Nachoman

Yesterday this guy easily beat me to the top of Torrey Pines Grade in Del Mar, California. Torry Pines is about a 400 foot climb over about 1.5 miles. It's not so surprising that somebody can beat me up the hill but what is surprising is that when I finally caught up to him he told me that he was 68 years old. Plus to add insult to injury, I was pushing up that hill pretty darn hard. I'm not sure if he was even working up a sweat.
And to throw a little salt into my wounds, he told me he was a grandpa. Maybe if I train long and hard enough (for another twenty years or so) I'll be able to smoke some young guys up to the top of that hill.

PhilThee

Some people simply have better biking genes.You weren't the first one to be dusted by gramps and you sure won't be the last.

SoreFeet

This scenario would lead me to believe that you need to control your cadence better. Frequent shifting or being in the wrong gear will make a climb more labor intensive if you are spinning too much.

DataJunkie

You should think of it more along the lines of "cool. I can still be riding like that when I am his age."

I encounter a late 50s roadie on my way home every so often. He drops me like I am standing still.
My operative excuses are:
-riding a touring bike with panniers
-I encounter him at the end of my 28 mile each way commute.
At least that is what I tell myself.

Sixty Fiver

You have to stop associating age with ability... I usually ride with folks who are half my age and routinely drop them on climbs and when they're fragged after a long ride I often still have a lot of gas in the tank.

There's a fellow I meet up with and ride with fairly often and he's almost twice my age... he says he's slowed down a little which means I only have to ride at 30-35 kmh to keep up with him.

stapfam

I'm saying nothing but over on the 50+ forum- You don't hear of many that smoke a youngster on a ride- they are too polite to belittle their future members

Some can climb hills- some can do distance and some even enjoy company on a ride- So how did you catch him up? He probably stopped for a smoke at the top.

Sixty Fiver

He probably stopped for a smoke at the top.

You have to have something to do while you wait for people to catch up...

(BB)

I was introduced to cycling by my father-in-law, he is 64yrs old 6'2" 220. Let's just say I spend more time looking at my father-in-law spandex clad butt, than the average son-in-law. When not riding he is going to spinning classes and hiking. The man has the lungs, heart and legs of horse.

oilman_15106

Being a Grandpa adds insult to injury? When you are 68 my 2 year old granddaughter will be kicking your butt going uphill. If you run into the guy again tell him he is welocme on the 50+ board.

patentcad

This guy comes out on the Nyack Ride, he's 63, not quite a national caliber racer but close, and he hangs tough most Sundays. I beat him up the climb at the end, but I always catch him from behind and I typically only gap him by 100-250 meters by the top. One of these Sundays he'll have a good day and I won't, and he'll beat me (I'm only 50). You gotta love it man. Ride til you're 100.

God bless Dr. Bob. He is my hero.

CharlieWoo

(Power / Weight) x Guts

CharlieWoo

How old is Deadly Ned now? Must be nearing mid-fifties.

waterrockets 

The lung? He's only 52. He'll be crushing 30-year-old Cat 1s for another decade at least.

Hobartlemagne 

Grandpa has more base miles than you

luludog

I wouldn't worry about it. Reminds of the time a group of us were riding our road bikes up mt Tamalpais in
Marin. As we're nearing the summit, this old guy on a mountain bike(!) comes past us and starts elbowing
Peter(Taxi777) out of the way. Peter is pissed. They start sprinting for the summit and Peter is upset at
not only being beaten, but by a guy on a mountain bike too. The guys name? Gary Fisher!

making

I have had a guy in a wheel chair whup up on me in racquet ball, a guy at the Y in his late 60's can run 8's all day ( I cant), a 70+ old woman out bowls me all the time. So far no one really blows by me on bikes that is not young and should be faster, but hopefully someone will. I am just glad to still be out there doing all this stuff.

Nachoman

Classic!

55/Rad

Several years ago...I got dusted on a hill by an older gentleman - late 60's I believe. I thought I was pretty hot ***** at the time for someone in their early 40's.

What the experience did for me was twofold...first, it reconfirmed that no matter how good you think you are, there is always somebody who will surprise and or smoke you and second, it gave me something to shoot for.

I want to be that guy in 20 years.

55/Rad

patentcad

Deadly Nedly crushed the 50+ record at the Mt. Washington Hill Climb in 2006 by 20 minutes (yes, twenty) as he finished 4th overall, a few seconds behind two twenty something pros, and only a couple of minutes down to Tyler Hamilton. That dude is the Human Lung. It does make you wonder how somebody that talented never tried road racing in Europe. I suppose his USA MTB career was somewhat lucrative - when he was involved in the sport it was more popular.

Patriot

Right now, I'm not worried about beating anyone.

I'm most worried about simply being able to continue riding. I'll be glad for that, all in itself.

patentcad

Amen to that Patriot. At the end of the day, everything else is static.

OldGeezer

Well, I guess I need a piece of this thread. I'm 66 years old and a lot slower than some and a little faster than others. I used to believe that there was no way I could smoke anybody on the climbs .... especially on my RANS Rocket recumbent. But then in mid July I got a used Klein Aura X and I have yet to find a hill I can't conquer. I even manage to beat out some of the kids (40 year olds) once in a while. And then, just when I begin to feel a little self-confident some guy several years my senior, over weight and on a fixie will leave me in the dust. The bottom line? Nobody has more fun riding then me.

patentcad

Incorrect.

Reynolds 

I'm 56, faster than some younger guys, but slower than some older guys.

CARBON4EVER

I remembered watching platoon and there was a memorable quote "rejoice in they youth young man." Almost made me cry that I didn't have to spend my youth in war and other conflicts that swallow the youth of generations past. That being twenty something and worry only about homeworks and exams and the dirt on my 10 sp cassette is a real luxury, probably paid for by people older than me. Anyways, if you're an old guy and are out riding, you have my respect. Keep it up.