I'm 56 and have been commuting for five years. My commute is usually a loop of 9 miles in and 11 home. My view of commuting is: I'm going for a ride everyday and stopping part of the way for eight hours.

To sum that up, a bike commuter on this forum once brilliantly said, "Work is the thing I do in between bike rides."

Dang. You took mine.

The best thing about being an over 50 commuter (58 here) is that I don't let the fashion police dictate what my bikes should look like. Full fenders are decidedly frumpy looking. And I don't give a schidt. I can still drop guys half my age while pushing fenders and dynamo lights, and on days like today, I stay clean while doing it.

Meh, I'm no different now than I was 30 years ago, except I'm stronger than I was then.

If you do your own wrenching, vintage touring bikes make great commuters. Modify/modernize to your own personal taste and ability.

I believe the precise quote is "Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides." by ItsJustMe, who wrote just two posts below yours,

I'm 65. I started bicycle commuting about three years ago on "bike to work day". I ride about 27 miles round trip twice a week. Here in So. Cal. I can more or less ride year around. I started riding for my health. Was 390 with a heart rate of 85 sitting. Now, I'm 250 with a heart rate of 56 sitting. I'm still fat but more comfortable. I've had my share of almost(s): cars, other bikes, and mostly people walking the bike path. Overall, I feel bicycle riding is safe and enjoyable.


Also: My daughter and I have developed a habit of biking to breakfast on Sat. mornings.

I ride everyday; sometimes I must drive. We are both retired and need only one car, I sold mine.

I own two bikes that can be ridden.

My Diamondback Insight STI-8 is my 'market' bike with rack, Wald folding baskets, removable front bag (Avenir), bright lights, acres of reflective tape and is pedaled through a Shimano 8-speed IGH. I have the gearing set to 25--80 gear inches which is excellent for who I am, where I live and the variable terrain. It now has a two-leg center stand, an Adamo "Prologue" seat, zero offset seat post, different handlebar & stem. I changed the Tektro V-brakes over to Shimano and the pads to black Kool Stops. I spaced & aligned the chain wheel (original steel 38-tooth); changed the cables to smoother ones and fitted Ergon GP5 grips over which I've wrapped Shimano PRO gel bar tape. I'm running Red Line racing ATF in the hub and Kal Gard motorcycle chain lube on the chain. The tires are Continental "Touring Plus" (37 front, 42 rear) It weighs 40 pounds ready to ride (it was 30# bare) --- This is my new "car".

My other bike is a 61cm 2013 Cannondale Synapse. I've modified it too. It now sports a Cobb Randee saddle, zero offset seat post, a different stem and handlebar. The bar is padded and double taped. The brakes are now Shimano with black Kool Stops pads. I've changed the chain wheels from 50/39/30 to 45/42/24. The cassette is a Shimano 11-36. The derailleurs are Shimano 9-speed Ultegra 6500 front and 9-speed XT rear; these derailleurs were necessary to achieve the "half-step + granny" gearing (18 -- 110 gear inches) I now very much enjoy. I installed smoother, dressed & lubed cables on this one too. Tires: Continental Gatorskin 28 front & 32 rear. It weighs 26 pounds (21.5# bare) ready to ride; this includes a liter of water, alarm and 12mm cable lock (both bikes) and tool & medical kits on both bikes. Mirrors on both, bell on "car".

There's more but this is getting to look like a book as it is ;o)

Joe

BTW: I'm 73 yrs old, stand 6'1" & weigh too much (230#)

Many good quotes and suggestions so far, but this one hits home. :-) The ol' '92 Cannondale T600 is nearing 110k miles. As stuff has worn out, I've upgraded buying "last year's cutting edge technology" at clearance prices. It's currently a 3x10 with Ultegra/XTR/Chris King-level components. And an 8 ounce titanium rear rack and stainless steel bottle cages.

The commute of the last 11 years: 23 morning miles, and a minimum of 27 afternoon miles to get my half century and avoid some ugly afternoon traffic on the shorter route.

Winter: That used to be my time off until a co-worker gave me grief for driving after a 6" snow fall in Nov 3-4 years after starting the biking. I of course had to "show him." A couple of winters on a Schwinn "The Tank" Varsity to save on the new '92 C'dale, and I opted for a '95 C'dale H600 hybrid. It hit 20k miles this past winter. It's gone through the same number of components as the touring bike with only a fifth the miles. Welcome to Minnesota winters and salt and sand and indifference to constant cleaning...

In summary, if there are actually any "youngsters" reading this thread: Don't get hung up on logistics. Just get out there and start pedaling and adjust as needed. That was how we did it before the internet and all the available "you need to..." advice. Have fun. :-)

55 years old and daily commuter. I never make bike commuting a choice it is just something I do everyday except for the rarest of days. I could use the subway or drive my car but both of those are certainly not as fun as cycling. I hope that I can cyclo-commute until I retire in ten years.

67, by my age my father was type 2 diabetic, cycling since the 50's I'm Not. Commuting, touring, Shopping and riding to the Pub.

Hey T - other than the brakes and the color, those bikes look identical...
1) Why do you have identical bikes? (Duty/Standby maybe?)
2) How do you choose one over the other for any particular ride?

I've been commuting for about 8 years. It's been fun... but never more fun than it is now - I've done an ebike conversion to my commuter bike. I thought it would be cheating... it is... but guess what? I don't care! It only saves me a few minutes each way. It's pedal assist only and the assist cuts out at 20 mph. "Climbing" the hill on the way home is an absolute joy! I don't work quite as hard commuting, but I find myself challenging myself to keep the bike at the 20 mph limit or more. I still arrive with a bit of a sweat... and a BIG SMILE!

Is that a road morph g pump? Or an earlier version? Can you easily read the numbers on the gauge? The gauge is a great idea, but it'd be better if you could read it better.

Good catch. Could be the same bike with a little photo shopping.

The best thing is riding at one's own pace on personally preferred equipment and not giving a "schidt" about dropping or being dropped by any other riders, or what the Serious Cycling Fashion Police™ may dictate.

68 and retired 3 years ago, still ride everyday on the same bike I used to commute with since 1999.

If you’re cycling to school, peddle style and bicycle wait are not all that important... but paying attention in English class is.

A lot of people will tell you that a helmet is most important if you get in a wreck. It’s not. Clean underwear is.

If you’re ever being chased down by a large vicious dog, just remind yourself that he’s man’s best friend, and it’s better to let him befriend the cyclist behind you.

I started cycle commuting when I was 50; I'm now fast approaching 62. My year-round 13+ mile commute is my fountain of youth.

I'm 52 and have been an every day commuter since May of 2012.
It's 15.3 miles home to office.
I simply do NOT enjoy driving to the office, at all, anymore.

Ride, rest, repeat( A mt bike saying) I have 6 bikes I commute on, depending on weather. Some of the others are for mt biking. I average 2,000 bike commuter miles each year, going on 6 years now. 18 miles one way is not that far, I average 2-6 one way trips per week. It takes 1 hour by car, 10 - 60 minutes longer by bike, weather dependent. pedal for yourself, not anyone else. I favor function over fashion. I wear my helmet, the 2 times I have gone off bike commuting, I have hit my head on the pavement. Got up and walked away. Mt biking, I have split, dented and cracked a helmet, all fine after dusting myself off. Not open for debate here, just my personal results and opinions. Your results my vary. Take the lane when needed. Chicks dig scars( mt bike saying) And sculpted legs. ( My better half)

However, if you are running a bike shop, peddle style and bicycle wait times could make a huge difference.

Good point!
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Riding nowhere in particular is fun, but riding somewhere that most would drive to (like work) can be even more invigorating and satisfying.

Your commute is not a race... unless you decide that it is! In that case, give it all you've got!

If your coworkers think you’re crazy for cycle commuting, figure out a way to use it to your advantage.

Don't skimp on tires… The right ones for the particular conditions at hand will make a huge difference.

Don't fear cars, make yourself visible and be assertive.

Ignore motorists who honk at you... or honk back!

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I'm impressed that so many of the oldsters here have fairly long commutes! I'm 54 and my commute is 12 miles each way. I average 3 days a week, less in the dead of winter, but I seldom miss a week. This is my tenth year. Pedal On!

I think there is about a 0.5° difference in head tube angles.

I'm 54 years old. Life is so much better now that I can commute by bike again. Not only that, I don't drive a car any more! Yay!

I started a new job in December, and it's 13 miles each way. So far, I only do it by bike once or twice a week (round trip). The other days, I take the subway. As luck has it, the travel time is the same by both methods.

I get a great sense of accomplishment when I get to useful places by my own power. I also like the effect that the exercise has on me. It improves my mood and my energy level.

I don't ride in all weather conditions, but I do ride in conditions that many would avoid. Moderate rain is OK with me. Cold is OK, too, but cold rain is too nasty for me.

Okay here's my deal.

I'm 53.

Other than that I co-owned a couple cars with my wife, I've never owned a car. At one point I equated driving, and car ownership, with the idea of "growing up." But now I've got over that. The car is in my wife's name, and if I want to borrow it I ask very nicely. And I'd rather not, because I feel strongly that is not mine. And so does she.

If I'm going to work, I'm riding my bike. Plan B is to stay home. I like Plan B, but it doesn't pay so well. I ride in the cold, in the snow, and in light rain like this morning. It's five or six miles to the train, an hour (zzzzzz) of train, then a short CitiBike ride. My commute is almost two hours each way, but I enjoy it all.

I've been doing this for about fifteen years. Before that I had a different job, and I'll admit: I never even thought of riding my bike to work. I was trying to act like an adult. Now that I've given that up, it all makes sense again.