baj32161

Well, I am now 62 years of age. When I joined this forum I was 43 (I think)

I am not the same rider. My days of going out for 40 mile rides 3 or 4 days a week are behind me.

I have moved from New Jersey to Canada to a community where the road cycling is wonderful, in spite of the traffic (I'm 30 miles from Toronto).

I have never been a climber at 6ft 1in 200lbs and it frustrates me because there are some terrific hilly roads here.

Last year I had surgery to try to stave off the effects of glaucoma and lost the sight in my left eye. That has made me leery of riding in traffic so I stay primarily on the trails and paths now.

I was never a particularly fast rider and have always been okay with that...I'm still faster than those on the couch.

My body takes longer to recover than it once did

I am a Type 2 diabetic, diagnosed at age 42 and I'm noticing that despite my best efforts, my strength is not where it used to be.

These days if I can get 40KM (24 miles) in on a ride, I'm happy. Some days I can go longer but my job gives me a pretty good workout and I'm often tired on my days off when I want to ride so, on those days I'll do a short 10-20km spin around the city

I love my 13 year old bike, it is as good as I'll ever need but that doesn't mean I won't or don't want a new bike.

So....in spite of all this, I still love getting out on my bike. Idon't look like Jabba the Hutt in Lycra (yet).

I hope I still can do this until I die...hopefully many years from now.

God, I've missed this place.

Thanks for the welcome back.

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Iride01 

Get the gearing correct and your cadence correct, and hills won't be an issue any more. If you have a lot of hills then the lighter the bike or the lighter you are the more energy you'll save to ride longer on those hills. When you reach 70 you might be better than now if you don't just rely on brute muscle strength alone.

Last year I crested the top of a hill that is considered fairly steep for this area. Coming the other way and cresting the hill about the same time was a very old dude with a smile on his face. He wasn't going fast, but his cadence was steady and high. Which is what it takes to get over hills when you get too old to stand up and mash your way up a hill. I was even wondering if the old guy had passed some of the younger people slowly coming up the hill and that's why the big smile! Didn't look like an e-bike either.

Anyhow, good you are still cycling. It's a great workout for the cardiovascular system. It's what keeps me feeling good. If I don't ride often enough, then I feel like I'm nearing my last days.

So welcome back!

baj32161

Thank you.

Please don't get me wrong. I didn't mean to sound like I'm lamenting the fact that I'm aging. In fact, I'm quite okay with it. Men in my family (on my father's side) don't live long. I've already outlived my father, grandfather and 2 uncles....even my aunt so I'm glad to still be here. Being able to still drag the bike out of the basement and ride is gravy...very tasty gravy.

My climbing has always been an issue. My genetics have determined my fate. The men are all tall and, while not fat, are not built like climbers. Now, having said that, this year I have thought about changing my gearing to a more suitable set up for my situation. I'm running a 48/34 up front and 12-30 rear and will probably go to a 12-34 rear at the end of the season.

I'm afraid that my body will always be on the dense side even if I get down to my target of 180lbs. .

I'm very happy when I ride...always will be.

Thank for your encouraging reply.

I really appreciate it.

PeteHski

Don’t be afraid to gear it right down for those hills, especially if they are steep. Even a 34:34 can be marginal for a long, steep climb unless you really want to grind away at a super-low cadence out of the saddle. If I was in your shoes and wanted to enjoy climbing I would be looking seriously at gravel bike gearing.

But in any case it’s great that you are out riding. Sometimes we take it for granted that we are able, but we are actually very fortunate. Thanks for the reminder!

datlas 

Kudos

tempocyclist

You've been a member of these forums for EIGHTEEN YEARS! 🤯 That's an achievement in itself. Keep those wheels turning my friend!

baj32161

Yes I have....with a somewhat long hiatus (for many reasons). I've learned quite a lot and I hope I've added some useful information along the way.

I will keep riding as long as I'm able.

I love it.

TiHabanero

Thank you soooo much for not starting your post with the word "So". Not sure how the use as a sentence starter crept into our language, but I am very happy to see you limit the use of it!
As for slow, speed kills.

jon c. 

So, it's not just me.

baj32161

genejockey 

"So" is like "Hey! I'm gonna start talking", but more subtle. People write in forums the way they speak in person. I do, anyway.

Carbonfiberboy 

Last July I rode 154 miles and 9,000' at 77 y.o. I've done that ride many times. The oldest rider I've seen on it was 80. I admit to being a fitness nut. Been that way since I was 12. No talent, just the love of it. I tell everyone, "The way keep doing it is just never quit." You're doing great. Keep at it. Kudos.

I started stretching every morning when I was about your age. Didn't need to earlier. I've been a gym member since '79. The older we get, the more we need to strength train. I do an hour at the gym twice a week. Makes a big difference. I average maybe 8 hours a week total in summery weather, maybe 6 otherwise. I used to do more, but recovery is slower now.

Machka 

Hi! Welcome back! I remember you from back when.

I was a regular here from 2003 until 2018 - 15 years!

Then Rowan had a bad workplace accident which resulted in a severe traumatic brain injury, and my participation here diminished a lot ... as did our cycling. Then in May 2021, Rowan had a mild heart attack.

I'm sorry about your sight, but glad you can still ride. Since Rowan's accident, we stay primarily on the trails, paths, and very quiet country roads. Traffic can be very overwhelming. But I enjoy every ride we do and once each month we are cycling at least a 50 km ride, plus shorter rides on other days.

Since I am no longer cycling ultradistances (at this point), I'm trying to keep fit by climbing hundreds of stairs each month, walking regularly, jogging once in a while outside or on the treadmill, rowing on my rowing machine, gardening, lifting weights, and cycling indoors on Zwift with Rowan.

I'd like to do more, but the past 5 years have been super stressful with Rowan's accident, with wrapping up university and graduating with my Master's degree, and with several job changes ... and I am very tired.

Oh, and just recently I've been diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease. Ain't gettin' older fun!

But all the more reason to keep active.

baj32161

Hey!!!! Thanks so much for your comments. I do indeed rejeber you from "the old days" and remember you as always fun and inspiring.

I'm so sorry to hear if your challenges over the years...and while it 8dnt fun getting old, I'll take it over the other option.

I sure hope Rowan maintains his health and continues to get stronger, as well as yourself. I like to think that us BF veterans need to hang in there to guide the "younguns."😁😁😁
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bruce19

I was also a Jersey guy. Hackensack HS class of '64 and turned 77 on Juneteenth. Former college football player so also not a climber body. Joined this forum in July of '06. We seem to have some things in common. Although you're still a kid. I've learned some things along the cycling journey. One is that I don't have to constantly see every ride as a test to see if I can be faster, stronger, better, etc. Hard to get over that when you've been a competitive athlete. But, I have done it. These days I don't compare myself with others but will occasionally compare this years' rides with last years' just to see where my fitness is at. Now I ride for enjoyment and health. FWIW I had a stress test on a treadmill about a year ago.When it was done the doc said, "We're lucky if we can get a guy your age to last 6 minutes on this test. You almost made it to 10 minutes. How'd you do that?" Cycling. Rock on bro.

baj32161

Indeed we do have some things in common. I hope and plan to still be doing this at age 77. I also ride for fun and exercise and I have no one to go.pete against....nor do I desire to.

I have been doing this for decades and it never gets old, no matter how old o get.

MinnMan

Thanks for the report and update.

I've been here since 2009, and I still feel like something of a newcomer. But you and some of the others in this thread were like part of the furniture when I arrived.

Sometimes people in this forum disappear and you wonder what might have happened to them.

I too am 62, and I count myself lucky in many ways. Like most everybody of this vintage, I have health challenges and new ones keep getting added to the list, but on the whole they are pretty minor and I still enjoy long rides and tough efforts. I am not looking forward to the diminishes that inevitably are in store for me, but I hope to ride fast or slow, long or short until the lights go out.

(Funny thing - some of the younger people I ride with drift away from riding - they get interested in other things or they take on new responsibilities. I scratch my head and figure they'll come back to it when they are older. Like many of you, I'm a lifer. I've reached an age when I can't imagine life without riding unless circumstances force me away.)

But most of all, it's good to be riding and good to be alive.

Keep on trucking.

jaxgtr

I've also been hanging around here since July 2006 and another older rider quickly approaching 60 that does not have a body built for climbing, which is good I guess since I have no hills where I live. I've been using Rouvy as my tool of choice to give me a simulation hill effect for when I want to ride some hilly or mountain roads and I have noticed over time, when I do go someplace with some hills or even lower mountains, I do not suffer like I used to. That is an option to consider.

GhostRider62

If you get a new bike, get a power meter and learn how to pace hills using it. With the right gearing, proper pacing, and time for the muscles to adjust to hills, you will find a new "love" for them.

Bald Paul

I'm almost 10 years older than yourself, and, like you, I know I can't ride as far or fast as I used to in my youth. Two heart attacks and a bad knee will slow you down for sure.
If you're longing for a new bike, consider something with SRAM gearing. I went from a bike with Di2 (50-34, 11-32) to SRAM Rival (46-33, 10-36) and it really makes a difference on the hills, which are plentiful in upstate SC. Haven't needed the 33/36 combo yet, but I know sooner or later I'll find a climb that it will save me from the 'walk of shame'.