I'm 51, which I really don't classify as old, but those younger than me might beg to differ.
I regularly descend in the 40-50mph range. Once I hit a manhole cover so hard it broke the headlight (it was night time) right off the handlebars. The shell of the light had a flange on the bottom and that snapped right off the shell.
So I guess even though I don't have the physical agility that I did in my teens and 20s, I don't let that stop me from enjoying a spirited descent. Agility isn't really needed for descents unless you're one of these racers who does a pike across the seat to reduce aerodynamic drag.
Anyway, why is it that we, on a forum dedicated to a sport that has the potential to stave off the worst of the effects of aging, insist on grouping 50+ individuals into some "old" category? I was recently on vacation with a cousin who has allowed himself to carry an extra 120 pounds beyond his college days. He is debilitated by the notion that he has become old and fat, at 53. And he's right, because this is the condition he has sunk into. Getting out for a hike or a bike ride is an unpleasant chore for him. And it's really sad because in his college days he was a body builder. But he's been old in this way since his early 40s, unfortunately. Conversely I know people in their 60s and beyond who lead active, healthy lifestyles. Many of them are in this forum. And they can do things at their age that would make people 20 or even 40 years their junior jealous. If we have anyone over 50, 60, 70, or 80 here who can ride a 50 miler, a metric century, or a 100 miler and still mow the lawn the next day, you, my friend, are enjoying the physical life of a 20-30-40 year old.
Eventually the clock will run out on all of us. But I prefer to look at age as proximity to that event rather than as defining how I can live or what I can do prior to the clock giving out. Can we stop with this notion that being old is a lifestyle, and a sentence handed down by nature that prevents us from really living?
It is true that my body at 51 has undergone physiological changes that cannot be undone. Turning back the clock is impossible. But when I set out to do a ride I'm not thinking, "I'll do the best I can do given my advanced age." I'm thinking, "I'm going to go ride as hard as I can." Perhaps that's not as hard as it would have been 20 years ago. But it's a heck of a lot harder than 90% of the 31 year olds out there could accomplish.
So yes, I'm in the 50+ category. But this isn't just being in denial: I'm not old. My age is past the halfway point for most. I probably won't hit 51x2. But old? Sure, call me old but first you have to accompany me on a ride. You may drop me if you've put some time into training, but hopefully you'll agree I've earned the right to not be called old.