50. When you reach that milestone, what are your thoughts? "It's going to be different, or not: I'll just keep pedaling ... Little things ...

What was your experience?
Maybe it happened to be a crazy moment in your life. Maybe you set out new goals. Bought a new bike ;-)

50? I can't remember that far back. But I can remember thinking "When is this 'Physical Decline' thing supposed to happen?" I didn't really notice it until age 70 or so.

My decline started at 77 when some other stuff coincided. I still push out 25 miles most days, but no where near the speed I used to do them haha. It's all good

I made peace with being in the second half of my life. Got my first senior discount. At 51, I'm putting in more miles on the bike than ever before, but losing interest in bursts of power.

When I was 30 I used to imagine what it felt like being 50. Now I am 55 and it's not as bad as I used to think. I did modify my behavior a little bit and I don't take as many risks as I used to, I also try to avoid injuries because it takes longer to heal up and recover than when I was younger. I still like to have fun on my MTB but I am a lot more careful now. Strength training is really important after 50. I started strength training when I was 42 and still doing it today. 1-3 bike rides per week and 1 strength training session per week seems to work very well for me.

My thoughts at about 50 years of age were that I need to get some exercise or else I'm gong to die soon.

So I started riding my bikes more often, farther and in a more serious way. Today at 67, I'm thinking I need to join a gym and get even more exercise. The resistance type exercise that a bicycle doesn't give. I've been saying that here for probably 3 - 5 years. But soon I hope to make it happen.

50 was pretty much a non event for me, but things did start deteriorating and at 75 steroid shots are keeping me going but my max is 25 miles every other day.

I didn't ride much between ages 25 to 55. Should have though, maybe would have avoided the heart attack I had at 57. Opportunities lost and all....

Started back into it, more seriously than I ever thought possible, a couple of years ago.

It was the land that I moved into back more than a decade that inspired me, as well as intimidated me when the realization hit me that my time won't be infinite.

I'm closer to 77 now than 76; trainer in my basement sees more 'mileage' over the long winter months than I can manage while the weather's Just Fine Thanks for riding outdoors.

But I ride.

As much as I can manage. Maybe an hour, maybe two.

I feel better for the activity and exertion, motivates me to continue.

Woke up and thought to myself --

I have likely lived LONGER than I have left to live so prepare for death and before I die I will be told "You have CANCER"

I have cancer and am prepared for death.

50 was nothing significant. As long as I could get enough hours on the bike I was pretty strong. When I hit 60 my workload had increased and I was frequently exhausted by Friday and often didn't ride during the week. I think those factors led to my bike endurance degrading more than just being 60. Now, at 71 and retired, recovery takes longer and I can't chase like I used to.

that would have been 1999 ... just another day - birthdays were relegated to 'today' status, nothing special... Regular riding... 'training' during the week, usually Wed was a big climb day - Gibraltar or OSM/Painted Cave. Thur, longer distance at Z3, Fri, usually a easy day to let legs recover and prep for wkend - either Sanctioned races or if nothing available.
Then Sat was Echelon Ride at hard pace - 40-45 mi.
Sun was always the 'Worlds' in Santa Barbara - very hard pace full bore ride of 36 mi. - I would use the 15 mi. ride in to the start at East Beach Bathhouse as 'warmup' and then use the 15 home to loosen the legs again as 'cooldown' - usually directly after the 'Worlds' would be a large coffee gathering of riders, to BS about the ride...
If USCF races were available, then I would plan to ride 1st 45+ and then the 35+...
50 was unremarkable... just another day to make the most of...
Ride On
Yuri

A lifelong recreational cyclist, I discovered randonneuring at 49. My first 300km, 400km, 600km, and 1200km rides occurred between 50 and 51. From 50-55, I vastly increased my fitness while also figuring out distance riding. 50 was a non event.

Just remember Yuri, it's a proven fact that people who have more birthdays also live longer. Don't discount the day too lightly

Heck yeah - bought an expensive CF custom bike from local builder, Craig Calfee. Took delivery at 49, actually.

At 50 I began to think about how I wished to live my older life. Hobbies became pursuits - skiing became volunteer winter ski patrol at 53. Hiking became volunteer summer wilderness ranger USFS at 56. Cycling continued with regularity. A full plate of outdoor physicality. It was a smart move, given no unwise setbacks.

At 75, having dispensed the physical volunteering duties, another re-eval is progressing - planning to be near family and having fun. And riding more than a few bicycles regularly.
Still riding the Calfee - tho it has been upgraded twice, one factory repaint and tweeked even more.
I still ski occasionally and hike regularly with a couple of neighbors.
Not really looking forward to the 80 year milestones. But = It is what it is.
edit: I will try not to make millstones of milestones. Smiling daily is a milestone, henceforth and fo' sure. Find the silver lining = a lifeline.

I'm not as fast as I once was, but I am as fast once as I ever was.

Plus, free senior coffee at the rest stop.

Turned 50 in '06. Had back issues in '05, PT told me bicycling wasn't a good idea. Didn't do much riding at the time so it didn't bother me. Walked about 3mi/day.

Started gaining weight. In '08, circumstances forced me to ride in the heat to fetch parts for my car. End of day calculating calories I thought, "What?"

Burned more calories riding than possible walking. Back felt fine. Started riding again. It was great!

Slowing down the last couple of years.

While I've done some cycling much of my life, I didn't get serious until I was 56. First century ride when I was 58. Since I only got serious as I got older, my biggest cycling milestones (distance, hill climbs) coincided with my aging milestones. Been very fortunate thus far (knocking on wood) with health that I'm able to still longish distances - although not motivated to do centuries any more.

I don't generally over think about age but have to say, 72 (my current age) does feel like a pretty big number!

When I was about to turn 50, I considered doing on my birthday an "ultra Everest" -- 50,000 vertical feet in 24 hours, or 1000 feet for each year.

Then I started looking at the math: that's 2083 feet per hour average. Didn't seem like much at all, but factoring in descending time and time off the bike, I would need to average more like 2800 feet per hour. Still manageable, but not for 24 hours.

I gave up the "ultra Everest" idea, and I've never even considered a birthday milestone ride since.

LOL. I rode until I was 18, then did Army, school, and then career until I was 50, when I started riding again. Took me 5 years, starting from scratch, to be able to ride doubles and do 150-mile rides in the mountains. I hadn't been training at all, but I was active at work, doing manual labor on my feet all day. For those first 5 years, I rode a $200 old steel 10-speed but when I started in the mountains, I bought a new carbon Trek, which I still ride at 80. Starting with the old bike was a good idea because I didn't know what I'd be wanting later on.

I started riding again because I stumbled one day on the way to the mailbox. I don't stumble.

I was pretty strong when I was 50. I'd been directing a team of consultants instead of being one of them for a few years and traveling considerably less, so enjoying living where I live and riding year-round. Worked out every day and was road riding on the same composite Trek I'd ridden for 20 years. Cool girlfriend I'd been seeing for a few years. Worked hard played hard. I was a stud

I didn't start riding seriously until I was 28 but was active with all variety of skiing and white water and already had open rotator cuff surgery and a crushed L4 and major hamstring and therefore sciatic and other nerve pain issues, so I'd learned to live with a couple of things and doing well

My senior move at 50 was replacing a 13-21 7-speed cassette with a 13-23, running 53/39 cranks mind you, for my daily up my favorite mountain, which hits 20%. I'd gone up to 13-26 before I had to crash that bike at 53, but I was fit enough to survive being hit by a truck and thrown 20 feet

Bought a new road bike but that was a couple of years later when I could road ride again in 2015, same year Trek released the first Emonda. Love that bike (and the 11-28 11-speed with 50/34 cranks!)

Ok here you go, full on into the wind tuck on a race bike... indoors... in slippers. This may very well be an aspirational milestone in my future

(I somehow posted this earlier in the wrong thread, and wouldn't have noticed except that Carbonfiberboy liked it there. Thanks, I guess.)

Of all the decadal milestones, I found 50 to be the most challenging emotionally. It was the feeling that the best of youthful life was mostly in the past, and that I was looking at diminishing time, energy, fun, life. Turning 30, 40, and 60 didn't really have the same effect, and I don't think 70 (some years off) will either.

But I had started as a serious cyclist only in my late 40s, and pretty much through my 50s, I either got stronger and faster or plateaued. So in some ways, the impression I had on turning 50 was totally wrong.

It wasn't wrong in some other ways, but never mind about that.

50 was not a physical transition.

And you (Wildwood) are in the big ring. Props.

The latest studies indicate that we do not age gradually. It supposedly happens in big decreases at age 30, 60 and 78. I have no idea why 78. But, I do know that when I looked back recently I actually went downhill fast at age 78. Weird.

Can't be the same for everybody. Those ages are maybe means with significant diversity. Not saying that aging isn't episodic, just that the episodes happen at roughly different times for different people.
Personally, I did see a noticeable decrease in my cycling strength at age 63 (last year). Before that, no difference across my mid 50s to early 60s. I was wondering when it was going to show up, and ithere it was. Bummed about it, but I knew it had to happen some time..