Fifty Plus (50+) - Special Thread For 50+yo Bicyclists

1. What type of bikes do 50+ folks ride?
I ride a Fezzari Fore' CR2 road bike.


2. Do you take any special supplements/vitamins/minerals as you have grown older?
I take a multi-vitamin, and a fish oil capsule daily.



3. How much do you feel you have "slowed down" if any?
I feel that I have not slowed down. I am pushing the envelope more.


4. How long have you been biking? New, around a while, biked all your life?
Seriously biking for the last 2 years. I have always liked to ride but never got serious until recently.



5. What type of biking do you do? Long rides, touring, short rec rides.
I do mostly long rides 40- 100 miles. I do some shorter sprint type rides a couple of times a week of 30-40 miles in which I push the bike as hard as I can for the duration.



6. How often do you bike? Your approximate annual mileage?
I bike 3-5 times per week averaging around 200 miles each week when the weather is nice. In the colder months the average usually drops off some so I don't know what my annual mileage is.



Perhaps you might indicate your age on your reply?? I am 56 but will turn 57 in another month.

Much of the perception of what folks 50+ can and should do fitness-wise, in the fitness world, in the press, in MD's eyes, is generally very light modified exercises - that kind of thing. The things that folks 50+ do as expressed in this forum just blows that concept away.I remember feeling that way (old!) when I hit 50 - but now my son is 50+ - so what the hell should I be able to do? :(

I remember feeling that way (old!) when I hit 50 - but now my son is 50+ - so what the hell should I be able to do? :(

Sorry, I don't understand your point. My son is almost 50, we have many folks here in the mid to upper 70's, who do all sorts of things.

At almost 72, I swim, walk, bicycle (road and mountain), lift weights, stretch. We have a couple of guys in their mid 70's preparing for their first century. We have a guy 77, who tandems thousands of miles a year with his wife.

I don't know how old you are, but whatever the age, I would guess that there is a lot you can do. Howver, I am not familiar with your story except your son is 50+. Perhaps there is a lot more to it.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life.

Sorry, I don't understand your point. My son is almost 50, we have many folks here in the mid to upper 70's, who do all sorts of things.

At almost 72, I swim, walk, bicycle (road and mountain), lift weights, stretch. We have a couple of guys in their mid 70's preparing for their first century. We have a guy 77, who tandems thousands of miles a year with his wife.

I don't know how old you are, but whatever the age, I would guess that there is a lot you can do. Howver, I am not familiar with your story except your son is 50+. Perhaps there is a lot more to it.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life.Well, all that actually was my point. As we felt "over the hill" at 50, are we supposed to feel DEAD now, at 72? Of course, there is a lot more to it - like spinal fusion at 47, stroke at 64, heart atrial fibrillation now ... but, as the old saying goes "what don't kill ya makes you stronger!"

I ride 100 miles a day between a Baskin Robins and a Krispy Cream. (not really)

I ride 100 miles a day between a Baskin Robins and a Krispy Cream. (not really)I like donuts too much to eat KC. And if the sun is shining I am hiding under a tree! ;)

Just turn the cranks and enjoy.

Ride Baby Ride

Please tell us your age.
57

1. What type of bikes do 50+ folks ride?
Trek Allant. I needed a commuter and had been out of cycling for awhile. It's been a great reentry bike. I suspect I'll need a tourer, too, one day. :thumb:

2. Do you take any special supplements/vitamins/minerals as you have grown older?
Generic multivitamin

3. How much do you feel you have "slowed down" if any?
A bit, but less the more I bike. :-)

4. How long have you been biking? New, around a while, biked all your life?
I'm a BAB--born again bicyclist. In my younger years, I cycled 1000s of miles, including overnite tours, centuries, and commuting to work in MD, NY, and MN. Went on a 15 year hiatus after the kids got too big for the burley. Dumb, in hindsight.

5. What type of biking do you do? Long rides, touring, short rec rides?
Started commuting in May--19 mile round trip, sometimes with extensions on the way home if I feel the need. Once in a while a recreational ride.

6. How often do you bike? Your approximate annual mileage?
Weekdays unless I'm on business travel. 800 miles since early May.

Fanatic,
That's great! Welcome to the old guys group.

Post often.

Please tell us your age. I'll be 56 in a couple of weeks.

1. What type of bikes do 50+ folks ride? I ride a 2008 Specialized S Works Ruby most of the time. I sometimes ride my other bike, a 2005 Specialized Sirrus.
In the winter, I'll break in my new Salsa Mukluk.

2. Do you take any special supplements/vitamins/minerals as you have grown older? I take glucosamine /chondroitin and fish/flax/borage oil, plus multivitamins.

3. How much do you feel you have "slowed down" if any?
I am more active now than ever before in my life. A recent knee injury has me off the bike at the moment, but I'm rehabbing toward a full recovery now.

4. How long have you been biking? New, around a while, biked all your life? I took it up 7 years ago when I quit smoking. Hadn't ridden much since college up to then.

5. What type of biking do you do? Long rides, touring, short rec rides. I like longish rides (40-50 miles) best, but also like to get in a short ride (10-15 miles) daily when the weather permits.

6. How often do you bike? Your approximate annual mileage? I try to ride daily in the summer, 4 or 5 days/week in spring and fall. From April through November I usually get in about 3500 miles. This year will be lower due to injury.

Welcome Teresao,
Glad you are. Hope you get back on the bike soon.

Please tell us your age. 68 this year.

1. What type of bikes do 50+ folks ride?

Currently I have a full-suspension Mongoose I got at Walmart a while ago (don't laugh, it's proven to be a good value), and as of a few weeks ago, a Specialized Camber Elite 29er.

2. Do you take any special supplements/vitamins/minerals as you have grown older?

No.

3. How much do you feel you have "slowed down" if any?

I haven’t slowed down so much as gotten a bit more cautious.

4. How long have you been biking? New, around a while, biked all your life?

Rode everywhere on a Gitane Tour de France road bike back in the 1970s. Started riding again six months ago after cancer surgery in order to get back in shape after years of a desk job.

5. What type of biking do you do? Long rides, touring, short rec rides.

I do trail riding in the various parks and such. No street riding at all. I started out with a mile or so and have worked my way up to occasional 10 mile rides. I'm waiting on daytime temps to drop from the current 104-109 degrees to extend the distance/time.

6. How often do you bike? Your approximate annual mileage?

I generally go out 3 times a week. I don't keep track of mileage per se, but it's probably about 15 miles a week at the moment. These are mountain bike trails... narrow, twisty, moderate ups and downs.

Please tell us your age. 60

1. What type of bikes do 50+ folks ride?
I have 2 rigid Mtn. bikes. 1 downhill, 2cross country race, a 1972 Schwinn Paramount custom, 2008 roubaix pro, New 2011 Roubaix s-works.


2. Do you take any special supplements/vitamins/minerals as you have grown older?
Generic multi-vitamin.



3. How much do you feel you have "slowed down" if any?
this year i slowed a lot. Turns out to be due to a bad heart valve.



4. How long have you been biking? New, around a while, biked all your life?
Started road racing at 14. Turned pro at 20. Crashed out at 24. Started back up when my son turned 10.




5. What type of biking do you do? Long rides, touring, short rec rides.
I like epic rides. Short ride rides with friends. Rides with strangers. Group rides, club rides, Solo rides in the hills. Just get me on a bike.

Welcome Guys, glad to see you here!

Post often!

Please tell us your age. 67 1/2

1. What type of bikes do 50+ folks ride?

From the late 70s until 2006 I rode mostly off road with modified road bikes, rough stuff riding... Lugged frames with 700c tires or cyclocross sewups. I have a large collection of classic lugged frame bikes from the 60s to the 90s. I favor the ones that ride smooth, mostly due light gage tubing, frame geometry or both.

1974 Motobecane Grand Jubile, 1983 Trek 700, 1984 Gitane Super Corsa, 1990 Bianchi Mondiale, 1992 Paramount OS and so on.


2. Do you take any special supplements/vitamins/minerals as you have grown older?

Vitamin D and E, Potassium, Magnesium and multivitamins.


3. How much do you feel you have "slowed down" if any?

I got back into shape after having 2 stents put in back in 2006. Several years ago I was in better hill climbing shape than at any time in my life. Then I developed tendinitis in my calves and ankles due to some medications I was taking. That plus recurrent bouts of prostatitis have forced me to limit the length of my rides.

Back in the 70s, I used to think nothing of jumping on the bike and doing 50 to 100 miles. The will and desire are there but...


4. How long have you been biking? New, around a while, biked all your life?

Got my first bike in the early 1950s. Bought my first 10 speed in 1964....


5. What type of biking do you do? Long rides, touring, short rec rides.

I like 20-30 mile rides but because of the above health conditions I've been limiting them to 10-15 miles.


6. How often do you bike? Your approximate annual mileage?

I like to get out for at least a short ride every day but it usually works out to 2-3 days a week plus Saturdays and Sundays.

Chas. verktyg

Welcome, verktyg

What medications seemed to cause your tendinitis?

That's quite a stable you have there.

Enjoy the forum.

Hi, I'm new to the forum.

Just turned 62 and also just retired.

Ride an Orbea Diva and love it. I rode as a kid just around town.

Started riding 2 and a half years ago. Ride 2 to 3 times a week; one ride is usually 40- 60 miles on the weekend with a local club or group. I've done MS 150 rides twice (75 miles one way and then back again the next day). Now that I'm retired I hope to do more riding.

Take calcium, D and fish oil. On rides I drink gator aid cut with water and eat power bars and gel shots.

I used to run but don't anymore. Instead work with a trainer once a week with stretching, weight lifting and general toning. Feel in better shape now than any time in my life.

I love the bike!

Welcome, verktyg

What medications seemed to cause your tendinitis?

That's quite a stable you have there.

Enjoy the forum.

I was taking Vytorin (Ezetimibe and Simvastatin a dual statin drug) for cholesterol control after I had stents in 2006. I had a lot of side effects including muscle pains and tendon discomfort.

In May of 2009 I was training for a century. My riding buddy and I put in a hard 60 miles on Sunday. Wednesday night I woke with a terrible pain in my right calf. It was diagnosed as tendinitis and spread into other tendons in both ankles. Stopped taking Vytorin and the side effects except the tendinitis went away.

After 6 months of physical therapy with limited riding I recovered.

Last December a few days after riding 42 miles on a weekend I developed a severe (recurrent) prostate infection. It cleared up after several weeks on Cipro and at the end of January I did a hard 29 mile ride. The infection came back and I went back on Cipro.

The tendinitis came back worse than ever in my calves and ankles. Cipro is a "Black Box" drug.

A Black Box warning means that medical studies indicate that the drug carries a significant risk of serious adverse effects. In the case of Cipro, it can cause permanent injury to the achilles tendons.

I stopped taking Cipro and the tendinitis slowly got better.

Later this spring the tendinitis came back about the time I started taking Allegra antihistamine for seasonal allergies. There are reports of a number of cases of tendinitis in the legs of people taking Allegra. As soon as I stopped taking it the tendinitis started improving again.

This summer, I've limited my riding to frequent easy flat 10 to 15 mile rides. That seems to work OK for both the tendinitis and the prostatitis. I'm feeling strong and ready to hit some hills and do some 20-30+ mile rides again.

For 30+ years I rode Brooks Pro saddles on my road bikes and Avocet Touring or Gel off road.

Back in 2006 I discovered the WTB Pure V saddle. It has a wide flat rear area like a Brooks Pro but with a "V" channel down the middle to reduce pressure in the "personal" areas. I have them on many of my road bikes now but they don't seem to be doing the trick anymore.

The past 3-4 months, I've tried half dozen different saddles. My urologist says stay off the bike but that's not an option! I'll keep searching for the Goldilocks saddle!

Chas. verktyg Not a hypochondriac!

Please tell us your age. 51

1. What type of bikes do 50+ folks ride?

I have a collection of bikes, all of them "vintage", and ride all of them regularly:

1989 Miyata 312 (errands within the city)
1986 Miyata 912 (recreational day rides with my partner or when I want to take the bike on trains, buses, ferries, or on top of a car)
198? Infinity aluminum LWB USS recumbent (solo recreational rides from home)
198? Maruishi TourAce TA18 (touring, rain -- the only one of my bikes w/fenders)
198? Bridgestone Regulus (stored at my mother's house and used when I'm visiting)

2. Do you take any special supplements/vitamins/minerals as you have grown older?

No.

3. How much do you feel you have "slowed down" if any?

A lot. I'm not sure how much, but I don't want to find out: I recover a lot more slowly from any sort of injury or excessive stress than when I was 20, and I'm a lot less willing to experiment with where my limits might be. I weigh about 50 pounds more than when I was 20 (5' 11.5" and 185 pounds now, vs. my former scrawny 135), and my body is much less flexible.

I got back into riding with a partner last year after riding relatively little for 20 years. I'm probably a stronger rider than my partner, but riding mainly together with a partner I haven't really found out what my personal limits are, so I can't be sure.

4. How long have you been biking? New, around a while, biked all your life?

I started riding as a child, and biked to school except when there was snow or ice on the ground. I knew I loved to ride. But nobody I knew took bicycling seriously, and I thought I was a weakling. One summer during college, I was loaned a *good* bike for the first time, and discovered that (1) bicycling was actually an athletic activity, and (2) I was good at it. At 21, I was riding 15 miles each way on my Monday-Friday commute, and riding with a club every Sunday. I rode professionally, full-time for a couple of years for messenger services in Boston and then San Francisco, before finding less dangerous and better-paid work.

My partner had ridden a lot too, but gave up cycling when we moved from Boston to San Francisco (didn't have the gears then for the hills), and after that we did other things together most of the time instead of my taking long rides by myself. After turning 30, I started working closer to home, my daily commute dropped to 3-5 miles each way, and I didn't ride every day because the subway was so convenient. But I never gave up riding, and probably kept up an average of 5 miles a day of riding for errands, in-town meetings, etc.

My partner got back on a new bike and started riding to work last year. Since then we've been riding most weekends and vacations, maybe a total of about 4,000 miles/year. (I don't have an odometer on my errand bike, which is the one I ride most often if not furthest, so I'm not sure of the total.)

5. What type of biking do you do? Long rides, touring, short rec rides.

Errands and other rides to get around town, typically 5-10 miles.
After-work recreational rides, average 20 miles.
Weekend day rides, 40-60 miles (and building up to longer)
Just beginning to get into touring -- still haven't learned how far per day we'll be able to go, or want to go on an extended tour.

Welcome, ehasbrouck. Enjoy and post often!!

Seems like the appropriate place to make my first post here in three years, since I've become qualified for this subforum in the meantime. :)

Please tell us your age.

52

1. What type of bikes do 50+ folks ride?

'04 Jamis Coda Comp, bought new. Very soon, a custom build designed for my specific riding needs. That's why I'm back, to spam the various subfora with questions regarding the new build.

2. Do you take any special supplements/vitamins/minerals as you have grown older?

Lifelong multivitamin user; on a lark I converted to "older people's formula" a few years back. I'm also especially fond of a certain dietary supplement which boosts kidney function, manufactured in Pottsville, PA.

3. How much do you feel you have "slowed down" if any?

I don't pile up the miles like I used to, but that's more a function of having less time to do it than anything else. In terms of riding style, just as aggressive as ever, maybe more so due to experience. Local riding conditions encourage aggressive riding, which I define as "proactively ensuring personal safety by absolutely minimizing motorists' need to think about me." Physically? Not at all. Mentally? Regressing. I promised myself many years ago that I would never "age gracefully." Yes, eventually it's bound to catch up, but it's gonna have to drag me, kicking and screaming. One concession is that I find it difficult to take more that one or two days in a row off the bike (see below) - things start tightening up and I'm more susceptible to cramps and pulls than before if I don't ride or walk daily.

4. How long have you been biking? New, around a while, biked all your life?

Since childhood with occasional breaks of a year or two due to lifestyle. Back when I was driving, I spent more time without a car than without a bicycle.

5. What type of biking do you do? Long rides, touring, short rec rides.

I have not owned a car in 18 years. My bike has been my sole transport for all of those years. Therefore, most of my riding is purpose-oriented. That has frankly taken some of the fun out of recreational riding over the years, although I still do 15-20 mile fun rides once in a while.

6. How often do you bike? Your approximate annual mileage?

In view of the above, it's a rare day that I'm not on my bike at least once. Current yearly mileage averages around 1500. It helps that my work commute is only 2 miles these days; back when it was 7 miles, I piled up that much just on the commute.

Age: 76
Bike: Litespeed Blue Ridge (no longer made) rigged for touring, most parts replaced.
Never very fast, slower now.
Weekly: 3 rides, about 100 miles. Tours: 3 to 9 days, credit card style. see TedH on crazyguyonabike.com.
About 5000 miles/yr.

Welcome Teacherman,
You are putting this almost old guy to shame.

Post some pictures when you can

Hey Super Dave, so now you're an old man. 52 that's great.

Keep turning the cranks and post.

Welcome!

Please tell us your age. I'm 54.

1. What type of bikes do 50+ folks ride?

I have a Specialized mountain bike and a Trek 1.2 road bike.


2. Do you take any special supplements/vitamins/minerals as you have grown older?

In addition to a multi-vitamin, I take fish oil, CLA, alpha-lipoic acid, DHEA, lecithin.

3. How much do you feel you have "slowed down" if any?

I'm in better shape now than at any time since my early 30's, so I've sped up the last couple of years.

4. How long have you been biking? New, around a while, biked all your life?

Biked off and on my whole life. Dabbled with mountain biking for a number of years, and in the past year got serious with road bikes.


5. What type of biking do you do? Long rides, touring, short rec rides.

Mountain sometimes, road up to 30 miles (so far).


6. How often do you bike? Your approximate annual mileage?

I bike at least 3x per week - a couple 10-15 mile rides, then a longer one on weekends (did 27 miles this morning).

Welcome,

I also take DHEA 25

I'm 51, former high school and college athlete (football, track), now software engineer - currently 230lbs trying to get closer to 200.

1) a) 1983 Trek 760 with Ultegra 9-sp. group
b) 2000 Fuji Team
c)) 1988 Schwinn Voyageur (commuter)

2) Centrum multi-vitamin, sometimes fish oil

3) I can still sprint pretty good, but my endurance and recovery have suffered. It's really hard for me to maintain a 20mph pace for an hour, where I could 6 years ago.

4) been biking all my life, except for a 8-year stretch in my 30's when I had knee problems.

5) mostly short rides, under 20 miles - weekend rides sometimes in the 30's. Occasional century.

6) I generally try to ride 3-5 days a week, annual mileage varies from 1000 - 1500 miles. I have a Garmin Edge 305 to track rides, with HRM to keep me honest on effort. I use SportTracks to manage my data, works really well.

On an unrelated note, I do just about all my own wrench work on my bikes, have rebuilt a wheelset, and have acquired a decent tool set over the years.

Please tell us your age. New to post here. This is my 71th summer.

1. What type of bikes do 50+ folks ride? Good question - 1991 Trek 2100 composite frame based on color, apparently with 1992 Shimano 600 components based on codes with system 3, apparently not stock. Mtn. Bike is Klein Pulse comp with Deore XT components, red in color. Old but good bikes.



2. Do you take any special supplements/vitamins/minerals as you have grown older? Taking some heart meds after by-pass surgery a few years back and some vitamins. Gave me a new lease on life and new understanding of diet and exercise- and I thought that I lived a healthy life before hand! Go figure!



3. How much do you feel you have "slowed down" if any? Of course, but mostly from arthritis and putting on too much weight that I have mostly lost now. The rest is just normal.



4. How long have you been biking? New, around a while, biked all your life? There is been a hiatus the last 13 years of life since I remarried, and turned into a gardener. I also was a serious rock climber, professional during this time.



5. What type of biking do you do? Long rides, touring, short rec rides. Most rides are in the 10 to 20 mile range. Fall is coming, so would like to do a few longer than 20 before that becomes a reality and cold weather really sets in. The mountain bike extends the season, sometimes into winter if not too much snow.




6. How often do you bike? Your approximate annual mileage? Usually, 3 to 4 times a week, with hour walks between riding, so do things most days, with timeouts to stack firewood, cut brush, etc.

I am 14 months shy of 70, have ridden bicycles since I was 10, now ride a Trek Pilot. Two years ago made a solo ride from Cape May, NJ to Daytona Beach for my youngest's graduation from Embry Riddle. Need a goal to keep from getting flabby. How about racing for a 70 year old? Some place in the NE---I live just outside of Middlebury, VT. Just watched the 50+ heat in the Green Mountain Stage Race in Burlington. Inspiring!

Welcome, McMath, Jerry9 and rascilotto.

seems like we are getting more 70+ folks - which brings to mind the 65-85+ thread (sticky) that we sometimes post to.

By the way, there is a 50+ racing/training for racing "sticky" also. If you have an interest in racing, there are some GREAT folks there who are most helpful on training issues.

Welcome Guys,

Hey, I ain't 70 yet, still got three months to go.

1. What type of bikes do 50+ folks ride?1. Gianni Motta italian steel,built it in 82,upgraded it to indexed 10speed,open prowheels etc couple years ago



2. Do you take any special supplements/vitamins/minerals as you have grown older,,,no



3. How much do you feel you have "slowed down" if any,not to much



4. How long have you been biking? New, around a while, biked all your life since 1951



5. What type of biking do you do? Long rides, touring, short rec rides.ride by time minium of 45 minutesusually 1+hours




6. How often do you bike? Your approximate annual mileage9000 last year













age is 68 till december
Bud

Greetings. I am a 52 year old letter carrier, who just bought a Trek 7.5 FX. Perhaps I should have waited to reply, until I have compiled some data on things like how much I ride, etc.. I have high colesterol, but do not take my medication as directed. I have heard some bad things about staten drugs ( may start taking niacin ). Have not ridden a bike since I was in my twenties. Sometimes I take centrum silver vitamins and fish oil tabs. Need to lose weight, since I am not walking as much on my new route. My main purpose for cycling is for the sheer enjoyment, the site seeing, and of course the exercise. I am awaiting the arrival of a 2012 Trek Fuel EX 8 and the color change of the autumn leaves.

Sounds like the perfect formula. I'm sure you will enjoy your new undertaking. I am 52. I started riding again in May. Today I road 26 miles with an accumilated 1500 feet gain in elevation. If summer weren't so stubborn to let go here in the desert, I'm sure I could have doubled that. In May it would have killed me. LOL.

Right now riding a 2009 Specialized Allez Sport Double Compact. I have it configured for distance, and I have a Brooks B-17 on it. It has been my main rig, however, I'm going to have to make a change, or at least an addition. Our roads were resurfaced at the end of this summer. Right now, we have roads around here with extremely rough chip seal surface, and the sides of the road and specially the bike lanes look like unfinished pavement. Crack, grooves, holes, and just plain unfinished sections galore make the ride an extremely painful one. It has created an actual health issue riding the skinny 700 x 23cm. I'm going to have to look at a road bike with at least 700 x 28cm tires. And given the extremely poor present conditions of our roads around here, I might have to go with a cyclocross bike. Whatever I get, I want a chromoly frame.

Please tell us your age.

I'm 54

1. What type of bikes do 50+ folks ride?
I ride a road bike (1989 Panasonic DX-2000 upgraded with Tiagra 9 speed, 105, Dura-Ace, better wheels etc.) and mountain bike (Windsor Cliff Comp 29er)



2. Do you take any special supplements/vitamins/minerals as you have grown older?
Nope



3. How much do you feel you have "slowed down" if any?
None, I'm better physically/mentally now than I was when I was 30.



4. How long have you been biking? New, around a while, biked all your life?
All my childhood years, some road biking in the early 80's but now back into it for the past 3 years.



5. What type of biking do you do? Long rides, touring, short rec rides.
Short training rides 10-18 miles, longer training rides of 30-45 miles




6. How often do you bike? Your approximate annual mileage?
4 times a week in good weather. 2000 miles.

Welcome guys, enjoy and post with pictures

I love this thread - although I don't post on it regularly, I am subscribed to the thread and get email updates.

I love this thread - although I don't post on it regularly, I am subscribed to the thread and get email updates.

Nice to know it is being read!! :thumb:

Yup, nice to keep up with us old slow lazy guys.

Nothing but time on our hands. I am in my great chair watching the Kings game live on my laptop.

I am 51 but only about 25 on the bike
My bikes are.1)Mercian.A hand built English bike,with brooks Swift saddle and Carradice saddle.
2)Kinesis.A aluminium bike equipped with Sturmey Archer 3 speed fixed wheel,its also fitted with Brooks saddle and a Carridice.
3)Gios compact racing bike.Steel frame with Ultegra group-set.My summer bike,the only bike with no mudguards/fenders.
I love all my bikes.

I don't take any vitamins,but eat lots of fruit and vegetables I don't like gels either,but prefer real food.

I started cycling about 10 years ago when my wife passed away.I used my bike to cycle from pub to pub,a nice pastime in rural England.Eventually I decided that the bike was more important than the beer,a friend rode from Lands end to John O' Groats and sold me his Dawes Galaxy cheap.Since then I have gone on to do some Time trials,but mostly enjoy riding long distance,Audax/Randonees.My longest ride to date being 400km.

I ride about 100-200 miles a week,but this year have had a lot of probems and have only done about 3000 miles in 2011.

I am 55 yrs old and my bike is a Giant OCR2. I intend to upgrade to a new bike next year as a reward after I complete a 3-day ride to Yosemite Nat'l Park.

Last fall, I decided to lose my excess weight and my goal was to get back to my police academy weight. I began cycling in Oct 2010 with 5-10 mile rides. I didn't know what I was doing then but it's been a steady learning process and I'm loving it. This year (2011) I ridden 3,000 miles so far. I've participated in several half-century rides, numerous metric century rides, and 1 century ride. I was successful in reaching my goal, losing 35 pounds and actually 3 lbs lighter than my academy weight.

I don't take any supplements, vitamins, or minerals but I watch what I eat. I've given up all sodas and most fried foods but I will never give up adult alcoholic beverages.

.....Hi Folks!.....I'm addressing the questions from the original 2004 post;

0, <<Please tell us your age.>>

:57.

1. <<What type of bikes do 50+ folks ride?>>

:There are Two Shwinn Sidewinders and a motorcycle in my stable right now.

2. <<Do you take any special supplements/vitamins/minerals as you have grown older?>>

:Centrum Silver.

3. <<How much do you feel you have "slowed down" if any?>>

:Significantly, but: Careful conditioning & exercise has been recently negating much of this! :-) Feel much better than last year!

4. <<How long have you been biking? New, around a while, biked all your life?>>

:1960-1972: Heavy childhood usage that included cobbling together bikes from wrecks, and, the occasional purchased parts.

:1972-2010: Occasional and varied Brief revisits. One was a memorable 30 day transportation "lifeline" at / when Fort Drum, NY, 1982 on a junk-built single speed.

:2010-2011: As emergency transit with a few "Next" "La Jolla" Cruisers from Wally. Gave them away to family and neighbors when I upgraded.

:2011-?: As Shared Primary Transit with Two "as stocked" Shwinn Sidwinders, from Wallyworld, with extensive setup and break-in periods and all work done by me.

5.<<What type of biking do you do? Long rides, touring, short rec rides.>>

:Depending on Weather, Available Gear, Time Considerations, etc, These two Schwinn Sidewinder bikes are currently providing all short range transit needs for me except for: Most emergency medical, Distances beyond approximately seven miles, Cargo" is more than 33 lbs.

6. <<How often do you bike? Your approximate annual mileage?>>

: I"ve been biking this new heavy usage schedule, most days, since Sep 5 2011. About 350 miles, so far.

My Additional Comments;

Comment on Wallyworld bikes:
I Overcame quality issues: Bad bearings, Damaged Pneumatic tubes, Wrong torque on every screw and bolt, Derailleur and brake setup issues. Buy Bikeshop if you can budget $400 for ONE bike. I needed TWO for $320 and I did of course know that I would be repairing the bikes significantly and frequently. None the less, they have been fairly reliable for basic transit shopping and fun alike and even have been on mud and grass occasionally and carefully.

Comments on performance and safety;
My Daily work Commute consists of two 3.6 mile commutes per day, Five to six Days A Week with the skipped days commuted to work by truck, averaging about 8 miles a day. My Current Max Cruising Range is 20 Miles, as tested after riding 33 of the 37 past days on this newly intensified riding schedule. My Current Calculated Cruising Speed is Ten Miles Per Hour using a "fully relaxed" & "easy" cranking mode with a lot of careful shifting.
Test Course: The gentle slopes of Route 130, NJ, from the Florence Area to the Bordentown area and back. I Ride day or night and work rotating shifts. My usual safety gear is a Road worker style reflective vest and / or Flashing L.E.D based headgear style lamps. Hot weather make me lose the helmet, But as my conditioning improves I will wear it more and more.

Welcome Bouncer, glad to see you here.
Post with pictures as you can!

Welcome nightrider uk (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/member.php/267171-nightrider-uk), donger and (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/member.php/263874-BouncinBob)BouncinBob (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/member.php/267171-nightrider-uk)

Enjoy the forum and post often!!

I'm 53 and just started riding in April. I was walking 4 miles/day(5 to 6 days/week) but developed some foot issues. Being diabetic, I have to be careful of my extremities, especially my feet. So, I got a bike in April and started riding. My health has improved so much since Sept '10. I started a new Diabetic medication and with that, the walking and riding, I've lost 95 lbs(67lbs with just the walking, eating better, and less). The biking has reduced my blood pressure(was really fine before) and decreased my resting heart rate by quite a bit.

1. What type of bikes do 50+ folks ride?

Right now, I ride a Diamondback Edgewood LX(hybrid/comfort) bike. Thinking about getting a road bike in the future, but I'm unsure as I have Carpel Tunnel issues.



2. Do you take any special supplements/vitamins/minerals as you have grown older?

Other than my medications for health issues, I do take D3 and a multivitamin for over 50s.



3. How much do you feel you have "slowed down" if any?

Can't really answer this as I just started riding again after 25+years(started again in Aprill '11) All I've done is improve from where I was back in April.



4. How long have you been biking? New, around a while, biked all your life?


Like the above states, I just started riding in April. Did bike as a kid and used a road bike when I was in College(for transportation). One summer I did ride the bike to and from my weekend job(12miles each way) while in college.


5. What type of biking do you do? Long rides, touring, short rec rides.

I ride for fitness. I'm not sure how to qualify my riding...ride 20 miles per day 5 or 6 days a week at a pretty good clip for a hybrid/comfort bike(usually avg 16.2 to 16.5 mph--yesterday was my best ride to date, 20 miles in 1 hour 11min 23sec(~16.8mph)).




6. How often do you bike? Your approximate annual mileage?

Well, since I haven't ridden a whole year yet, don't have an annual, but I plan to ride even through the winter and at this rate I would be riding around 5000 miles annually.

Attempting to post photo.
222610

The attatched photo shows my bike carrying 50 lbs of groceries, in this case the Perdue Chicken I found on sale. The bike handled OK and the double bagged load almost never touched the tires. The ride was four miles out, four back. Freezer well stocked now!

OK - no panniers or rack!! WOW is all I can say!

50 pounds of chicken?you running a Kentucky fried chicken???
Bud