than the supposedly keen cyclist 2 doors up from me. And I'm 20+ years older than him.
Why are blokes in their 50’s bothering to post ?
I started the thread, should I not have?
..ok then ..why are blokes in their fifties including the OP calling themselves old ?..
It's all relative isn't it, compared to you I may be a youth, to my 30 year old kids I am ancient. As I said in the OP, I'm new to the forum, relatively new to mountain biking and just wanted to gauge whether there were many others around my age or older. Most people have been quite helpful in answering that and have been very welcoming. Sorry if I have broken some arcane rule I don't know about?
Wow, I had no idea that I was so young at 45 - this thread is giving me hope 🙂
Don't worry old bloke. It's a forum. You'll always get odd ball replies. Most folk will help. Just ignore the milennials and snowflakes. They know everything, and nothing.
old_mtber
I’m 74 and about to call it a day. Simply put I have nobody to ride with now and as an older, slower rider do not feel particularly welcome anymore.
Don't give up, but there's nothing wrong in taking it easy. Unless you have a physical problem, you can still ride at your pace - or even get that e-Bike.
Riding companions are very thin on the ground at our age. All the cool kids of our youth have been killed off or incapacitated by their bad habits.
I'm 74 this year too. (Shit, that sounds old when I say it out loud.)
I prefer to ride on my own anyway because my motivation isn't social or speed related, I just like being out in the mountains on my bike.
Any social rides I do are generally short and vintage bike related, rarely more than 20 miles, and that's about the crack not speed. Up here there's a loose group of us, and every so often we come up with an excuse for a ride. Last few were small wheel bikes, and then rodbrake bikes, but also lightweight classics. retro mtbs. Many of us are folk who like long rides, but do them on their own (some round the worlders, others toured Africa, etc etc), so this is a chance to talk bikes, trade bits, or just bullshit. FaceBook makes it easy.
As for motivation, I have definitely lost a lot of my top end in the last few years, but I won't be giving up the 200km road rides until I can't do them in daylight. I don't do it singlespeed anymore though, I'm now using a Sturmey-Archer 3 speed.
Right now I'm struggling to get motivated to get serious after my injury in the WEMBO 24 hr - I have had a long bludge, and I have the 'Puffer coming up.
BTW don't be shy about getting an e-Bike - it's the only legal way you get to feel 18 again. 🙂
Any time you fancy a scenic ride in the far north of Scotland, get in touch. 🙂
No rules broken ..just curious as to why relatively young blokes like to call themselves " old " ..
Jesus ..lighten up !
I am lucky that most of my riding friends are younger than me (I am 60, them 30s - 40s), so I will probably pack it in before them. The keen ones go off and do their own spanky thing a lot of the time but we ride/drink together socially. And the non-keen ones don't have a problem with taking it easy (for them) up the hills and waiting for me at the top. But this is mountain biking, I guess if I was more of a roadie I would need to find a group around my pace.
I don't see to many people my age riding the local gnarly stuff, which fortunately I am still capable of riding.
Seeing as we are having a head count of the slightly older gentlemen rider. I'm 50, 51 in April. Not sure how on earth I'm suddenly of this age but there it is.
48 and totally rad in a Orange riding, climbing, VW with stickers driving going grey slightly thinning hair gnarly kind of way. IBuprofen rocks dude!
For you young 'uns just cracking 50 or so, a few words of advice.
You're never going to be younger than you are now, so if you're going to do something, do it while you're still young enough, ie right now. 🙂
I too am in my 60s (just had my 64th birthday) and still love all kinds of riding. Fave is the techy stuff, and I mostly ride in the Peak with a bunch of 30-40year olds, but lately I've been limited to tamer trails by a knee replacement so since the summer I've been loving my gravel bike with my 70 year old riding pal. He's just bought an ebike and he is now pestering me to get my Bronson out and get back to the rocky terrain. Been riding for nearly 30 years and I'm sure I won't stop until I have to. I'd be up for a STW OAP ride, always looking for new excuses to ride
but lately I’ve been limited to tamer trails by a knee replacement
I too have a new knee. Every credit yo you for going off road with it. I'm sticking to the road stuff, but can do up to 70 miles with no cafe stop. If we have a meet we can compare scars!!!
The scar, and how it has raised my cred with the under-8s, was worth the op alone. Off road so far is field bridleways and towpaths. I thought I'd be limited to road riding but I'm more nervous about traffic than dog turds
I've been off the bike for 10 years waiting for the new knee.
I too was brown trousers about going back on the roads- and I used to do testing up and down A1!!!
I started off in the pine woods and disused railway tracks converted by Sustrans to a C2C route; Southport to Hull.
Gradually I started on the quiet lanes round here. We are lucky that there are a lot of little used roads round here that I can link into a loop of almost any size. So now I'm back almost full time as a roadie.
Still shit myself on busy roads and get off as quick as I can.
I would happily road ride quiet lanes but where I am I'd have a few miles of busy roads to get to the nice stuff, whereas I can be off road in 500m from my door so it's a no brainer really.
Bad luck for your long wait for the new knee. I was well impressed that I opted for a replacement in March and had the op in August, I just feel incredibly lucky to live in a time and place where this is possible. Bust your knee? Here, have a new one, free of charge
62 here and only been proper biking for a bit over 10 years. Bad back and osteoarthritis in one knee, both thanks to old rugby injuries. Riding this year has included about 15 Munro ascents on the bike as I love steep and technical stuff, and have done two very full on Alps trips. Gradually getting more and more broken but loving it
I’m 74 and about to call it a day. Simply put I have nobody to ride with now and as an older, slower rider do not feel particularly welcome anymore. Lack of easy riding opportunities in my locality don’t help either.
Awe, maaan. That’s not right. Do try to keep on riding, there are plenty of OAP’s riding in small groups these days.
Hate to say it but look on Facebook or your local cycling club or CTC or some other network.
It’d be a sad day when you give up because theees no one else to play with..
63 3/4 here. Started in 1991. The rest of my 'group' are in their 30s and 40s and I'm struggling a bit now. Time's also a problem, I like to ride my motorcycle, too. If only i could afford to retire! I'd certainly be up for a NW over 60s ride, I live in Cumbria
63 here and had to buy an ebike in order to keep up with younger members of the group.
61 in two weeks time, I rode MTB and competed in motorcycle trials for many years, when I reached my middle 50s I started to struggle a bit on the MTB and was seriously thinking about an electric MTB when I had a heart attack. Seems I needed new coronary arteries not an e-bike LOL, got back into cycling after double bypass surgery and haven't looked back. Current steed is an Evil 'The Calling' and a home built On One Inbred single speeder that I am currently rebuilding with gears into an On One Scandal Scandium frame to save my knees, I loved riding single speed but just recently have found my knees objecting to the low cadence, I realised that if I still wanted to be riding at 70 I better look after them.
bear-uk
Member
63 here and had to buy an ebike in order to keep up with younger members of the group.
I don’t get obsessed about keeping up with younger people in terms of pure speed (although, surprisingly, I sometimes can...) and instead focus on what I was always best at, which is probably technical descending and tight, nadgery type trails. As I’m nearer to 70 than 60 I just do what I most enjoy and don’t really give a toss about what anyone else can or can’t do.
I very briefly toyed with the idea of an e-bike but decided that, as long as I can do stuff unaided, then I will. Besides, I didn’t fancy the idea of carrying a 25kg bike on hike-a-bike climbs.
50 this year.
Org.
Old
Rotund
Grumpy
So there are enough guys (and gals!) on here for a meet.
All we need to know is..
Date
Time
Location
Road or off road
One day or two
B&B or camping or hire a place
Should be easy to reach a consensus on all that.
55 years old still not thinking about an ebike. 30 years of MTB still love it, highlight of the year for me going to Antur Stiniog doing the double black runs, still fell off a few times.
A childlike 49 here going by this thread. Still doing stuff on a bike I really shouldn’t, but i don’t know what else I would do.
I got an ebike 6 months ago, not because I can’t ride uphill or I’m unfit, just because it lets me explore more in the Alps and lets me session the DH tracks at home where there’s no uplift. Still ride my Capra too on group rides.
I ride my DH bike at Revs/Leogang regularly but injuries are catching up with me a bit, particularly hand injuries which take ages to heal.
Based in Wirral and work in Delamere if anyone ever wants to meet up for a ride.
52 here, and only been back riding five years. Lucky in that where I live is considered an MTB Mecca by some. Mostly ride on my own or with my son. Wish I'd started back on my bike 20 years ago though !
I don’t often see people my age on the trails, hence the post but it is reassuring to know you are out there somewhere!
maybe we all look youthful rather than ragged? - 60 next year bit of a shock
Nearly 62 here. I'd like to think I look youthful, but the mirror and my wife say otherwise. Still keeping up, but the hills keep getting steeper and longer.
70 next year and I still love buying bikes! My cross bike gets the most use, next to my ti single speed hardtail. My love of road riding has really lapsed, a lot of drivers really are just so impatient and selfish. Looking forward to doing some cross races (rides in my case) next year in the over 70 cat, less competition 🙂
....and I'm not buying an ebike till I really need one!
and I’m not buying an ebike till I really need one!
Honestly, don’t think of them like that..
I don’t need a ebike, but I’m absolutely loving mine. If you wait until you “need” one, chances are you won’t be able to use it properly anyway
“I don’t need a ebike, but I’m absolutely loving mine.“
Ditto! And it’s only two years since I last got ID’d, so I’m clearly not that venerable...
Also if you wait until you’re too old to pedal uphill without assistance you won’t have the strength to chuck a big heavy ebike around downhill, which is half the fun!
If an E-bike is anything like the weight of our Labrador I won't be able to lift it over anyway 🙂
Had major problems yesterday in The Brecon Beacons trying to access footpath with no way of getting dog through. Luckily found a very low stepover access further up road.
Didn't mean to upset you young E-bikers.....Happy Christmas and keep riding!
“If an E-bike is anything like the weight of our Labrador I won’t be able to lift it over anyway 🙂”
It’s never too late to get stronger!
52 and just done a double summit of helvellyn, skiddaw/ullock pike, boredale hause, dalehead and many other places Lake District and beyond. I ride with a few guys of similar age so this helps bit even so remember your only as old as you feel, keep spinning
61 past back in August..... booking a trip to Fort William downhill track for May of next year... looking forward to the adrenaline rush....... "old enough to know better but still young enough not to give a ****"
Life's for living.... so live it..... 😉
If you wait until you “need” one, chances are you won’t be able to use it properly anyway
72 in 3 months but keep telling myself I don't 'need' an ebike! Now thinking Colp has maybe got a point.
61years old, still learning, falling off, ride all year and having fun!
Pennies Member
If you wait until you “need” one, chances are you won’t be able to use it properly anyway
72 in 3 months but keep telling myself I don’t ‘need’ an ebike! Now thinking Colp has maybe got a point.
Definitely agree with that. I may have left it too late. Knackered back and knees, should have bought one a couple of years ago but have put off doing so awaiting the time when I could afford the newest/latest technology. Now possibly too late.. MrsT is giving up work due to ill health and I am also considering quitting, partly due to above aches’ pains, partly due to being tottaly pd-off with work atm and I will have my pension. Therefore affording an ebike(or any other)in the foreseeable future is unlikely.
Will keep pedalling till I can no more...
On the topic of an auldies meet could we maybe have an STW meet at head office in Tomorden, Chipps can lead. I’ve been on one of the office rides and it was a good day out.
Other suggestions being the Lakes hostel, camping/camper van etc. I could sleep/accommodate 3 others in my van
failedengineer.... I’m up in Dumfries and only a wee bit older than yourself, we could meet for a “nimble?)