Well, here goes...
 

Greetings! I am 52 years old, out of shape and about to re-take the plunge after 30 years.

I have a 2013 Dawes SP Comp carbon road bike with Shimano Tiagra groupset, I have the Lycra and SPD-SL shoes, and hopefully will get out on the road soon. I currently have the bike on a turbo trainer and have been practicing clipping in and out (there were only straps and toeclips the last time I cycled).

I am a little nervous about going out in the MAMIL gear with the poor shape I'm in, but I don't fully understand my inner reluctance. I used to think nothing of hopping on my old Raleigh Competition GS and riding 30-40 miles on a whim. Now it's the weather's too hot or too cold, or I need a bit more practice on the clipless pedals, or some excuse or other. It's annoying, but I am going to make a start. My job involves constant travel, and most of the hotels have gyms and swimming pools. Now I will be packing gym kit and swimming shorts.

This is the year, one way or another, in which I'm going to get back a measure of the fitness I once had.

Awesome. Congrats. If you were doing 30-40 miles at a stretch before, I'm betting you're likely going to get back to that pace pretty quickly again.

52 is still young.

Do what you can and have fun.

I agree... I am 54 and recently did a 30 mile ride on my old "Craigslist Special" 1985 Fuji Del Rey and had no problems at all. I made me feel like a teenager again! I took my time and didn't try to race like the Tour de France or anything like that. I rode at a nice steady 14-15 mph pace.

On a good note, I am down to 207 lbs and need to lose those last 7 pounds, which is very difficult!

Hey guys, thanks so much for the supportive words. The interesting thing is that my legs are still strong after all these years, and they just don't seem to get tired on the trainer. It's my lungs and cardiovascular system I need to get back up to speed, and I feel that should be a lot easier than putting back lost leg musculature.

You are a lot younger than I was when I decided to get into bicycling in 1998. 3 months later I was climbing high passes and bicycling 100 miles in a day. I also swim and hike and do resistance exercises.

Just do it.

Awesome. By hook or by crook, just get it done. And enjoy yourself doing it.

Forget about the worries about donning the MAMIL gear. The way I look at it, the fact that I look ridiculous is everyone else's problem, not mine. :thumb:

I've made excuses for 25 years... Last Fall I decided enough is enough! No more excuses! I recruited friends, family and even coworkers to keep me honest and not slip back to my old lazy habit. This was the first time I actual built a support network and it worked!!! It was actually a good use of Facebook. LOL. Having so many people behind me just made it impossible to make excuses... 10.5 months later and I'm still going strong.

Congrats! I just turned 60, and only started riding last summer. Went from 210 pounds to 170, and am currently doing 18 to 20 mile rides on hilly and mostly bad roads. Around here, folks are going to think I look ridiculous no matter what I wear, because I'm doing something that requires physical effort instead of pressing on a gas pedal. Just enjoy!

just get out and ride...oh, at 52 you are a kid on this forum

Welcome to the 50+ asylum, we don't much care what you wear, or ride for that matter. Most of us are returnees, in one form or another, just get out and ride, it will be well worth all your efforts. For me, it was good to get 2 miles a day when I started back after a lot of health issues, and 16 major surgeries. And, a few years back, I had hit 280+ lbs and was sick and tired of being sick and tired, now its 25+ miles, 6 days a week.

Stick around, we have some travelers here, business and pleasure, so I am sure you can pick up some pointers on how best to accommodate the need for a ride, or a workout. Pictures are mandatory, of you and the bicycle, post them when you get the chance.

Bill

Ah to be 52 again! Biking has given me so much joy and the hope that the remaining years will be the happiest of my life.
Welcome to 50+ and don't sweat the MAMIL thing.


Charlie

Ahhh...no way I'd want to be 52 again, or even 62. Sixty hour work weeks, stress, half my time road warrior living on airplanes and out of motel rooms, the attendant marginal health and weight battle issues. Golden years seem/being quite good to me.

I was 51 when I started back 4 years ago... Could barely make a 3 mile loop around my neighborhood in my cargo shorts. Now I'm doing 15-25 miles 3 days week after work, 40+ miles on weekends, with a few charity metric centuries thrown in here & there all while wearing Lycra!! I'm still the funny looking old due on a bike, but who cares because I'm having so much fun!!!

Awesome, Welcome, read my Signature line!

Once you get out on the road, you'll remember something VERY important: riding a bicycle is a lot of fun! That's why you used to ride 30-40 miles on your Raleigh, and that's why you'll soon be riding 30-40 miles on your Dawes. And you'll smile because, nostalgia aside, your Dawes is a much sweeter ride than your Raleigh.

Have fun!

Welcome back to cycling. Rides are my meditation. On SPD's, my biggest mistake first time out was staying clipped in too long when rolling to a stop. Unclip a foot and rest it on top to prepare to stop. I ended up like an upside down turtle at some train tracks. Gave the cars a good laugh...

I'm about 6'2", 220 and would also benefit from a bit of lossage. I thought I was trending downward for the last few weeks and was getting excited. Turns out the battery in my bathroom scales was dying... :notamused:

Good for you, as you have found out there are lots of stories here similar to yours, we all started somewhere, we all took that first embarrassed step out the door. I've been back at it for about a year after 20 years off. It just gets better and better.

Thank you all, guys. I went out for an experimental ride today, having found you can back SPD-SL pedals off lower than "the lowest setting". About 10 miles there and back. Felt pretty good actually, lycra notwithstanding.

My cadence was pretty low, but I didn't get into granny gears at any point: small chainring all the way. But it was just a try-out, to see what it felt like.

I have bought a Garmin Edge 500 with heart rate monitor and cadence sensor. It had just come when I arrived back home.

The Dawes is more comfortable, to be sure, but it's been sitting around unridden for a long time. I feel I will get on better with the Raleigh from the point of view of getting out and going (that's only been sitting around 18 months!).

I think if I can get cycling fit on the Raleigh, I can kit the Dawes out with panniers and so on for a bit of exploration. I really did use to enjoy cycling. I hope I can get some of that back.

I went out on my Dawes a couple of years ago. No problem unclipping until I got back home. I pulled up in my driveway and hovered like Wile E. Coyote for a couple of minutes, wiggling my feet, and slowly fell over. I put out a hand to stop myself. Bad move.

To be honest it put me off. But having found I can loosen SPD-SL pedals lower than advertised, I have a good compromise between security and clip-out-ability. I tried a few sprinty moves this evening (out of the saddle, on the drops, wiggling from side to side) and didn't come unclipped.

Still doing it, mate. Flying off to Italy on Sunday, back next Saturday, then off to Turkey. A lot of the hotels these days have gyms, and I intend to use them. Packing gym kit and swimming trunks for my next visit.

My recently christened ride:

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=465024

Sweet bike!