Performance Degradation with Age
#76
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,666
Likes: 1
From: 6367 km away from the center of the Earth
I'm 60 and switched to a fatbike in January as my wife thought it'd make great birthday present and would keep me off the road. Which it did. I've put 800+ beach miles on it and while climbing a dune trail (say 15% slope) I happened to glance at my HRM and it said 164 and I thought "Oh, sweet". I ride a back to back century every year, look to get in 200+ hours of riding a year, ride for distance, intervals, fun, fast, slow, and I enjoy riding now more than 40 years ago. Dad lived to 92 and I'm shooting higher.

Researchers Study 3 Promising Anti-Aging Therapies - Scientific American
Simple flip of genetic switch determines aging or longevity in animals: Scientists pinpoint start of aging, discover it is not a slow series of random events -- ScienceDaily
#77
just another gosling


Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 20,555
Likes: 2,667
From: Everett, WA
Bikes: CoMo Speedster 2003, Trek 5200, CAAD 9, Fred 2004
I've been lucky in a way, because I got into road biking in my late teens, then stopped when I went in the Army, and didn't pick it back up until I was 50. So I never overworked or got injured or any of that. I came into it fresh. I kept getting faster for 10 years or so. I started riding tandem with my wife almost exclusively at 62 and slowed down a bit. However as she's become stronger, so have I. I seldom get out on my singles, but I went out last week and did a familiar loop in the same time I used to do 10 years ago when I was 60. That was satisfying. Every year as I got older and potentially slower, I tried to train smarter, and for the most part, that let me keep up a good cruise. I've lost a lot at the top end. My hill sprint isn't much anymore, but my long distance cruise and hard climbing paces are still pretty good. Losing 10 lbs. off my fast event weight sure helped too, but that's part of training smarter. I think I could lose another 10 lbs. over the next several years.
#78
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 742
Likes: 4
From: Creede CO in summer & Okeechobee, FL or TX Gulf Coast in winter
Bikes: Zenetto Stealth road bike & Sundeal M7 MTN bike
Quote HawkOwl " We elders are already so far out of the general population others don't quite know what to do about us."
So true - just ask Strava about adding age groups. They refuse to admit we even exist! I am planning on a sub 10 century at 80 - in four years.
So true - just ask Strava about adding age groups. They refuse to admit we even exist! I am planning on a sub 10 century at 80 - in four years.
#79
Senior Member

Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,693
Likes: 298
From: Northeastern MA, USA
Bikes: Garmin/Tacx Bike Smart
I'm 60, and have not slowed over the last ten years. BUT---the gear has improved and is likely the reason. A lighter carbon bike, improved wheels, faster tires, etc. I've also trained a bit more over the last four years to do a charity endurance ride. Anyway, keep riding. It's good for you. ;-)
#80
Senior Member




Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 29,414
Likes: 13,443
From: In the foothills of Los Angeles County
A friend recently did 80 miles on his 80th birthday and he looked pretty fresh at the end. There were some hills, too.
#82
Question Authority
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 297
Likes: 1
From: Oak Island North Carolina
Bikes: Rocky Mountain Solo 30, 2007 REI Novara Safari and Cannondale MTB
I still ride regularly on my MTB and road bike. I will do a 48 miler tomorrow. Cycling helps me keep my body weight low and edurance high. I am also an avid swimmer. I regularly do weight training. I measure my strength to weight ratio by doing pull ups. I can still do 10 strict pull ups. I will be 69 in 3 weeks.
#83
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
I am 73 and have been riding my bikes for one year. I like riding my bike because I feel good about myself and I like the challenge each new situation hands me. Presently I'm riding mountain roads in the North Georgia Mountains with lots of climbs and descents. As my conditioning improves I push for longer rides and steeper climbs. I'm currently riding a heavy Trek Mtn bike and I ride twice a week for 18 to 20 miles with an average speed of 10.5 mph. I find that my endurance and strength continue to improve, you get instant feedback with a bike. The climbs I couldn't do last month without a rest stop I can do today. I also feel good about myself knowing that there are few seniors in my age group that are physically capable of doing what I can do or willing to pay the price (physical exertion) that it takes to get to this point. We as senior riders are a very small group of people, I bet < 0.5% of the general population and I am proud to be one of your group.
Bill
Bill






