Age or Ability for over 50’s?

[stuarttunstall]

I am the same as you, started back to cycling a few weeks back, 54 in July and not been on a bike for 35 years plus....

I am in the process of getting myself fit and lose weight .. over the last few years I have lost 7 stone with about a stone in the last 8-9 weeks.... I used to go to the gym but stopped for about 6 months, now a member of Pure Gym and go 4 times a week, then the new bike gets used Saturday/Sunday... I am no way fit or even stable on the bike to venture busy roads but living on the Yorkshire Wolds have some quite lanes (although up and down lol) until I get better and fitter... do about 5-6 miles each day, so 10-12 extra miles exercise I could not have got...and I enjoy it!

 

[Bloodaxe]

You are stuck between factions unfortunately, but there should be a group to cater to your needs. Whereabouts in the country are you, might help get you some specific advice.

Years ago I used to live next door to a pensioner in his 70s. His wife was wheelchair bound but once a week he would go out without her and take his bike in the back of his car to meet up with the geriatrics mid-week cycle run. They always headed over towards Cheshire and would start/finish at a garden centre or similar so they could park and get food and drink before or after a ride that was flattish and at a pace to suit. Even they would have fast and slow groups despite all being well stricken in years!
The one thing they did have was retirement allowed them to ride mid-week when the roads and cafes weren't over run with lycra clad whippets, I guess you don't have that luxury, hence my comment about being stuck between the retired plodders and the weekend lycra warriors. Don't worry though, there WILL be a suitable group for you, even if it is less formal than the traditional cycling club structure (forums and facebook are pretty good at bringing these smaller less focused groups of cyclists together).

Thanks for the advice
I am in Rayleigh in Essex.

 

[Bloodaxe]

It possibly depends on what sort of fitness you are wanting to achieve. I got 'back on the road' at around 50, and built up my fitness with the help of a basic cycle computer, recording my daily mileage, setting myself targets for the week/month/year. I didn't have ready access to group/club cycling and didn't worry about times or speed, just got the miles in and became fitter beyond my expectations.

Thanks Snorri

 

[Bloodaxe]

Where are you based?

Hi Martin
Rayleigh in Essex

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Hi @Bloodaxe, to CC!
I suggest don't pick your club only by the average age of members: some groups/clubs, like my local CTC one, average 70 years of age but keep a fast pace.

 

[I like Skol]

Hi @Bloodaxe, to CC!
I suggest don't pick your club only by the average age of members: some groups/clubs, like my local CTC one, average 70 years of age but keep a fast pace.

Try before you buy

 

[DRM]

I started riding again seriously at 49, was overweight, slow and could only do about 5 miles, however the weight started to drop off, 5 miles became 7, then 10, than 12 etc, I know now that I can go out and knock 50 miles out, just ride regularly & keep upping the distance and the fitness will increase, I would also worry about keeping up if I joined a club but surprised myself on holiday last year when I caught a French club run up one Sunday & found I could keep up as when they found out I was a visitor I got an invite to join them for a while, so just ride your bike regularly, push yourself a little as your fitness increases, find a club & enjoy the ride.

 

[alicat]

Try these guys if near enough.

My Cycling UK member group (used to be the CTC or Cyclists' Touring Club in the good old days) is very welcoming to returners and beginners and has some rides at very sedate speeds.

 

[DRM]

I started riding again seriously at 49, was overweight, slow and could only do about 5 miles, however the weight started to drop off, 5 miles became 7, then 10, than 12 etc, I know now that I can go out and knock 50 miles out, just ride regularly & keep upping the distance and the fitness will increase, I would also worry about keeping up if I joined a club but surprised myself on holiday last year when I caught a French club run up one Sunday & found I could keep up as when they found out I was a visitor I got an invite to join them for a while, so just ride your bike regularly, push yourself a little as your fitness increases, find a club & enjoy the ride.

I would also add to this, if you need to rest part way up a hill,do it, you will find as time goes on you’ll get further up the hill, until one day you just keep going, learn how to intuitively change your bikes gears and use all of them as required, most importantly enjoy the ride & see how much more you notice around you when out on two wheels

 

[Deleted member 26715]

if you need to rest part way up a hill,do it,

Also there is no shame in walking, never mind what others say, if you need to you need to.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Also there is no shame in walking, never mind what others say, if you need to you need to.

It's also a good injury avoidance strategy. Don't kill yourself and pull a muscle and then be unable to ride at all until it repairs itself. I've walked up the worst bits of several steep gradients, especially recently as I'm not as fit as I was 30 years ago! It gives your leg muscles some respite and allows you to get your breath back. By the time you're over the lumpy bit, you've recovered enough to be able to carry on at a decent pace, rather than struggling to the top of a gradient and ending up completely knackered and with your legs full of lactic acid. Trying to ride when getting off and walking for a bit instead would be more sensible, is plain dumb behaviour.

 

[pangolin444]

Hi Everyone
I am just getting back on the road and am now 55. I need to get fitter and would like to join a group/club. The only problem is when I see the fit youngsters fly by and think “I can’t keep up with them”.
Does anyone know of a group or club to break me in or do I jump in the deep end with the high flyers?

You're doing better than me! As a new member I haven't even found where to post an introduction! I thought "beginners" might be it ;-)

 

[Heltor Chasca]

I wish I had avoided Audax all together. The over 50s are all faster than the youngsters.

 

[Freelanderuk]

You're doing better than me! As a new member I haven't even found where to post an introduction! I thought "beginners" might be it ;-)

Try here

https://www.cyclechat.net/forums/new-member-introductions.14/

 

[Alan O]

Let's Ride does a lot of local guided and social rides, at various (usually slow) paces, and I regularly go on their longer rides. No membership or anything like that needed.

Cycling UK/CTC have various regional-specific groups too, and their rides tend to be a little longer/faster (in my area at least). You can go on up to 3 rides before you have to join (Merseyside group - don't know if they're all the same).

They vary around the country, but both might be worth checking out.