I'm 66 too. I got back into riding last February after five years off the bike. I didn't know how my aging body was going to adapt, considering I was basically starting from scratch. But I guess I'm lucky because after a few painful weeks I was back in the groove. My legs and aero continue to adapt and get stronger. The 40-mile hilly ride I did today caused no muscle aches or other discomforts -- I sense I'm about halfway to being really fit and can say with confidence that if you're in your mid-60s, you've still got the goods to put in some serious miles.

Trouble is, many of us have "aged out" of local clubs. And though I enjoy solo riding, I miss riding with a small group of people my age. We have the same heros, the same physical challenges, and the same delusions about how fast we were when young. And we can ridicule "advances" like hydraulic disc brakes without fear of contradiction by some snot-nosed know-nothing 40-year-old.

So I'm thinking of creating a Tuesday morning Meetup of sport cyclists over 60 who are in good enough shape for a 20-mile ride through the Berkeley Hills. It would be a social thing, not competitive, with no drops and a few stops to regroup. The really fit guys would be allowed to go off on their own adventures after the first big climb, which we'd do together as a group. I can't think of a better way to spend a Tuesday morning and feel privileged I can still do so at my age.