Steel blows. Go CF.

But I agree with Billy's other points. Whether you try to race @ 50+ like some of us, or just ride, it's about the ride, it's about the endorphins, it's about the friends you make, the lifestyle. Everything else is really white noise.

Riding with the older guys/girls just means you get dropped by older people instead of younger people, so that's no solution. You might enjoy the company more in the meantime, though.

Working harder might work if that's what you want to do.

Right at the moment, I'm 50 and getting better- couldn't get worse!

Enjoying the ride even when you do get dropped is a bit of mental adjustment, and probably easier when you come at your level of ability from the lower side rather than the higher side.

I'm not sure why randonneuring and long-distance riding attracts the age group it does, but I think one major part is that it helps if you don't have kids at home. So it's not necessarily a physical thing.

Do what the pro's do!! Wait. That's already on your list!

What GA said. When you're older you're supposed to be using your experience to your advantag. If you're getting beaten in sprints then you need to use some different tactics. It's hard to win from the front especially if you've been pulling.

Being older also means that you need to train differently. You won't recover as well as when you were younger, and you need to do more intensity. I also find that I need to do weight and core work to keep some amount of basic strength. If I just ride and don't do anything else then I get weak.

did the OP say how old he was?

Yeah. Your problem is denial.

No. And I mistakenly assumed he was at that reckoning age I described earlier, when in fact he's probably significantly younger.

Its November, why ride hard. Take it easy. Store some fat up over the winter and start training again in April.

Just get out and ride the bike and the enjoyment follows. However, it is always fun shopping for a new bike.

Life is full of continuing changes. I can tell you they get harder to take as time goes on. I can tell you my last century was by far my toughest yet. I always enjoyed solo rides more, as it gives me more freedom to be myself. That is to go where I please, stop when I want to, or "need" to. I can do intervals when and as often as I want, you get the idea. The aging process affects us all at different degrees, and at varying times, but we all need to realize that time marches on weather we like it or not. I think embracing it is much better than fighting it, but I haven't really learned how to do that very well yet.

There are some physiological changes that you simply cannot avoid as you age. That said many ride on in ignorance. Different things become important to the aging cyclist. If you have not read this I highly recommend it:

https://www.amazon.com/Pruitts-Comple.../dp/1931382808

In addition it is unlikely that one has reached a significant age as a competitive athlete without sustaining injury. Those injuries have a greater cumulative effect as we get older. Getting a true medical bike fit and custom bike goes a long way (assuming you can withstand the major dent in your pocketbook). Riding comfort can easily equate to improved power output and performance. The young that lack coaches typically are far less knowledgeable than the aging peloton which is why they are so often dusted by riders twice their age.

Take advantage of the things that usually go hand in hand with older age - experience, financial resources (coaching, equipment and the occasional Pinot Noir!), time to train (the retired guys can be insane due to the significant time they have available). All in all it looks quite favorable.

^^Most useful post thus far.

I've been racing since the early 80's (you do the math) and there really isn't much I do now that is the same as I did back then. There wasn't a sudden change but a constant series of adaptations as situations (like age and level of competition) changed.

For olde farts you need to be far more conscious of nutrition and recovery. You need to monitor your heart rate (taken when you first wake up) to keep track of recovery and adjust training accordingly.

The threadbare EPO comments were posted and suitable ignored. There are other LEGAL supplements that do help with the effects aging has on hormones. You could explore those depending on your level of commitment.

Training smarter could involve a PM or you may benefit from simply cutting out any junk mileage and refocusing your program to address the weakness as they are now not when you first learned how to train.

Racing differently is certainly the most cost effective and immediate thing you could do. The poster that denied that wisdom and treachery will out youth is wrong to a large degree. Unless you are doing races at a seriously high level wisdom will take you a LONG way.

You need to ride smarter.

With experience you know where the gap or draft will be before it is there. You need to put yourself there at the right moment. With experience you can anticipate accelerations before they happen. Already be in the right gear and spin it up instead of being surprised and having to jump in a big gear. You probaly know when the counters will come so be on the right wheels and let them pull you to where you need to be.

These are just a few examples of how racing smarter can offset the snap you feel you may have lost over time.

Brother, I feel your pain but all is not lost.

OP's in Oz. It's backwards down there.

I can name at least a handful of 50+ guys that I know personally who can destroy young punks on a bike. Some of it is training, but much of it is between their ears. One of them wears rainbow stripes on his sleeve.

Steve - Just come to Canada and ride with me... you will feel like you are the fastest guy on earth.

Mebbe.

Wow, thanks guys for the advice.

Should I reveal my age?
Am I too..........
Can't do anything about it, can't make myself to be young again

I turned 50 this year.
Still fit and healthy, still race high level Masters.

I agree with the general attitude here, just ride the damn bike.... and be "trcksey"

BTW, I do have a "nice" bike, but I was trying out the classic bike because I've just restored it and wanted to see how its unusually tight geometry would perform at crit riding

Fixed and de-delusioned.

Why is it so surprising that as you age, you lose speed and endurance? Both Lance and Robbie McEwen became aware of this the last two years in the tour.

While you can limit the damage, you cannot totally reclaim what you once had. If this were not true, you would see 45 year old riders winning major tours and one day classics.

For some, once they lose their competitive edge, they stop riding.

For others, cycling is more than just finishing in front so they continue riding for the sheer joy of it.

But I never had any particular competitive edge. I love riding, I race because just staying fit enough to race makes me a better rider, and it gives me a focus for my training. It makes fast group rides like Nyack more fun because it makes you faster than if you didn't race.

So for me most racing is like a dangerous spin class, but it does push my limits and I do enjoy that. I like the camaraderie and friendships the most.

how can you be that old and also clueless?

They should give the old folks a time handicap.

This is a long post for you..you used to post in soundbites.. like Hemingway.

We raced and it was good. Swigging water out of hot plastic, we watched the sun go down, not unlike our amigos in turn 3.
Danger lurked. We turned to catch a glimpse of women with cheetah legs at the finish line. They were brown from long hours in the saddle.

I would have to say it is all about pacing. Marathons also have quite a high average age- over a long distance knowing how to regulate your effort is key, and that comes with experience.

Sarah Palin won the dictionary's word of the year contest with re-fudiate this year. I nominate de-delusioned for 2011.