AJW2W11E

Time is more precious after 60, Bicycling uses a lot of it.
This week between riding a bike and going to a gym for back exercises, I logged 20 hours ( including time to shower and change) , probably more.
I'm still working, so thats quite a hunk of time. I can't cheat sleep like when I was younger so if you think about , every week has 112 useable hours. Work uses half of the hours, even more.
Somewhere in their comes family time , car and house repairs, lol bike repairs, meals, help on homework, walking the dog or whatever other pastimes you have and newspaper time.
Many of us are in the same boat. Don't you love it?

jon c. 

I retired a few months ago. Still don't have enough time. Don't know how I ever found the time to work. But very glad I no longer have to worry about it.

bblair

Something has to give. You only have so much time. Chores. Marriage and family. Work.

I'll tell you how I handled it: I retired. I can ride all I want and still keep the dog and the Mrs. happy. (Sure we can redo the kitchen. When I get back from my ride, you can tell me what color "we" picked.)

BobbyG

That's why I bike to work.

andrewclaus

And biking will give you more time. I never dreamed during my commuting years that all those hours on the bike would allow me to remain so active in retirement.

CAT7RDR

i am my octogenarian parent's sole in-home support.
This is fast becoming a full-time job.
Bike rides are becoming shorter and I gave up drive then rides because they consume too much time.
Add in dog walks, home repairs, chores, shopping and the like and I have at most 10 hours per week on the bike.

Speedway2

When I do find some time for 2 wheels it's usually a flip of the coin if I'm taking the bike (and which one) or the Harley.
Also, the fair weather riding season is too short where I live in Canada......

davester

I have two observations:

1. The solution is right in your post...stop working and get retired as soon as you possibly can (note that, regrettably, I wasn't good at following this advice so didn't retire until I was 68). You will never regret working fewer years (unless perhaps you're an astrophysicist or the like).

2. The more you ride, the longer you live. This means that those extra hours you put in riding get paid back at the end. They also get paid back in more valuable (i.e. healthier) hours.

Random11

Cycling is a time intensive form of exercise. Prior to picking up cycling a bit more than five years ago, I was running. Had to quit because of knee problems. I was running four days a week and needed those other three for recovery days. But I've found that with cycling I don't need the recovery days so I'm riding almost every day, and also spending more time on each ride than I used to spend on each run. I don't think I'm getting more exercise. I think that running is more taxing per minute than cycling. So yes, cycling uses up lots of time, and more time than other forms of exercise (or at least, than running).

I'm watching the TdF now, and have to admire the athletes who are competing. But I couldn't imagine a running competition in which runners raced for four hours a day every day. It takes weeks for marathon runners to recover from one race that lasts a bit more than two hours. I'm not saying that cycling isn't good exercise. I'm just saying that compared to running, and perhaps other types of exercise, it takes more time to get the same benefit.

delbiker1 

I am 108 miles from hitting 50,000 cycling miles from ages 61 thru 71. If I assume I averaged 13.5 mph, that is 3703 hours of cycling in 10 years, just over an hour for everyday. To me, 3700 hours sounds like a lot of time, an hour everyday, not so much. The average I used, I am sure, is real close to what an actual average would be. I am considering stopping the tracking of the miles once I hit my goal. I want to attempt to shift some of my time and priorities.

Carbonfiberboy 

Health becomes more precious after 60. It's not so noticeable at 60, but it will start to be at 65. Once fitness is lost at that age, It's really hard to get it back. My wife and I were in the gym many years ago and saw a Silver Sneakers class sitting in chairs doing unweighted arm raises. My wife said, "That's the reason we're here in the squat rack." Gym and cycling, say 2 hours cycling per hour of gym time and you're just fine. Health-wise, it's not necessary to ride more than 4 hours a week. You won't win any races like that, but you'll be comfortable in your old age if you keep it up. I like to add an hour or so of brisk walking or several hours of hiking per week in there and say 20' of stretching and a plank in the morning.

downtube42

One day I found myself driving my car to the gas station, to fill the tank so I could go to the hardware store and buy a new lawn mower, so I could mow my lawn. Thing was, I didn't want a lawn, a mower, or a car; I wanted to go ride my bike.

Two years later I'd eliminated all those things from my life. I live in a condo, within cycling distance to work.

The time recovered was substantial. If only I could have all those hours wasted sitting in a car or pushing a lawn mower.



If only I could have those hours back wasted behind a lawn mower.

Trakhak

If you want to do aerobic workouts without thinking too hard, running is certainly easier than cycling. But if you know what you're doing, cycling can be very close to running in terms of time spent versus benefits gained.

As long ago as the early '80s, coach Fred Matheny, in the first chapter of his book Bicycle Racing, described taking a runner friend (who had similarly complained about cycling being too easy) out for a training ride. The runner, thinking that higher gears made for a harder workout, had been churning along in his highest gears for his rides.

Matheny told him to shift to lower gears such that he was maintaining a brisk cadence of about 90 to 95 revolutions per minute, matching his running pace. "From the sounds of labored breathing I heard behind me, I knew that his ideas about cycling being an easy workout were rapidly changing," Matheny observed.

Aside from coasting on steep downhills, you'll be surprised how using lower gears rather than your leg muscles to tax your cardiovascular system will have you similarly changing your mind about running versus cycling workouts. Might take you a while to work up to higher cadences, and it takes will power to maintain such cadences - it's always tempting to slip back into using higher gears to ease the strain. But do the work, and you'll reap the benefits.

And, of course, you can always incorporate interval training in your cycling. That'll erase the time/benefit differential between running and cycling in a hurry.

staehpj1

Screw all the time/benefit stuff. At 72 I ride more because I like to ride than any other reason. That has been true for a long time. It was true for my trail running before my dog got too old to run with me and I stopped trail running and replaced that with more mountain biking. Truth be told I don't get all that many long rides in these days, but I ride technical trails every morning for an hour or so. I don't think it is much different of a level of workout than running at the pace I'd run the same trails.

I will go for a longer ride here and there on some flowy trails and may do a multiweek or multi month tour again. I currently am staying close to home caring for an elderly dog that I won't board. She took great care of me for thousands of miles of trail running and I am now taking care of her in her geriatric time. When she passes I'll probably do some long tours again.

PaulH

For me biking saves time. I have an alternative to driving around the block waiting for a parking space or having to walk. During the winter, it often gets me out of shoveling snow because I just use the bike instead of the car until it the snow melts. It's a human amplifier, because it transports me at several times walking speed.

rumrunn6

was in the best shape of my life, during a rough patch w/ the Wife. time out, is time away

GhostRider62

Fitness is an investment warding off the inevitable morbidity issues that we all will face.

I'm relatively young 65 yo but have faced injury and illness in recent years, teaching me the very hard lesson of how hard it is to regain fitness. Recovery is a world of difference from 55 yo to 65 yo. Stay healthy and injury free if you can and think of riding your bike as an investment, rather than a cost. If you don't enjoy the bike, don't ride. If you do, it is better than laying on the couch watching football, drinking beer.

I-Like-To-Bike

Enjoying bicycle riding and enjoying laying on the couch watching football (or similar activities) does NOT have to be an either - or choice. I found the time to do both when I was 20 and still do at 76.

Enjoyable bicycling does not require spending every available moment in the activity in the pursuit of "fitness."

bruce19

I've been retired for 22 yrs.Worked for the State of CT for relatively low salary even though I was a Manager of a regional office. In exchange I got a defined pension and excellent health/dental care at age 55. Now I also get Social Security. So,, I have a lot of time to cycle. But, my temperament is such that whether retired or working my idea of cycling is 1-1/2 hr rides at a TT pace about 3-4 times a week. Just finished a 12 mi. ride in 50 minutes and that is kind of what I do all week. And, the #1 variable that enhances longevity, according to the medical researchers, is exercise. Both, weights and cardio. Anything you do is a positive.

GhostRider62

Who said every available moment is required?

Alcohol is bad for you as is laying around doing nothing.

I'd argue enjoyment is required in the investment in one's health. OP says there is a cost to cycling, my suggestion is the cost is much higher by not keeping fit.

I'm glad you have all the time in the world, may do not and one of the common complaints I hear is lack of time; yet, they have all the time in the world to watch sports rather than play them.

MikeWMass

I recently retired at age 71.
I ride because I enjoy it.
You can certainly do hard training on a bike, but I don't enjoy that.
I do HIT on my spin bike and strength training for conditioning.

mattcalifornia

I was thinking about this yesterday. Most of my outdoor rides are 1.5 - 3 hours long. Plus it takes me around 20 minutes minimum to gear up, check the bike, etc. A decent percentage of the ride is spent coasting up to traffic lights and stop signs and then waiting, and coasting down hills. From a purely exercise point of view, it's not very efficient. I can get at least as good a workout, if not better, in a 45-minute Peloton session. And the Peloton requires virtually no maintenance or repairs. Plus I don't have to worry about getting hit by a car. Mind you, I'm not giving up outdoor riding because I enjoy doing it -- and there is still no substitute for the really long outdoor ride. But I can see myself doing a higher percentage of indoor workouts going forward and maybe only 1-2 outdoor rides per week (I also do other outdoor activities like paddle boarding and running from time to time).

staehpj1

I do a little differently. I get out of bed and have my coffee. When I am ready to ride I slip into my bike clothes and hop on and ride. It takes maybe three minutes. Not sure how that is any different for a peleton workout. Any bike checking or maintenance is done after the ride and typically totals maybe 20 minutes for the week. Since I ride every day that means maybe 7 minutes per day is pretty normal on average with some days being zero and one being 15 or 20 here and there..

When I roll out, I ride on a traffic free road for a mile and hit the trails. I can choose to ride technical stuff or more gravel like choices. Most of the time I ride a number of twisty technical singletrack sections connections connected by a little gravel. I don't have the option of long climbs (the longest is about 1/4 mile and not super steep), but I do have lots of roots and little ledges and drops on some twisty trail.

I also have to option of being out on rolling rural roads after only a short bit of stop and go riding, but I haven't done much road riding lately.

I ride more for pleasure with the exercise as a benefit. For some reason I hate indoor cycling and treadmill running, but don't mind rowing on an erg. So if I do exercise indoors it is on an erg. I never minded running or riding in the cold, rain, sleet, or snow until the snow got too deep and then snowshoes or xc skis came out. Now that I am in Tallahassee, I have at times stayed in and rowed because of the heat, but lately I have been managing to ride by getting out at or before dawn.

Overall I think two things are at play. One is that I don't let the logistics get in the way. The other is that I am fortunate enough to have easy access to riding that I enjoy right out the door.

staehpj1

I didn''t mention a few things so I'll comment a bit further. A big part of it for me is getting outdoors, particularly in the woods. Seeing all the wildlife is a big part of it. On my morning trail ride I might see deer, rabbits, a raccoon, a possum, an armadillo, a beaver, rarely a bobcat, a turkey, maybe some day a bear, and lots of various birds plus lots of others I forgot to mention.

Getting my exercise while doing that is a plus. I do track heart rate data to be sure I am making appropriate effort to get some decent benefit. Mostly I just try to be sure I have reasonable time in the various HR zones. I do not use the MHR based on any of the formulas though. They generate what would be way too low of a MHR for me since my MHR has always been well over what those formulas predict. I pretty much find that just having fun is all it takes, but going for a hard ride now and then shooting for a PR for a loop or whatever adds to the fun and gives some intensity to the rides.

I find that I don't really spend all that much time to do any of that. An hour or so of riding every morning at the crack of dawn is enough for me. Throwing in a long ride here and there for fun is also nice, but not absolutely necessary.

Note, not suggestiong that anyone else should do differently than they are and adopt what I do, but this is what works for me.

boozergut

I begin my ride looking at a 20 item check list that I have taped to the garage fridge. Getting older means its easy to forget something. A good ride is 2.5 to 3 hours which includes breaks, a little flora-fauna photography, a quick chat with a fellow cyclist, etc. I finished yesterday around lunch time, and then I watched the TdF stage which included a climb up the Puy de Dôme.

I cannot imagine a better day, and I'm ready to retire before I get too old and have to move toward the dreaded ebike routine.