Getting old reluctantly

[Clawed Butler]

I live at the top of a ¾ mile, 6% average gradient hill. I cycle a 20 mile commute 3 days a week, always ending (of course) with this hill. I have done this for about 10 years. In fact I have cycled all my life and am pretty fit, but I have never gone in for racing, sportives or touring. What bugs me is that this hill never seems to get any easier. But I have turned 60. Should I just accept that it never will get any easier, and that it is all uphill from here on? Or is there anything I can do about it at my age?

PS - As a matter of principle, I never use my lowest chainring/gear combination. I think of that as my safety blanket.

 

[Rooster1]

I'm 46, and I am feeling the exact same. Been cycling the same roads for 8 years and I am getting slower, finding the going harder.
I do have some positive options ahead though, as I am a few stone overweight, only 1 or 2, but enough to make a big difference.
If I can shed those, I think I will find the going easier again, at least for a time.
I think a new bike will also revitalise my riding also.

I like the idea of leaving the last gear as spare.

 

[mjr]

It never gets easier: you just go faster.

Getting old is better than the alternative, especially if you can keep cycling.

 

[steve50]

I live at the top of a ¾ mile, 6% average gradient hill. I cycle a 20 mile commute 3 days a week, always ending (of course) with this hill. I have done this for about 10 years. In fact I have cycled all my life and am pretty fit, but I have never gone in for racing, sportives or touring. What bugs me is that this hill never seems to get any easier. But I have turned 60. Should I just accept that it never will get any easier, and that it is all uphill from here on? Or is there anything I can do about it at my age?

PS - As a matter of principle, I never use my lowest chainring/gear combination. I think of that as my safety blanket.

Do you do any other cycling other than your commute?
If you do the exact same distance every day your body gets accustomed to cycling at a set pace for a set distance and as a result your bike fitness does not improve, can you vary your commute to cover a longer distance and perhaps a steeper climb or a couple of shortish climbs that will work your legs .
When I used to attend the local gym (heavy weight training) the best bit of advice I got was never stick to the same work out routine for more than a couple of weeks, the body gets used to the routine and gets stuck (plateaus).
The way to kickstart your fitness gains is to change your routine, give your body a wake up call, spin faster in different gears, challenge yourself to a new hill or a mile or two more than usual but don't forget to feed the extra miles.
I am fifty eight in April and still seeing gains in stamina and strength / bike fitness because i tend to set myself a goal and go for it.

 

[Katherine]

What's wrong with spinning up the hill in a lower gear?

 

[Flying Dodo]

Get an e-bike.

 

[screenman]

60 on Sunday for me, I started off 2 years ago to get as fit as I could for the big day. I can happily say I feel 20 years younger, swimming and cycling combined has transformed my shape and overall fitness to a level I never had from cycling on its own.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

What's wrong with spinning up the hill in a lower gear?

Absolutely nothing, as far as I'm concerned. And I've always got gears to spare, the only occasional problem being when they're all on my other bike.

 

[ayceejay]

Remember age is only a number and 60 is a really BIG number.

 

[ColinJ]

I live at the top of a ¾ mile, 6% average gradient hill. I cycle a 20 mile commute 3 days a week, always ending (of course) with this hill. I have done this for about 10 years. In fact I have cycled all my life and am pretty fit, but I have never gone in for racing, sportives or touring. What bugs me is that this hill never seems to get any easier. But I have turned 60. Should I just accept that it never will get any easier, and that it is all uphill from here on? Or is there anything I can do about it at my age?

PS - As a matter of principle, I never use my lowest chainring/gear combination. I think of that as my safety blanket.

I'm 60 and I rode up a 17% hill yesterday. It was hard work, but not a complete killer.

I ALWAYS use my lowest chainring/gear combination. I think of that as my sanity blanket! Oh, and I make sure that the gear in question is VERY low - yesterday's was frequently a 26/28.

No point in not using the gears for the job and then complaining that it is too hard!

How much do you weigh? If you are overweight, then losing some flab would be a simple and effective way of making the hills easier.

 

[PeteXXX]

Sell that house and buy one at the bottom of a hill, that way you will get the gradients done first thing and then freewheel home..
Simples

 

[steveindenmark]

I am almost the same age as you.

You need to change your mind set.

Be thankful that at the age of 60 you are able to get up that hill at any speed. Many of my school friends and ex collegues have passed away and I cycle most days. I ride along lovely tracks and by the sea and think how lucky I am to be here.

I have some big hills to get up and I can get up them in my own time. More importantly, when I get to the top I can keep going.

Just be thankful.

 

[Clawed Butler]

Believe me, guys, I am thankful to be active, fit and able. I don't even have any flab to shed. I just hoped there would be some improvement over time. Actually I don't know whether I climb faster because I abandoned my bike computer when its first battery died (too much clutter on the bike). So it is possible that I always climb to the same degree of effort. Although the spring-time switch to my better bike is like releasing a spring, I get just as puffed climbing.

I will take Steve50's advice about varying my commuting route -- well in fact I already do -- although at the end of the day there is always this same hill!

 

[ColinJ]

A Michael Mosley Horizon documentary suggested that there are 3 broad groups of people, athletically speaking ...

1. Super-responders, making up about 15% of the population. These are natural athletes who don't need to work that hard to get very fit. You clearly are not one of them!
2. Average-responders, making up about 65% of the population. I think I am one of them. I can get fit if I make the effort, but it doesn't come that easily to me. Maybe you are in this group?
3. Non-responders make up about 20% of the population. Their health can still benefit from regular exercise but it is unlikely that they will ever get really fit. If you are in that group then that would explain your problem!

 

[Speicher]

I'm 60 and I rode up a 17% hill yesterday. It was hard work, but not a complete killer.

I ALWAYS use my lowest chainring/gear combination. I think of that as my sanity blanket! Oh, and I make sure that the gear in question is VERY low - yesterday's was frequently a 26/28.

No point in not using the gears for the job and then complaining that it is too hard!

How much do you weigh? If you are overweight, then losing some flab would be a simple and effective way of making the hills easier.

I like the idea of a sanity blanket, rather than a safety blanket. I think I will knit myself one of those.