does everyone fall apart at 40?

[Ian H]

Speed goes down, endurance/stamina goes up. Bloody-mindedness increases fourfold.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I only find that my human battery tires quicker than it did when I was younger which I suppose is natural. I only suffer aches and pains after a heavy day at work....

I think thats something we all have to put up with as we age, I tire quicker take longer to recover and ache more after a hard days graft.

 

[Drago]

70 - awesome. Hope I'm still going at 70.

Mate if mine is 73 and still gets up to do paper round in the surrounding villages on his trusty old Ammaco MTB.

There might be 2 feet of snow, the trains might not run, motorists will have ground to a halt, but Colin has never yet failed to get through with the papers. If we had more people like that with a proper 'can do' attitude then this country wouldn't be sinking into the U bend the it is.

 

[ColinJ]

Mate if mine is 73 and still gets up to do paper round in the surrounding villages on his trusty old Ammaco MTB.

There might be 2 feet of snow, the trains might not run, motorists will have ground to a halt, but Colin has never yet failed to get through with the papers. If we had more people like that with a proper 'can do' attitude then this country wouldn't be sinking into the U bend the it is.

My late mum used to tell us about one of our Scottish family members from 100-odd years ago, the local postman. She swore blind that he was still delivering the mail when he was over 100 years old!

"He was taking a big bag of letters across the loch when out of nowhere a fearsome storm developed. He rowed as fast as he could but to no avail - a big wave came along and swamped the boat. He was drowned."

The tale always finished the same way ...

"Och, granny always used to say that if hadn't been for that storm, he'd still be delivering the post today!"

I always thought that had been some exaggeration of his age over the years, but some of our Scottish family have indeed got to 100, and many more into their 90s. I have a picture of a great uncle still riding his old bicycle well into his 80s. He only stopped on doctor's orders after wobbling into ditches several times in one year, possibly under the influence of 'a wee dram', or three!

 

[dellzeqq]

Ray Dare. Mr. Ray Dare to you lot. 100 miles in 4:59. Aged 81.

 

[vernon]

Ray Dare. Mr. Ray Dare to you lot. 100 miles in 4:59. Aged 81.

Wow!

 

[ColinJ]

Ray Dare. Mr. Ray Dare to you lot. 100 miles in 4:59. Aged 81.

Excellent!

This summer, I got chatting to a cyclist in his 80s. He told me that he'd done a century in around 4.5 hours in his late 60s but had gradually slowed down since then. I'd be pretty happy to be that fast near 70, and still able to go out on my bike in my 80s.

I've seen both sides of it - on the one hand, that fit and healthy great uncle who cycled into his 80s, and on the other my dad who was crippled by arthritis when he wasn't much older than I am now and could barely walk for a quarter of a century. I know which one I would rather emulate!

 

[dan_bo]

Ray Dare. Mr. Ray Dare to you lot. 100 miles in 4:59. Aged 81.

With all due respect to Mr. Dare, I'll see him and raise you 'Odge, A.K.A. Derek Hodgkins:

Derek Hodgins, 26th November 1933
National Clarion C.C. Age Claimed Records
Record of best times for each year since the age of 60

Year Age "10" "25" "30" "50" "100" "12hr"
1994 60 57.32 1.54.05 4.06.19 231.934miles
1995 61 56.29 1.56.04 4.19.15 226.364miles
1996 62 56.53 1.55.51 4.03.54 253.150miles
1997 63 22.01 55.14 1.56.17 3.56.06 232.02miles
1998 64 56.09 1.56.08 4.07.43
1999 65
2000 66 56.58 1.08.10 1.55.58 4.05.52
2001 67 23.09 57.12 1.09.52 1.56.40 4.01.04
2002 68 22.03 56.33 1.56.46 4.10.00
2003 69 58.11 1.59.43 4.16.23
2004 70 23.02 56.55 1.57.32 4.18.51
2005 71 23.54 57.31 2.00.32 4.27.19
2006 72 56.27 2.01.26 4.17.19
2007 73 24.42 58.01 1.11.24 1.58.12 4.10.40
2008 74 24.01 58.47 1.58.28 4.25.07
2009 75 24.20 57.38 1.14.47 2.04.05 4.14.11
2010 76 23.30 59.22 1.18.15 2.06.39 4.28.36

Track results are not included

http://stockport-clarion.org.uk/People/Derek.html

He set me away on a TT earlier this year

 

[dellzeqq]

Mr. Hodgins is indeed snapping up the records previously held by Mr. Dare, but he's not yet in to his eighties and therefore a mere stripling...
http://www.vtta.org.uk/information/recordsdetail.php?page=3&type=men&mach=bike&solo=solo&road=road

 

[dan_bo]

They're both proper hardcore.

There's a bloke well in his 70s, Reg Stanistreet, who was still kicking my ass on the CX circuit every year until he disappeared a couple of seasons ago. Turns out he had a BIG stroke-it occured whilst he was riding his bike as it goes- and is currently watching the CX from a wheelchair. Instead of getting all frustrated and down about it, he's been getting on with his physio and is on the verge of getting out of his chair again after a good 18 months.

Here's hoping he can put a lap into me next season.

 

[bicyclos]

A family member on my wifes side who has been a club cyclist all his life completed the end to end in seven days and three punctures at 75 yrs old....Does life begins at 40 ?

 

[400bhp]

Ha ha - where do I start!

:sits down with a cup of tea ready for a long read:

 

[400bhp]

When I was young and up until age 50 I was considered very fit, after 50 a slight slow down until the heart attack and open heart surgery at 60 then no biking for almost ten years until I started again in January this year. After taking statins for ten years my muscles were sore and shot and only determination kept me going and keeping up with a group whe are 20 to 30 years younger than me. However I came off the statins 3 months ago and last week had a blood test that showed my cholestrol level to be well in the good range. 10 years ago it was 10.6 .good is 5 or under. The only changes I have made is to restart cycling, change from butter to pro active, drink skimmed milk, consume less mayonaise. I have also shed 5 kilo's and feel like a new man. I make sure to ride approx 200km's each week with a longer ride each Wed with the other guys. We don't avoid hills we deliberately incorporate them in the routes . So I don't feel like i've fallen apart at 70 . I am absolutely delighted at the way things have worked out.

Great story that.

 

[ColinJ]

:sits down with a cup of tea ready for a long read:

I have to do something to fill those long hours off the bike!

 

[C7KEN]

So now all you younger guys (and girls) know that no we don't have to fall apart at 40. Something I omitted to say on my last post was that everyone thinks I am younger than 70 so trying to keep some level of fitness throughout my life seems to have helped me to look younger or maybe its the girlfriend as she is much younger than me and they say "your only as old as the woman you feel" There is a Norwegian man who joins us on wednesdays, he is three years older than me but keeps up with the group and he has recovered from two strokes so at a mere 70 years old I would be embarrassed if I failed to at least match his effort. Him and me take our turns to lead against headwinds which gets us respect from the other younger riders in our group and we intend to remain like this for as long as we can.