My 69th birthday is next week so since the weather was a good as its gonna be over the next week I did my "ride your age" ride today. Made 71 miles with no pain and little effort, I had my highest average watts in the last few years for a ride over 40 miles. Lowest average speed though, as I was riding my winter Cinturato Velos which have about 8 watts per tire more rolling resistance over my normal GP 5000 S TRs plus the non aero wheels. But damn, these birthday rides get longer and harder every year!

But it was a nice ride and I am happy I did it. I kind of want to take credit for next year as I had extra miles over this years age though.

Am struggling after reading your post the reason getting old sucks. All I get is that the mileage goes up by one each year to ride your age. The mere fact that you can ride 71 miles, which is probably about 65 more than the average non-cycling adult, is something to be proud of. Or did I miss your gripe?

nope just that the rides feel longer every year, get longer and I am slower. It also was a bit of tongue in cheek self congratulation that I can indeed do it.

I hear you and am in agreement BUT if you come on down to SW FL the Birthday rides are much easier due to FLATLAND miles..

I'd like to think my buying a (slightly heavier) Diverge gravel bike this year might help me in my quest to 'ride my age' some birthday soon, maybe on the lighter Tarmac I bought last year?

Now that I've passed the half-way point between 76 and 77 my suspicion – that I'l ever actually make that goal a reality – isn't gaining much credibility.

Does a virtual 80 miler count accomplished on a resistance trainer with something like Rouvy providing the motivation? Five hours on a trainer I might manage while five hours on the road, away from home, doesn't much sit well with my SO anymore.

If it counts to you that's all that matters. To me, 5 hours on a trainer is something I couldn't imagine. 5 hours on the road is routine.

I can only do an exercise bike for 45 minutes or so, and that gets me around 13 "miles". Its a necessary evil in the upper midwest winters.

For me where I feel older is the longer recovery after long rides.

Having a birthday in December doesn’t readily lend itself to riding my age in this area. Maybe in KMs.

Yeah, it looks like the rainy season might start a little early this year here in PNW. The forecasts are saying lots of spotty showers over the next several days. The worst kind of spoil your day off and on showers,

There is an alternative to getting older. Just sayin’.

Just ride the bike like you were 25. Or ride the bike you were riding when your were 25. Or in my case, ride the bike you wanted to ride when you were 25. Today it's a 1985 Allez with a 42/52 and 13/23. Same bike tomorrow is the plan to do 50+ and 5000+.

I'm hoping my age will start to match my steadily declining 'birthday rides.'

Not a good one, though.

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.

Naw, getting older doesn't suck, things just become more challenging. Challenge is how we grow. No challenge, no growth. I'm going to lay down a marker here: I'll be 81 in June, and I'm going to ride my age. Did it at 70, no problem, but then came Covid and my heart issues. Those seem to be history now, so I think I have a fighting chance. My wife and I never got Covid while all of our friends did. Beats me but I guess we're healthy and our friends are careful people.

I'll have to create a course without a heckuva lot of climbing, but that's possible around here. I should be able to limit it to ~2000'. I roughed out a schedule between now and then. Should be about 6 hours pedaling time and my weekly should be about 9 hours by then, so looks quite possible, even if I'm having trouble getting the full 9. I did a 150+ mile 9000' ride with about that weekly when I was 77. "No retreat, baby, no surrender"

Seems like it's just a matter of keeping at it, every week, every year. OTOH, I've never been 80 before. We'll see.

with respects to Red Green - We will be pulling for ya!

You don’t need to tell me that, although it does depend on some factors. I decided a couple of years ago that continuing to grow older is not something I want to do under certain conditions.

Circumstances dictate potentials.

At 76, with an older spouse, my bicycling options are rather limited by length of time away from home.

I can manage maybe three hours outside (weather permitting) without blowback once I return. On my trainer in the basement, I might get interrupted in a session but as long as I'm 'at home' it doesn't matter much what-all I'm doing as long as I'm around should help be called for.

Gotta try and keep the peace! Mrs John is younger, not quite 68, and she looks forward to her alone time when I'm riding. I do try to get home after rides instead of going out to lunch or socializing with riding friends.

I got lucky. In fact, I'm the luckiest SOB, maybe in the world. I've told this story before, but my wife-to-be had asthma when I met her. I'm basically an engineer. So I fixed it, and in the process got me a partner and a stoker. We are joined at the hip, and I can exercise all I want, because she's healthier than I am, only 3 years behind me, and usually with me, bike, hike, gym, etc. She's also almost as nuts as I am. Like crazy enough to do RAMROD on our tandem when we were 69 and 66. "No retreat, baby, no surrender."

Hear you there... The feet are a focus point when the miles and effort ramps up.
We lose much of that fat pad on our balls and heel as we age. It's one of those things which is affecting me greatly.
I added good insoles a while back and now also have a good neoprene foot bed (thanks to some old wetsuits...) AND on that those inexpensive cushion insoles one gets in drug stores..
Still not quite the same as the padding we had in our younger days, but better than nothing.
Ride On
Yuri

I'll have to try that. The problem though is my shoes are already kind of tight.

Ha... As of now for me it would be 0.2 miles for every year of age...

71 Miles, BRAVO for you!!!

A couple I ride with is like that. They both raced years ago, they've owned several tandems but haven't been on one in a few years, and they both still train and ride several times per week. I think they are 69 and 67 now.

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.