My wife and I are back on bikes after a 20 year hiatus, begun when she injured her knee on a 75 mile ride in the hills east of San Diego. We've invested in decent mountain and road bikes and are easing into the mileage to ensure that we don't over-stress her knee, my recently fixed knee, and our "over-50" bods.

We're currently up to about 20 miles on our Saturday morning rides in and around Winslow, AZ to top our week of about 20 to 30 miles in 2 morning or afternoon rides. My wife is feeling the saddle a little too much, even though she switched from the "toupe" saddle that came with her Roubaix Pro. I'm finding the same saddle (in a slightly larger size) is quite comfortable and I really appreciate not chafing on the sides of the saddle - though I'm also using Assos Cream.

We are planning on riding the 45 mile Taylor House Cancer Center ride in Flagstaff on July 25th. I realize that this is a walk in the park for most riders, but we see it as a major test. We're also looking forward to encouraging riding in our fair city as well as putting on a local a charity ride next year.

I've appreciated the advice, suggestions, and encouragement offered by the members here and look forward to participating in the future.

Hey, welcome. A lot of the forum members are "re" starters. I'm one myself so I know how you're feeling.

45 miles isn't anything to sneeze at. Look at the other folks around where you live who are your age and see if they could ride for 4-5 miles let alone 45. So, don't put yourselves down because you don't think the miles are enough; they are.

Saddles are a personal thing. However, most women need a wider saddle because of their wider pelvis. So, if your saddle is wider than the one she's sitting on, it's most likely her saddle isn't wide enough. She should try to get measured at the LBS.

Again, welcome to BF.

Keep us posted on your progress, trials and tabulations. Welcome to our group. We need pictures.

Training and nutrition and the dreaded Road cycling forums are good places to check out, too.

Always remember, YMMV. Take some of the claims with a grain of salt so you don't push yourself too hard.

I've been cycling for about 4 years and still haven't done a century. I figure there's no rush.

Welcome - and build up to it. Riding can be adictive.

Have you looked into the Terry Fly saddles? Allot of women in our club ride them and rave about them. Made in Italy..nice looking and well designed for women (and men) For your 45 miler, drink, drink, drink more than you think you should...maybe an electrolyte tab like Nuun and eat too. I like the little Gu cubes as opposed to gel for a quick boost.

Lastly..don't get caught up in the off the line adrenaline rush..start slow and easy to give your muscles a chance to warm up..you'll be thankful when you finish strong. I hope your wife is lovint that Roubaix pro...I have a Comp and have loved every mile on it..

Most of all..enjoy your ride!
PS..I'm illegally posting on the 50+ forum as I'm only 47..but like the group here! The club I ride with ranges from 20 somethings to quite a few 70+ somethings!

Have fun!

Tom..from Boston'ish.

Welcome.

My last time in Winslow was when I was a junior counselor on a YMCA Easter tour about 1955. We were all in a bus when the bus got forced off the road into the sand, and the steering broke and we broadsided, but did not turn over.

Somehow, we all made it into Winslow where we camped out in a park. Man was it cold. I shared a sleeping bag with a fellow JC just to keep warm. The bus got fixed the next day.

The next year, we took two Greyhounds for safety purposes, to no avail. Going down the Salt River Canyon, the first one pulled out to pass in an unsafe location, was forced off the road and then was hit by the 2nd bus. So there you are, one bus dangling half off the edge into the SRC, the other one behind it, both all crashed up.

No one was seriously injured.

But, sorry for the digression. One of the perogatives and failures of age.

Enjoy your bicycling in Winslow, and we definitely need pictures.

Sounds like you are taking the right approach to returning to biking. Take it easy and enjoy the improvement. take time to enjoy the scenery, comraderie etc.

McQz,

Welcome back to the sport of cycling. I had a similar experience when I scaled way back on my riding about 25 years ago. There was an occasional short ride during the lengthy hiatus, mostly quick trips around town to pay bills and other errands. About one and a half years ago I decided to spend more time cycling again and have enjoyed it greatly.

When I first started up again in November 2007, a ride of 20 miles was enough to cause aches and pains. However, by slowly increasing the time and mileage on the bike, I was able to complete my first triple century last weekend at the age of 55.

It sounds like you have many worthwhile goals related to your riding, which should help keep you motivated. Follow the advice of the others here and take your time as you increase your distance, while being sure that you are each able to enjoy the time that is spent on the bike. Certainly finding a comfortable saddle will go a long way toward that goal!

Good luck and stay safe.

Rick

Welcome back!

Another welcome to getting back to exercize, it is just like riding a bike...as has been said, enjoy the ride and watch the improvements slow as they may be...push but not past the limits, your personal limits.............enjoy the ride.

The most important thing is for you and your wife to enjoy yourselves. Riding should be a challenge, but it should also always be fun. If you keep it fun, you will stick with it and therefore receive the long term benefits (fitness, health...etc).

Good for you! I just started again last fall at 50 years old. The hills are killing me! It's probably been 30 years for me! As a kid I rode EVERY DAY. Now, not so much! Trying though, got to go slow and build back the stamina.

Have fun!

Welcome

I hate to disappoint you, but you are NOT an "older' newbie."

You are among the youngest of the 50+ group, and many of us were much older than you when we started/returned to biking!

But, welcome anyway.

Thanks for all the kind words and encouragement/advice. We're taking it easy and my bride is taking here time trying out a gel saddle as well as the minimal one that came with the Ruby Pro. It was my intention to match her bike with a Roubaix Pro, however there were no more 2009s in my size and there would be no discounts like she got on the 2010s. There was a Roubaix S-Works available, so that's my new beastie. Both bikes replace Giant fitness bikes that we've used to built up the mileage for the past 6 months, while we figured out if we were truly back - I guess we are!

We did a fairly strenuous ride this morning, 18 miles out and up with a stretch of 6% grade. The return was good, but into a 10 mph headwind. We managed to average 18 mph for the ride, which ended at Triple-R for a breakfast that couldn't be beat! (Unless they had re-stocked the orange marmalade for my rye toast...)

I felt it mostly in my triceps and my right foot "morton's toe" discomfort, though I also felt a hot spot in a tender spot under the pad, but no damage. Nanette felt her knees for much of the ride, but has had no pain during the brief stop at the Little Painted Desert, nor later at breakfast, nor whilst power shopping in Flagstaff this afternoon.

We've been riding with Shimano SPD pedals for both our mountain bikes and our road bikes. Nanette is switching to Specialized Torch shoes with Speedclip Zero cleats and pedals. I've moved up to Northwave Vertigo shoes (WIDE!) with Look Easy cleats and pedals. We picked them up during a brief tour of Phoenix (via Mini Cooper) yesterday, so we haven't yet had a chance to install them, get them adjusted, and try them out. Tomorrow after church, while watching the tivo'd TDF, I'll be making the switch, as well as installing parts for a friend who accompanied us on our TDW today. I guess we'll just have to suffer through another ride

I plan to take some pix tomorrow and if all goes well, I'll post them when the work and play is over.

Thanks again for the warm welcome,
Fran & Nanette

Well, the forum calls me an "Older newbie" not me. LOL! Thanks a lot though!

Wow - to automatically call someone an "older" newbie - I didn't know our software knew that much about us!!

I'm surprised I am not called a tired SOB!!

Welcome back to the joy and challenge of cycling! Twenty years is a long time off for those of us fifty and older. Sounds like both of you are doing it right, taking it easy and one step at a time. Unfortunately, your wife found out it's easy to injure your knees or achilies tendons if you're not well prepared, or are pushing too hard. I took up long distant cycling while in my middle forties and stopped about two years ago because of a cancer problem. That problem has abated now and I'm having a bit of a challenge getting back into riding again. The extra twenty pounds doesn't help, and at sixty-three, the soreness seems a bit more then I remember, but I'm making headway. Hope both of you enjoy your forty-five mile Taylor House Cancer Centre ride in Flagstaff.

Good to hear you're enjoying riding again. I'm also easing back into riding after a similar amount of time. I tried about seven years ago and in the process re-injured my bad back (L5 herniated disc), so my advice, like most others here, is to listen to your body and build up your endurance gradually! Sounds like you're doing that already.

Ride safe....

hello,McQz Im glad to here the knee seems good to go /Great fun when us mature folks get to play on bikes togeather/Kenneth