Is it an age thing!

[JPBoothy]

Hi All,

I'm sure I am not alone here but, I seem to have fallen out with my love of cycling in a massive way.

I have ridden regularly for the past 40yrs so it was never just a passing whim. I used to be an avid follower of cycling on the tv, subscribe to Magazines, ride in 100ml + Sportives, enjoy tinkering with my many bikes and any opportunity to talk about bikes with anybody who would listen. But now, I can't bare any of those things at all. If I manage to 'force' myself onto a bike now it will be for a short trip to the shop for a coffee in my ordinary clothes with the sole purpose of giving my desk bound legs a spin and with absolutely no thoughts of speed, distance or pb's ever entering my head. I have a cupboard full of colourful lycra which I now look at with total disdain and can't imagine wearing that 'silly looking stuff' ever again! It's almost as if I want to go back to the days of just being 'a bloke with a bike' rather than being labelled as 'a cyclist' and hearing people talking about Turbo Trainers and Strava every 5mins.

I will be the first to agree that getting people out of cars and healthier can only be a good thing but, its almost as if its massive increase in popularity has now made cycling feel like a 'sport' rather than a pleasurable 'fun' passtime.
Sorry guys, I'm not knocking your cycling it is purely a personal thing 

 

[Dave7]

Cant imagine its an "age thing" as there are plenty of older persons that still love it.
I am not in your league for distance etc but aged 72 still enjoy (pleasant weather) cycling.
I think that many people fall out of love with things eg I used to almost live for photography but rarely pick my camera up now.

 

[vickster]

Hi All,

I'm sure I am not alone here but, I seem to have fallen out with my love of cycling in a massive way.

I have ridden regularly for the past 40yrs so it was never just a passing whim. I used to be an avid follower of cycling on the tv, subscribe to Magazines, ride in 100ml + Sportives, enjoy tinkering with my many bikes and any opportunity to talk about bikes with anybody who would listen. But now, I can't bare any of those things at all. If I manage to 'force' myself onto a bike now it will be for a short trip to the shop for a coffee in my ordinary clothes with the sole purpose of giving my desk bound legs a spin and with absolutely no thoughts of speed, distance or pb's ever entering my head. I have a cupboard full of colourful lycra which I now look at with total disdain and can't imagine wearing that 'silly looking stuff' ever again! It's almost as if I want to go back to the days of just being 'a bloke with a bike' rather than being labelled as 'a cyclist' and hearing people talking about Turbo Trainers and Strava every 5mins.

I will be the first to agree that getting people out of cars and healthier can only be a good thing but, its almost as if its massive increase in popularity has now made cycling feel like a 'sport' rather than a pleasurable 'fun' passtime.
Sorry guys, I'm not knocking your cycling it is purely a personal thing 

Why not join a slow moving pootling group? You can wear whatever you want and just enjoy the cycling and company? It doesn't have to be a sporting activity

 

[Venod]

I have not fallen out with cycling as I have aged but I have binned Strava, and slowed down a bit, rides are no longer about PB's or distance ridden, and I am enjoying riding just to keep fit and enjoy the outdoors, I have also not joined the club this year, preferring to ride alone most of the time. I do enjoy the turbo in bad weather, that's something I thought I would never say but the smart turbos make it bearable, and I never tire of tinkering with the bikes.

 

[Grant Fondo]

I can understand what you mean but I found 'seeing stuff' as part of a ride kept up my enthusiasm, not elevation data or average cadence logarithm info etc etc. Each to their own i reckon. 100k+ rides like i did in my 30s are a non starter now, too much stress on the old legs and lungs. Oddly unlike you i enjoy watching Giro, Tour and Vuelta much more than when i was younger. Blows me away watching what the pros go through!

 

[roadrash]

It's almost as if I want to go back to the days of just being 'a bloke with a bike

Then do so if that's what you want

 

[JPBoothy]

Thanks for your ideas and suggestions folks. I am looking forward to a gentle pootle in the warm sun though. The bike is a great thing and one that I intended to be riding into my old age so hopefully it will pass. I am definitely keen on the back to basics rather than racing snake look though

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I'd say it's because a lot of people start out as "blokes who ride a bike" then it gradually morphs into an obsessive way of life that takes over too much free time, prevents you from eating and drinking any "bad stuff" you want, and becomes something that is eventually resented because it controls you not the other way round.
Bloke starts out on a fairly basic and inexpensive machine, and it gets him from A to B and is a relaxing and harmless hobby. Then starts to read media reviews of fancy equipment, interact with people on forums who really think that £5k is a perfectly normal price for a push bike, looks at the weight of everything down to the last gram, has to have a separate wardrobe of cycling-specific clothing, gets a fancy cycle computer, signs up for Strava, starts obsessing about average speeds and achieving ever faster times over their regular routes. Forces themselves to go out on "training rides" even though the weather might be horrible, and they'd actually much rather spend the evening in front of the TV or down the pub. Feels guilty if they don't ride as hard and as far as possible as often as possible, because they might be missing out on a potential higher level of performance.
What starts out as a bit of fun becomes something that absorbs all of someone's spare time and all their spare money. I would actually consider it a form of addiction in some cases, especially when it gets to the point of people admitting to being bad-tempered and grumpy because other things in their lives (like work and domestic responsibilities) have conspired against them to prevent them riding for several whole days!.
Never lose sight of the fact that it isn't all about average speeds and longest distances and PB's and KOM's, it's just about jumping on a bike and going for a ride. Even if it's a tatty old worthless heap of a heavy steel bike and you are wearing jeans and a pair of builder's boots. As a casual utility and recreational rider, I can take it or leave it. Go for a ride, or go out for a load of beer and a doner kebab instead. If I choose the latter, I don't feel guilty about it and I don't feel the need to "make amends" by riding twice as hard or as far the next time. I own my cycling hobby, it doesn't own me - and because of that I don't ever feel forced to do it when I'm not in the mood or resent the amount of time it demands.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I'd say it's because a lot of people start out as "blokes who ride a bike" then it gradually morphs into an obsessive way of life that takes over too much free time, prevents you from eating and drinking any "bad stuff" you want, and becomes something that is eventually resented because it controls you not the other way round.
Bloke starts out on a fairly basic and inexpensive machine, and it gets him from A to B and is a relaxing and harmless hobby. Then starts to read media reviews of fancy equipment, interact with people on forums who really think that £5k is a perfectly normal price for a push bike, looks at the weight of everything down to the last gram, has to have a separate wardrobe of cycling-specific clothing, gets a fancy cycle computer, signs up for Strava, starts obsessing about average speeds and achieving ever faster times over their regular routes. Forces themselves to go out on "training rides" even though the weather might be horrible, and they'd actually much rather spend the evening in front of the TV or down the pub. Feels guilty if they don't ride as hard and as far as possible as often as possible, because they might be missing out on a potential higher level of performance.
What starts out as a bit of fun becomes something that absorbs all of someone's spare time and all their spare money. I would actually consider it a form of addiction in some cases, especially when it gets to the point of people admitting to being bad-tempered and grumpy because other things in their lives (like work and domestic responsibilities) have conspired against them to prevent them riding for several whole days!.
Never lose sight of the fact that it isn't all about average speeds and longest distances and PB's and KOM's, it's just about jumping on a bike and going for a ride. Even if it's a tatty old worthless heap of a heavy steel bike and you are wearing jeans and a pair of builder's boots. As a casual utility and recreational rider, I can take it or leave it. Go for a ride, or go out for a load of beer and a doner kebab instead. If I choose the latter, I don't feel guilty about it and I don't feel the need to "make amends" by riding twice as hard or as far the next time. I own my cycling hobby, it doesn't own me - and because of that I don't ever feel forced to do it when I'm not in the mood or resent the amount of time it demands.

People often have to go through the obsessive phrase before going back to being a bloke on a bike. I've never used strava, I used to be a club rider, now I'm a lone rider just pedalling for enjoyment.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

The danger is that the fallout from the obsession phase could put someone off cycling completely and permanently. When I read postings on here from beginners jumping in at the deep end and contemplating spending some pretty serious money on what is going to be their first "road" bike, I often find myself wondering how long they'll keep it up.
They'll be enthusiastically encouraged to go all-in by various posters, whereas I would just stand back and say "why don't you buy a £50 secondhand banger first and see if you still enjoy riding in a year's time?"

 

[otek59]

If you are happier being a bloke on a bike then go for it, just so long you enjoy riding your bike it doesn’t matter how far or how many times a week you ride that’s the quality of riding that counts. I certainly put myself into the BOB category I like tinkering with my bikes as well as riding them to me it’s the pleasure of being out about that matters. One final thought how many former pros only started to enjoy riding their bikes when they didn’t have to

 

[pawl]

Cant imagine its an "age thing" as there are plenty of older persons that still love it.
I am not in your league for distance etc but aged 72 still enjoy (pleasant weather) cycling.
I think that many people fall out of love with things eg I used to almost live for photography but rarely pick my camera up now.

I am 78 and still cycling.My rides are usually around 15 to 40 miles.I ride usually about 3 times a week.I don’t obsess if I miss the odd day.Gone are the days when I would ride in any weather,I am quite content ambling along at12 to13 mph.The only target I set myself is to enjoy the ride and enjoy the coffees and cake.

 

[bladderhead]

Last year they told me I have COPD, also called emphysema. That pretty well dumps me in the BOB category. Luckily it is not too bad. I only notice it when I try to ride fast. Like I used to. I think some of the pleasure of cycling has been taken away, but I am still going to carry on. I cannot sprint any more. I cannot do the commuter racing like I used to. But I am still cycling almost every day. Actually now I am about to go and by some alcoholic beverage. You can't get more BOB than that.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Hobbies wax and wane in a natural cycle. The scope changes as well. My cycling has gone road, off road, road and is currently in a long distance road mode. I suspect in a few more years I will be more into touring. I am also a mountaineer so as I do less cycling I tend to do more hill walking and climbing. It's not an age thing.

So do whatever suits your mood and interest at any particular time. Whatever you do keep active as what people traditionally associate with age is no such thing but is the result of a lifestyle that became increasingly sedentary.

 

[Globalti]

I'll be retiring to Scotland in the next 18 months so road cycling will give way to more walking, gravel riding, E mountain biking, rowing, gardening, probably something community-related and brewing beer. Are you allowed to drink and cycle in Scotland?