For 70+ Riders, Compare yourself to the general population
 

OK - let's get this competition a bit fairer.

For those 70+ - please answer the poll, comparing yourself with the general 70+ population.

Choose all that apply

(Please standby while I post the poll - it takes a few minutes)

Want me to add the poll for you?

Sure - the questions are in the text of the other nearly identical thread I posted. I tried 3 times and got a wipe-out each time, using both IE and AOL.

I can’t locate the poll

I wanted a thread with a poll about how many 65+ (or 70+) ride e-bike/regular/both. I could not make it happen. Dumbo me.

edit: A DnvrFox, by any name, might want a similar poll for the 85+ crowd - 15 yrs after this thread was started.

Thread from 2010........

And the OP was banned as well.

At his own request. That's one way to deal with social media addiction!

29% of the U.S. general population rides bikes. Anybody here 70 and up still riding is way ahead fitness wise, then most of the population. I count myself, even though I won’t be 70 till May. I know very few folks, even among those 29% are out on a day like today as I was, 35 degrees, winds strong from the NW, 1-1/2 on the bike,

And I thought my post would be the end of it. Imagine my surprise at all these responses.

I’m 72 and ride nearly every day. Mtb mostly, these days. Pancake flat terrain. And rarely more than 12-15 km.

Good on you, it ain't easy I know. I'm lucky to be a snowbird that selected where we live for riding. In AZ we have a community with clean empty roads and the same in the Bighorns in the simmer so even with age (74) and osteoarthritis a weekly low milage for me is 60 miles.

As old as this thread is, I still have 10-years before I can even think of answering the poll




:bike2:

The truth is there is no poll.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...efc457ac8c.gif

You are quite right. I would not be out at 35 degrees either. I ride indoors when below 38. Too many slippery places to go down and for me, even bundled up, it is just uncomfortable. You get the bike stud award. 🏆

To me the bike stud award goes to those cyclists in the Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Canada, who have figured how to stay comfortable in temps well below freezing. Notice I didn’t use the term “warm”, only “comfortable”. Notice sure you can be warm at minus zero temps. I did read somebody ditched the SPD and went to flat pedals so as to be able to wear warm winter boots. That’s smart.

I have skied at -20 and it was barely tolerable, but at least at the bottom of the hill it was a very tolerable 0. Of course for skiing, one has the equipment to stay warm. Your booties sound like a fine idea.

I used to cross country ski, snow shoe, winter camp, etc…. Activities that don’t have a forward speed of 15-18 mph are easier to dress for. Road cycling, especially of there’s a wind of 15 or more, changes the equation and requires a different thought process as to the clothing you wear. Even mt biking is easier as your only going 8-10 mph and you’re sheltered in the woods,

I put a lot of miles on my rollers in the winter. In the PNW it's possible to get out for a dry ride now and then. I won't ride at under 40° because of the chance of ice. One accident can ruin your whole season.

The original poster rejoined later under a different username, but has cut back cycling activity and BF participation due to health issues. I always liked his posts, and had the pleasure of meeting him and his wife once years ago when they were visiting my area.

you mean like this on the west channel bridge on Thursday?

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b7ba2565c.jpeg
!-90 Bike path

and this trail earlier today :(

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...dbef7f6aa.jpeg

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...87681d753.jpeg

My current average speed on the road bike is 10 mph. And I am in warm weather year round. Some would call it hot year round. When it gets really hot I ride mtb early mornings.

Well that’s 10 MPH faster than someone who only rides a sofa.

Since you live in Belize, have to share that one of my favorite trips was to Ambergris Caye for a week with my wife. Enjoyed diving every day (both types) and all the various ethnic and international foods. Wonderful culture. Didn’t spend any time on the mainland though. Maybe one of these days. Buen dia!

Wow, a post from 2010 and it finally applies! At 73 I'm still in better shape than the average adult but it's getting to be much more of a struggle. Some people I meet in their 70's are in AMAZING shape and are truly an inspiration. I just want to stay healthy and keep doing things I enjoy (skiing, hiking, riding) and traveling with my wife. I'll be skiing with our grandkids here in Taos in about a week and hope to do that for a few more years. Oh, and skiing at low temperatures - years ago I skied at -32F with my kids on two different occasions, once at Stowe, VT and then at Mt. St. Anne in Quebec. Our youngest daughter was 5 when she learned to ski at Stowe that trip. Coldest road cycling was in the teens and it wasn't too bad until I started going downhill at 30-40 mph. Brrr!

I guess that since I'm just a lad in my 67th year, I don't qualify for this thread.

But for those of us who use Garmins with power meters, check out what Garmin thinks your fitness age is. Here's mine at the moment:

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...179a141bde.png
Aw shucks, Garmin! While nobody is going to look at me and think "he looks about 20 years old", I appreciate the compliment.

I was out also. But, yeah, gets a bit lonely out there on the windy days near/below freezing (71 years old here so I qualify for the poll!).

i'm 70, or just a few months away, and my garmin says my age is 62...meh, don't care but better than 72 lol

I'm 75 (76 in a few weeks). My Garmin watch calculates my fitness age at 59. I don't use a power meter so the only activity I do that calculates a VO2 max (37-38) is walking.

Yeah, those walking VO2max estimates seem to be low for us regular cyclists. My Apple Watch says my walking VO2max is 46 -- 12 points below the estimate from my power meter.