How has your fitness changed over the years?

[fatjel]

I was 60 this year. I find I set different goals and use different equipment so direct comparsons to 30 years back arn't easy
I can measure how far and fast I go these days for example
Having recently broken my clavicle I can only agree about recovery times
!4 weeks after the accident and an easy 200k felt like the longest , hardest ride I ever did
I too have a new gardener lol

 

[Dave7]

At 69 and been cycling for 3 years I find I can do a 50 and next day my legs are 'heavy' but not aching. I am OK to play golf.
On Sunday I did a 26 then on Monday (yesterday) a 50.......I was feeling it today but playing golf tomorrow.
All we can do is keep as fit as possible for as long as possible while accepting that one day.......it will get us

 

[Crackle]

At 69 and been cycling for 3 years I find I can do a 50 and next day my legs are 'heavy' but not aching. I am OK to play golf.
On Sunday I did a 26 then on Monday (yesterday) a 50.......I was feeling it today but playing golf tomorrow.
All we can do is keep as fit as possible for as long as possible while accepting that one day.......it will get us

You're a fit old git, Dave

 

[Accy cyclist]

I'm doing around 150 to 200 miles a week cycling, compared to ten years ago when i was happy doing 75 to a 100. So i suppose i have more stamina now,but am i fitter? I've cut back the hours on my physical job because i found myself getting tired earlier in the day, I think age is creeping up even though i've trained myself to ride a lot more miles.

 

[Globalti]

I'm 58 and am a regular cyclist so keep reasonably fit. But I have recently bought a carbon road bike with Di2. It is great to be riding at speed with little effort. I am increasing my distances all the time and even getting out in the rain. Just spending more time on the bike is making me fitter.

Carbon and Di2 are really helping me.

Not just carbon and Di2; it's all those other user-friendly changes that are helping bring people like you and me into road cycling; broad, padded handlebars with a compact drop, compact gears with easy 50/34 gearing, wide-ratio 11-28 cassettes, good brakes, easy clip-in pedals, easy SIS gear shifting, smooth-riding 25mm tyres, comfortable saddles, all of these improvements have brought road cycling out of the slightly mad, stoic individual into the mainstream.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Interesting thread. When I was 41 I rode the most miles and distances than I'd ever done before. I lost 4 stone and weirdly never thought about age issues. I just had to man up, we'd dropped to one car due to the need to be frugle whilst doing our nurse training. It was hard at first, I mean really hard - a 20 mile commute each way at 18 stone was never going to be easy.

Now I'm the opposite to you guys, I know I can knock out 50 miles fixed and probably 70 or 80 on my B - despite being unfit and not riding much, I'd suffer but not because of age but because of lifestyle choices (work over health).

 

[swansonj]

Not just carbon and Di2; it's all those other user-friendly changes that are helping bring people like you and me into road cycling; broad, padded handlebars with a compact drop, compact gears with easy 50/34 gearing, wide-ratio 11-28 cassettes, good brakes, easy clip-in pedals, easy SIS gear shifting, smooth-riding 25mm tyres, comfortable saddles, all of these improvements have brought road cycling out of the slightly mad, stoic individual into the mainstream.

[thread derailment alert]
Alternative perspective: "all those other user-friendly changes" whereby in many cases "road" cyclists, used to the equipment norms established by racing, are discovering "improvements" that touring/leisure/utility cyclists have quietly benefitted from in their own niche areas from time immemorial.

 

[pauldavid]

At 69 and been cycling for 3 years I find I can do a 50 and next day my legs are 'heavy' but not aching. I am OK to play golf.
On Sunday I did a 26 then on Monday (yesterday) a 50.......I was feeling it today but playing golf tomorrow.
All we can do is keep as fit as possible for as long as possible while accepting that one day.......it will get us

Sounds like it's going really well.

The only advice I can give is to just keep increasing both the mileage and frequency of your rides, hopefully it shouldn't be long before your unable to play the golf.

Good luck.

 

[Dave7]

Sounds like it's going really well.

The only advice I can give is to just keep increasing both the mileage and frequency of your rides, hopefully it shouldn't be long before your unable to play the golf.

Good luck.

Ahhh......there is the problem. I enjoy golf, cycling, walking and a bit of bird watching.
And I'm sure there is something else if I can just think what it is. Oh yes......a wife

 

[screenman]

After a lifetime of cycling including a lot of racing I took up swimming as well 2 years ago at 58, my overall fitness has improved it seems.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

I've been out of regular daily riding for the last couple of months and doing shorter jaunts when I am riding a few times a week. I am really noticing that even on relative flat sections I'm a gear or so lower than normal.

Recovery isn't a bother now but I fear when I get back to normal I'll be a jelly when I'm done.

 

[gbb]

Its difficult to unthread what actually happens when you lose fitness as you get older...
Is it just age, a declining inability to recover quickly rather than an inability to get fit...does that make sense ? I find now if I push hard, my heart is still beating quite hard hours later, im not recovering like I used to 5 years ago...ride 50 miles hard then just carry on like nothing happened...I wish now.

But...nearly 58 and its still surprising me i can actually ride modestly hard and reasonable mileage with a damaged lung, lost fitness and age ever creeping up...despite 2 years off the bike amazingly it seems you do retain some of your fitness.
A lot of it is mental...the hard bit Is actually getting out there.

 

[Crackle]

Its difficult to unthread what actually happens when you lose fitness as you get older...
Is it just age, a declining inability to recover quickly rather than an inability to get fit...does that make sense ? I find now if I push hard, my heart is still beating quite hard hours later, im not recovering like I used to 5 years ago...ride 50 miles hard then just carry on like nothing happened...I wish now.

But...nearly 58 and its still surprising me i can actually ride modestly hard and reasonable mileage with a damaged lung, lost fitness and age ever creeping up...despite 2 years off the bike amazingly it seems you do retain some of your fitness.
A lot of it is mental...the hard bit Is actually getting out there.

I think you've had it tough, gbb. I'm not sure where I'd be had I been through what you have.

 

[fossyant]

Bloody knackered now after my accident 6 months ago.

I was doing OK fitness wise, but that's gone to pot, as has commuting. Unlikely I'll be able to ride the same again. Ah well. Messing in mud it is.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Interesting thread. When I was 41 I rode the most miles and distances than I'd ever done before. I lost 4 stone and weirdly never thought about age issues. I just had to man up, we'd dropped to one car due to the need to be frugle whilst doing our nurse training. It was hard at first, I mean really hard - a 20 mile commute each way at 18 stone was never going to be easy.

Now I'm the opposite to you guys, I know I can knock out 50 miles fixed and probably 70 or 80 on my B - despite being unfit and not riding much, I'd suffer but not because of age but because of lifestyle choices (work over health).

I'm much the same, I can ride further than I ever have. I find speed is more of an issue compared to my younger years but I can still clip along reasonably well. But it's stamina that I have now and having ridden no further than 50 miles in a single trip all winter I knocked-off 142 2 weekends ago without issue.