Age vs. Cycling Ability

[Mr. Bloom]

Occassionally, I see posts that are a bit self-deprecating by folks regarding their age imposed cycling limitations.

So, I started thinkin':eek: Is there a limitation on ability based solely on age?

So, the final Rain (Ride Across INdiana) Results (http://www.bloomingtonbicycleclub.org/tours/rain/rain.html) were recently posted. There were 900+ finishers. This was a 160 mile RIDE, not a RACE, but many race against the clock;) and order of finish is tracked by the organizers although the finish line is closed at sunset (14 hours after the start).

So, I ran this scatter graph plotting finish time vs. age:

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa201/MrSilver1963/rainage-time.jpg

Interestingly, the average age of the first 10 finishers is 42 yrs AND the last 10 finishers is 42 yrs! The overall median is 46 yrs old (a surprise to me)!

So, based on this, while I acknowledge that many other factors can influence riding speed and ability (equipment, fitness level, road conditions, drafting, start time, sag time, etc), it would appear to me that age does not limit cycling speed and ability...and those of us beyond middle age need to stop beating ourselves up as we grow wiser...

Fine Print:
The data is as presented except I removed:
- a few finishers with blank ages
- a person with an age of 1
- a person with an age of 108 (I believe a typo since if someone did this at 108, I'm confident that the national news would have been there...)

[sundial]

Interesting graph, Mr Silver. I appreciate the use of visual aids. :)

When I was an undergraduate, I heard a lecture presented by visiting artist Steve "Thunder" McGuire (http://www.uiowa.edu/~tqstory/), an art professor at the University of Iowa. He cycles within and outside the US and presents a captivating monologue of his epic adventures. He travels with a 2 seater recumbent built to invite people to join him in his journeys. In the latest issue of Outside magazine, he competed in the Great Divide Race, a grueling journey that starts in Montana and ends in Mexico. His age? 49. His journeys become longer as he ages, which is a testament of his cycling longevity.

[Veronica]

I think a ride like that tends to attract 40 somethings. I see the same thing at brevets and double centuries. There seem to be very few riders in their 20s at those rides. Just personal observation.

The top female at my HIM on Saturday is 42. She finished in 5:05. There were two others over 40 in the top ten.

I think people may use age as a euphemism for not having maintained themselves as well as they might have liked to.

V.

[Mr. Bloom]

I think people may use age as a euphemism for not having maintained themselves as well as they might have liked to.

V.

Well, it's time for us to change that:D;)


I think a ride like that tends to attract 40 somethings. I see the same thing at brevets and double centuries.

Why do you think that is?

[Eden]

I agree with Veronica - rides of those type do tend to attract a more mature crowd, but I can also tell you in the racing community it is not necessarily the young pups that are the fastest - at least among the women. Most of our fastest women also qualify for masters racing and some are even 50+

Also if you look at longer events, more geared towards endurance than raw power I think that the differences between younger people and older folks even out quite a bit. More experience and more base mean riders who have been at it longer do just as good if not better.

[Stania]

I have to agree with you wholeheartedly that it makes no difference.
I am 43 years old (as of this Oct.) and I started road and Cross racing competitively 1 year ago. The only thing that I have found is a concern for me is recovery time compared to when I was younger - my body requires more pampering (if you will) than it did before. As for speed, fitness and general performance, well, given I regularly beat gals 20 years younger than me and have upgraded from Cat 5 to Cat 3 in one season, i would have to say that age makes no difference.
If you think I am exaggerating, then consider that I get beaten regularly by a 52 year old who races masters and often is pitted against Cat 4's when there aren't enough to make a full women's race...
All of my racing success has all been while parenting a 2 and half year old i gave birth to when I turned 40.
So, whomever out there uses their age as an excuse, i would then have to confront you about your fitness and health instead.. Age is NOT a limitation, your attitude and general health are.:p

Happy cycling!:D
Stania

[GLC1968]

Why do you think that is?

In my experience - because two things happen when people get to be about 40. 1) if they were runners, their knees start to give out and they move into cycling. 2) their kids are finally old enough to be left alone or with sitters.

I think this is why in the world of recreational cycling - you see a disproportionate number of people late 30's and up. And if you are a competitive type, but not quite of 'racing' caliber - what better way to challenge yourself than with endurance events?!

This is totally anecdotal - I don't have any real statistics or anything!

[SouthernBelle]

I think there are several factors.

One is that true endurance is built over time. There are certainly genetic factors involved too.

2ndly is patience.

3rdly may be that as we get older some of us don't give a damn what others think. So we may be willing to spend hours on the road in our crazy endeavor.

4thly. It's not a cheap sport.

Some thoughts anywho.

[Grog]

I think GLC is right with the "kids old enough" point as one major contributing factor here.

On the Grand Tour (a week-long tour in Quebec, with days of 100+ km, lots of hills in general, similar to Cycle Oregon) there are 2200 participants, and the average age this year is 47 years old.

Who can go on 160-mile rides if they have young children at home?

(Edited to add: But this does not change the fact that not many people in their early 20s would be clocking those sort of times. It does take many years to create an endurance athlete. And those who would would be bored out of their mind before reaching the finish line!! :D)

[SadieKate]

If this is true, why aren't we seeing 50+ year old riders in the TdF? Or competing at world cup downhill and winning? I believe Jeanie Longo is a unique individual.

I think that age does matter with the type of event and the level of competition.

[Eden]

If this is true, why aren't we seeing 50+ year old riders in the TdF? Or competing at world cup downhill and winning? I believe Jeanie Longo is a unique individual.

I think that age does matter with the type of event and the level of competition.

Most certainly. When you get to a certain level of competition there is a point where only the very exceptional person can compete against the young crowd when they are significantly older. Jeannie Longo and Ned Overend come to mind.

Some of it does have to do with recovery - it becomes much harder to recover as we age, so an event like the TDF is unlikely to be won by a 50 something - but if you do take a close look its often men in their 30's not the early 20 somethings who win the overall.

Some of it has to do with the razor thin margins that you are talking about when you are looking at pro level racing. An older guy might not that much slower than a younger one, but when a few seconds can be the difference between 1st and 50th the little edge being young can give you becomes very important.

I do think that women do actually peak at an older age than men though. Many if not most of the top women are in their middle to late 30's and even 40's - Kristin Armstrong is 35, Judith Arndt 32, Tina Pic 42, Laura Van Gilder 44, Amber Neben 33

[Tuckervill]

Well, it's time for us to change that:D;)



Why do you think that is?

I think more people over a certain age have mental capacity to experience long distances and long time periods with a better sense of perspective.

I did Boot Camp with a 16 yo girl. We would do things like jump rope for 6 minutes, or attempt to run a mile in under 12 minutes. Almost every time the instructor mentioned a longish time, she had a bad reaction, like it was an eternity. With respect to the whole of her life, in contrast to the whole of mine, it could seem like a long time! Once she started doing it, it was over in a flash and she completed the tasks no problem. But it seemed like an eternity to her!

I remember being that way as a kid/teenager. I had to run 2 miles in the army, and I really thought that was brutal when I was 18! I have perspective on that distance, now. It's NOTHING.

Have some children, eh? then you really get a perspective on time. Become a grandma! That'll do it. All that to say, I think the 40s enter long things like that because the mental block about the length of time is not as strong.


Karen

[pardes]

I have to agree with SadieKate. Age can't be ignored. I'm not saying bow to it and take up knitting and complaining but no one can define what "age" really means and what are the rules for doing it "right." It's the elephant in the room as long as we see it as an elephant rather than a fascinating journey.

On most levels age classifications are an external thing that is molded by society and culture. Yet on an interior level it's something altogether different and completely individual to each person. On the inside no one feels 62 or 92. Instead we feel exactly the same as we did when consciousness first bloomed as an infant. The physical body may get rusty and crusty and that never ceases to amaze us when we pass a mirror.

Perhaps if we stop applauding "oldsters" doing things that aren't typical, we will stop creating our own image of others. Sexism and Ageism cut people off at the knees and squash them into a pigeonhole. Unfortunatenly it's often the aged who reinforce all the boundaries given to them by others because it's just too scary to step out and be unique in whatever way that pleases them from beng restful and reflective to swimming the English channel.

Out of shap is out of shape whatever the age. Alleged recovery time differences are a mental construct of expectations.

I often wonder if the care seniors take to protect themselves isn't just the fear of impending death, a death for which they aren't ready to accept. Unfortunately the medical profession is the first bugler to shout the alarm to be careful, take precautions, know your limits, work up very very gradually to change.

Some seniors blossom into type A personalities and push the envelope while others become quiet navel contemplators, while still others fill the bell curve in between. Bravo to them all!

[Crankin]

I think age is a factor, but it's very individual. All of a sudden, I need lots of recovery time and my average is going down.... some of it is my particular situation, but there is nothing unusual going on with me compared to a couple of years ago. I didn't start cycling until I was 48, but I was very active in other fitness things. I improved steadily until last year, when health issues interfered. Now, I am frustrated. I am only competitive with myself and myself is not happy thinking that this is age!
I feel like I have to make a decision between whether I will concentrate on distance or speed, because i don't seem to be able to do both well.

[OakLeaf]

I think we're talking about two different things here: the specific demands of cycling, vs. age-related changes in our bodies. (We're also talking about competitive sport, when the OP had to do with participation in mass fun events.)

The top competitors in most sports are much, much younger than the top competitors in cycling. That doesn't mean that cyclists' bodies age more slowly than other athletes', it just means that endurance and strategy are so important in cycling that, to a point, they outweigh incremental declines in reflexes, recovery and strength.

Obviously statistics don't define individual situations. Just as it would be perfectly accurate to say generally that men are stronger than women (by about 20% based on weight-class weight-lifting records), nevertheless probably many of the women on this forum are stronger than most men in our demographic.

Bottom line: we still age. Oh, well! I'm at the point where I'm realizing I just have to deal with it.

[lph]

I think rather than expecting "old people" to be stereotype knitting grandmas, we're seeing that people are more individualistic no matter what their age. People still talk about feeling old, or getting too old for this and that, but that's mostly a habit and bad excuses. The hippie generation is now in their 60s and I don't think there has ever been a generation with that much time, money and attitude to truly do what they want. Caveat: in the well-to-do corners of the world and society most of us live in.

I still think elite athletes will always be young, there's no beating biology :rolleyes: but in the sports that take time, money and patience it's quite logical that the over-40s will be well represented on the amateur level. A generation or two ago it might even be seen as a little unseemly for a grandmother to compete in amateur sports, now she's probably the hero of the neighbourhood. The social constraints are pretty much gone so it's down to how much training you put in.

[PscyclePath]

One of my favorite books on training is Joe Friel's Cycling Past 50, available thru Adventure Cycling... but then I got my copy at Borders in Augusta six or seven years ago... I mentioned some of Friel's principles off in another thread somewhere around here about his Three Rules of Training, but the book goes a bit farther in explaining how maintain an active lifestyle can prolong and enhance our quality of life as time takes its toll on our bodies.

Friel has a few good suggestions on how we get better as we grow older... we may not be able to go out and win The Tour, or even consistently beat our riding buddies in the county-line sprint, but every bit does help us. Friel recommnds:


Ride Regularly. At least three times a week – optimally four. (10 to 12 weeks at this rate to build aerobic capacity.) At least 30 to 45 minutes, 90 minutes the minimum for a long ride. Cycling is primarily an endurance sport. At start, a long ride (> 90 minutes) 1x week; as fitness gains, every other week. Riding at intensities > 90% of aerobic capacity – e.g., just starting to breathe hard – brings substantial gains in fitness. Ride consistently – Ride Moderately – Rest Regularly.

Rest Regularly. This means following a periodization plan where you peak for your selected events, and give yourself time to rebuild and prepare in between.

Set Challenging Goals. Challenge yourself... you'll be surprised what you can do if you try. When you achieve one goal, set the notch a little bit higher, and try for another one.

Eat like a hunter-gatherer. Watch your diet... Get back to eating at Mother Nature’s original training table – lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and water.

Believe in Yourself. Because if you don't, who else will?

Seek the Support of Others. Cycling is a team and social sport as well as a great way to get off by yourself on your bike. We all improve when we work together, whether in a paceline, or simply by supportin and encouraging each other. Bike clubs, teams - whether formal or informal - and even little communities like the TE Forums are all good examples of this.

Don’t Slow Down. Too many people these days simply rust from the inside out due to inactivity... A physically active lifestyle does wonders for our health, well-being, and general outlook on life...


I've read a bunch of training books and plans, but this book is the one I keep coming back to...

Tom

[biking viking]

I started touring at age 50 with my husband on unsupported short journeys, 1000 miles, give or take a couple hundred depending on how much vacation time we have. The comment I hear most often is "I could never do that". I hear it from people my age and from young people. I used to say "sure you could - just start with short distances and work up to it or it's just a daily bike ride but you end up at camp instead of at home". It's all attitude at any age. When I hear the comment now I am tempted to say "You're right, you couldn't do it". Most touring bicyclist we encounter are retired which makes them over 62.

Does anyone else out there tour? I read mostly about racing and commuting (I get to work on my bicycle too), but bicycle touring offers a whole other way of "being" which really has nothing really to do with the bike except that it is the vehicle that allows you to connect with the most basic feeling of being alive. It is something that cannot be achieved on a week long supported ride (at least in my experience).

[OakLeaf]

I haven't toured since I was young, but several members of my bike club are guys in their 70s who just RIDE. Two of them did the Lewis & Clark Trail last summer. They were going to do the Great Divide this summer, but one of them tore his ACL. He was back on his MTB about 3 weeks before his PT thought he'd be able to, but the trip had to be rescheduled for next year.

[tulip]

I toured across France when I was 15 with a bunch of other 15 year-olds. I really dislike camping, so my touring now is alot more comfortable. But I still consider it touring, as I'm out all day on the bike seeing places I never would have seen otherwise, getting to my next destination on a bike. Because of work, I can't just up and go for months at a time, but I am able to fit in a few weeks here and there.

[cyclingmama]

I don't think that age limits your ability to accomplish your goals, whatever they may be, but it does make a difference in how you get there. I was 25 when DH bought me my first (post-childhood) bike, and I did 14 miles my first ride, and we did an MS 150 the next year with not nearly enough training. I rode for a few years, then stopped when I had my first child. Starting up again this spring at 34 was definitely more challenging. I've been building my mileage up much more slowly. I've also noticed that what I eat for pre-ride fuel and post-ride recovery has become much more significant to my performance levels than it ever was before. Sleep is more of a factor than it was. Simply put, I could do a lot more on a lot less when I was mid-20s than I can at mid-30s. And I'm still young! I can only imagine that the importance of these factors only increases with age.

So my goal now is to keep at it consistently (however challenging it is to find the time to ride with 3 and 5 year olds), because I would hate to have to start from ground zero again in my mid-40s. ;)

[tulip]

So my goal now is to keep at it consistently (however challenging it is to find the time to ride with 3 and 5 year olds), because I would hate to have to start from ground zero again in my mid-40s. ;)

I found that fitting in two spinning classes per week, even one when time was really tight, helped maintain my fitness. If you end up having trouble getting out during the day, perhaps a spinning class will help (the father can watch the kids, or get a babysitter).

[cyclingmama]

I found that fitting in two spinning classes per week, even one when time was really tight, helped maintain my fitness. If you end up having trouble getting out during the day, perhaps a spinning class will help (the father can watch the kids, or get a babysitter).

Thanks Tulip! I actually started a spin class in January to get myself ready to get back on the bike in the spring. There is a gym 1/2 mile from my office that has a 45min spin class at noon on Tuesdays, so I do that on my lunch hour, even now. In the winter I also took an hour-long Saturday morning class, either leaving the kids home with DH or at the childcare at the gym. Now I ride Saturday mornings, and my daughter complains that she misses the "Kids Club" at the gym (and our visit to the gym pool that usually follows). The funny part is she recently asked me why I don't exercise anymore, b/c she views going to gym as exercise but going for a bike ride as playing. :D

sorry for the thread hijack . . .

[Southside Sally]

I just started cycling this year, and I am 47. I am up to 50 and 60 mile bike rides and will do the MS 150 in a few weeks. I ride twice a week, and my average is 14.3-15.5, depending on the length of the ride.

Having said this, I started out cycling in great shape from 20 years of weights and cardio. For me, it was simply a matter of learning to ride a road bike, getting my butt used to the saddle for long periods of time and tweaking my nutrition a bit.

[cyclinnewbie]

This has nothing to do with aging and sports, but is a bit relevant to the topic at hand. My inlaws are both in their 60's, and act as if they're older than dirt. They complain about their multitude of aches and pains, and the only activities they engage in are sitting in their house watching TV, and going out to eat. They have visited every restaurant in this county since they moved here 4 years ago. They are fat, and out of shape and OLD.

Contrast that to my 96 year old grandfather who is blind, who walks 5 miles a day, has a vast social network, has a multitude of interests (he is a GREAT fiddler, despite having lost a few of his fingers to various woodcutting accidents - yes, he was operating saws while BLIND), he continues to get up on his roof when it needs repairs, much to my dad's consternation, he just sold his sailboat because his sighted buddy who used to sail with him passed away last year. He is more active physically and mentally than a lot of 40 year olds I know.

Age ain't nothing but a number; a great deal of it is all about what's in your head. Sure, biology has A LOT to do with it, but I think attitude has more influence. Just my two cents....

[han-grrl]

I truly believe that age isnt a limitation

there are so many examples where people started "later" in life

http://www.srichinmoyraces.org/us/transcendence/running/paststoriesrunning/seventyyears

the one runner started in her fifties...

and i found this little blurb
Ottinger has not always been the healthy, dedicated marathon runner that he is today. Once an amateur boxing champion and a fast-pitch softball player, Ottinger found himself overweight and with a severely enlarged heart at age 53. His doctor warned that if he did not begin exercising, he wouldn’t live much longer. Motivated by his love for his family, Ottinger began to run. Since his health scare, Ottinger has completed a variety of impressive feats, including climbing the Andes Mountains, jogging along the Great Wall of China and beating an aggressive form of prostate cancer.


yes it might take longer for the body to adapt, but it isn't impossible..

[Mr. Bloom]

I think we have two groups here:

those who were athletic for much of their lives
those who started later


Silver was never athletic and started running in her late 30's. Within 9 months, she did her first marathon and now she's coaching tri-athletes!

I was never athletic as a kid (I was the drum major in the band!). 18 months ago, Silver nearly killed me on a 9 mile ride. Last month, I rode across Indiana!

My only point in saying this...and in starting this thread...is to encourage people of 'wisdom and experience' to not sell themselves short and to allow themselves to benefit from thinking big.

This has been a fun thread for me to read, there's so much wise feedback from insightful people.

Thanks:)

[Grog]

I never bothered checking the reference, but a long time ago my cycling coach said something about a study in which they had discovered that a majority of former elite and pro cyclists had dropped out of cycling after stopping racing.

I see lots of older cyclists, but rarely are they former racers. Maybe those who start early and go really hard are less likely to get out there in their 50s, leaving a chance to all of us who are late-bloomers athletically speaking.

[smilingcat]

I never bothered checking the reference, but a long time ago my cycling coach said something about a study in which they had discovered that a majority of former elite and pro cyclists had dropped out of cycling after stopping racing.

I see lots of older cyclists, but rarely are they former racers. Maybe those who start early and go really hard are less likely to get out there in their 50s, leaving a chance to all of us who are late-bloomers athletically speaking.

Part of the problem is burn-out. Just think, week in week out, you have to perform against same bunch of people. You are better than some and some are better than you. On a good day, you might be able to beat a better rider. On a even day, you know you will get beaten by the same 1 second margin. But you go out and give your best. You get beaten by that 1 second margin...

If you get too serious with racing, it takes the fun out and without the fun, what's the point to beat your self up, to suffer lactic acid burn in your leg, and major major discomfort that you can stop by slowing down but you can't.

Yup. chances are pretty good to just drop the sport and become sedentary.
Looks pretty appealing to me.

smilingcat

[OakLeaf]

I wonder if that's different for other sports.

I know all about amateur racer burnout. But after 12 years I'd been away from it long enough that I could come back to cycling and enjoy it. I wonder how that would be different for someone who'd been able to compete at a high level. A lot of my burnout I really believe was from the fact that I'd reached the limit of what I could do with the amount of commitment I had, and I knew that even if I took my commitment to another level, I'd never be a top-level cyclist. But then again, I was a recreational rider long before I started racing, and my racing years were a small proportion of my total cycling years, so I had a good foundation of really enjoyable riding that I could remember when I was ready to.

Now that you mention it, it's definitely noticeable on this forum that we have a whole lot of recreational riders, some current elite racers, some former club racers, but no former elite racers who've identified themselves anyway.

I'm really just musing on this, so early in the morning. So this post is a little incoherent :rolleyes:

I'm around professional motorcycle racers quite a bit, and honestly, when they retire, they don't stop riding - on the contrary, they often have trouble imagining anything non-motorized to do for fun! It's often difficult for them to be around the racetrack after they retire from competition, but it really seems to me that the majority of them keep riding in the dirt or on the street after their racing careers are over.

What about it, racer gals? What have you seen from your older peers, past their racing prime - are they able to ride for fun (either immediately after they stop racing, or after a break)?

[Tuckervill]

I think we have two groups here:

those who were athletic for much of their lives
those who started later


Silver was never athletic and started running in her late 30's. Within 9 months, she did her first marathon and now she's coaching tri-athletes!

I was never athletic as a kid (I was the drum major in the band!). 18 months ago, Silver nearly killed me on a 9 mile ride. Last month, I rode across Indiana!

My only point in saying this...and in starting this thread...is to encourage people of 'wisdom and experience' to not sell themselves short and to allow themselves to benefit from thinking big.

This has been a fun thread for me to read, there's so much wise feedback from insightful people.

Thanks:)

+1!

I do have to say that there's a third category:

*those who were athletic as kids, put it aside, then found it again.

I was a cheerleader, softball player, volleyball player and generally active kid. I rode my bike everywhere I went from the time I learned at 4. Then I got married and had kids. My last bike ride before almost 5 years ago was when my oldest was about 6 weeks old. I put him in the backpack and took him for a spin. It was too cold, and I never rode with him again. He'll be 26 next week!

So a 20 year hiatus from athletics (I did play a season of co-ed softball or two, but it hurt), and I'm BAAACK!

I ran a whole mile at boot camp today, just because I decided to. The whole class gave me high-fives.

Karen

[Susan126]

Tuckerville is right. I am 54 and my childhood growing up in the 60s was so different then kids' growing up today.

I walked or biked to school, came home had a snack did my homework then was out the door until dinner. Home for dinner then back out with my friends until curfew. TV was 3 channels (black and white tv) and rabbit ear antennae. Summer break was 3 months of playing with friends outdoors, softball, whether organized or just a quick game with neighborhood friends. Going on family vacations with my 2 sisters, brother, and our parents every July to the lake (Lake Erie) for two weeks. Roaming the streets of my hometown on my bike with my friends. Going to the stream where we would swim with swinging old tire tied to a tree which we used to swing out over the deepest part of the stream and then let go!

I had the best childhood and stores of memories. I sometimes feel sorry for today's kids. With their computers, video games, and lack of exercise. Not forced exercise but "kid" exercise. The kind that comes naturally to kids. Exercise that you never thought of exercise but fun times with friends outside doing fun things.

During lunch recess a game of softball, jump rope, tag; we didn't need adults to tell or show us how or what to do. We knew what to do to have fun.

Biking recreates part of that for me because some of my favorite times were spent on my bike. All decorated up for our local parades through my home town. Memorial Day, Fourth of July . . . riding our steeds my friends, siblings and I through our town.

Kids today don't know how to "play" . . . maybe because they were never given the opportunity. I don't know. I tried to allow my kids (now 24 and 26) outdoor time when they were growing up. Joe and I lived in beautiful places before he retired from the military and went to work for Boeing. Alaska, Montana, Virginia, taking the kids fishing, to zoos, camping, hiking, local sites and attractions, limiting their tv and video game time.

I feel if you grew up with this life style you never lose it. And that is why you see a lot of older folks regaining their youthful ways on bikes. For me it was a wonderful time of my life and again it has become a wonderful way of life for me again. I feel like a kid again. I have fun when I am on my bike. I feel like the kid I was back in the 1960s! :) Well almost! :p

[pardes]

This thread is taking on a life of its own which is appropriate since we are all surmising that aging will hopefully also have a life of its own beyond the physical limitations that often come with it.

Fabulous point that many of us were never athletic as kids at least in organized sports with some wanting now to be competitive and others embracing all aspects of the recreational facets of biking.

Either way self-pride seems to be the laudable point and what is more age appropriate to aging than finally learning both the acceptance of limitations and the Boomer trait of wanting to change the world starting from within that knows no limitations.

Some Boomers will claim we changed the world by stopping a war but I would like to see us change the world again by reaching out to the fretful young with examples in living color of how it's possible to "have it all."

[Crankin]

Excellent points. I also grew up in the 60s and spent every night running around the streets with my friends or riding my Raleigh 3 speed up huge hills, and playing in streams. I tried to give my kids the same kind of upbringing, allowing them the freedom other parents gasped at. Most of the time it worked, although once when they were 5 and 8, the older one left the younger alone in the woods for "no reason." Thankfully, he had a walkie talkie with him and I was able to talk him out by sighting a house in the distance. They both did a lot of computer stuff, but very little video games. At 23 and almost 26 one is a super athlete and the other is just normal active. He takes the bus to work, instead of driving, and often gets off 2-5 miles before home and walks. He also does some long fitness walks on the weekends, some swimming, and hiking once in awhile. I gave him my old mountain bike, hoping he would ride it, but nothing yet. I don't want to push him, but I have been giving gentle hints that if he doesn't start now, it only gets harder!

[shootingstar]

With their computers, video games, and lack of exercise. Not forced exercise but "kid" exercise. The kind that comes naturally to kids. Exercise that you never thought of exercise but fun times with friends outside doing fun things.

During lunch recess a game of softball, jump rope, tag; we didn't need adults to tell or show us how or what to do. We knew what to do to have fun.

Biking recreates part of that for me because some of my favorite times were spent on my bike. All decorated up for our local parades through my home town. Memorial Day, Fourth of July . . . riding our steeds my friends, siblings and I through our town.

Kids today don't know how to "play" . . . maybe because they were never given the opportunity. I don't know. I tried to allow my kids (now 24 and 26) outdoor time when they were growing up. Joe and I lived in beautiful places before he retired from the military and went to work for Boeing. Alaska, Montana, Virginia, taking the kids fishing, to zoos, camping, hiking, local sites and attractions, limiting their tv and video game time.

I feel if you grew up with this life style you never lose it. And that is why you see a lot of older folks regaining their youthful ways on bikes. For me it was a wonderful time of my life and again it has become a wonderful way of life for me again. I feel like a kid again. I have fun when I am on my bike. I feel like the kid I was back in the 1960s! :) Well almost! :p


I do seriously consider the best of years of my health and life (am 49),...are now with it accelerating when I returned to cycling at 31, as overall even "freer" than my childhood, teenager when I now have the financial means to do and see things ...not just cycling but also other fun activities.

Since parents didn't have much money to keep their 6 kiddies entertained..we entertained ourselves. Since I was the eldest, by default I was a built-in babysitter daily, and hence thrown outside to look after siblings. So we played...with very little toys, had 2 bikes and 1 tricycle among 6 children.

I can't quite believe I could double-dutch-skip rope up to 2,000...remember that? Those contests ... But there were shared bikes within the family.

So returned to cycling much later after dropping it at 19. ...

I was a nerdy, brainy introverted kid. Sports was never my thing, but I did experience the euphoria of a sport by happily playing softball for 2 years at recess and after school with the other girls..on a pavement diamond. Not a grassblade on our school layground. It was not really team-based just loosely organized softball games. I was addicted since summers got up to 90 degrees C with high humidity.

I started softball when I was 10. A common age turning point for girls. to realize a glimer of their future potential.. around 8-14 yrs. where the probability of building confidence and experiencing it through things they like doing...starts then and can influence a girl's self-confidence in a major way.

I still don't consider myself a great cyclist, just way more more active cyclist/physically active than I ever was when growing up. And probably quite active and in good health, compared to many women in my age group that I know.

[Red Rock]

I am approaching 40:confused: My brain says I'm younger than that, so it is hard to be thinking that I am approaching the later years in my life. Ugh.

I was one of those totally active kids and basically have been my whole life. I was a gymnast from 5 years until 6th grade. Then I picked up tennis, cycling, hiking, swimmming, crosscountry and probably others. From junior high onward. I was always on some team in high school or college. When I was in College, I was a part of the cross country ski team. That was cool becasue I was able to see and experience all parts of New England. I could tell you which campuses had the best food.:D That was all the fun part. Training is training.

Now I just ride for fun and enjoyment even if it is about 30 miles a day or on a weekend.

Red Rock

[kayandallie]

55 here. I've been flirting with cycling for the last 3 years or so, after riding here and there all my life. My son works in a bicycle shop and is a Serotta fitter, so I have a very positive influence in my life (of course, he was destined to be so as his dad brought in a baby bike to the hospital the day he was born). I ride 3-4 days/week and in the past months or two or three have just really been pushing it. I used to stop and relax but now I have no need; I just want to keep riding. I'm in better shape than I was when I was younger although I'm heavier (sigh). I love to use my age as an excuse when I need to, but I just keep on doing my own thing by myself and loving it.

[han-grrl]

only because i liked this

http://antonemery.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/old.jpg

[shootingstar]

Han-grrl...rare that men his age (whatever his real age is) would look like that. :cool:

For certain I can confirm my honey does not look that buff at 65..:rolleyes: but he remains regular cyclist and does loaded bike touring often on his own through the mtns. from home and elsewhere.

A month ago, I learned of a 70 yr. woman (a grandmother) who did do radonneuring in earlier years, did several loaded bike trips (including across Canada with camping after retiring at 65); then did loaded bike group tour with other similar-aged folks in past few yrs.; was highly active and vocal in Vancouver-area cycling advocacy for over past decade. Now she must withdraw from some of this stuff because of impeding cataract eye surgery and a long-term heart problem (irregular).

But she has achieved alot cycling-wise and it is clear to others who know her that cycling has benefited her physically and psychologically ..in terms of a positive life outlook.

[teawoman]

Well, after a year in my bike club, I can finally keep up with the 60-something men. :p:D (I'm 43 and new to cycling).