Originally Posted by
deacon mark
So I normally ride 30-75 miles when ride and can go sometimes 60 miles and never unclip or stop. I have water but do not normally take food unless it is going to be more than 3 hour ride. Years of running and riding I have trained myself to just keep at it I have lots of endurance. One thing I notice as I get older is when I stop I can be bit off balance and stiff like you do when you ride in a car long rides and then have to get out.
So today at about mile 38 at 2 hours riding time I had to pull over because car behind was not giving me enough room and I road on the shoulder. Not any accident situation I was just being cautious and moved over. Sure enough the shoulder had some soft spots and I pull up and stopped. I manage to do this without falling and getting unclipped but I feel like age has made a maneuver like this harder. Then of course I had to get back on the road and start again it was up hill a bit too. Trying to clip back in and starting I was ok but again it sure seems like it takes more effort and concentration. I have 105 pedals and like them but I always make sure to be clipped in on the down stroke or it can hurt.
It seems the same when I pull up at the end of a long ride and simply get off the bike. I have to just be more attentive to making a landing properly. I suppose 20 years ago I would give it less thought but anyone else experience this? I am not necessarily trying to fix the situation by changing my riding style but just wonder if others experience this.
Yes. I think some of it has to do with fitness and conditioning.
I was a wreck when I got off my bike after yesterday's ride, sore everywhere, including the lower back, abs, and legs. But this morning, I am feeling reasonably fine... a bit stiff in the legs, but overall not bad.
Mind you, I haven't been riding very much lately, after breaking three ribs in a workplace incident a bit over two months ago, but I was able to finish a quite tough mid-winter, hilly 200km randonne by 54 minutes within the cut-off time.
I also remember back to some 200s and longer that I was doing 10 years ago, and I do recall the same levels of aches and pains. I was commuting and riding about 16,000km a year then as a car-free cyclist. Sometimes our memories blot out the negatives...