Heading into 76 here. I do a lot of cross training - different modalities, ride about 100 miles/week.

Great idea, this 65+ thread!!

Hey nobody ,,newbie,,,, to clear everything up , I just made 65 in April but I'm equally happy that you guys,, alittle older than me are still going strong and I plan to continue your examples,,,,,, with my cycling and running,,,,

Hey, that's OK :)

From 65 to 76 is, well . . .

This year I have begun to notice age a bit more. I now ride TOTALLY for fun, at my own speed, enjoy stopping and talking with folks. I, likewise, have cut down on my swimming distance a bit, but still walk several miles (I don't run). I have been able to pretty much keep up the amount of resistance in my various resistance exercises, though.

Today my folding bike arrived. Having watched YouTube, I started putting it together. Rather quickly it became apparent (& I am a parent) that no way could I complete it--in fact I might injure the bike-- & better get it to LBS. So I did.

,,,,Hey, I know what you mean,, I went to lowes to get some fence boards and a BBQ grill( pit) anyway ofcourse the one I chose was not assembled, had to wait , free assembly! but I didn't want to wait so I said I'll take it I'll assemble it, well I did assemble it , but it took me about 2 hours and a few clips and washers left over I finished ,I should have told them that if I had to assemble the thing that they take at least 30 dollors off the price , at on point I thought I was going to have to take it back to them so they could finish it,, but I got it done and it works like a charm
,,,Used it today,, I'm impressed,,,,,,

Terrific you got it done & working well. After reading of the few clips and washers left over, I thought "Uh-oh," then, "Make-do is how experts do it." Happy 5th.

Born in 1948. I raced in the late 1960's before returning to Minnesota in 1972. After that I mainly competed in x-country skiing and running events. I had a nasty heart attack playing hockey in 1992 which left me with some permanent damage. For the next twenty years I kept some conditioning by hiking and snowshoeing year round, but finally needed quadruple bypass surgery in November of 2012. Of course I did some mountain biking, but found falling a lot did not appeal to me, but after surgery I lost a lot of extra weight and started dreaming about being back on the road bike. I started riding again about 5 months after surgery and haven't looked back. I'm at the same weight I was when I competed in my 20's which makes the dang hills around Duluth, Mn a bit easier to climb.

This spring I picked up a Raleigh Tamland gravel bike. The road around here are pretty beat up from 6 months of winter, and gravel "racing" has exploded in Minnesota and around the midwest. I did a short gravel race in June and will be doing the Filthy Fifty in October. I wear a heart monitor when I ride and started tracking all my rides on Strava. I created the "Cardiac Cycling Club International" on Strava for folks like me with heart disease. We have 32 members now.

I've had some issues with beta blockers, which limit the heart rate, but am on the lowest dose they make. My conditioning has improved steadily especially since I started weight training about a year and half ago. But here's an issue that is concerning me today. Yesterday I did a 28 mile ride with about 800 feet of climbing. Normally on the hills or during a hard effort I can get my heart rate up to about 135 - 140, but yesterday I could not push it past 124. I averaged 15.3 mph and my perceived effort was fairly hard, but that heart rate just would not budge.

Any thoughts?

A symptom of over training. What is your "resting protocol"?

Are you still on your beta blocker?
I had a mild hart attack April 14th and am riding again. The doc has given me the go ahead to push it.
I still cannot get my hart rate up very high and it varies all over the place. I am told that I will no longer need the beta blocker after a year and that then my hart rate will stabilize.
Good luck,
Wayne

A new Codger member here as of today...just turned 69. I can hardly wait until next year when I become an old Codger. After having my ICE trike for nearly three years I finally got my first century ride in a few weeks ago. The heat was too much in previous attempts. I would like to go for more on my 70th marker.

Steve

I am on Lopressor and have found it to keep my max in the range of 140-160 I am doing spin classes which make monitoring a bit easier as you don't have to watch for cars etc. What I found was when it felt like I was putting out max effort and just hanging on my heart rate is low in the 80-90 range. When it is in the 120-140 is when we are recovering so it is like I don't get the push when I need it and it goes up during recovery and then comes back down again. I am feel stronger with the higher heart rate. I have a mio fuze for a heart rate monitor and check some other activities like stairs and get the same effect. Am on blood thinner as well good news no stroke or heart attack.

Yes, due to my low ejection fraction (41%) the cardiologist is reluctant to stop it completely. Regarding overtraining - another poster mentioned that - I have been increasing my efforts steadily but moderately. However, I have been under an extraordinary amount of job-related stress and that can sometimes make riding, which is normally a stress reliever and additional stress. So yes, that is my concern. I've been sleeping a little more and am taking a few rest days to see how that works. I've been doing a lot of hill riding.

I am on Metoprolol Tartrate (generic for Lopressor) 25 mg twice a day, and the highest hart rate I have had is about 110 bpm. Before my hart attack I got into the 160's frequently. I will be glad when I can get off of this drug as well as Clopidogrel (Plavix) 75 mg once a day. My doc and a friend's doc who was also on on Metoprolol both say that the effect of Metoprolol after one year is negligible and no longer worth the risk of taking it. My friend's old doc had him on this drug for 6+ years. He said when he got off his riding really improve and he lost 15 pounds in a couple of months.

You might want to discuss this with your doc and see what he says. If you are not happy, please seek a second opinion.

I am not sure if I could over train; but I have real strong days and not strong days for the next couple of rides. I am still learning how to go about increasing the length and intensity of my rides. It has only been a week since the doc gave me the go ahead to start pushing it. Now if my knees would not hinder me I hopefully could learn more.

Does anyone else have experience with this drug?

Thanks,
Wayne

I finally made the 65 last Friday and did the required 65 miler plus my 2 miles extra for the "pinch to grow an inch" but for me the "pinch = 2 miles extra" in hope that I don't shrink much more.

Wishing I felt 65 but sadly feeling more like the second foot is just shy of passing the horizontal plane into the 6' deep hole.

After reading the posts here, I find myself feeling fortunate that I do not have the ailments so many here have. Prostate cancer, thyroid issues, arthritis, zero testosterone, anemia, other crap BUT all this really doesn't compare, in my mind, to the SURGERY-MEDICATION REQUIRED illnesses many of you all are living through. Your challenges are great and your resolve to overcome those challenges is all inspiring. Whining solves nothing, wining might but sadly I am not allowed at this time to enjoy that recourse, so we write/converse/inquire to advance our understanding of these ills.

Good luck to all and I hope the best for you. My family/friends must think bicycling is a form of religious pursuit for me and I hope to continue this passion as long as possible even though many times it seems to hurt more than it helps, but heck, every once in a while self flagellation does a body good.....right********** ;)

My longest ride ever - 22 miles today on my Trek hybrid following my lovely wife. We have a great trail here in Greenville, SC...the Swamp Rabbet Trail - goes 11 miles one way to the next little town. I thought it was flat, but it was rising slightly - about 220 feet...made the return trip very easy. We stopped for a mid morning refreshment, and rode back. All in all, this nearly-flat course does not feel as difficult as riding 7 miles in our hilly neighborhood. But I did decide it was time to buy some padded shorts...

Glad to hear you're getting padded shorts. Next you'll be asking questions about bibs. ;)

Seems the doctors were a bit premature with their diagnosis about osteopenia. The bone density scan showed that the numbers are within normal limits for my age. I finally had an MRI last Thursday. The doctor called this morning and said I have spinal stenosis. I'll be seeing an ortho doc later in the week for whatever he has planned. I looked up spinal stenosis and it says that aerobic exercise such as bicycling is good for it. :beer: :thumb:

Anybody experience a frozen shoulder? Thats what the quack says ive got. They all say different things anyway, supposing i can get to see one.
Cant move my arm sideways above my head, even forwards its hard, and my shoulder gives me stick at night. Pulling on the handlebars uphill seems ok but im not sure if this should be avoided at present. Physio says use it or lose it. Shes a hard woman and doesnt know when a guy needs sympathy. . . .

Might be a pulled muscle, tendon. Was in a car bump recently and those airbags went off. . .

Not personally familiar with this but you may want to check out --i.e., Google: "Orthopedist author Dr. Kirsch shoulder impingement hanging" -- many have been happy to learn about Kirsch's technique as shoulder impingement is accompanied by quite a bit of pain and completely fixing the problem without surgery sounds too good, right? In any event, I Googled it and noticed that Kirsche's technique is apparently recommended for treatment of frozen shoulder as well as shoulder impingement. I've never read the book but there is a lot of info about on the net.

I haven't read this but for a couple of bucks it may provide some good info.
Shoulder Injuries and Cycling | Road Bike Rider

thanks!

I have been doing various exercises for my right shoulder while on and off the bike with some gains being made in range of motion and strength. Since the only complete resolution to my problem is a total shoulder joint replacement, maybe the $4.99 could help delay the inevitable.

Wife and I are 68. Bought each other custom configurated Surly Trolls for each other's birthdays, just a few days apart from our 38 wedding anniversary. Researching the various products, learning, finally selecting is the fun part. I had planned to assemble the bike myself, but the LBS wanted the work more than I wanted to save labor expense. So I say, this purchase of two trolls covers everything, and everything I should save done and should have gifted her but neglected to do so, since the time I bought her an iPhone 6+ and a new iPad

^^^
Welcome to the 65+ section from west central Florida. Whereabouts in FL?

A biking buddy had a "frozen shoulder diagnoses" and saw an ortho in Sarasota, Fl. Got a local, they manipulated it, freed it up, gave him exercises and seems to be happy.


Me? ;) Englewood/Rotonda West.

Like you, I was born in 1948. I briefly raced in the 1970s. I've had a heart attack. I don't know how high my heart rate went before my heart attack. I know I can get it up to 180 without too much difficulty on the steep hills around my home. I can go higher if I want to hurt myself for several seconds. Rather than hurt myself, I don't push myself as hard as I can up, but I certainly still ride up the steepest hills I can find.

Here's my thoughts about you: if your perceived effort was the same, then, for that one day, maybe that's as high as you could take your heart rate. Maybe it'll be different another day.

Maybe, since you've been training, you're getting the same amount of work out of a more efficient heart rate.

Perhaps you aren't really pushing as hard as you think you are, or can. If you really want to get your heart rate up as high as possible, you have to really punish yourself.

By the way, have you read this article: Cycling to extremes - VeloNews.com - it's about what may be happening to older people who push the limits. It's definitely got me thinking I don't want to punish myself anymore.

Been there;done that-rotator cuff surgery in 2010 and was off the bike four months

Went to the spine doc today. He looked at the MRI and suggested pain management rater than surgery. He said I'm in good shape for my age. :) He said the surgery would not fix the problem. It would probably have to be done again in 3-5 years. He said I could do the pain management for 5 years or more. Then when I'm "old" and not as active as I am now we could talk about the surgery.
I was glad to learn that he is a cyclist. He has a Trek Madone carbon (don't know which model). He asked what bikes I had. He said the Litespeed, because it's titanium, is an excellent bike with a very comfortable ride and easier on the back and spine. He said the Cannondale isn't as comfortable and is harder on the back and spine. He said he did LOTS of research on bikes before selecting the Trek. Of course his budget is much larger than mine. I was looking at Trek prices. His bike was probably $6000+. My Cannondale was only $2200.
I told my wife and she said, "What else do we need to spend our money on." I've never been a fan of Trek. I always considered Trek to be like a Chevy. Everybody has one so there's nothing special about it. But I'll be thinking about it.
Anyway, I'll start the pain management and cross my fingers and ride my bikes. :beer: Life is still good!!!

Decided against the Trek Madone. :) I rode to the bike shop today and talked with the owner about a "better" carbon Cannondale. We talked about the SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod. Sherry (the owner) gave me some prices on a leftover 2015 (would have to be Dura-Ace to get Hi-Mod) and two 2016s. The 2016 choices would be Ultegra or Dura-Ace. She said she'd give me a good trade-in on the 2015 I have since I bought the bike from her and its in like-new condition. Just waiting for the 2016s to come in and trying to decide exactly what I want.

no one has posted in this thread for over a month so here goes. I decided to go with the 2016 Cannondale SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod Ultegra. The wife said definitely. :) Can't wait for Cannondale to release them. Sherry (the shop owner) said it will be after Interbike. She let me test ride her bike last week. It was really tough returning it after a 22 mile test ride. :o
This is her bike.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=475760


This is the bike I'll be getting. :)
http://media.cannondale.com/media/ca...1440862357.jpg