Slowing down...

[gom]

At “about 60” I’m definitely not as fast as I used. I don’t pass many these days and passed by two cyclists on the way home today, one in jeans & on what looked like a cheap mountain bike. Crushed again.

Still I was out for 8 hours on Sunday, only stopping for essential cafe breaks. Not totally shattered when I got in, helped by a tail wind in the afternoon. So a few more rides to look forward to before the grave.

Happy Cycling to one and all.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Are you doing much hard efforts or just doing long steady distance?

 

[Tim Hall]

I was an a bike shop a few years ago where there was a bunch of older cyclists, certainly older than 60, having a blether. The main complaint of one of them was his 10 mile time wasn't as good as it was, which he put this down to the beta blockers he was on, as they were restricting his heart rate...

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I remember some years ago being blown away by a group of 70 year olds, I think the youngest was about 72, I could hang on on the flat, but as soon as we hit a hill they were gone, I couldn't get near them.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

At “about 60” I’m definitely not as fast as I used. I don’t pass many these days and passed by two cyclists on the way home today, one in jeans & on what looked like a cheap mountain bike. Crushed again.

Still I was out for 8 hours on Sunday, only stopping for essential cafe breaks. Not totally shattered when I got in, helped by a tail wind in the afternoon. So a few more rides to look forward to before the grave.

Happy Cycling to one and all.

The older you get the longer you go.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

The older you get the longer you go.

Thats right, at 66 I have no problems with distance, its the speed that I've lost, I saw an old facebook post I wrote about three years ago, a ride report, I was grumbling about only averaging 14.5 mph, now I'm averaging 13.5mph.

 

[arch684]

At 67 it takes me all day to do what i used to do all day

 

[Tim Hall]

At 67 it takes me all day to do what i used to do all day

YATheOldestSwingerInTownAICMFP

 

[Slick]

I'm not sure age necessarily means slow. I met a guy on the boat to the Isle of Arran, who informed me he had no intention of going hard round the island, preferring to stop every 10 miles or so to enjoy the view, a picnic and maybe read a chapter of his book. I explained that whilst were not really pushing it, we wouldn't be hanging around, so said our good bye's on the pier. We did stop pretty early, as my brother wanted to check out the velo cafe, and once we got going again we passed the old boy and thought we would never see him again. We did see him again, a few times, before we finally reached the base of the last climb. I had to stop for a break to get the blood back in the legs and just as I felt them starting to recover, who trundled up but the old boy complaining bitterly as he had been slowed by a visit from the fairy and couldn't quite get the pressure back to where it should. He left again once we had done what we could to help him and I just managed to pass him on the final climb, but by then I knew I had to put in a right good effort. If that was him taking his time, I wouldn't have liked to go head to head with him in his prime.

 

[hoopdriver]

At “about 60” I’m definitely not as fast as I used. I don’t pass many these days and passed by two cyclists on the way home today, one in jeans & on what looked like a cheap mountain bike. Crushed again.

Still I was out for 8 hours on Sunday, only stopping for essential cafe breaks. Not totally shattered when I got in, helped by a tail wind in the afternoon. So a few more rides to look forward to before the grave.

Happy Cycling to one and all.

Exactly! You were out for eight hours on Sunday - something only a tiny percentage of 30 year olds in this obesity plagued country are caoable of doing!

 

[Hedgemonkey]

I have eventually come to accept that I probably have ten years or more on the others that pass me on the way home on my commute, so I've put the carbon bike away for weekends and ride the Steel one with panniers to work, yep it takes me longer, but in more comfort and less sweaty and hauling 13kg along = no desire to try and cling on to some young pups back wheel. ;-)

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I'm not sure age necessarily means slow. I met a guy on the boat to the Isle of Arran, who informed me he had no intention of going hard round the island, preferring to stop every 10 miles or so to enjoy the view, a picnic and maybe read a chapter of his book. I explained that whilst were not really pushing it, we wouldn't be hanging around, so said our good bye's on the pier. We did stop pretty early, as my brother wanted to check out the velo cafe, and once we got going again we passed the old boy and thought we would never see him again. We did see him again, a few times, before we finally reached the base of the last climb. I had to stop for a break to get the blood back in the legs and just as I felt them starting to recover, who trundled up but the old boy complaining bitterly as he had been slowed by a visit from the fairy and couldn't quite get the pressure back to where it should. He left again once we had done what we could to help him and I just managed to pass him on the final climb, but by then I knew I had to put in a right good effort. If that was him taking his time, I wouldn't have liked to go head to head with him in his prime.

There are people in my old club, The Coventry Road Club, who are putting in time trial times that a youngster would be proud of, and these people are in their 60's and 70's. I think most riders slow down as they age, but for a lucky few they seem to be able to maintain the speed, though I know some of these people still put in a serious training effort.

 

[hoopdriver]

With age comes the wisdom of knowing that bicycle rides are not all about pace and speed and relentless cadence - they are about liberation, exploration, seeing the countryside at a human pace and the sheer joy of getting about on two skinny wheels. What’s the rush?

 

[Slick]

There are people in my old club, The Coventry Road Club, who are putting in time trial times that a youngster would be proud of, and these people are in their 60's and 70's. I think most riders slow down as they age, but for a lucky few they seem to be able to maintain the speed, though I know some of these people still put in a serious training effort.

I'm not sure if this guy would fit that category or not. It seemed just a bit like the hare and the tortoise, and I did wonder if he was at it and used us as a target, but either way, he did impress.

 

[gom]

Yes, the key thing is to have enough puff to cycle all day and enjoy it. I was laughing at myself on the way home and started the thread to “share”.
10 years ago I was between jobs and went out with the weekday vets a few times. I could keep up, but it wasn’t slow even though most must have been 15+ years older. A good ride several times a week will do that. Having a job does get in the way.