Originally Posted by
MinnMan
Is "approaching mid-50s" the same as being in your early 50s?
I look back fondly on the days when I was in my early 50s and my MHR was still 184 bpm.
But I ride with some groups where there are some hellaciously strong guys in their early 50s. One of them routinely is on the podium in some of the tougher gravel events in Minnesota. And another hangs with the fast group for the early parts of Dirty Kanza/Unbound Gravel.
I'm in my early 60s and ride with guys in their 20s, 30s, 40s. It's not easy, but I can still do it.
I guess I'm in my early mid-50's, LOL. I ride with a few guys who are older than I am, and they are still beasts on the bike. Myself, having an FTP of around 4w/kg, can still hang with most group rides, and even taking regular pulls. But I put in close to 20k a year in mileage in order to have enough fitness to hang with guys who put in less than half of that. It's true what they say: there's no substitute for youth...or talent.
