How Many Oldies Here?

[welsh dragon]

But 54 gives you two years more.

I was expecting to be afflicted by stiff, worn joints and to emit those groaning noises that old people make when they stand up but, no, just the power output gradually ebbs away.

I think we still have a few more years before we emit those groaning noises. At least I hpe so. My mum was in her 80's before she made them, so there's hope for us all. Gradually powering down sounds good to me. Nice way of putting it.

 

[Salar]

60+1

 

[Deleted member 1258]

But 54 gives you two years more.

I was expecting to be afflicted by stiff, worn joints and to emit those groaning noises that old people make when they stand up but, no, just the power output gradually ebbs away.

The power curve ebbing away affects most people and is perhaps the most annoying part of the ageing process, I was talking to a cycling mate who I hadn't seen for a while, guys in his 70's, and he was complaining about the average speed dropping off, something that p***** me of, I've dropped from a 16-17mph average to a 13-14mph average over the last few years. Knowing I'm about to retire and will have both time and energy to spare I've been toying with the idea of going back into training, I haven't trained for years, but part of me thinks that perhaps I'll be wasting my time as I might just end up fighting a loosing battle against a natural process.

 

[Norry1]

I'm 55 in 3 weeks time. I started cycling in 2010 and did LEJoG with my brother in 2011.

My theory is that because I didn't start cycle training until I was 49, I should be able to improve my power each year by a little bit more than age robs me of it. Well that is my theory and I hope to improve every year until say 60 - when I'll reconsider

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

The power curve ebbing away affects most people and is perhaps the most annoying part of the ageing process, I was talking to a cycling mate who I hadn't seen for a while, guys in his 70's, and he was complaining about the average speed dropping off, something that p***** me of, I've dropped from a 16-17mph average to a 13-14mph average over the last few years. Knowing I'm about to retire and will have both time and energy to spare I've been toying with the idea of going back into training, I haven't trained for years, but part of me thinks that perhaps I'll be wasting my time as I might just end up fighting a loosing battle against a natural process.

Well, the evidence seems to show that we all end up losing the battle eventually. However, the evidence also seems to show that using the body slows down the process of losing the body. Getting a sweat on regularly also gives the heart and circulation a little refresher too. I'm gradually getting into a rather split approach of doing some fairly energetic spinning on the turbo and then quick pootling along roads that aren't too full of rush-abouts simply because I'm rarely under any time pressure and I prefer to relax and keep it smooth.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Well, the evidence seems to show that we all end up losing the battle eventually. However, the evidence also seems to show that using the body slows down the process of losing the body. Getting a sweat on regularly also gives the heart and circulation a little refresher too. I'm gradually getting into a rather split approach of doing some fairly energetic spinning on the turbo and then quick pootling along roads that aren't too full of rush-abouts simply because I'm rarely under any time pressure and I prefer to relax and keep it smooth.

I've always said that I'll have to be dragged into old age screaming and kicking, so perhaps going back to training is one way to achieve that, and of course anything that slows the process down has to be welcome.

 

[PK99]

I'm 55 in 3 weeks time. I started cycling in 2010 and did LEJoG with my brother in 2011.

My theory is that because I didn't start cycle training until I was 49, I should be able to improve my power each year by a little bit more than age robs me of it. Well that is my theory and I hope to improve every year until say 60 - when I'll reconsider

That has certainly worked for me.

I bought my first ever bike (specialized mtb) at about 40 and pootled towpaths until 2008 (53) when I got a Tricross, then a Van nic Yukon in 2011 (56). I'm riding Ventoux next September

 

[SpokeyDokey]

But 54 gives you two years more.

I was expecting to be afflicted by stiff, worn joints and to emit those groaning noises that old people make when they stand up but, no, just the power output gradually ebbs away.

Not just cycling either - I'm pretty fit (I think) certainly much more than a lot of guys I see in my age group but...

...there are things that seem much harder to do than before. Stuff like digging the garden over, mixing mortar with a shovel and lugging stuff like bags of sand etc around. Everything is getting heavier & heavier!

More and more I pay much younger & stronger guys to do these sorts of things. Maybe I should pay someone to cycle for me too?

 

[RichardB]

Two things I have found at age 60+ :
1. Training takes longer than it used to - that is, any improvements in my fitness and strength have been a lot slower coming than when I was in my 30s.
2. Healing is also slower. I had quite a bad fall (not bike-related) and tore muscles in my shoulder and broke a couple of ribs. That was 11 weeks ago, and I am still in a lot of pain and haven't fully recovered the movement in the shoulder joint. Injures seem to take forever to heal, which makes me a little more concerned about a fall on the bike. I used to bounce - now it looks like I will disintegrate.