Bike Forums - Misplaced Aussie ( with gut) in Colorado

1. What type of bikes do I ride.
Microsoft Raleigh 6.0 I picked up in Johannesburg a couple of years ago.
New motobegane MTB that I am taking to Ghana (Where I work every 2nd month)

3. How much do you feel you have "slowed down" if any?
Absolutely heaps. I was active from day 1 as a kid, then played competitive football till 36 and masters squash till mid 40's. last couple of years I have been slack. Rode in the 94.7 (km) in Joburg back in 2009 and did it in 4hrs. In my younger days would have been low 3hrs.

4. How long have you been biking? New, around a while, biked all your life?
Got my first bike (2nd hand) when I was 11. Started doing a paperround at 5am in the morning 6 days a week as well as road to school and everywhere else. Fixed gears and drum brakes. Don't know how I got up the hills but I seemed to. Nowadays, I keep looking for the granny gear. Rode a 8km hill at 8% when getting ready for the 94.7 and found I could barely hold 55-60rpm and 7-8kph up the hill. Made it though, motivated as I left my car at the top of the hills.

5. What type of biking do you do? Long rides, touring, short rec rides.
At the moment only short 10-15km rides as I am getting back into it. I ride in the Highlands Ranch area of Denver and it is all rolling, the inclines though not steep kill me. i am getting a kinetic trainer for Ghana and plan on riding a mix of intervals and tempo rides to get my weight down and aerobic base up. In planning with a mate to go the TDF in 2013 and stay at Alp D'uez. Ride the Alp and Colombier and some others. PS at 5'8 and 200 plus I am not built for mountains. next year when I am 5'7.5" (ha ha) and 180lbs look out. Still not made for hills but i will get up the Alp D'huez if it kills me.

6. How often do you bike? Your approximate annual mileage?
last year was next to nothing, maybe a couple of 100. This year I am aiming for 3000-4000km

If you haven't already, perhaps you might indicate your age. It helps others to see that folks 50+ do great things.
I turned 53 in May this year and I am feeling it more than ever. 220lb and aiming to get back to low 180's within 6-12 months.