I'm getting there in my quest to do a 68 mile ride :)

[Dave7]

Trying to build up to 68 miler (as I turned 68 years old this February).
Managed a 20 miler 3 weeks ago.
Did 26 miles last week and felt quite good after.
Did 28 miles yesterday. Strong wind on way back which stopped me doing more.
Planning 35 for this Friday.
What I have found is that when you do e.g. 30 miles.......EVERYTHING does 30 miles.......knees, elbows, shoulders, wrists etc.
BUT...........I'm getting there

 

[BSRU]

If you can,try to plan your route so you have a tailwind on the way back home.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Something to aim for, you're doing brilliant.
Give yourself another couple of months building up the distance.
When is your birthday? Are you going to ride 68 miles on the very day?

 

[Banjo]

Trouble with cycling your age in miles is it can only get harder

Well done @Dave7 Your already doing more than lots of people half your age.

 

[dr snuggles]

As has already been said try to plan a good route with a tailwind on the way back, it'll help a lot. If I can cycle 68 mile at your age I'll be a happy man. Keep it up and we'll done.

 

[Dave7]

If you can,try to plan your route so you have a tailwind on the way back home.

Where I live (north Warrington) it is only enjoyable to ride out towards Cheshire. The other direction is A580/A49....both very busy. I think I have to get what I am given.

 

[Dave7]

Something to aim for, you're doing brilliant.
Give yourself another couple of months building up the distance.
When is your birthday? Are you going to ride 68 miles on the very day?

Turned 68 in February. I got back into cycling 2 years ago but got the big "C" and had 4 op's last year......so starting again and enjoying it
Yes........planning 68 miles on the day.

 

[PK99]

Good to set a target


I'm 60 this year:
Targets:
6000 miles
60 60 milers
6 100 milers
6 sportives
6 Tours (defined as at least 2 overnight stays)

 

[derrick]

Great thing to do, you will get there, Done a 63 miler today. https://www.strava.com/activities/281475452 I am 63 years young.

 

[ColinJ]

Trouble with cycling your age in miles is it can only get harder

Well done @Dave7 Your already doing more than lots of people half your age.

Keep it up Dave.

I was thinking along similar lines myself. At the moment I am doing plenty of rides longer in miles than my age in years (59), but at some point it would start to feel difficult, unless I dropped dead before then! Mind you - even if I lived to be 100, I would 'only' have to complete one imperial century ride that year ...

 

[Dave7]

Good to set a target


I'm 60 this year:
Targets:
6000 miles
60 60 milers
6 100 milers
6 sportives
6 Tours (defined as at least 2 overnight stays)

You can really go off people you know
Seriously that would be a great achievement.
Are you still working? if so it is even "greatererer"

 

[Banjo]

Not many 100 year olds can cycle 100 miles so on my 100th birthday I m going to drop down to the metric century challenge.
Well that's the plan anyway.

 

[ColinJ]

Not many 100 year olds can cycle 100 miles so on my 100th birthday I m going to drop down to the metric century challenge.
Well that's the plan anyway.

Actually, that's not a bad idea, but maybe switch over at a kinder age! Say,imperial distances until 80 and then do metrics. I would be relatively happy doing 80 km rides aged 80, and ecstatic doing 99 km at 99!

Here's something I wrote about my ride in the 'Cotswold Challenge', a 100 mile audax event.

There was a fast 14% descent off the hill and I was watching out for a right turn towards the bottom. I spotted another rider ahead of me whose positioning on the road told me that he was going miss the turn so I accelerated hard and caught him just in time and shouted “Right turn here!” He was not able to make the turn but I slowed down and waited for him. He soon came back to join me on the right road; and we ended up doing the rest of the ride together. (He was very interested in my GPS and was keen for me to navigate for him from then on to stop him going off course again!)

He was an older rider who had just celebrated his 70th birthday. I had a long chat with him about the health benefits of cycling and how I’d love to still be riding my bike in my 70s, like him. Apparently, one of his clubmates is 85 and still gets a decent ride in with his pals at least once a week - 25 miles to a cafe, a good cafe stop, then 25 miles home.

Good to set a target

I'm 60 this year:
Targets:
6000 miles
60 60 milers
6 100 milers
6 sportives
6 Tours (defined as at least 2 overnight stays)

Nice targets!

I have toyed with the idea of trying to become a 'Super Randonneur' *** next year. I like the idea of building up to doing a 600 km ride aged 60. Mind you, it has been several years since I even did a '200' ...


*** Complete a series including at least one each of 200, 300, 400 and 600 km audax rides in the same season.

 

[youngoldbloke]

I'm 68 later this year too. I've already done a 62 mile ride this year, so hope I'll make 68 miles+ at some point. It does seem to be getting harder though - it's tempting to go metric

 

[PK99]

You can really go off people you know
Seriously that would be a great achievement.
Are you still working? if so it is even "greatererer"

No, am a Genteel Gentlemen of Leisure (?Unemployed?Self-employed with no work?Empty nesting house husband? = Let's call it retired...)

I ride at least 2days most often 3 days a week, last year I did 27 rides over 60, 2 centuries, 3 tours, and 3600 miles till injured in September, so my targets are an achievable stretch.

It's all about setting yourself an achievable target that will make you feel good when you get there.

68, starting from "only" doing 20 miles, aiming for 68 miles in less than a year is a pretty stretching target.
6 hours riding is much more than 3 times 2 hours riding!

From experience, don't aim to do longer distances every ride. Stick at 30 miles for a few weeks, aiming to feel more comfortable, then to do it in a bit shorter time. Your body will condition to the effort level. Then when you step up to (say 40 miles) it will be a doddle, then repeat the process before stepping up the distance again.