I'm 66 and have been cycling for 48 years now, pretty consistently, and keep my weight in the 160 lb. area (varies by a few pounds) and, unfortunately, the only thing I've found that works to retain as much speed as possible are intervals.

Yes, I know, intervals are painful . . . make that very painful. They are also tedious, difficult to remain motivated through and big picture: Not Fun. And if you think intervals on flat ground are painful, try some hill intervals for a change! Sheesh.

All that said, they do work. I won't go into the "why" here (you can look that up easily enough). I will say that if you're motivated, dedicated and just plain suborn enough to carry through with intervals you will be pleased with the result.

Rick / OCRR