TriDanny47

I turned 50 in 2015. I started riding in a serious way 3 years ago. Was semi-serious in my mid-20's but had no real time for it and of course $ was tight - even 25 years ago tuition seemed like robbery (feel bad for kids today in college/grad school).

My initial goal was "get healthy" to the extent possible, followed by one season of non-competitive riding on and off with a gym club (then it was disbanded).

Then decided to try my hand at triathlons - because I was a total non-swimmer. New experience - I'm slow but I can swim.

Last year I joined a different local club but never got to even attend a meeting. Things happened. Maybe this year.

My ultimate goal is to do at least a half Ironman in 2017 - will be a real uphill battle but I'm determined.

Inspire me with your tales of 50 and over achievements of your cycling-related goals, please. Health/fitness, competitive or non, it's all good.

TIA,

Danny

Biker395 

I (and many others in the group) have done quite a bit of endurance racing after 50 ... And it's not like we're the exception, either. There are a LOT of people in that demographic. It's a hoot!

I think the next goal is to do the PBP ... That sounds like quite an adventure!

Alternate answer: Everyday I wake up on the right side of the grass is an accomplishment.

skidder

After 50?

1) I've built a bicycle from a bare frame (even installing the headset). I knew how they went together, but actually putting one together makes you analyze all the different 'systems' that are available (braking, drivetrain, frames and forks), the value of each, and what gives you the most value/confidence for the time/money invested.
2) I've gone on a few 100 mile rides (two with the self-built bicycle). I did one organized ride (never again!), but the others I just planned them out and did them myself.

Before 50 would be more interesting; there were some things/goals I did/had that I accomplished before the first hint of aging (and slowing down) hit me. Thankfully I did that stuff in my earlier years.

79pmooney

I had a custom fix gear built to allow me to use all available cogs without messing with the chain length so I could climb hill on my late 50's knees. I am not claiming this as an accomplishment, just something I had wanted to do for years. A month after I started riding that bike, I signed up for my third Cycle Oregon. Over the ensuing months, the elevation profiles of the days were unveiled. And it was "wow! Every day looks doable on a fix gear in terms of how many wheel flips I would have to do and how many times I would have to change cogs." Started to believe I could do it. Started training to do it. And did it! (Day three had five wheel flips and three cog changes, 98 miles and 9800' of climbing. Crater Lake.

That was at year 59. A celebration of the last year in my 50s; something I would never do again. Two years later I did it again on a route with more climbing. Did last fall's ride fixed again on a considerable easier route but ... fires changed the plans. Day 3 went from a hard day, but fairly simple gear change wise to an option ride with far more gear changes. I rode the full distance, skipping many gear changes to save time. Hard, hard and not fun. Next to last day I got to roll a 42 x 12 for 20 miles; thousands of feet of descent then miles of screaming tailwind!

So those days are probably over. But still, 2014 CO, 35,000' of climbing, fixed at 61 yo. Lowest gear - 42 x 23. Toughest climb ... the celebrated 14.5% max, 2 mile climb on the 42 x 17. (My logo is the official CO photo of me at the steepest part.)

Ben

TriDanny47

Wow - I think I should be grateful our altitude here varies between roughly 600 and 900 ft above seas level.

BobbyG

I returned to snow and ice commuting and pushed my low temp threshhold back down to 12F (and possibly more). It's not biking, but I've been performing with an improv comedy troupe.

OldsCOOL

The most satisfying was riding 100mi, which had been a goal since high school. Second to that was acquiring a dream bike from those years. Building my own roadbike and riding it to the top-10s on Strava really rocks. Soon enough I will have to enter a race to say I did.

nobodyhere

I did not start riding until I was 58, so I guess everything I have accomplished bicycle-wise was "over 50"

Let's see.

Ride the Rockies in Colorado
A century or two
Mtn biking (single track)
Got my wife riding with me
Led organized rides for a church group for several years
Started a local bicycling group for folks over 70 - it lasted for a bit then ppssfftt.
Had one good mtn bike single track crash, landing hard on my back ribs - 5 months ago at age 75, and I am still recovering
Learned to swim, contemplated a sprint triathlon, but have not done that yet.
Started a bicycling forum

That's about it for bicycling-related.

I do a lot of other cross-training - i.e, 40+ consecutive pushups, 100 dips, 8 consecutive pullups, TRX and other stuff like that, hiking and stretching. All helps with better aging and bicycling.

RChung

My youngest was born when I was 52.

tarwheel 

I'll play. Although I've been cycling since my teens, I really upped my mileage starting in my mid-40s. I'll turn 62 in January. Since I turned 50, I've ridden 89,715 miles, generally increasing over time. The past four years, I've averaged more than 9,000 miles/year. I started bike commuting about 9 years ago, and I've ridden more than 35,000 just commuting over that period.

I don't ride that many centuries, usually 1-2 a year, but ride metric centuries frequently, averaging about two a month. I also ride 1-2 weeklong bike tours every year, usually ranging from 350-500 miles each.

I don't focus on speed any more. At my age, it's kind of absurd to worry about average speeds, and I've quit riding with groups that seem to use that as their primary motivation. I can still maintain decently fast average speeds (18-20 mph) on long group rides, but just don't care about it any more. Instead, I would much rather focus on other aspects of cycling, such as bike touring, viewing nice scenery, stopping to eat during long rides and socializing with cycling friends. I also am a serious committed bike commuter, for environmental reasons as well as fitness and money savings. About half of my annual cycling mileage is from commuting.

badger1

In answer to the title question: I'm still here at 64.
I re-started cycling at age 50, and still riding my 6-7000kms/year.
That's about it.

tsl

Health and happiness mainly.

I first saw a shrink for depression at age eight. I struggled with it all my life. Four months after taking up cycling, the fog began to lift. Six months after taking up cycling I went off meds for the first time in decades. Haven't had a suicidal thought in ten years now.

On the physical side, I'm the first male on either side of the family to make it past 55 without a heart attack. I had a cousin drop dead at 43. Every day is a new record.

I'm the only male in my family who has never had knee surgery. I was on the way--walked with a limp and a knee brace--but cycling seems to have solved that too.

For these things I'm grateful.

The OP seems more interested in measurable competitive things, though.

Twenty-eight months after taking up cycling, nineteen months after quitting smoking, I was invited to ride the highest paved road in North America.



With my everyday commuting ride (not some featherweight climbing rig), I made the top about 45 minutes behind the locals I was riding with. As a lifelong lowlander and flatlander, and given my history, I figure it wasn't a bad time for my first mountain ever.



The difference between the elevations listed on the signs means that the parking lot is 130 feet below the peak. I walked to the peak in clipless.

These days, I put in 30 miles a day back and forth to work, weather permitting. In foul weather, that drops to only ten. I put together a string of 1,596 consecutive workdays bike commuting before a mechanical broke the streak. I'm now back up to roughly 500 and counting. See the second paragraph of this post for as to why I go through the trouble.

otg 

You, sir, win!

Rick@OCRR

When I was 45 I got divorced from my wife of 24 years and moved from St. Louis to Southern CA with not much more than a job offer and one bike.

The job worked out well (with GT bicycles in Santa Ana) and I started riding with a local club (Orange County Rebel Riders), met a wonderful woman in the club who became my friend, then my very close friend, then my wife.

I had quit doing long distance riding after P-B-P in '91 but my wife was really into the California Double Century community and convinced me to try a California double. My first California double was Davis in 2003 (I was 53) and since then I've met lots of great riders and had wonderful adventures riding double centuries. After my start in 2003, I've ridden a total of 75 California doubles (some more than once, of course).

Here's a link to the site with all the details in case you're interested:
California Triple Crown History Report

Rick / OCRR

canklecat

Fourteen years ago a car wreck busted up my back and neck and left me with a permanently splintered C2. For years I walked with a cane and couldn't carry more than 5 lbs without pain, which made even my passion for photography a chore. I modified my expectations and changed to small, lightweight P&S cameras so I could continue to make photographs.

After a 30+ year hiatus from bicycling I began riding again in August just before I turned 58. I bonked after only a mile that first ride. Every foot, yard and second in the saddle each riding session beyond that first day has been an accomplishment. Now I can easily manage 20 miles a day and the main hindrance is time, not endurance, although asthma still slows me down a bit.

Strictly in terms of bicycling, the main difference between now and 30+ years ago when I cycle-commuted almost daily? Back then I disliked anything but a good paved road. Now I go out of my way to find gravel and bare dirt to ride in. I'm slow and no daredevil, but I've learned to appreciate the differences between a 20 lb road bike with skinny high pressure tires and a 30 lb hybrid with 700x40 all terrain tires that are competent pretty much everywhere.

My only goal is to enjoy every moment. I don't measure rides in miles, minutes, hours or difficulty but in how much I enjoyed that ride, and how many opportunities it afforded to expand my scope of the possibilities for photography or simply committing the view to transient, mutable memory. I don't worry about missing a goal to hit a certain place on the map, because I was distracted by so many more interesting things I found along the way.

Carbonfiberboy 

I got my first bike at 7, commuted to school on it. Always loved cycling. Started riding seriously again at 50, 20 years ago. Gradually built up my speed and distance. Rode the one-day STP 200 mile ride a few times and RAMROD, 154 miles and 10,000', a few times. Led the fast section of my riding group until I started to slow down in my early 60's, when I took up randonneuring. Took up tandeming with my wife in '07 and have been riding tandem with her almost exclusively since. We've ridden the STP one-day twice and RAMROD once on the tandem. Best times on my single: 12 hours flat for STP, 9:30 for RAMROD, and 15 hours for a 400k. Nothing impressive. I'm not a talented rider, crappy VO2max, never raced, but I love to ride and train, and loving it has made all the difference.

Biker395 

Whoa .. we started doing doubles the same year, but you've done twice as many!

StanSeven

I had lots of athletic potential as a teenager but never lived up to it. Alcohol and cigarettes constantly detracted. I gained weight after college, got married, had children but the smoking and drinking continued. In my late 30s, I got tired of it all and took up running. I progressed to doing several marathons at a relatively quick pace (sub 3 hours). I kept running but got involved with cycling. In my 50s, I raced, did multiple centuries, did a week long ride around the Cheaspeake Bay with friends (700 miles), and took up tri's.

wphamilton

I started a new career after 50 - Sr Software Engineer, currently. Cycling, I was car-free (using a bike) at 48 but I didn't get into cycling for its own sake until 50 or close to. I've only done a couple of imperial centuries and don't race but as long as I'm improving, I'm happy with that and I haven't peaked yet.

I ride the bike that I built, ride and train in my own probably eccentric way, and I feel like I've shed 10 years since I was 50. Maybe more. Whatever it is that I'm doing that's working, I intend to keep doing it!

chasm54

I got back on the bike at 49 after maybe 15 years when I had let life get in the way. I bought a touring bike and used it as a commuter. I'd commuted by bike in my 20s and early 30s when almost nobody else was doing it and I reckoned the 32mile round trip to work would start restoring the fitness I'd thrown away in early middle-age.

I was right about that. Within a couple of years I was back to touring and was doing organised centuries on a CF road bike. I especially enjoyed a multi-day sportive/Gran Fondo in Ireland when I was 53, 500 miles over four days with some pretty serious competitors. In fact I enjoyed it so much I went back the next year when they extended it to 600 miles over five days.

I retired early at 56, a couple of years earlier than I'd intended, and celebrated by buying a top-end expedition tourer and doing an eight-week, 2500-mile loop from Toronto through Ontario and Quebec to the Atlantic then back via New England and upstate NY. Fantastic trip. I did well over 10000 miles in total that year and was starting to get pretty fit. I'd become involved with some friends in setting up a racing club for some local kids and when a thirteen year-old asked me why I didn't race I couldn't think of an answer, so I took out a racing licence and pinned on a number for the first time at 57.

I'd recommend it. The intensity of it blew me away and for all my strength, and long experience of being around racing cyclists, I found I had to completely change my training regimen in order to get competitive and live with the repeated surges that a bike race consists of. But I got so that I could hang with the pack in Cat3/4 races (average age maybe 25-30?) and not make a complete fool of myself in the (much harder) veterans 55-59 road races.

I only raced for a couple of seasons, an injury robbed me of a winter's training and I knew how hard it was going to be to get back. Besides, the racing had mainly been born of curiosity, I wanted to see how fit I really was and how I'd measure up. My heart's in the touring. I still use some of the interval training routines I adopted for race training, though, I've become convinced that maintaining the intensity is good for my health as well as my speed. In my opinion it is slowing down that makes us old, at least as much as the other way around.

61 now. The plan for 2016 includes a six-weelk tour in France including some of the iconic TdF climbs, and a training schedule aimed at breaking the hour for 40k on a road (as opposed to TT) bike. The latter will be a stretch, but I find I need an objective to keep me motivated to stay as fit as I want to be.

TriDanny47

I'm blown away, guys. Thank you so much!

Exactly the kind of motivation I need in 2016!

tarwheel 

Aside from all of the numbers and statistics and accomplishments, cycling is a very rewarding hobby, sport, pastime or whatever you want to call it. It's a great way to stay in shape and exercise while enjoying yourself. If you're into fixing things or collecting, it can be a great hobby restoring old bikes and/or maintaining your bike. It's a great way to travel and most of my favorite vacations have been bike tours.

jppe

The most significant thing I personally accomplished after 50 was losing 60 pounds and started living a little healthier.

Financially put my wife and 3 kids through college plus the weddings of my two daughters.

Played numerous rounds of golf with the likes of Tom Kite, Nick Price, Jay Haas, Chad Campbell, Rickie Fowler, Duffy Waldorf, etc.
Ridden several 200 milers. Rode a 160 miler averaging almost 22 mph.
President of local cycling association where we put on 10 mile Time Trials at Charlotte Motor Speedway (1 a month April-September).
Medaled in the TT Series twice. Set my PR at 27 mph.

Ridden in a number of week long supported tours. 2015 included Skyline Drive/Blue Ridge Parkway end to end, Ride the Rockies and Tour de Wyoming.

Ridden a number of 100 milers----just completed 4 in December alone. In fact the average for my rides the last several years is 50-60 miles.

Kept my job until I was ready to leave.

Traveled to Italy, Ireland, Aruba, Alaska plus most of the states of the US.

Man, life just seems to have started at 50!!!

OldsCOOL

Today. That is what I accomplished. I discipline myself to live for today and enjoy it. I'm alive and healthy. There are accomplishments that dare not be mentioned here but suffice it to say, today is a good day. And that mountain bike ride in #9 weather just ROCKED.

JerrySTL

I did my first double-century ride when I turned 50.