Getting old reluctantly

[User16625]

Isn't there a confusion here between how readily your fitness responds to training, and whether or not you can ever be fit?

Relatively, I am already pretty fit irrespective of my age, though one can find fitter people. So I can easily beat our neighbour, a lean 20-something with a super lightweight carbon bike, up our hill. But a few months back I was dropped on the same hill by two middle-aged guys who seemed rather serious about their cycling.

I was really looking for age-related advice, or experience from other perhaps older guys. Should I expect performance to plateau at this age, or is there still some point in ratcheting up training intensity?

You may have survived an ice age or 2, but thats no reason to give up the ghost just yet. Check this out guy out, hes ancient: Cycling in your 80s

 

[PaulSB]

I'm 62 this summer and have cycled off and on for 50 of those years. I'm not as fast as I used to be but can still knock out an average of 14.5 over 75 miles - well I could before the heart attack so I'm sure I'll get back to it.

I am though a much better cyclist all round than I have ever been. Road craft, stamina etc. Etc.

Since my mid 50s I've felt these are, generally speaking, the best years of my life.

At 61 I'm the second oldest in my club but hold my own on the club rides. The oldest member is 68 and he can kick an awful lot of backsides. Pensioner pace with Mike is best avoided.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

I didn't realise how many 60 ish or 60 +'s there are on here!

I'm 60 in November and am fairly fit and have slowly pushed my mileage up in the 3.5 years I have had my bike - did 2400 last year.

However, my average speed does not really change much (13.5 - 14.0 mph av') although I live in the hilly Lake District.

Not particularly bothered either - just happy to be out and about doing something fairly enjoyable and good for my anti-Grim Reaper campaign.

Interestingly (or maybe not!) it is rare that anyone passes me on my bike and I pass quite a few myself - so maybe I'm not that slow after all. The ones that do pass tend to be lean, mean racing machines who I could never compete with anyway so they don't bother me at all. And well done them!

My passion is hill walking (with a good measure of scrambling thrown in) and I regularly do 8-10 hour days and occasionally go up to 14-16 hours (got one coming up in August). Not that it's a race but my mate (he's 55) and I rarely get overtaken on long routes and without trying we reel in many fellow walkers esp' youngsters who can't seem to pace themselves very well.

I think in our age group we are probably blessed with good stamina if not outright speed - and long may it continue for us all!

 

[recycling]

I will be 71 next month and started cycling in January this year. I don't have the experience to offer any advice, but on the subject of hills, which are everywhere round here, I have already found them easier than when I started..I can now ride, very slowly, up some I had to walk up at first.
I don't understand the reasoning behind not using the lowest gear. I change down very early and just try to keep pedalling without looking too far ahead. I also try to keep in mind Rule 5.

 

[tyred]

Speak for yourself, I get more childish everyday.

 

[youngoldbloke]

By this time last year I was over the 2000 mile mark, but my hip has been the limiting factor this year. Due to be replaced later in the year - I'll be 69 by then - but I'm concered that any residual cycling fitness will have been lost by that tme




<<<<<< otherwise this says it all

 

[Jerry Atrik]

Get strava premium then compare your times in your age group . It's a real booster and great for the ego .

 

[bozmandb9]

Isn't there a confusion here between how readily your fitness responds to training, and whether or not you can ever be fit?

Relatively, I am already pretty fit irrespective of my age, though one can find fitter people. So I can easily beat our neighbour, a lean 20-something with a super lightweight carbon bike, up our hill. But a few months back I was dropped on the same hill by two middle-aged guys who seemed rather serious about their cycling.

I was really looking for age-related advice, or experience from other perhaps older guys. Should I expect performance to plateau at this age, or is there still some point in ratcheting up training intensity?

I'm not sure anybody can answer that.

Or rather I suspect nobody could answer it with any degree of accuracy, since nobody knows your DNA, or adaptations. Theoretically, you should be losing muscle mass, and some degree of aerobic capacity, as you age. However we all age at different rates. Also, my theory, or daily rant, is that age related decline is only inevitable once you've reached 100% of your potential at a given age.

So for what it's worth, I'd say No, you should not NECESSARILY expect to plateau, unless you really have maxed out your potential.

Also factor in training methods, nutrition and rest. You may have reached your potential given your current strategies, and in order to progress, you may need to mix things up a bit, look at improving nutrition, changing your rides. It is highly likely that if you are only repeating your commute, that you will not see any improvement, whereas if you vary your training, you will force adaptations. Your body will long since have adapted to your standard commute, so you almost certainly have plateaued in that ride.

 

[RMurphy195]

I'll be 66 in a few weeks. never been ashamed to use the granny gear up hill (I live on top of a not-particularly big one, it just feels like it after 25-odd miles!). And my "Granny" is 21"! If you run out of gears, you can always fit smaller chainrings!

 

[Gatters]

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

you'd be mad not to

 

[oldwheels]

What on earth is all the fuss about. 60 is quite young really. I will be 81 soon and see no prob cycling regularly. Just use a bit of common sense. I have had to change to a Brompton due to a rheumatic problem with getting my leg over ( the saddle that is ) but tried out my old touring bike yesterday and expect to be out on it soon. Mileage is not as high perhaps as in past and I rarely go beyond about 50 miles in one day now.

 

[Vertego]

Don't really get all this 'age' stuff.

I shall be 60 next month, assuming I get there. I never worry about it. Age just happens, until it stops (which is probably a bit of a bummer).

I've been riding for ages - 50 years probably. Apart from when I had some years off due to the kids (and me being lazy) and a couple of surgical interferences I've always ridden, but at different levels. Yes, I was faster when I was 20 but that's almost inevitable. Jumping up to more recent times, I'm certainly riding more, and harder, now than I was even 2 years ago. Speed is up, on average, by 2-3 kmh. Cadence is up from 75ish to nearer 90rpm. I can go up hills, although don't tend to do much more than 20% if I can help it. 25kms at an average of 5% - bring it on! Alps are this year's holiday destination.

So, no, I will not accept that you slow down as you get older. Well, certainly not 60.

My inspiration has to be Robert Marchand - he's 'only' 105 and still riding well beyond many a quarter of his age. This is him of 2 years ago, but still at it today...

http://ardechoise.com/en/News/News-of-l-Ardechoise/Robert-Marchand-103-years-old

 

[Yorksman]

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?

I'm guessing that after so long, you've reached your best for this hill. If you wanted to find it easier, you'd have to train on harder hills, then you might notice that this one seems a bit easier. You get into the law of diminishing returns when you are fit and often have to work disproportionately harder for a small improvement.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Wait a minute ... @derrick - what is going on on the Strava profile of your ride!? I noticed that the summits appeared to only be at 100 ft above sea level so they seemed very small hills, but I have just noticed that the base level appears to be at -250 ft, which can't be right!

Perhaps he was using a Garmin, which was having a very bad day. The altimeter on my Edge 800 has a few times informed me that I'm not above ground, but instead in . My record to date is about -300m.

 

[AnneW]

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!

I've always felt like a 3, but keep at it anyway or I'll lose what I have.....


I didn't start cycling until my 40s so I'm reassured to read so many of you say you're 60, 70 plus. I really will keep plodding on !!