I tried to read every post but at some point I started to skim, then skip, then stop trying to get caught up and so ... apologies, I may have missed the post mentioning fittness off the bike. General fittness. Maybe overfitness for ones age. Which, since it is relevant here: I turned 60 two months ago. I ran track and cross-country in high school and I did bike laps around Prospect Park (Bklyn, NY) in my 20's and bike commuted in my 30's but not much of anything in my 40's and 50's. I got up to 203lbs. In my late 40's I met a blind woman. She was/is very athletic. She compted in Para-Olympics in both running and swimming events and was an experienced Powerlifter/Bodybuilder. I had to step up my game.
We bought a tandem and used it for errands, commuting and fitness riding. I would drop her off at the gym but I did not work out with her. Too humiliating. We moved to Portland, Oregon and as luck would have it wound up living in a western suburb that had superb roads for weekend club riding. There was a large aquatic/fitness center for her and I had a seven mile one way daily commute to work for me. Two years ago we had to move to the east side of Portland close in to the City Center and although we must cycle daily for commuting, errand and shopping purposes it is difficult to actually 'like' biking now. Ironically the size of the cycling community on the eastside is vastly larger than that on the west side. The gym we joined is not one that my wife can manage alone and the gym staff will not assist her. So I have been working out with her. This is why I am writing:
I come across few threads or posts on Bike Forums that promote overall strength fitness beyond what can be obtained from Interval Training. I am glad the issue of age and intervals was corrected before I had to get involved. But I am here to suggest that everyone who can get under heavy iron on a regular basis and build muscle and strength that will provide benefits both on and off the bike. If one cannot or will not consider weight training then I offer the suite of bodyweight strength moves collected under
this umbrella site. A person, regardless of age, that progresed to completion of any or all of these programs would assuredly have excess capacity in just a few months. Excess at age 60 is going to one day be 'adequate' at an age when most around you will, if they are still alive, won't be doing much of anything.
Knees: I baby mine too. Poverty keeps me from finding out exactly what is wrong with them and what might fix it. The squat program has been
very useful in strengthening the muscles around the knee and this is helping. A lot. These
knee compression sleeves are recommended while squatting but they are inhibiting on the bicycle. I have cycled the 1/2 mile home from the gym with them but that's about the limit. Good luck.