Is 52 too old to start?

[Sharky]

I started riding (again) at 68, have had several bikes and still own two. And do all my own wrenching. It's a great way of spending one's retirement years. I'll be 80 in July.

To be truthful, I'm 76 next month and I've had many stops and restarts to my cycling life. The last "restart" was when I was 55 and took part in club runs, time trials as well as commuting to work. This lasted until I was about 73, when during the lockdown years, cycling declined a bit. But I am looking forward to kick starting my cycling again this year and riding a few more TT's.

Cycling will always be a part of my life and can recommend, no matter how young you are.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

You are too old to ride a bike when you can not longer balance it

Then you need a trike

if you can;t pedal hard enough any more - you need an ebike (UK legal of course)
or etrike

hope this helps

(note - there is something around about ebikes/trikes being classed as starter mobility devices for people with problems- which sounds great to me
something to keep an eye on!!)

 

[HLaB]

The late Robert Marchand was 68 when he started and got a world record!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Marchand_(cyclist)

 

[biggs682]

I started in my early teens for a few years then along came cars and other things had another dabble in my mind to late 20's .

Then I started again by commuting 1.5 miles four times a day in my late 40's and thankfully still doing and enjoying it.

I think it's never too late start

 

[YMFB]

Hello

I'm thinking about buying a bike and doing a bit of cycling in June, the reason primarily is because I will be in the UK on holiday then and its probably more practical than using public transport. My family live about 10 miles from where Ill be staying so it will be max 20 miles a day. I'm fairly fit (walk 4 miles a day and not overweight) but never ridden a bike before. So, will I get myself killed either with a heart attack or because I should be looking at allotments at me age? I'm thinking about spending 100 quid on something - nothing flash as Ill only be using it for a month

Gentlemen?

If you have any health concern, go to your dr/nurse and get checked out.

i started later than 52, having last cycled a bit in my late 20s. It took me several attempts to find the right bikes, arguably it’s still not exactly correct now, but that’s mainly to do the condition of our roads in the uk.

if I had my time again I’d try and buy a second hand bike. If I could only have one bike it would be a gravel bike with a second set of wheels with a road setup.

Enjoy

 

[sevenfourate]

Pretty much same age as I started (Again 🤷‍♂️).

Absolutely not too late. I’m enjoying various mixed cycling exploits from BMX, light off-road, commuting and upto 40 mile rides 😁

Have fun !

 

[ianrauk]

If you have any health concern, go to your dr/nurse and get checked out.

i started later than 52, having last cycled a bit in my late 20s. It took me several attempts to find the right bikes, arguably it’s still not exactly correct now, but that’s mainly to do the condition of our roads in the uk.

if I had my time again I’d try and buy a second hand bike. If I could only have one bike it would be a gravel bike with a second set of wheels with a road setup.

Enjoy

You're replying to a post from 2012 and the OP hasn't been seen since then, so very much doubt he will reply to you. Perhaps he bought a £100 clonker and karked it.

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

I've often wonder what sort of numbers I could have got on a bike if I'd trained/raced on a bike in my younger years, given I only began riding more when I turned 43 and was quite unhealthy after doing very little exercise since my RTA aged 40. Just about got to a point where I could regularly do ~4W/Kg ~320W for 20mins when aged 48... And then a few months later got covid that became long covid that has affected my fitness since.

Always enjoyed sport, often a decent level at many, but cycling more than popping to the shops or cycling to work was completely off the radar. Nobody in my social/family circle was a keen/club cyclist. Given how I love the challenge of hills, it's quite ironic that when living in Dolgellau in the early 80s, we were so close to the Bwlch Y Groes climb I had hopes of tackling when I got addicted to climbing the more modest South Downs hills in the last nine years.