Originally Posted by
Kindaslow
Am I just being a grumpy old man?
Yep.
If one has been a serious cyclist for twice as long as a young rider has been alive physical adaptation to the bike, efficient pedaling dynamics, well honed handing skills and a mindset used to dealing with challenging terrain were developed long ago. These are not insignificant in getting right smartly down the road/trail and can trump the strength and recovery rate of young newbies, unless the young newbies are also serious cyclists rapidly developing the same skills and mindset but with youthful power and bravura. You won't out-HTFU the local USAC Juniors either.
-Bandera