Originally Posted by
Trqtort
At age 51, is there hope to gain speed?
Yes.
I started at age 49. Each year I've gotten a little faster. I'm 55 now and last year was my fastest yet.
It takes effort to achieve, and effort to maintain. Just plain old riding around won't do it, as it will when building endurance.
Some people like focused, specific, training regimens. Some don't. I fall into the latter category, which probably explains why it took so long to build decent speed. Nonetheless, by regularly and routinely riding harder than is comfortable, I've made progress. You can too.
Early on, I learned the value of picking and choosing the right groups and rides. What worked best for my schedule turned out to be a bunch called the Fast Friends. They left me in the dust within the first quarter mile. I found another group at a less convenient time that rode just beyond my comfortable pace. Again it was a bunch of racers, but this time it was their recovery ride. That one worked well for me.