"Late in life?" I figured you would be 80 something years old when I read the title. It's great that you've started cycling at 59. You have years of cycling enjoyment ahead. I too have returned to cycling after a long absence (20 years). At age 63, I'm finding my morning rides to be among my favorite retirement activities. Luckily for me, I was in good health and physically fit when I started in late May. Our local bike shop (LBS) has a group of mostly retirees and a few shift-workers who ride three days a week for 30 to 40 miles. Riding with a non-competitive, friendly group is a great way to put on miles painlessly.