My riding habits
I have been riding 15 years and more frequently since I retired in 1996. I am 68 and nearly 69 years old and biking is my main form of exercise, getting out and around, and simply enjoying the scenery go by.
I have had a mountain bike since 1991 and am on my fourth one, each being better than the last. I now ride a Klein Palomino Race I have had for three years and it has 7200 miles on the odometer. In 2005 I baught my first road bike, a Klein Aura VX, and I now ride it when ever I am on pavement. I still enjoy moutain biking which I do mostly in the summer in the LAke Tahoe area.
My riding routinely is from my garage to a paved trail which runs 50+ miles through our San Ramon Valley connecting the cities north to Martinez and south to Pleasanton. It is flat, off the street and used by joggers, walkers, roller bladders and others such as the local high school cross country team. I am most happy to share the trail. About half of my rides are on roads and streets which have bike lanes where I feel most comfortable. The streets and roads allow me variety and some minor hills for a litlle more exercise. I have ridden up Mt. Diablo a few times, but it is a real chore for me to rise 2400 feet in seven miles. It is great fun coming down however hitting the switch backs at 25+ MPH. My typical road bike ride
is 25-30 miles and I do this about 15 times a month, ( more in the summer, less in the winter). All together I ride 4000 miles a year.
I haven't experienced too much "slow down" as I was never very strong or fast. I have realized how much better I can ride having lost 20-30 pounds since 2004. I don't any special vitamins or supplements. I don't work out and the only part of me that is in pretty good is from the waist down.