Started riding last year again after who knows how many years, picked up a Lotus 3000M mountain bike at a local pawn shop for 40 bucks, put new tires, seat, brakes, tuned it up and off I went, up to about 30 mile rides on southern IL MTC trails.

This year took a few months off riding because I wound up working at a VERY physical job, more physical than a guy 59YO should be doing. Changed jobs, moved to Santa Barbara, took a more sedate desk job, now back riding again in the hills outside of SB toward Solvang. Up to about 16-18 mile rides in hilly terrain, on the old Lotus, feeling I had a "challenging" ride afterward. Finaly bought a proper road bike, (ok, aluminum Raliegh Revinio) and the same rides leave me feeling less than challenged. Either my strength/endurance has gone up with the repeated rides, or the light weight road bike doesn't challenge me as physically as the old steel mountain bike does. Commute to work on either feels about the same, commute time is about the same. So which is it, getting stronger or difference in bikes? Had road tires on the Lotus until I bought the road bike, now back to moutain tires, some interesting dirt trails in the area I want to check out.