Getting back to the title-50 and scaling back--At 52 I had a bypass and I thought that would slow me down or even stop me- It didn't but then a couple of years later and prostate reared it head and I thought that was it. I did scale back but a year later realised that I was nowhere near as fit as I used to be. Mainly a mental problem as I was old now and with a few medical scares behind me I was not pushing hard up the hills- milage was not there and why should it be.

Decided on a Kill or cure and set a target of re-doing the hardest ride I had ever done. I had done it before and it had been hard then so it was down to 6 months hard training and gym work. Did the ride successfully but it hurt even harder than before. But the adrenalin was still flowing so retrain for the following year- and the next- and the next. 2006 and I was 59 and I called it a day on that ride and took the "Easier" option of going road.

Problem now is that at 65- I have got into the "I am old so why should I push" syndrome again. Time to find a target for next year and train for it. However it will not be that hard ride I last did in 2006- that is just a step too far now.

So scaling back. Why**********??

You still have plenty of years to get those rides in-Ask dnvrFox and a few others. Now when you get Old(er) you may have a reason to slow down a bit- but not yet.