Fifty Plus (50+) - Did the Metric thingy

So what was it, 3 weeks ago when I posted that I had broken my all-time record of 22 miles in a day by riding 26 miles.

The 26 mile record turned out to be short-lived. I managed to ride 33 today, which is just a bit over riding my metric age. That's about 53km and I'm 52.

I didn't do it in one continuous ride. I was riding with friends visiting Wisconsin and it went this way. Rode 13.5 miles mostly uphill (railroad grades of 3%-4%) and into a 20 mph wind. Had lunch at a nice little cafe. Then rode the 13.5 miles back in less than half the time. They drove off, I thought I had another 6 miles in me so I got back up on my bike, despite my aching rear end, and did it.

This on top of riding 20 miles yesterday, making 53 miles in two days. I think my all-time two day high was something around 32-35 miles. This was all on limestoned rail trails, no asphalt pavement - which certainly would have made it easier.

So it is not yet mid-June and I've hit my "high level" goals for the year, which were to be able to work my way up to a metric age and to be able to ride 50 miles in two days by October.

I might try to do a 40 mile day at some point in the year. I don't really care about going for my age in miles. I do think if I could ride on level asphalt surfaces, that doing 40 wouldn't be that hard.

It sounds like you had a pretty good ride Tom. I don't know what's going on with all this wind this year, but it's making me a stronger rider. I'd like to see how it would be without it though.

I rode with 4 other 50+ riders. While in the parking lot, there were 4 other 50+ riders. Out of the 9 of us, my bike had the thinnest, least cushy seat and the more forward leaning riding position. I found that humorous, for on this board, I have one of the most upright riding positions and one of the cushiest seats that anyone admits using.

The four people I rode with were making a tour of the midwest and planned to ride trails on 9 out of the 10 days of their vacation - averaging around 25 miles a day. They all had very wide, cushy seats, and all four had gel pads on top of those seats.

Congratulations, of course...but metric age? Pshaw! Next we'll be talking about riding our age in dog years! :D

OTOH, I predict you will actually ride your actual real, chronological age this year. Remember, you saw it here first.

Just put that in your helmet and smoke it! :D

Congratulations, of course...but metric age? Pshaw! Next we'll be talking about riding our age in dog years! :D

OTOH, I predict you will actually ride your actual real, chronological age this year. Remember, you saw it here first.

Just put that in your helmet and smoke it! :D
All these kids getting on the forum and metric miles, next it will be no pie.:D

Tom, I've ridden that far on limestone rails to trails too, on the Navigator. It definitely is not the same as riding on pavement. More work, and definitely more vibration from all that gravel. For me it gets old, which makes it hard not to say "fine, that's enough for today". Great job sir. Next question. After meeting your goals for the year in June, does one then rest on one's laurels, or set lo, even more lofty goals? And what are they like now? I think I smell a 40 plus ride in Wisconsin!

Good job, I'm impressed .The newv avitar's
ok too by the way

Not too interested in loftier goals. I'm riding for fun and fitness much more than distance or speed. If it turns out that some interesting goal presents itself, as it did today, I might take advantage of it. Otherwise I'll focus more on knocking off a lot of 10-15 mile rides.

Congratulations, of course...but metric age? Pshaw! Next we'll be talking about riding our age in dog years! :D


I couldn't do that last fall.

So what was it, 3 weeks ago when I posted that I had broken my all-time record of 22 miles in a day by riding 26 miles.


It has to be the helmet:)

It sounds like you had a pretty good ride Tom. I don't know what's going on with all this wind this year, but it's making me a stronger rider. I'd like to see how it would be without it though.

We had the winds here today, too:eek:

We did a 26 mile ride on the trails - 13 with tailwinds and 13 straight into 25 mph winds with gusts up to 35. I thought a few of those gusts were going to blow me off the trail.

Way to go Tom. Those trails up there so like a ton of fun. One of these days. You are right on the limestone thing. I figure it lowers my distance by about 20%. Sounds like a great ride. Any of those Wisconsin tornados in your area? You guys took a hit the past day or so didn't you?

We did arrange it so that we did the uphill & into the wind first, and enjoyed the downhill cruise w/wind on the way back. The ride back down was a blast - especially for such slowpokes as we are. We avg about 15 mph for most of the way, and going any faster than that on a gravel trail with tree shadows across it, is risky.

The tornadoes were in northern Wisconsin. We had some 30 mph winds and light rain, but nothing more.

Today I rode the Wild Goose Trail, which runs up the eastern side of the Horicon Marsh in central Wisconsin. Got off to a late start and didn't hit the trail until 11:40. It was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky, light winds, and temps in the mid-70s. The WGT is a gravel trail, but much of it was hard packed dirt (some of it was grass covered). I found that hard packed dirt rolls almost as well as asphalt, excepting for the occasional 3" wide hole that some animal was digging in it.

After 2.5 miles, I felt weak. Late start and now apparently no energy. Disappointing as this was the day that I had planned to drive to Red Wing, MN and to attempt a 40 miler on Sunday on the asphalt Cannon River Trail. Plugged along and at 4 miles, I caught some energy - pushing my speed up from 11.5-12.0 to 14.5-15.0 over the next 6 miles. Took my first stretch break at the 10 mile mark - which broke my all-time record for most consecutive miles without a stop (I know, I know, pretty wimpy record).

At time I was feeling good and beginning to wonder how far I might go today. So onward I press. Went out to 14.5 miles north from where I parked before turning. Dropped 5 other riders along the way - my old all-time record on a ride was 2. Stretched again and helded for home. Stopped 3 times on the way back - playing it safe by stopping to stretch. I have a long-time muscular condition where I stiffen up and then have a hard time moving after that. Took some ibuprofen to keep the stiffness at bay.

At mile 19, a black cat crossed the trail in front of me. Not a good sign.

Get back to the car at 29 miles. Feeling good. Decide to go for more. Was already at my 2nd longest ride ever (see Post #1 above). Rode 3 miles south. At mile 33 another solid black cat crossed the trail in front of me, even stopped to look at me before hopping into the field. "What's up with this?" I think.

Right after the 2nd cat crossed me, at 33.5 miles, I hit the wall and started dragging up a grade at 9mph. I had my record but wanted more. So I press forward and am feeling better when I get back to my car at 35 miles. Decide to go for 40. Ride 2.6 miles back north again. Now I've got to do 40 or walk it home. I bring it in, do a victory lap around the parking lot and stop with the odometer reading 40.45 miles.

Could have ridden a bit further but including stops, I was now at 4 hours and 58 minutes elasped time. To do my age would have taken another 1.5 hours. Wasn't up for that.

I think I averaged around 12.5 mph while riding. Fast for me. A good 2-2.5 mph faster than I was 2 months ago.

A significant factor that aided me was switching my saddle earlier in the week - which was an iffy thing to do before taking a long ride. My Terry Cite has been okay, I rode it on my 33 miler. But I wanted to try out the Terry Butterfly Ti, yes that is the Beautiful Butterfly women's saddle, that I got free last year. While I don't like it having a butterfly embroidered on it, I knew it was a well-regarded (and expensive) saddle. And while it is a women's design and thus wider than the Terry Fly Ti men's saddle - it was still 0.4" narrower than my Terry Cite men's saddle (and about 15 cm narrower than a Brooks B-17). So what the hey, why worry about it being a women's saddle? And it has a nice leather cover.

Anyway, it worked out VERY well. Even after 40 miles and a good 3:20 riding on the saddle, my rear was still feeling pretty good. Never had a saddle this comfortable.

So I have now hit my Life Goal of 40 miles. Can't believe it. Just two months ago I was struggling to do more than 12. Hit 18 in early May, 26 in late May, 33 in early June and now 40 in late June. I am more than pleased.

Only way I will do more is if I get faster. I don't want to ride any longer than I did today. If I could average 17 mph, I would have done 60.

Oh and old, slow Tom ended up dropping 9 riders! Since I resumed riding last September, I'd only passed a grand total of 5 before today.

Some approximate stats from my ride:

Total number of cyclists that I spotted: Approx 70.

Total number of cyclists riding road bikes: 2

Total number wearing cycling jerseys: 0

Total number wearing black spandex trunks: 0

The closest thing to a cycling get up I saw the whole day was what I was wearing - Target C9 loose white jersey and discount store baggy black mesh trunk. I actually felt a little out of place on the trail ... looking too much like a poseur. Nearly everyone else was wearing cargo shorts or cut off jeans with cotton shirts.

It has to be the helmet:)
It's the new avatar! :)

Tom, congratulations on your progress and for reaching your Life Goal. You're an inspiration! :beer:

Tell me again..... what bike do you ride?

I'll have to keep that Butterfly saddle in mind if this one does not work out.

Not too interested in loftier goals. I'm riding for fun and fitness much more than distance or speed. If it turns out that some interesting goal presents itself, as it did today, I might take advantage of it. Otherwise I'll focus more on knocking off a lot of 10-15 mile rides.

You are saying you don't want to take longer rides at the same time you are bragging a bit about your longer rides.

Hhmmmm!

It won't be long before you have done a metric century. I see right through you.:D

Bloo&y Hell. It must be the air in the tyres- or the time of year or the end of the world is coming. Tom is getting up into double figures on all of his rides.

Look Tom. I reckon your problem on the energy stakes in that you are not eating right. Start eating pasta a bit more often, Chips or A decent meal the night before a ride and get some of that energy drink into your water bottle It does help- but I am Attaching a pic of the meal I had the night before I went up Ventoux. A Massive great big Trout cooked in the most Fantastic way, a Good portion of chips that I admit that I did not manage to finish and to round it off- a Hearty salad that is supposed to be the healthy bit.

Sorry about the pic- but I got Hungry just thinking of it again

Keep crankin' !! Nice job.

You are saying you don't want to take longer rides at the same time you are bragging a bit about your longer rides.

Hhmmmm!

It won't be long before you have done a metric century. I see right through you.:D

I believe in the post after (or right before) the one where you pulled this quote, I said that I might go for a 40. Metric Centuries are another story. At my current rate of speed and break intervals, that would require nearly 8 hours of elasped time, with about 5 hours of ride time. I don't think I can do that.

Now if I get a new lighter bike and can get that average speed up to 15 mph, then an age (52) ride is a possibility. That would take 3.5 hours in the saddle, which is only 10 minutes longer than what I did yesterday.

My lack of speed is a limiting factor at this point. But it is improving.

Bloo&y Hell. It must be the air in the tyres- or the time of year or the end of the world is coming. Tom is getting up into double figures on all of his rides.

You know, this was a factor.

I've taken a number of rides with my tires psi in the mid-50s. Yesterday I stopped for gas on my way to the trail and used the air hose to push my tires up to 70 psi (they take 60-80). No doubt this helped.

So it was the air in the tires, not the end of the world as we know it.

Tell me again..... what bike do you ride?

I'll have to keep that Butterfly saddle in mind if this one does not work out.

I ride a 2000 Trek 7600. It's a nice bike. Trek still makes the 7500 and 7700 but has since dropped the 7600. Mine would probably sell between $900-$1000 new. I got it used last fall for $300, with about 800 miles of use on it. It's from their standard hybrid line and is quite similar to your Cypress SX. It's a bit heavy as it has a suspension fork and seat post. Yesterday with full water bottle, cable lock, mini-binoculars, and two small bags on it, I bet it weighed in the 38-40 pound range.

That's what makes the Titanium rails of my Terry saddle ironically funny. Those Ti rails are saving me what 2-3 oz from standard rails? That makes absolutely no difference when your loaded bike approaches 40 pounds.

My lack of speed is a limiting factor at this point. But it is improving.

I'm puting my money on a metric century! :D

Tom, it's not going to be long before the rest of the Freds kick you out too, just like you keep threatening to do to me.:eek: Oh and by the way I claim first prize in predicting the 40 plus ride soon for Tom Bombadil contest, I'll get back with you on my address where you can send my prize. Just make sure it's not a white bike 'K?

Great job. It's hard to just keep going even when you don't feel all that great about it. Especially considering all those black cats...

I'm with Denver and Gee, I smell a metric century in 2007 from Tom Bombadil. But hey what happens, happens and it's all good. Thanks for writing that ride up. Reading it made me feel good.

Followed up yesterday's 40 by spending the day along Lake Michigan, temps in the 60s at times with the winds blowing off of the lake. They have a "trail" that runs close to the lake connecting the towns. The "trail" is about 60% bike path and 40% lightly used roads. So I was road riding today, on inclines that definitely exceeded rail trail grades. I was grinding/spinning up several of them.

So I start out in the very pretty port town of Port Washington. Very nice marina and harbor, with two famous lighthouses. Rode down to Cedarburg, which is one of the nicest small towns in the USA, their downtown buildings date from the 1840s to the 1920s and all are in excellent condition. Very few empty storefronts. Had lunch there and found some garden things for my wife ... which I will have to pick up when I drive there tomorrow.

Then it was back up to Grafton, stopping to visit a bike shop. Back to Port Washington and a ride up the coastline before heading back to the car.

When all was done, I had ridden another 31 miles, making a two day double of 71 miles. Old record was 53 miles, set 3 weeks ago. So at least I've done a 2-day metric century now.

I'm feeling pretty sore right now, although my rear is not as sore as it was after 53 miles on my old saddle.

Dropped a number of MUP riders today. But my biggest accomplishment was holding off two would-be 30-something passers. They were behind me & gaining at 5 miles from my destination. They were getting close at 4 miles to do. Surprising myself, I actually had something left and I kicked it up 2 mph (into a headwind blowing off the lake) and maintained it over the rest of the way. When I got to my car, they were roughly the same distance back as at the 4 mile marker.

Tomorrow will be a day off.