Fifty Plus (50+) - Health, Motivation, Money and Biking

I have been asked many times why I go on this challenging Fast Cross Country Biking Tour at 120 miles per day for 3,000 miles.
Health
I do not know how to stay healthy unless I eat well and exercise a lot. I have friends who control their weight with just diet. My observation is that their resistance is lower than the athletes who exercise a lot and eat a lot. I have seen no double blind studies on that but my own experience seems to support that and for me that is all what matters.
Motivation
Assuming the above is true, I need Motivation. A Cross Country fully supported Bike tour will cost about $10,000. I am sufficiently concerned about that money to be motivated to safeguard it. That means training, eating healthy and being very careful.
Money
We are very shocked as how expensive high energy food is. I have been biking 100 miles per day for over ten weeks. My wife is an excellent cook. The ingredient cost is very high and good restaurant food is very expensive. I am not surprised that many Americans have weight problems. Eating healthy cost more than most people are able or willing to spend.
Biking
Biking is the only activity my 66 year old body can do for ten hours per day. Day after Day. At a HR of 100 to 140. I can now go on a hydraulic resistance trainer and do 17 MPH anytime for as long as needed without pain or problems. That is what lots of training will do. But it is expensive. No kidding.

Speaking of money, have you checked out the cost of an angioplasty lately? Seems to me that you're making the best investment in every sense of the word and ahead of the game in every possible way. Good for you!

A well-conditioned cyclist's body can burn almost anything.
Lon Haldeman and Sue Notorangelo did a RAAM event by tandem (9 days, 20 hours and 7 minutes) in the 1980s and one of their main sponsors was McD . . . yes, they consumed lots of calories, including copious amounts of their sponsors' burgers.
Agree that lots of exercise and good food is paramount. At age 75, I weigh 135 lbs and ride 100+ miles a week. My mega-miles days are in the past; rode 13,000+ miles in 1984 + working full time; have over a quarter million miles on tandems/singles in the past 30+ years.
Sounds like a motor home support + crew for you crossing if it'll cost you 10 grand.
We have set priorities!
Good luck on your cross-country ride.
Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

Good luck on your ride.

I'm reading Dr. Kenneth Cooper's AntiOxidant Revolution. Interesting book about beta carotene, vitamin C and vitamin E. He also recommends exercise not at peak heart rates, but in the range you mention as being the healthiest.

Sounds like fun. Actually, it sounds more like an interesting challenge. I'm just having trouble wrapping my head around the $10,000. For that kind of money, you'd better be supported like Lance himself. Will you have any break days?

Sounds like fun. Actually, it sounds more like an interesting challenge. I'm just having trouble wrapping my head around the $10,000. For that kind of money, you'd better be supported like Lance himself. Will you have any break days?

There are 25 biking days at 120 miles/day with two rest days.
The Total cost is an estimate consisting of Approximately $6,500 for a single room for 27 nights, breakfast, lunch, SAG, maintenance support and luggage transport. In addition there will be 27 dinners (not included in the $6,500). Flight to start point, hotel one night at start point. Hotel at end point, flight at end point. Bike reconditioning, packaging and UPS. Transfer hard case from start to finish point and UPS home again. The $10,000 do not include 3 months of training in Florida with hotel, apartment and food. That was another few thousand.
I have done this tour before and there are miscellaneous other charges. I scrapped out a set of wheels and several tires and tubes. We also were eating lots of stuff such as Milkshakes, Gatorade and basically anything we got our hands on.

Here's my version of your HMMB. It's what I tell people why I ride (albeit, I don't do the kind of insane riding Will is talking about)

THE FOUR Fs

FUN. Goes without saying. Cruising along on a good bike on a nice day, what could be better?
FITNESS: When I was getting ready to retire, I wanted to be sure to find something to get me outside and moving around. Getting a road bike turned out to be the thing.
FRIENDS: I have met many new friends since I started riding about 6 years ago. A whole new group. And when I moved, joining the local bike club was instant contact with many neighbors.
FOCUS: Time spent training for centuries and AIDS/LifeCycle, keeping my bike in good shape, looking for fun jerseys, talking to others about riding, riding in other areas, taking some photos, etc. etc., all combine to give some extra direction in my retirement years.

A well-conditioned cyclist's body can burn almost anything.
Lon Haldeman and Sue Notorangelo did a RAAM event by tandem (9 days, 20 hours and 7 minutes) in the 1980s and one of their main sponsors was McD . . . yes, they consumed lots of calories, including copious amounts of their sponsors' burgers.
Agree that lots of exercise and good food is paramount. At age 75, I weigh 135 lbs and ride 100+ miles a week. My mega-miles days are in the past; rode 13,000+ miles in 1984 + working full time; have over a quarter million miles on tandems/singles in the past 30+ years.
Sounds like a motor home support + crew for you crossing if it'll cost you 10 grand.
We have set priorities!
Good luck on your cross-country ride.
Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

I agree that a tour can be done on what I call junk food. As you say in your post.
My tour is a motivator for healthy living and not an end in itselves.

I believe that you are what you eat. A life based on poor quality food shows in many ways such as eye sight, skin tone, bone structure, general health, resistance to disease.
IMHO a comment as you make should come with a warning: Low quality food can ruin your health if taken over long periods of time. I have seen bikers look much older than their age because of poor diet.

My definition of poor diet is: Deep fried food, High sodium diet such as canned food. Soda drinks of any kind. Fatty foods such as cheap meat. Processed food such as TV Dinners. Mass prepared food such as Airlines or Cruise Ships serve. Most Fast Food as served by Chain Restaurants. Any Food with low vitamin or energy to mass content. Most important: Food needs to be a balanced diet.

My hat's off to anyone who rides 120 miles a day for 3000 miles. Impressive stuff.

I agree that a tour can be done on what I call junk food. As you say in your post.
My tour is a motivator for healthy living and not an end in itselves.

I believe that you are what you eat. A life based on poor quality food shows in many ways such as eye sight, skin tone, bone structure, general health, resistance to disease.
IMHO a comment as you make should come with a warning: Low quality food can ruin your health if taken over long periods of time. I have seen bikers look much older than their age because of poor diet.

My definition of poor diet is: Deep fried food, High sodium diet such as canned food. Soda drinks of any kind. Fatty foods such as cheap meat. Processed food such as TV Dinners. Mass prepared food such as Airlines or Cruise Ships serve. Most Fast Food as served by Chain Restaurants. Any Food with low vitamin or energy to mass content. Most important: Food needs to be a balanced diet.

If you are tryindg to keep healthy and for for this tour- your Diet must have been right for several months beforehand. As you say- Good food cost's money. You Don't have to have Sirloin steaks every night- but Good quality meat- fresh "Organic" vegetables and Fresh fruit are a must. Then getting the balance right on carbo-hydrates- protein- minerals etc must be a nightmare.

This ride is not only going to rely on your fitness. It down to the time, devotion and I hate say it- but money- that you have been able to put in over the past year.

Good luck on the ride- and keep us posted as you did last time.

If you are tryindg to keep healthy and for for this tour- your Diet must have been right for several months beforehand. As you say- Good food cost's money. You Don't have to have Sirloin steaks every night- but Good quality meat- fresh "Organic" vegetables and Fresh fruit are a must. Then getting the balance right on carbo-hydrates- protein- minerals etc must be a nightmare.

This ride is not only going to rely on your fitness. It down to the time, devotion and I hate say it- but money- that you have been able to put in over the past year.

Good luck on the ride- and keep us posted as you did last time.

Yes stapfam.
It is all about choices. People around me spend that same money on Ship Cruises, Golf Vacations, Entertainment Centers, Power Boats, Motor Cycles.
I do what I do because on balance it provides the most bang for the buck. I have never felt so invigorated. Lucky I have a wife who puts up with it and is not too belligerent about it.

When will you be doing this? Will it be possible to keep any kind of personal written or visual record of the event? I realize that you don't need one more thing to think about given the intense nature of the ride, but it would be outrageously cool if you could give short reports back here during the ride.

When will you be doing this? Will it be possible to keep any kind of personal written or visual record of the event? I realize that you don't need one more thing to think about given the intense nature of the ride, but it would be outrageously cool if you could give short reports back here during the ride.

There will be personal reports. I will carry a Laptop and a digital Camera. I will post here as I can. There are time constraints and connection issues. The Tour will leave April 21, 2008 Orange County, CA. There will be 27 days biking with two days rest. 120 miles/day average. Maximum elevation climbing in one day is 11,000 ft.
The Tour Leader is Mike Munk and has this Web Site which shows previous tours but not this one yet.[URL="http://www.bamacyclist.com/"]
I think he will make daily reports with pictures.
BTW, the 2006 tour shows me under the name "Will". See "Most Recent Ride Journals" next see "Archives" next see "Fast South 2006" next see "Meet the Riders".

I am looking forward to the reports.

Completely agree with you on the value of great nutrition and the necessity to pay up. I have done multiday tours but not the mileage per day and the distance that you are planning. You certainly have the experience and training and I am sure it is going to be a fabulous, life enriching event. I am looking forward to your reports and pics. Good luck.:)

way to Go!!! Will -


guess it's true:
'were there's a Will there's a way'

way to Go!!! Will -


guess it's true:
'were there's a Will there's a way'

Well, it is nice to see that slogan back from 2006. I will use it again this year.
I went on my Cycle Ops trainer today and did 50 miles at 17 MPH at HR 125 and less. I think I am as ready as I will ever be. Can't wait until next Monday.

Completely agree with you on the value of great nutrition and the necessity to pay up. I have done multiday tours but not the mileage per day and the distance that you are planning. You certainly have the experience and training and I am sure it is going to be a fabulous, life enriching event. I am looking forward to your reports and pics. Good luck.:)

You know Hermes, I love this country but I am also worried that this great country has lost its way. Our education has missed the boat on common sense. Eating junk food is not a good thing. Look at any cross section of the population.
Why do we have to let it become a national crisis before we realise the errors of our way?

Best of luck on your ride, Will.:beer:

Here's my version of your HMMB. It's what I tell people why I ride (albeit, I don't do the kind of insane riding Will is talking about)

THE FOUR Fs

FUN. Goes without saying. Cruising along on a good bike on a nice day, what could be better?
FITNESS: When I was getting ready to retire, I wanted to be sure to find something to get me outside and moving around. Getting a road bike turned out to be the thing.
FRIENDS: I have met many new friends since I started riding about 6 years ago. A whole new group. And when I moved, joining the local bike club was instant contact with many neighbors.
FOCUS: Time spent training for centuries and AIDS/LifeCycle, keeping my bike in good shape, looking for fun jerseys, talking to others about riding, riding in other areas, taking some photos, etc. etc., all combine to give some extra direction in my retirement years.

There is a fifth one,FREEDOM!
Cheers,Tony.

There is a fifth one,FREEDOM!
Cheers,Tony.

I like it.

I have been asked many times why I go on this challenging Fast Cross Country Biking Tour at 120 miles per day for 3,000 miles.
Health
I do not know how to stay healthy unless I eat well and exercise a lot. I have friends who control their weight with just diet. My observation is that their resistance is lower than the athletes who exercise a lot and eat a lot. I have seen no double blind studies on that but my own experience seems to support that and for me that is all what matters.
Motivation
Assuming the above is true, I need Motivation. A Cross Country fully supported Bike tour will cost about $10,000. I am sufficiently concerned about that money to be motivated to safeguard it. That means training, eating healthy and being very careful.
Money
We are very shocked as how expensive high energy food is. I have been biking 100 miles per day for over ten weeks. My wife is an excellent cook. The ingredient cost is very high and good restaurant food is very expensive. I am not surprised that many Americans have weight problems. Eating healthy cost more than most people are able or willing to spend.
Biking
Biking is the only activity my 66 year old body can do for ten hours per day. Day after Day. At a HR of 100 to 140. I can now go on a hydraulic resistance trainer and do 17 MPH anytime for as long as needed without pain or problems. That is what lots of training will do. But it is expensive. No kidding.


Absolutely. Almost all of the "commercial" prepared food that is available in America (and probably Canada) is industrial junk. Well-prepared natural ingredients are actually not that expensive in the long run and, if you factor in the huge health benefits, eating well is the cheapest thing you can do.

Your fitness will likely not be an issue considering your preparation and prior experience.
Most importantly, be safe on the bike. I have been following the progress of an older, experienced distance rider who crashed on a cross country ride, it's not a pretty story.

Your fitness will likely not be an issue considering your preparation and prior experience.
Most importantly, be safe on the bike. I have been following the progress of an older, experienced distance rider who crashed on a cross country ride, it's not a pretty story.

Your point is well taken. I am more than worried about going down from Mingus Mountain for instance. The other bikers raced down at speeds over 50 MPH. This is with lots of car traffic and a pavement far from perfect. I am Chicken and do it at modest speed. Still, it is dangerous.

Past Tours have had frequent accidents. Our Tour Leader is Very careful and spends time and effort to keep us out of trouble. It is the same tour leader we had two years ago.

Better to be a live chicken than a dead duck.:)

Better to be a live chicken than a dead duck.:)

Louis, you are sooo funny.:)

Hi Will, Haven't been on the forum for a while and was happy to see your upcoming trip. I loved reading your reports last time round. Stay Safe and don't forget the green chile in New Mex!

I agree, can't wait to get the updates again. I found Bamacyclist from the last time you did this trip Will, and still go see what's going on, very enjoyable!

Have a good ride Will. I hope you have good weather and some winds to give you a little help, once and a while. Have fun.

Thanks for all the good wishes. I am overwhelmed by the final logistics. Bike needed to be reconditioned for $500, a professional fitting was another $100 and a long list of stuff had to be bought.
I am trying to do 30-50 miles/day on a trainer to stay in shape.
I ran into big computer problems which really stressed me out. We got four computers and they decided to cause trouble now. On top of all that we had Identity Fraud. Someone posed as our Utility representative and tried to rip us off to the tune of thousands.
Such is life. A few more days and I will escape into relentless biking for 27 days.:):D

Have fun.:) Big fun.:D

Thanks for all the good wishes. I am overwhelmed by the final logistics. Bike needed to be reconditioned for $500, a professional fitting was another $100 and a long list of stuff had to be bought.
I am trying to do 30-50 miles/day on a trainer to stay in shape.

A few more days and I will escape into relentless biking for 27 days.:):D

For a trip like this you need a well proven bike. I used to overhaul the Tandem about a month before My big ONE day ride. This allowed for the repairs to settle down and get adjusted before the ride. And as to cost? If you worry about that- You would not be riding this sort of event in the first place.

Will- Just remember to allow a bit of time in the next week or so to take a break and go and feed the fishes or something for one day. You won't lose fitness but the wife might appreciate a days Retail therapy with you.

For a trip like this you need a well proven bike. I used to overhaul the Tandem about a month before My big ONE day ride. This allowed for the repairs to settle down and get adjusted before the ride. And as to cost? If you worry about that- You would not be riding this sort of event in the first place.

Will- Just remember to allow a bit of time in the next week or so to take a break and go and feed the fishes or something for one day. You won't lose fitness but the wife might appreciate a days Retail therapy with you.

Hey stapfam, this is very good advise and I will do just that. Wife is happy for now. She is not too happy about this trip but this is my therapy and she seems to understand that.:)

Have fun.:) Big fun.:D

People say that I am behaving like a kid with a new toy. This is at age 66.:D:)