At 65, I'm still a strong rider. What about the future?

This is froma New Times article a few years ago, about aging and exercise, where scientists studied people who were in shape in their later years:

"There was...a drop-off in leg muscle strength around age 60 in both men and women. They weren’t as strong as the 50-year-olds, but the differential was not huge, and little additional decline followed. The 70 and 80-year-old athletes were about as strong as those in their 60s." (https://tinyurl.com/c2ovrbl)

I'm about 6 feet and about 172 pounds. When I was in my 20s, I was about 155 wiry pounds. I raced a few times, just so I could say I did it. Back in the day, few could beat me up a steep grade. While I'm slower now I'm still pretty fast. I can out sprint a lot of younger riders who are in very good shape on the flats. Very few people my age are faster than me on the uphill (although I am a lot slower uphill than I used to be).

And I'm still climbing up extremely steep grades in the Santa Monica Mountains, north of my home, e.g. 20%+ grades (for short distances), and plenty of 14% grades that go on and on and on.

The thought that I could be, if I just keep riding, about as strong in my 70s and 80s as I am in my 60s, is encouraging.

I keep on wondering the same but thanks to a change in routine I think I can say I will be better than I am right now. Spent last summer and this winter off th bike. Mainly due to weather but also down to a bit of lethargy. Finally decided I have to get fitter and it is down the gym with only the occasional ride when it can be done. The lethargy has been coming on for a few years now because I am old(er) and it is cold- Raining too hard- and that wind is too strong. Good riding days have been few and far between so fitness went down a lot.

Only a few years ago and I did not care what the weather was like- I would be out there riding in most weathers including 2ft of snow and 20F when the mtb went up the hills. But after 1 month of the new me- and a monthly bill from the gym that must not be wasted-I am out there building up strength and stamina for when I can ride.

Luckily I caught the problem in time but if I hadn't- I would have turned into the occasional rider that lost fitness and mobility and probably the will to live over the next few years Till I finally found out that Daytime TV lasts all day and not just at Breakfast for the weather news.

Don't be so quick to dismiss tiredness as coming from age...

With DM-II, the sugar is not able to get into the cells -- which can contribute greatly to weakness and tiredness -- because the cells can't get the fuel they need ...

I sure do wish I could say that. But I'm not and probably never will be. Instead of riding and staying fit, I spent most of my adult life committed to a job and other projects (like caring for a sick mom). So now I'm making up for lost time -- but I will probably never catch up to the likes of you.

But, I think that aging is greatly over done in our society.

A good example is the long held belief that your brain loses neurons each year. Medical science is only now realizing that not only does your brain continue to generate new neurons throughout life, but you can control that process through physical and mental exercise.

And, I think the same is about true about muscle strength: the gain or loss of strength is at least as much a matter of usage as it is aging.

Joe Friel discusses this at length in his book, Cycling Past 50, and goes into detail on the physiologic changes that occur as you age, their effect, what you can to ameliorate them and gives a few case histories.

I was doing a 23mph average next year.

Wondering how fast I might have been before, wondering how fast I'll be in 10 and 20 years...

Yeah, I think about these things.

I think I'm going to go out and ride now.

Not to be a smart ass but are you bragging or complaining about your physical condition?

I actually composed the original post while riding my bike. Ugh, I'm cheating a little, posting this comment while I jog. I'm using voice dictation so I don't have an acci WHOA. Ouch. Stupid telephone pole. Exclamation point. I mean !. Oh, I'll finish this later.

"Not to be a smart ass but are you bragging or complaining about your physical condition? "


I am!

I don't know how fast I'll be at any particular time in the future, but I do know that I will eventually get to a permanent 0 mph speed, as will we all. I intend to enjoy the heck out of each mile done at any speed.

Here's what must be the definitive answer!

- Wil

The Force is strong with this one.

A few years ago they had the Mast Nats TT in this hotbed of competitive cycling. I rode down and watched some of it.

TTs really aren't that exciting unless you have a live video feed. Anyway, when the results were posted, the speeds were way faster than anything I could ever hope to achieve, but they steadily tracked down by age, no matter how nice a bike you have or how much training you do.

I don't like it, but its just the way we are. I'm sure there's some good Darwinian explanation why our programmed demise infers a survival benefit to us. Sounds like a bad joke to me.

A lot of people currently seem to be fantasising about what might have been in the past or might be in the future.

I get more enjoyment in what is.

I was thinking the same. I'll come to a sudden stop right about the time they dress me in a wooden suit.

I think you do slow down as you age, I've noticed it for myself. Of course it really depends on the type of bike you have. If got on a 17lb. carbon road bike right now, I would be a faster guy all of a sudden. I ride a fast hardtail MTB and I'm fairly fast on it but I'm sure I could go alot faster on a modern road bike.

I'm still improving as I age but of course I didn't start at the same place as competitive cyclists. At some point unrealized potential will bump against the limits due to physical decay and the most we can expect then is holding ground.

Unless medical technology races ahead of our aging, then who knows?