ezee2

I got a road bike for my 60 birthday and have been riding for about 9 months now. Yesterday I rode in the temecula challenge, I rode the 50 miler with 3800' of elavation. Some climbs as much as 12-14 %. I finished in 3:13 riding time and 3:24 total time. Last 15 was into a stiff wind. I was fairly tired when I finished. Just wondering where I'm at as far as my fitness level, I need a benchmark from you more experinced guys.

ezee2

Thats funny no help at all. I must be the red headed step child.

Dan Burkhart 

Well, I know there are guys here in your league, but it ain't me. I'd say your benchmark is well above my level.

KillerBeagle

Can't tell about your fitness level from that data, but you're 5 years older than me and faster than me. Be happy!

leob1

You would have left me very far behind.

10 Wheels

I started at age 65 years. Got in 11,200 miles the first year and 15,923 miles the second year.

How are you doing on miles?

Join a club and try to stay with the fast riders.

Kurt Erlenbach

I've got 1557 miles for the year with 10,737 feet of climbing. You got more than a third of my climbing for the year with a single 50 miler. I'd say you're doing pretty darn well.

ezee2

thanks for the replys guys. Just trying to see where my fitness level is. I've ridden about 300 miles a month for the 9 months since I got my bike. I usually try to ride some hills on most days. It is hard to tell on a scale of 1-10 if your at a 2 or a 6. I don't plan on anything other than casual riding but would still like to be near the top of my fitness capabilities for my age group. It is just more satisfying to me that way. Thanks again.

10 Wheels

You are doing great. I don't have any hills.

BluesDawg

Congrats on the ride. Your pace seems pretty respectable to me. Since comparing your performance to others is important to you, maybe you can find a club or a weekly group ride to join for a more direct comparison.

BlazingPedals

Whether you're a two or an eight I can't say, but that performance was respectable.

BikeArkansas

I agree with the suggestions to join a cycling club. Within a few rides that experience will tell you where you stand in the biking world.

stapfam

Just to give you an idea--I am not a speed merchant but most years I do a metric over a hilly course with 4,900ft of climbing and plenty of "Open" road for head/tail winds in 4 hours. But a full 100 miles will take me 8 hours over similar hilly terrain OR the best I have done over the 100 with 10,000ft of climbing offroad is 12 hours.

I personally do not worry about time too much as next year the metric and it may be raining- have stronger winds or The hills might get steeper. I just go out to enjoy the ride.

ezee2

This gives me something to shoot for, It sounds like I need to step up my training abit.

stapfam

Think you are doing OK now. I may do the Metric-100 kms at an average of 16mph but that is not my normal riding speed. That is normally around 13 to 14mph over a 40 to 50 miler. Difference is that when you get on an organised ride-the other riders pull you along. Not above your capabilities but you just get a bit more out of yourself.

On the training- Sunday rides are what I want to make them but I also do a couple of midweek rides of around 20 miles. One is up hills and I get in 3 or 4 hills with about 800ft per climb. The other is a flat route and I just try to push a bit harder than I would normally ride.

Only point I would make is that riding often will improve you. No need to do lots of miles every ride- but do a couple of rides where the miles are worth it. 40 miles to smell the roses- or 20 to work up a sweat-Choice is yours but if you get to 40 miles of sweat-Enter the 100 miler.

Ridinmurray

My first 50 miler was the "old ky home tour" it was very hilly started it with 440 miles under my belt. With stop of approx. 40 minutes it took me 5.5 hrs. & I was 49 yrs old. Sounds like you're doing great, wish I could do that.

cyclinfool

9 months of riding and doing 50 milers at 15mph average. Looks like you have come a long way and established your own benchmark. Now just keep building from there.

ezee2

Thanks guys. Cycling is very humbling thats for sure. I am always in trying to get in better shape but at 60 it seems to come slowly. I will just keep riding and climbing and see what happens.

rm -rf

All my long group rides with some hills seem to end up at a 14 to 15 mph average. You had 15.4 mph average. That's very good. See my ridewithgps GPS recording: I rode this solo 49 mile / 4300 feet of climbing Blue Ridge Parkway route at 12.7 mph average. I was pushing the pace for most of the ride.

It takes a lot more power to increase a riders speed. So you can be a lot stronger and only see small average speed improvements. But you'll know you are riding better.

See this bike speed calculator.

Using the default settings, a rider producing 150 watts of power will go 17.6 mph on the flats. (But riding in the drops instead of the hoods at 150 watts gets 19 mph!)

Increasing the power to 175 watts only gets you to 18.7 mph.

Doubling the power to 300 watts gets 22.9 mph.

LAriverRat

I would say you are in great shape.

ericm979

Did you have fun? Then you won. Enjoyment is what really counts.

It's difficult to compare times on different courses. Not only climbing, but wind makes a huge difference.

But since you're asking, I've done the "Heartbreak Hundred" timed century with 8000' of climbing in under 6 hours total time. Best time was 5:45, including fixing a flat, but the wind was favorable that year. I'm a mediocre 51 year old masters cat 4 racer, although I am better when the course is long and there's a lot of climbing. You're already doing better than I did when I got back into cycling at age 41. It was about 9 months before I did a metric century and I really suffered for the last part. My buddy had to tow me the last 15 miles.

BTW the Heartbreak is part of the "King of the Mountains" series in SoCal. You might check them out for next year, they are a lot of fun. The best one is the Breathless Agony which starts in Beaumont. Since the events are timed they are somewhat competitive but not nearly as intense as a real USAC race.

ezee2

I had alot of fun, your right thats what counts. Unfortunately even at this age we are still competitive even if its only with ourselves. Being competitive makes it fun and is sometimes the only thing that drives me to keep getting stronger. It is a sickness isn't it! I would like to try the B. A. maybe next year. I have a long way to go before i'm ready for it.