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Another reason gettting old sucks

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Another reason gettting old sucks

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Old 10-12-25 | 05:58 PM
  #26  
Gruppetto Bob
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Originally Posted by Wildwood
Aging and fitness - mostly by bicycle?
My opinion is that if one has decent daily health, a relatively stable life situation, riding routes and fair weather - then getting old doesn't suck. Best to throw in some weight training, flexibility exercise and brisk walking.

The weather here in Seattle was nearly perfect (for outdoor activities) from early June thru September. I had more days of cycling & hiking than I can remember (maybe ever), . It wasn't the highest mileage in either activity, but most consistent. Any 3-4 day breaks may have been spent babysitting grandkids, which is a lot more exercise than 25 miles on the bike. Zero kayak days tho'.


When does OLD start? Surely a 65+ discussion, unless one beat themselves up physically, or got 'crop dusted' with some chemical agent, or drank Flint MI water, or lived downwind/downstream from nuclear weapons sites, chemical or industrial sites, mines, etc.
I believe it starts when you either give up or are so incapacitated due to insurmountable health conditions you have no choice but to hang it up. That’s my Reader’s Digest version, and if you remember that publication, you are OLD.


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Old 10-12-25 | 07:20 PM
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Readers Digest was in the house. Subscriptions were cheap. I only remember two humor columns - Humor in Uniform and another one of hand-drawn (single-cell) cartoon characters with a joke or punch line. I got Boy Scouting magazine. Mom collected Green House stamps (in paper books).

I also remember b&w HoneyMooners - with Jackie Gleason - "One of these days....straight to da moon Alice, straight to da moon." The Ed Sullivan Show was followed by a newcomer = Bonanza on Sunday night. The rabbit-ear'd set-top antenna worked pretty good on that channel.

And That's the Way It Was on .....
Good Night Chet, Good Night David.......


But I truly don't feel THAT old.
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Last edited by Wildwood; 10-12-25 at 08:45 PM.
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Old 10-12-25 | 09:20 PM
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This guy Ned Overend hasn't got the memo about aging. What does he eat for breakfast, I wonder?






https://granfondodailynews.com/2025/...ville-results/
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Old 10-12-25 | 09:39 PM
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Go Ned! Such an inspiration. Now if I only had his genes.
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Old 10-12-25 | 10:13 PM
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Originally Posted by zacster
I did my age ride just a few weeks ago, 70 miles of the NYC Century. It wasn't the stamina that made me quit, it was my feet. They just hurt, and it was even worse at the rest stops. Walking in tight cleated shoes is just not normal. I took the subway home and all I wanted to do was take off my shoes during the ride, but this is the NYC subway and you just don't do that.
Starting at age 57, I rode the week long Cycle Oregons almost every year. More than half of those on fix gears. My feet took a real beating. After the first one fixed, I made a bag to hold a pair of Tevas in a WB cage and wore them at the rest stops. A godsend. You can see the bag under the DT in my avatar photo.

The issue was the shoe straps and the hard pulling up I had to do for hills. If I kept the straps tight enough to keep my feet from sliding and blistering it felt like I was breaking the bones in the middle of my foot. I saw the doc for antibiotics after my first two fixed COs. Then I had a brainstorm. This didn't happen in the old days before straps. So I laced my shoes. With grommets from Tandy Leather. Worked! I've now laced all the shoes that are "riders" and not $300 BOAs.
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Old 10-14-25 | 10:06 AM
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Getting old and cycling.
Wonder if these 10 would agree it SUCKS.
Not sure the date of the article but at least one is deceased.

Top 10 Oldest Cyclists in the World - Oldest List

The tales of these ten oldest cyclists in the world are not just remarkable; they are inspirational. They illuminate the boundless possibilities that an active lifestyle holds for all ages, proving that determination and passion know no age limits. Whether one cycles for leisure, health, or competition, it is a fabulous way to enhance the quality of life as we age. Let these stories be a reminder that it’s never too late, or one is never too old, to hop on a bike and enjoy the ride.
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Old 10-14-25 | 01:03 PM
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Originally Posted by MinnMan
This guy Ned Overend hasn't got the memo about aging. What does he eat for breakfast, I wonder?


Ned's my hero--and my nemesis. Every time his name shows up on a segment leaderboard, I try to go out and beat his time. It always hurts.

Some Strava stats from his BWR race:



Look at these children sharing the podium with Ned:





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Old 10-14-25 | 01:45 PM
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Originally Posted by MinnMan
This guy Ned Overend hasn't got the memo about aging. What does he eat for breakfast, I wonder?






https://granfondodailynews.com/2025/...ville-results/
Ned Overend is for sure a legend and still endorsed by Specialized Bicycles and has been an ambassador for the company for many years.
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Old 10-14-25 | 01:55 PM
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Originally Posted by joesch
Ned Overend is for sure a legend and still endorsed by Specialized Bicycles and has been an ambassador for the company for many years.
He's quite a role model. 15 years ago he did the licensed Diablo Time Trial - (10km up North Gate Road, not the Diablo Challenge) and came in second to local pro and Diablo specialist Nate English who set the course record.

https://diabloscott.blogspot.com/201...ime-trial.html

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Old 10-14-25 | 02:40 PM
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Originally Posted by DiabloScott
He's quite a role model. 15 years ago he did the licensed Diablo Time Trial - (10km up North Gate Road, not the Diablo Challenge) and came in second to local pro and Diablo specialist Nate English who set the course record.

https://diabloscott.blogspot.com/201...ime-trial.html

He was but a youth 15 years ago.
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Old 10-15-25 | 09:04 PM
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I wonder if he experiences some level of pain in the morning while taking those first steps?
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Old 10-15-25 | 09:16 PM
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Originally Posted by MinnMan
This guy Ned Overend hasn't got the memo about aging. What does he eat for breakfast, I wonder?





https://granfondodailynews.com/2025/...ville-results/
let me all tell you the secret. ned shaved his mustache. you're welcome.
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Old 10-15-25 | 09:44 PM
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Originally Posted by oranges
let me all tell you the secret. ned shaved his mustache. you're welcome.
Hmmm. Kind of the opposite of the Sampson story, huh?
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Old 10-16-25 | 12:16 PM
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Originally Posted by Wildwood
Aging and fitness - mostly by bicycle?
When does OLD start? Surely a 65+ discussion, unless one beat themselves up physically, or got 'crop dusted' with some chemical agent, or drank Flint MI water, or lived downwind/downstream from nuclear weapons sites, chemical or industrial sites, mines, etc.
Like LDL numbers docs love to tout, the 10,000 steps per day fitness goal, or 6' social distancing, "OLD" is just an arbitrary number in some people's minds, with little actual science behind it. When you're 20 people 40 are old. When you're 40, people 60-65 are old, when you're 65...you get the idea. I figure life is like a football game, barring some catastrophe you get 4 quarters (1-20, 20-40, 40-60, 60-80) and if you're lucky, you get to go into overtime(80+). As most of us know by now, to get old-er you have to be tough. The trick is, just don't let the old man in. Old is a state of mind. Barring illness or disease, old sets in when you decide you're too old to ______. You adjust, adapt, change, to embrace where you are in life's pathway, but you never quit. In the words of Nike, "Just Do It".
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Old 10-16-25 | 12:29 PM
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Originally Posted by WNCGoater
Like LDL numbers docs love to tout, the 10,000 steps per day fitness goal, or 6' social distancing, "OLD" is just an arbitrary number in some people's minds, with little actual science behind it. When you're 20 people 40 are old. When you're 40, people 60-65 are old, when you're 65...you get the idea. I figure life is like a football game, barring some catastrophe you get 4 quarters (1-20, 20-40, 40-60, 60-80) and if you're lucky, you get to go into overtime(80+). As most of us know by now, to get old-er you have to be tough. The trick is, just don't let the old man in. Old is a state of mind. Barring illness or disease, old sets in when you decide you're too old to ______. You adjust, adapt, change, to embrace where you are in life's pathway, but you never quit. In the words of Nike, "Just Do It".
Ah, but it's a (slowly) moving target. As recently as 1970, life expectancy in the US was 70 years. And 100 years ago it was less than 60.






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Old 10-17-25 | 05:32 PM
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Well shoot, since I am 69 I’ve got my life expectancy done, all the rest is bonus. Time or another slow ride now. My mom is 89 still doing pretty well, so I probably will get in just a few more miles.

now if can actually work on getting my cadence back up.
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Old 10-18-25 | 07:10 AM
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Originally Posted by howsteepisit
Well shoot, since I am 69 I’ve got my life expectancy done, all the rest is bonus. Time or another slow ride now. My mom is 89 still doing pretty well, so I probably will get in just a few more miles.

now if can actually work on getting my cadence back up.
IAW actuarial tables from the Social Security Administration SSA Actuarial Life Table you can expect to live for about 14.76 more years, your mom should expect about 5 more years.
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Old 10-18-25 | 10:17 PM
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Sooo,
Last year, I did 80 kilometers for my 80th.birthday. This year , I did 83 kilometers with a fellow rider for his birthday ride.
We overdid it slightly, and did 55 miles. I put the extra km/miles in my bike account so I don’t have to do the 82,83,84,and 85 rides.
That’s how this works ….. Right?
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Old 10-19-25 | 01:06 PM
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I'm not 65 yet but sadly riding my birthday number is over. I try to get at least twenty miles in on a ride and thirty is icing on the cake. After that I simply poop out get sore and stiff. Extreme arthritis isn't helping, either.
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Old 10-19-25 | 03:23 PM
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I don't consider myself old yet. I am only 55 and going on 56 in a couple of months. I remember when I was 25 - 30 I was really worried about what it would feel like if I made it to 50. Now at 55 I feel like I am in the best shape of my life both physically and mentally. There are 4 things that I prioritize in my life:

No - 1 Regular strength training
No - 2 Riding my bike which is both a hobby, pleasure and exercise at the same time
No - 3 Following a good diet
No - 4 Having a daily challenge of some sort. Lucky for me I have a job that's physically challenging and keeps me sharp and focused.

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Old 10-19-25 | 08:36 PM
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Congratulations on your fitness!
Cheers!
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Old 10-22-25 | 12:54 PM
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congrats, well done
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Old 10-23-25 | 05:11 AM
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We all have to put those birthday rides in a more positive perspective. They get longer because you have made it through another year. And, you're still spinning the pedals. Good job.
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Old 10-23-25 | 09:05 AM
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Originally Posted by I Like To Ride
I don't consider myself old yet. I am only 55 and going on 56 in a couple of months. I remember when I was 25 - 30 I was really worried about what it would feel like if I made it to 50. Now at 55 I feel like I am in the best shape of my life both physically and mentally. There are 4 things that I prioritize in my life:

No - 1 Regular strength training
No - 2 Riding my bike which is both a hobby, pleasure and exercise at the same time
No - 3 Following a good diet
No - 4 Having a daily challenge of some sort. Lucky for me I have a job that's physically challenging and keeps me sharp and focused.
I woke up on the morning of my 50th and thought, *Likely have been alive longer than have left to live so START REALLY LIVING and before I die I will be told "you have cancer."

NOT dead yet but have cancer and treatment is kicking the crapola out of me making bicycling more of a chore than a pleasurable ride. Will keep spinning cranks as long as possible and then *check out*

Did manage 75.75 miles for my 75th B-day in July.



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Old 10-23-25 | 10:18 AM
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Anybody who is 70 - 80 years old and still rides a bike is a real inspiration. It gives me hope.
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