Fifty Plus (50+) - Where are the cycling past 70 books?

Bought a book for my birthday: "Cycling After 50". Think it is geared to a younger set.
At 77 I am not sure I want to expend the mental effort needed to pursue all the graphs, charts, intervals, heart monitoring, cupcake eschewing disciplines suggested. It makes me tired just to think of undertaking all that. Apart from an occasional slipped disc I am in pretty good health for my age. Cycling gives me great pleasure and freedom to explore my surrounding environment at a comfortable pace. In retrospect I am sorry I did not buy the book about the mechanics and history of the bicycle. Something about growing older has given me a great interest in how things work.

You know, there comes a time when we just need to forget about all the graphs, charts, intervals, etc. We should just ride and enjoy.

Pedal for The Fun.

Those books are all out of print.

Fire up the word processor -- you've identified a market! :D

DaveT - riding toward 71

Don't need a book for that . . .
Will be 80 this year, and spouse will be 77.
We still ride a tandem regularly.
I rode 5,600+ miles last year, that includes tandem and single bikes.
You need not to engage any mental effort checking out graphs and words.
You need to engage physically and get on your bike, meet other folks and ride!
Join the local bike club . . . and have fun.
Pedal on!
Rudy/zonatandem

Let the OCD younger crowd turn their cycling into something laborious....they may well burn out long before they'll need a book for cycling after 50. Age often frees us from being so driven and, as we get closer to the end, maybe better to learn to savor life more than use it.

Great idea. How about a coffee-table book full of pictures of beautiful women (of all ages) in tight lycra sweating on bikes! I think that would appeal to me after I'm 70. Heck, it appeals to me now, at 61! Women who ride regularly are just hot!

L.

"Bike for Life" (How to ride past 100) Marlowe Press, NY 2005 344 pgs.

The only 70+ book I could find was at Amazon: Riding Past 100,
http://www.amazon.com/Bike-Life-How-Ride-100/dp/1569244510/ref=sr_1_72?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328195396&sr=1-72

For the mechanical end I can recommend the following: Lennard Zinn, Zinn and the Art of Road Bicycle Maintenance and Zinn and the Art of Bicycle Maintenance, Eugene Sloane, The Complete Book of Bicycle Maintenance (some history sections also included) and Bicycling Magazine's Book of Bicycle Maintenance for Road and Mountain Bikes. You can find them at you local Bookstore or at Amazon.com. Joe Freil also has a handy Bicyclist Training Diary and The Bicyclist Training Bible for recording rides and training at any level, if you are so inclined.

You guys still riding actively are my heroes and I look up to y'all to keep me going, too.

Bill

Bought a book for my birthday: "Cycling After 50". Think it is geared to a younger set.
At 77 I am not sure I want to expend the mental effort needed to pursue all the graphs, charts, intervals, heart monitoring, cupcake eschewing disciplines suggested.

That book drove me nuts with all the charts, schedules, etc. I ended up paying more attention to "Younger Next Year" for general info and gave myself general guidelines for cycling. On a weekly basis these include one TT of 15 mi., one longer ride of 40 mi., a goal of 100 mi./wk and the overarching goal of having fun and enjoying the countryside.

I've found those "past 50" books dissapointing, but they are good for starting fires on cold nights. There's better information in this forum and on the web generally if you read judiciously.

Best 'how things work' orientation is to build or rebuild a couple of bikes and components, you learn a ton through trial and error and if you need information to solve a problem you can usually find it on the internet, and it becomes a good deal more relevant in practical application. Welding? That I haven't tackled, but maybe I'll take a class from a builder someday...some allow you to build your own frame in their shop for a student fee.

I've found those "past 50" books dissapointing, but they are good for starting fires on cold nights. There's better information in this forum and on the web generally if you read judiciously.


Exactly.

A book I'm reading now is "Base Training for Cyclists". If it's helpful I'll get back with you.

At that age you should be writing books, not reading them.

I wonder if the Cycling Past 70 book is available in a large print version? (or ONLY in large print version)

Exactly.

A book I'm reading now is "Base Training for Cyclists". If it's helpful I'll get back with you.

Checked Amazon....are you sure the title isn't "Base Building for Cyclists" by Thomas Chapple?

Get out and ride, you've probably read all the books you needed to in college. Get on your bike and wear out those tires. I love reading the tire threads because I know the folks have been out riding. No book is going to give you the experience of riding your bike. Get out there and enjoy it. I'm sixty and regularly ride with guys older and younger than me.

Checked Amazon....are you sure the title isn't "Base Building for Cyclists" by Thomas Chapple?
You are indeed correct.

I'm a "youngster" at 53. Even in my twenties charts and graphs were.....well........bull crap ;)
Never been much of a "how to do it" reader. I like doing and figuring out on my own. I find most people that write books do so because...........they can't do and are full of, well....

I don't need no stinking books.

The 3 Rs. Reading, Riding, Rithmetic. I'll stick with Riding at this point of my life. Of course, the other 2 are still in my life for non-cycling aspects.

I'm thinking it might be nice to continue being exposed to the tips, hints, and knowledge of others . Books have been doing that for me since the 60's, and the internut has been doing that for me since the 90's . If I had not been given access to books and the internut, I'd still be a 400 pound couch potato, waiting for my scheduled coronary. Being only 50+ , I still have a lot to learn, mainly from these sources. Reading posts on BikeForums gave me the impetus to get started on a journey to better health, and the knowledge to gain the skills to do so, as well as what I have been learning from books . Otherwise, I would still think a grocery store boat anchor bike was the epitome of the bicycling experience , and have no ability to learn otherwise . No matterthe age, we all have a lot still left to learn. Thats' why we are all here.
Here endeth the Reading.

Let's us 70+'rs write our own book.

Here is the first chapter:

Chapter 1 - Ride, Rest and Ride Some More.

Chapter 2 - Best pies and pie stops on the road and trail

Bill

We are getting there. This might be a best seller. Other chapters?

The 70+ Riding Manual

Chapter 1 - Ride, Rest and Ride Some More.

Chapter 2 - Best pies and pie stops on the road and trail

Chapter 3? . . .
Don't ride faster than your shadow . . .

Chapter 3? . . .
Don't ride faster than your shadow . . .

We are getting there!!!

The 70+ Riding Manual

Chapter 1 - Ride, Rest and Ride Some More.

Chapter 2 - Best pies and pie stops on the road and trail

Chapter 3 - Don't ride faster than your shadow . . .

(Where do we put the chapter on sex?)

We are getting there!!!

The 70+ Riding Manual

Chapter 1 - Ride, Rest and Ride Some More.

Chapter 2 - Best pies and pie stops on the road and trail

Chapter 3 - Don't ride faster than your shadow . . .

(Where do we put the chapter on sex?)

[B] Chapter 4 - Interval training (where's the nearest bathroom?)

[B] Chapter 5 - Approaching VO2 max (chasing hotties in lycra)

Bought a book for my birthday: "Cycling After 50". Think it is geared to a younger set.
At 77 I am not sure I want to expend the mental effort needed to pursue all the graphs, charts, intervals, heart monitoring, cupcake eschewing disciplines suggested. It makes me tired just to think of undertaking all that. Apart from an occasional slipped disc I am in pretty good health for my age. Cycling gives me great pleasure and freedom to explore my surrounding environment at a comfortable pace. In retrospect I am sorry I did not buy the book about the mechanics and history of the bicycle. Something about growing older has given me a great interest in how things work.

Buy the mechanics book, make your bike ride right, then go out and ride so your body feels good. Repeat.

We are getting there!!!

The 70+ Riding Manual

Chapter 1 - Ride, Rest and Ride Some More.

Chapter 2 - Best pies and pie stops on the road and trail

Chapter 3 - Don't ride faster than your shadow . . .

(Where do we put the chapter on sex?)

To answer the last, wherever we'll find it when we need it.

I've found those "past 50" books dissapointing, but they are good for starting fires on cold nights. There's better information in this forum and on the web generally if you read judiciously.

Best 'how things work' orientation is to build or rebuild a couple of bikes and components, you learn a ton through trial and error and if you need information to solve a problem you can usually find it on the internet, and it becomes a good deal more relevant in practical application. Welding? That I haven't tackled, but maybe I'll take a class from a builder someday...some allow you to build your own frame in their shop for a student fee.

Author of "past 50" is Joe Friel, a 50+er. Teacher of a well respected framebuilding class: Doug Fattic, also 50+.

Chapter 4 - Interval training (where's the nearest bathroom?)

[B] Chapter 5 - Approaching VO2 max (chasing hotties in lycra)

We are getting there!!!

[B]The 70+ Riding Manual

Chapter 1 - Ride, Rest and Ride Some More.

Chapter 2 - Best pies and pie stops on the road and trail

Chapter 3 - Don't ride faster than your shadow . . .

Chapter 4 - Interval training (where's the nearest bathroom?)

Chapter 5 - Approaching VO2 max (chasing hotties in lycra)


(Where do we put the chapter on sex?) - Hey - we should put it in the APPENDIX :)

I'd like to see a Chapter devoted to "existing in this reality while not being in this reality." In this state I am probably the fastest rider no one has ever heard of. :)

Chapter 6-Sex after 50+, is it a fact or a myth? (or how much for the little blue pills?)

Chapter 7-Scheduling your colonoscopy and not ruining your training/riding schedule

The 70+ Riding Manual

Chapter 1 - Ride, Rest and Ride Some More.

Chapter 2 - Best pies and pie stops on the road and trail

Chapter 3 - Don't ride faster than your shadow . . .

Chapter 4 - Interval training (where's the nearest bathroom?)

Chapter 5 - Approaching VO2 max (chasing hotties in lycra)

Chapter 6 - Sex after 50+, is it a fact or a myth? (or how much for the little blue pills?)

Chapter 7 - Scheduling your colonoscopy and not ruining your training/riding schedule?

Chapter 8 - Existing in this reality while not being in this reality."


(Where do we put the chapter on sex?) - Hey - we should put it in the APPENDIX